Hiko is the most powerful fighter in the series, vastly superior to all other characters. During Kenshin's second training, while Kenshin seemingly was on par in sheer speed to his master, Hiko in fact greatly suppresses his true capacities beneath his kilogram cloak. The only time in the series he is seen without the cloak is when he removes it in preparation to kill Kenshin during their second bout of training.
Despite this handicap, when Kenshin strikes at Hiko with his "entire body and soul" at one point devoting all his attention that he falls afterwards and passes out , he only manages to graze one of Hiko's bracers.
According to Kamiya Kaoru, Hiko's might and level of skill makes the space measured from his own sword's reach and length from himself into a barrier-like zone which any seasoned fighter would be wise enough to sense and not cross into; taken in the context of martial arts and kendo, Hiko's ma'ai is at such a level of skill that, if one were to enter this zone, it would only mean instantaneous defeat.
This is because of his superbly muscular and peak-developed body; whereas the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu puts so much strain that it will gradually cause permanent damage to a user with any less of a conditioned body than Hiko himself, he can perform at maximum output regularly and for long durations without any debilitating side-effects.
His absolute mastery of this style even makes him one of few wielders in history able to use the Hiten Mugen Zan , an attack of such speed and power that it can utterly destroy the ground before him and unleash a countless barrage of slashes due to its unperceivable speed. Even though Hiko is chronologically past his prime, his might and vitality remains as great as ever, even in relatively peaceful times. When Hiko told Yahiko and Misao his real age, the two were shocked and pondered if Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu acts as some sort of fountain of youth.
In addition to pushing himself to peak human conditioning, Hiko possesses tremendous sheer physical strength, able to block the gigantic swinging blade of Fuji and repel it. A highly versatile swordsman, he is proficient in a variety of attack methods and stances, including thrusting, backhanded, underhand, as well as able wielding his sword in either hand with equal efficiency and just as seamlessly switch between them all.
He is also equally proficient in hand-to-hand combat, able to seamlessly use both unison. While possessing a superior sense of judgement in combat compared to Kenshin, Hiko is also extremely perceptive and analytical, able to instantly see through his opponent's strengths and weaknesses, letting him easily exploit them, likewise able to understand the nature of his opponents.
Nothing is known about Hiko's past prior to meeting Kenshin. They first met on the day that Shinta Kenshin's true name and his traveling companions are under attack by bandits. He comes upon the scene by chance and saves the young boy from being killed but arrived too late to save anyone else.
He tells the boy to go to the nearby town and tell them what happened, assuming that they would help him. He later receives news that nobody matching the boy's description had been seen in town, and assumes that he committed suicide.
He then decides to journey back to the site of the massacre to bury the dead. When he arrives, he is surprised to find that, not only did the boy not commit suicide, but Kenshin had stayed behind to bury the dead himself. When he comments on this fact, assuming that the boy's companions had been his family, Kenshin reveals to Hiko's further surprise that his companions were in fact slavers.
After his parents died of cholera, he had been captured and was to be sold when the slavers came under attack by bandits. He also tells Hiko of the three young women who he had wanted to protect, but who instead sacrificed themselves for him. Hiko then pours sake on their gravestones as a tribute. Impressed by the boy's inner strength and kindness, Hiko asks him for his name. When the boy tells him that his name is Shinta, Hiko gives him the name of Kenshin, stating the name Shinta sounded too soft to be the name of a swordsman.
After mentioning somewhat unnecessarily that he doesn't want a hug from Kenshin, he reveals that "medicine" Kenshin gave him was just water that Hiko used as a placebo to stop Kenshin from panicking over a bite he received from a non-venomous snake. He then offers Kenshin the weighted cloak as testament to the fact that Kenshin had learned the succession technique, but both quickly agree that it would look ridiculous on Kenshin.
Kenshin answers that he has no intent to carry the title of Hiko Seijuro XVI, but then asks a favor Hiko to protect his friends while he goes to fight Shishio, and Hiko does insult his "idiot apprentice" for asking him to clean up his mess, but still does so as they part ways.
