Of the many formidable opponents who appear in Rurouni Kenshin, the greatest rival is undoubtedly Shishio Makoto. As he was once Kenshin's successor under the name Himura Battousai, he is a very capable individual, but he also has the Ten Swords, which have powerful fighting abilities, under his command, and can be said to be a lifelong rival who has been facing off against Kenshin and his friends for a long time. In this article, we will summarize Kenshin's lifelong rival, Shishio Makoto. He is a popular character who is no less popular than Kenshin, and is still supported by many fans, so please read on.
Himura Battousai and Shishio Makoto
First of all, what is the relationship between Himura Battousai, also known as Kenshin of the past, and Shishio Makoto? Here, I would like to introduce the relationship between Kenshin and Shishio in detail.
Battousai's successor
During the turbulent times of the late Edo period, Kenshin was active under the name of Hisamura Battousai, but he had a shocking experience of killing his wife during the act, and was no longer able to operate as an assassin. Therefore, the new government set its sights on Shishio Makoto as Kenshin's successor.
Almost equal strength
Those who knew Kenshin and Shishio's abilities well at the time described the difference in their abilities as "almost equal," and it is assumed that the two were almost equal in power at the height of their power. The only difference is that Shishio is portrayed as more cold-hearted than Kenshin, and since he was able to carry out his assassination work without being swayed by his emotions, it can be inferred that he was actually a stronger warrior than Kenshin.
A good comparison with Kenshin
However, in the story, both Kenshin and Shishio lose their powers from their prime. The reason they both lost their powers is due to emotional wounds for Kenshin and physical wounds for Shishio, which is fitting for two men who have taken completely different paths, and the contrast is well-made, making it a thought-provoking theme in the story.
Assassinated as a dangerous person!?
As Battousai, Shishio was involved in the murder of important figures in the shogunate and supported the Meiji Restoration behind the scenes, but in contrast to Kenshin, he was seen as a threat to Satsuma and Choshu, and was assassinated (or, more accurately, was thought to have been assassinated).
He was a thorn in the side of the Meiji government
One of the reasons Shishio was assassinated is that, unlike Kenshin, he had great ambition. Also, having carried out numerous assassinations, he knew inconvenient truths from the perspective of the new government, and it seems that many of the new government officials felt a sense of crisis that the ambitious Shishio knew inconvenient information about the Meiji government.
Oil poured all over his body and set on fire
The Meiji government's plan to kill Shishio was very well-prepared, as they were well aware of how terrifying Shishio was. After a comrade fatally wounded him in a surprise attack, he was poured oil all over his body and set on fire. The fact that they used a method not normally used in assassinations suggests the Meiji government's fear of Shishio.
He wasn't dead!!
Shishio was thoroughly attacked, but the most frightening thing about him is that he managed to survive despite being so seriously wounded. It seems that the Meiji government was cautious and let their guard down after attacking him so thoroughly, but even so, Shishio is truly fearsome.
Loss of sweating ability
However, it seems that even Shishio did not escape unscathed. As a result of his entire body being engulfed in fire, Shishio has lost his ability to sweat, and he must constantly live surrounded by high temperatures that are dangerous to the human body.
Personality
Here, I would like to introduce Shishio's personality. As Kenshin's nemesis, Shishio's thoughts and personality are in direct opposition to Kenshin's, but just because he is different from Kenshin doesn't mean he is wrong. Rather, there are many depictions that make Shishio's arguments seem reasonable, and it seems that there are quite a few readers who take Shishio's side.
Survival of the fittest
Shishio's basic philosophy is that "this world is ultimately the survival of the fittest. The strong survive and the weak are destroyed." Although it is a simple idea, it is also an idea that only the truly strong could come up with, and it shows how crazy Shishio is.
High charisma
Although Shishio may seem like a simple villain at first glance, many people seem to sympathize with his idea that "this world is ultimately a law of the jungle. The strong survive and the weak are destroyed," and there are many scenes in which he is loved by many of his subordinates.
