Hitokiri Battōsai

Kenshin's main weapon throughout the series is his Sakabatō, a reverse-edged sword that Kenshin uses to powerfully "strike" his opponents without killing them. Throughout the series, Kenshin had two Sakabatōs. The first, called Sakabatō Kageuchi, was a gift from Shaku Arai, a master swordsmith, given to him during Kenshin's last days in the Bakumatsu so that he could create the world without death that he desires. He used this sword from the beginning of the series until his brief fight against Sojiro in the Shingetsu village, where both Kenshin's Sakabatō and Sojiro's sword were broken.

Later, Kenshin receives the Sakabato Shinuchi, which was forged by Shaku Arai along with the Sakabato Kageuchi. Kenshin received this sword from Shaku Arai's son, Seiko Arai, who also made the tsuka (handle) for the sword. According to Sojiro, this sword is more powerful than the previous one. Kenshin used this sword from the Kyoto arc to the present day.

His small and slender body allows Kenshin to make quick movements, take large leaps, bounce off walls, and even have great reflexes, allowing him to dodge even the shots of a Gatling machine gun, which was the most revolutionary firearm of the time.

Kenshin's swordsmanship skills allowed him to become an elite assassin at the age of 14 in the service of the government, eventually becoming a legend of the Bakumatsu and one of the main figures responsible for the victory of the Meiji government.

The Hitten Mitsurugi-Ryu style, taught by his master Hiko Seijuro, aims to achieve "the speed of a God" to allow him to finish off several enemies at once. To this must be added mastery of Battoujutsu, a branch of Kenjutsu (sword fighting style for combat) which consists of the ability to quickly draw the sword and execute an attack. Kenshin's nickname during the Bakumatsu, Hitokiri Battousai, comes from his mastery of Battoujutsu.

His life as a political assassin began when he was only fourteen years old, when he interrupted his training with Hiko, escaping to try to help all the people who were dying because of the fighting, despite the warnings of his master, who told him that to protect some he would have to kill others and would end up becoming an assassin like those he himself detested; he also told him that if he left his training there and left, he should never return. Leaving the decision in Kenshin's hands.

Kenshin left. However, Kenshin's intentions were always to help, but the Hiten Mitsurigi Ryū style was too powerful and he was too skilled for his age, ending up committing brutal murders... Afterwards, he dedicated himself to protecting his comrades against the Shinsengumi group of swordsmen until he disappeared. Over time, he realized that killing was wrong, no matter how good his intentions. He came to this conclusion at age 15 when he met a beautiful woman several years older than him named Tomoe Yukishiro, whose fiancé, Akira Kiyosato, had died months earlier at the hands of his boss, who also inflicted the first scar on his left cheek. Tomoe was originally tasked with assassinating him in a plot perpetrated by the Yaminobu group, a group of spies under the Tokugawa government; they had to pretend to be married to go unnoticed, but love truly blossomed during that charade. Tomoe plays a very important role in the story because she is the first woman Kenshin falls in love with and shares a "friendship" with. Kenshin was considered cold and calculating, but his human side emerged through his closeness to this sad and mysterious woman who disagreed with him being a Hitokiri. Tomoe's behavior and the internal battle she wages daily with herself and her motives are revealed as the story unfolds.

Before being known as Kenshin, his real name was Shinta. When Shinta was only 6 years old, his parents died as a result of a devastating cholera epidemic, and he left his village; he encountered a caravan of slaves and prostitutes, traveling with them for a year. At the age of 7, he met Akane, Kasumi, and Sakura, three girls who were sold as prostitutes, considering them his sisters despite having known them very little. During a journey with the caravan, they were attacked by bandits. During the robbery, the attackers murdered everyone who stood in their way, leaving only 3 women and Shinta alive. Shinta tried to defend them by taking a sword, but they knew it would be useless, so to protect him, the three girls stood in the way of the murderers, doing everything possible to let the boy live. They also tried to persuade Shinta, asking him to escape and survive for them, repeating that he has to live and be strong; he is paralyzed by such a massacre and the merciless way in which the 3 young women are murdered before his eyes, and thus he fails to escape. At the moment one of the murderers was approaching him to kill him... Hiko Seijūro appears, saving him by killing all the bandits. Feeling pity for the child, Hiko tells Shinta that he should be grateful for having survived, ordering him to go to the village near the crime scene, where they would surely help him if he looked for, for example, a monk and recounted what happened.

The following afternoon, Hiko passes by the massacre site again and realizes there are many crosses, like in a cemetery, and is surprised. There he finds Shinta with 3 rocks in front of him. Hiko asks him why there are so many graves (those of his "family" and those of the bandits). Then, he tells him his story.

Soft-spoken, serene, and humble, Kenshin's usual demeanor suits his new lifestyle perfectly. He is always willing to put others above himself, both in terms of well-being and social standing. When speaking, Kenshin uses very archaic language, a habit from his days as a samurai. He generally addresses others with the noble honorific "-dono," while almost always referring to himself with the particularly humble pronoun "sessha" (translated as "this humble servant") and usually ends his sentences with the catchphrase "de gozaru." He always possesses an air of friendly composure, addresses people he meets courteously, and readily offers his meager services to those who need a hand. Kenshin does not hesitate to confront evil to protect those around him. He often resolves conflict with gentle, soothing words and a jovial personality that involves feigned clumsiness and his accompanying catchphrase "oro." These characteristics lead those unfamiliar with Kenshin to see him as ineffective or easily exploitable, but more perceptive people quickly realize his gift of eloquence. However, in his youth, after training with Seijuro and aware of the political situation in his country, Kenshin didn't think twice about using his newly acquired skills to serve his country without considering the consequences, as his master warned him that while the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu style was too powerful and he was extremely prodigious, his own power could lead him to suffer terrible misfortune in his life. Over time, his master's words proved true, as the more murders Kenshin committed, the more he went insane, to the point of feeling disgusted with his situation as an assassin.