He is later seen arriving at the Kyoto branch of Oniwabanshu just in time to save Yahiko from the giant Fuji. He manages to both block a strike from Fuji, who was capable of cleaving the Aoi-Ya inn in half, and push Fuji's sword aside. He then asks Yahiko if he is injured, and while Yahiko seems to be fine, he is annoyed that Hiko seemed to arrive at the most dramatic possible moment. Hiko blames Kenshin for this, saying that Kenshin never actually gave him directions, so he had to wander all over Kyoto before he found where he was supposed to be going.
After a short talk with Fuji about how, despite his size, Fuji was a warrior and not a monster, the two face off. After Kenshin returns and recovers, he is seen at Tomoe's grave with Kenshin, who had finally overcome his woes and accepted his dark past as part of himself, despite his sins. Kenshin describes his personality as "crude, cruel, and hateful. He also comes off as somewhat lazy, professing to have retrained Kenshin to save himself the bother of dealing with Shishio, and complaining about protecting Kenshin's friends.
Despite this rough exterior, he has a deep sense of responsibility to Kenshin and those he protects in the rare cases when he does get involved. He loves sake, himself, and teasing Kenshin, and while he is frequently seen drinking copious amounts of sake alone, he never becomes drunk. He and Kenshin frequently have bouts of slapstick conflict between them. Also, unlike Kenshin, he appears to have absolutely no compunctions about killing his enemies, as seen during his first meeting with Kenshin when he slaughters a group of murderous bandits in cold blood.
Additionally, during his fight with Fuji, he seems to spare him somewhat incidentally, commenting that Fuji survived his attack simply because he was so large.
He also seems to possess considerable insight, wisdom, and foresight. He was correctly able to predict exactly what would happen to Kenshin if he participated in the revolution, was able to correctly identify Kenshin's psychological problems during their second training, and was able to both explain to Kenshin what was wrong and help him overcome it.
Also, during his confrontation with Fuji, he correctly identified Fuji's despair at being so freakishly large that people saw him as a monster and not a warrior, and helped him overcome it by giving him a respectful opponent that he need not hold back against. Hiko is the most powerful swordsman in the series; a deus ex machina - vastly superior to Kenshin, Saito, Shishio, Enishi, and Aoshi. Even though Hiko is 43 years old, he looks as if he were in his late twenties, looking the same as he did in a flashback to when he was only in his 20's.
When Hiko told Yahiko and Misao his real age 43 , the two were shocked and pondered if Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu is some sort of fountain of youth as Kenshin, despite being about twenty-eight, looks as if he were in his late teens. Additionally, it is revealed late in the series that an abnormally muscular physique is in fact necessary to use the Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu safely.
Remember that he was holding back the whole time. Overall I think that it's really up in the air between Soujiro, Saito and Aoshi. But Seijuro, Kenshin and Shishio are undoubtedly the best. Also remember that Jin'e was the only one in the series to dodge Kenshin's battoujutsu, even when Kenshin was in manslayer mode, so he's definitely one of the strongest. Thanks for mentioning Okita, it's a good matter to discuss. I don't doubt he's skilled, but I'm hesitant to put a character we almost never see battle on the list, plus his physical capabilities were impacted by tuberculosis.
On the Saito vs Okita matter; according to Wikipedia, Okita was the same age as or even two years older than Saito. Don't really understand why you'd consider Saito to be more experienced. Some records say that Okita was considered the strongest of the Shinsengumi, while some sources claim Okita actually feared the left-hand technique of Saito.
It would be an interesting match-up though. Slow down there, friend. I enjoy the live action movies, but in terms of anime canon, they can be ignored. Kenshin's master is stronger; both Kenshin himself and the creator of the series admit it.
Hiko didn't fight Shishio because he doesn't have Kenshin's compassion, which is what prompted Kenshin to get involved with the Kyoto war in the first place. Additionally, Kenshin feels responsible for Shishio because he was Kenshin's replacement after Kenshin quit being an assassin. Hopefully that clears things up! Im just confuse, if Kenshin's master was stronger than him, he should be the one to fight Sishio Makoto since in the movie Rorouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends, i dont know if it was shown in anime too Kenshin needs his allies Saito, Aoshi and Sanosuke to defeat Sishio Sojiro is in the honorable mentions, if it helps.
