Saito also fights based on experience rather than tradition, and his physical strength is so huge that he blew up a huge metal door by piercing it with a sword. He is far above Kenshin in that regard (although Kenshin blew up a huge robot with ARNH (Amakakeru…) in the third part of the manga).

8 Yukishiro Enishi Yukishiro Enishi is introduced as the main antagonist of the Jinchu Arc. Driven by the need to avenge his older sister, Tomoe, Enishi fights Kenshin, since he believes that the main reason for Tomoe’s death is Kenshin.

Saitō appears again during the Kyoto Arc to fight against Shishio Makoto. During this arc, Saitō fights and has his men kill many of Shishio’s soldiers. He himself kills the second most powerful warrior amongst the Juppongatana, Uonuma Usui, but suffers deep leg wounds during that battle.

Deceased (1844–1915)
Saitō Hajime/Living or Deceased

He is stronger, faster, more skilled and more experienced than Kenshin. Kenshin hit him with Amakakeru because Seijuro forced him to in order to teach him how to do it. The only area where Kenshin measures up is heart, he may even surpass Hiko in this.

10 Strongest Swordsmen in Anime Ranked

1. Rurouni Kenshin. Kenshin is the definitive swordsmen in anime, and really sets the standard for what an anime sword fighter should be.
2. Ichigo Kurasaki.
3. Kisuke Urahara.
4. Sasuke Uchiha.
5. Zabuza.
6. Guts from Beserk.
7. Nanashi and Luo-Lang from Sword of the Stranger.
8. Jin/Mugen from Samurai Champloo.

Hiko Seijūrō XIII
Hiko Seijūrō XIII (比古 清十郎 十三代, Hiko Seijūrō Jūsandai) is Himura Kenshin’s master in the anime/manga series Rurouni Kenshin. As a potter, he uses the assumed name of Ni’itsu Kakunoshin.

Saitō is also married to a woman named Tokio (時尾), who does not appear in the story.

In all three series, Saitou is portrayed as the only left-handed member of Shinsengumi and of the all the characters. Being a left-handed samurai is also “strange”, from the reaction of the character Ibuki Ryunosuke at the end of episode one (Hakouki Reimeiroku) where viewers are first introduced to Saitou’s character.

Himura Kenshin (緋村 剣心), known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language anime dubs, is a fictional character and protagonist of the manga Rurouni Kenshin created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. Kenshin’s story is set in a fictional version of Japan during the Meiji period.

Hiko Seijūrō
For the one-shot character, see Hiko Seijūrō (I). Hiko Seijūrō XIII ( 比古 ひこ 清 せい 拾 じゅう 郎 ろう 拾 じゅう 参 さん 代 だい , Hiko Seijūrō Jūsandai?) is the twelfth successor of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū and the sensei of Himura Kenshin in the anime/manga series Rurouni Kenshin.

Fictional Portrayal. In the manga and anime Rurouni Kenshin, the sword style of Himura Kenshin (himself loosely based on Kawakami Gensai), the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū (飛天御剣流, lit. “Flying Heaven’s Honorable Sword Style”) is loosely based on Shiranui-ryū; both styles are characterized by high-speed attacks.

Having a long-standing rivalry with Himura Kenshin since their days on opposite sides of the Bakumatsu, Saitō nevertheless holds a begrudging respect for the rurouni and has come to his aid on assignment more than once, acting as a ruthless ally and the voice of cynical reason in the Kenshin-gumi’s major battles.

He adherently lives by the Shinsengumi code ” Aku Soku Zan ” (悪即斬, literally: ” Slay Evil Immediately “, but more poetically rendered as “Swift Death to Evil”), though he never shows much regard for human life, at some points even letting on that he likes to kill. He is rather morbid and arrogant.

Saitō, Kenshin and Sano join forces in the battle against Shishio. During the Kyoto Arc, Saitō joins forces with Kenshin to fight against Shishio Makoto. However, he considers Kenshin to be more of an adversary rather than an ally. Later, after acknowledging Kenshin’s vow to never kill again, Saitō decides to put an end to their rivalry.

Anyone he considers to be corrupt or despotic, he targets for elimination, in the honor of his country and his fallen men.