Him against Saito would be interesting, but Saito's got much more experience, and I bet he'd win through either superior strategy or dirty tactics. Thanks for the heads-up; I should remember to double-check my spelling of Japanese words.
You're also correct about Jin'e, although since ki doesn't really come up again in the show, I'd argue magic would almost make more sense in this case. Some pointers Jeremy, Saitou technique is called Gatotsu. Also, Jin'e doesn't use magic, it's simply ki. Thank you, and never fear--I could discuss Aoshi vs Saito all day long.
You make good points both ways, and I agree that Saito has a definite edge in experience. It's true that Aoshi's emotional state is unstable, but he arguably emerges mentally stronger than Saito at the end. The series emphasizes the power of "the will to live" which is what Kenshin learns after being retrained by Hiko , and Aoshi likewise learns this from Kenshin.
Kenshin greatly strengthens after recognizing this, and even Hiko seems to somewhat adopt his pupil's mindset he continues living despite the normal death of the master after teaching the student the ultimate attack, and he spares Fuji.
In the end, Aoshi seems far closer to this strength than Saito, and as I mentioned to Luke, correctly realized that fighting defensively against Shishio would ultimately help more than Saito's fruitless offense. But hey, that's just my opinion. Glad to see people still so interested in the series years after its completion! Saito and Aoshi are both great technicians.
While Saito is more of a specialist in one technique and is able to vary it excellently, Aoshi has a few different techniques that he executes with excellence.
So I think on a technical level, there is nothing or almost nothing to choose between them. I would say that Saito has the advantage of experience being older than Aoshi Saito around 34 and Aoshi around 27 in the 10th year of the Meiji era , having fought and survived the chaos and deathmatches of the bakumatsu and kept on sharpening his skills as a Police spy.
As Saito stated in the anime, he had more death match experience than Kenshin, Aoshi and Sano put together. Mentally, both are both excellent at analysing their opponent's techniques, however, I feel Saito is able to better psychologically analyse his opponent due to his greater experience and he demonstrates this against Usui and Kenshin. I don't think the Kenshin fight at the dojo is fully indicative of Saito's full ability because he kept on raising his intensity level to match Kenshin rather than starting at full intensity and there was no resolution to the fight since Saito was testing Kenshin.
For all we know he could raise his level quite a bit more. And when he fought Shishio both his legs had been stabbed, and yet he mustered up a pin point accurate gatotsu that hit the target as well as a zero stance gatotsu which he never used against Kenshin.
Aoshi on the other hand only defended against Shishio understandable due to his Kenshin fight injuries. Aoshi has youth on his side, but both were pretty much at their physical peak. Saito probably had the psychological advantage. Saito was never confused about his reason for fighting. He had a bedrock of confidence and clarity of mind. However, I think that the biggest advantage for Saito is that he is deceptive, cunning and more than willing to fight dirty.
Aoshi seemed somewhat more honourable in his fighting style although he did some dishonourable things e. Sounds like you've experienced just about everything the series has to offer!
I agree that the non-Trust movies and OVAs never match the quality, though I enjoyed some of the fights from the live action films. They're not stupendous, but some fun can be had for diehard Kenshin fans. Trust and Betrayal is indeed a masterpiece, loved it as well.
The english dub is horrible though, with some embarrassing translations as well. I've also seen the remake 'New Kyoto Arc', which in my opinion was -apart from a few fights- kind of disappointing. Both are way below the quality of the anime and Trust and Betrayal. I've also watched the live action movies, but none of them could convince me to be honest.
Have to give them credit for their effort though. Any thoughts? True, only Saito fought Kenshin when Kenshin was willing to kill. However, after further training from Hiko, Kenshin is said to access his full swordsman potential, just without his killing intent. Thus, Aoshi also fought Kenshin at his peak, and he was defeated by Kenshin's ultimate technique, a move Saito never had to face.
Regardless, Saito and Aoshi are both undoubtedly quite skilled, and I can respect the viewpoint of Saito being stronger. I have seen Trust and Betrayal, and highly recommend it to Kenshin fans who haven't. Loved it, even have a few tracks from it on my mp3. It finally shows how lethal Kenshin was a Battosai and revisits some familiar faces. You also seem to know a lot about Kenshin. I've been kind of busy these last few months, so I apologize for my rather late response.
Here are my thoughts: Aoshi indeed becomes stronger after mastering the 2 blades and, unlike Saito, fights Kenshin after the latter masters the final attack. However, Aoshi didn't fight Kenshin during the revolution, a period where Kenshin becomes known as the manslayer for his ruthless killing. Saito and the other Shinsengumi-captains did fight Kenshin on multiple occasions, with all fights being inconclusive. And although incomplete when compared to the Kenshin who masters the final attack, the Kenshin during the revolution appears more dangerous as he would probably kill everyone who is in his way.
During their first fight after 10 years, Kenshin could have decapitated Saito were it not for the reversed-blade sword. But then again, Saito was holding back the whole time as well and could have stabbed Kenshin with his first Gatotsu if he had used his full strength. When both become serious, the fight again ends inconclusive. You could have a valid point about Aoshi's tactical analyses against Shishio.
However, as Saito lives by the code of the samourai, I think stalling time wouldn't be something Saito would do, especially as a former Shinsengumi-captain.
I would say that, even though he knows that he can't beat Shishio in his current condition, he still fights him 'because he lives and dies by the sword', perhaps hoping on a lucky stab with the zero stance. During the show, I think Saito shows that his analytical en tactical skills are peerless.
On another note, did you watch the OVA 'Trust and betrayal'? If you haven't, I would strongly recommend it. Although being more 'dark and sad' and having a different drawing, I believe it's truly a masterpiece, perhaps even better than the anime.
It basically tells the story of Kenshin during the revolution. Would like to hear your thoughts on that as well! The captain of the first squad of the Shinsengumi was said to be on par with Saito, where others state he was the srongest of the Shinsengumi. Unfortunaltely, he dies of tuberculosis during the Bakamatsu.
Thanks man! To be honest, Fuji was never one of my favorite characters his giant size contradicts with the semi-realistic feel of the show , but simply being that large certainly grants a major advantage. Yes, Saito vs. Aoshi is definitely a hard match to call. Another point I'd like to make is that Shishio renowned for being very intelligent and analytical admits the fight could go either way when asked if Kenshin or Aoshi will prevail, showing he has faith Aoshi could potentially defeat Kenshin.
Hiko Seijuro is without a doubt the strongest swordsmen in the series. As the main protagonist, Himura Kenshin is a legendary hitokiri who lives a low life travelling around Japan.
Kenshin is on a journey to redemption as he wants to forget his past as Battosai, his former self when he slaughtered many people. However, whenever he has to fight his battles, Kenshin is quick to drop his laid-back attitude and show his combative skills.
Known for his extraordinary swordsmanship , Kenshin is among the most powerful characters in the series. Kenshin can wield his sword so fast that his target is cut neatly and can be reattached as if it was never attacked. With the ability to move fast and deduce his opponent's movements, Kenshin is an opponent one should never want to meet. Despite being Hiko's student, Kenshin's skills are not equivalent and are only able to match up by unleashing the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki. Hiko has a deep sense of responsibility towards Kenshin, and is often ready to participate in battles to help him.
Hiko is an accomplished warrior, and his skills as a master swordsman are above the other characters. He has perfectly mastered the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and can wield and perform all of its techniques, skills, and methods to the maximum limit. Hiko also wears a kilogram cloak that he uses to suppress his strength while training Kenshin.
Saakshi Lama is a writer, reader, musician from Darjeeling, India. With years of experience as a content strategist, Saakshi is currently enjoying her work as a list writer for Comic Book Resources. During her free time, Saakshi loves to watch animes and obsess over K-pop. By Saakshi Lama Published Jan 16,
0コメント