Dissatisfaction and ambition towards the new government
And above all else, the biggest motive that drives Shishio is "dissatisfaction and ambition towards the Meiji government." His resentment towards the Meiji government, which used him only to its fullest and then abandoned him, seems to be very strong, and this is also the motive for Shishio to operate behind the scenes.
Shishio Makoto and Friends
We will introduce the friends that Shishio led in the story.
Yumi Komagata
She is a character who appears in the story as Shishio's lover. She has declared that she fell in love with Shishio, who is completely burned, "not for his appearance but for his personality," and is determined to sacrifice her life for him.
Seta Soujiro
He is the first person Shishio recruited after nearly being assassinated. He has a talent for swordsmanship on par with Kenshin, and in the story he shows even more skill than Kenshin in the early days, showing the strength of the Ten Swords.
Swordsmanship
What kind of swordsmanship does Shishio, Kenshin's greatest enemy, use? Here, I would like to introduce the swordsmanship used by Shishio.
Infinite Blade
The sword Shishio uses is called the Infinite Blade. Unlike normal swords, the blade is forged into a fine saw-like shape from the beginning, and as the name suggests, it is a sword that can be used infinitely.
Covered in flames
Furthermore, Shishio's Infinite Sword is soaked with the oil of many people he has buried, and by using friction, he can perform the incredible technique of covering himself in flames.
Death Battle with Kenshin
Here, I would like to introduce in detail the final death battle between Kenshin and Shishio in the story. The duel between Kenshin and Shishio is a very important scene in the story, so the illustrations are quite elaborate. It is one of the most famous battles in Rurouni Kenshin, so be sure to check it out.
The injured Kenshin was no match! ?
Kenshin, who has taken the lives of many people in the past, fights with the motto of "non-killing," and his abilities seem to have declined since he was active as a demon-like Battousai. Of course, even if you take into account that he had faced many strong opponents before reaching Shishio and was covered in wounds, it can be said that it was an even game considering Shishio also had the handicap of full-body burns. From this, it seems certain that Shishio had a higher pure fighting ability than Kenshin, who advocated "non-killing."
Saito Hajime, Sagara Sanosuke, and Sojime are also defeated
Furthermore, not only Kenshin, but also Kenshin's biggest rival Saito Hajime, Sagara Sanosuke, and former head of the Oniwabanshu Sojime all stand up to Shishio after defeating Kenshin, but are defeated without being strong enough.
Kenshin's Revival
The last remaining Soshi was cornered by Shishio one-sidedly, and Shishio's victory was certain, but with Kenshin, who was on the verge of death, resurrected, the true final showdown between Shishio and Kenshin begins.
Shishio also breaks through the time limit
Though Kenshin has recovered from a near-death state, the damage he has sustained so far has accumulated, but Shishio has also lost the ability to sweat, so he is at a disadvantage in that it is dangerous for him to continue fighting for more than 15 minutes. Having fought not only Kenshin but also Sanosuke and Hajime, Shishio finally exceeds the 15-minute limit.
A battle of secret techniques!!
The duel between Kenshin and Shishio lasted a long time, but in the end, it came down to a battle of their secret techniques. Immediately after receiving Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu secret technique, "Tensho Ryusen," Shishio tried to unleash his final secret sword, "Kaguzuchi," but it failed to fire in the face of Kenshin's preemptive attack.
It unexpectedly caught fire! !
Even after being hit by Kenshin's "Tensho Ryusen", Shishio showed his incredible mental strength by getting up, but in the end, his body, which does not have the ability to sweat, could not withstand Shishio's rising body temperature and burst into flames, and Shishio died while laughing. It was a truly shocking ending, a Shishio-like end.
Summary
What did you think? This time, I've put together a summary of Himura Kenshin's greatest enemy, "Shishio Makoto". Of the many enemies that appear in Rurouni Kenshi, Shishio is the most memorable, but few people are sure to have a detailed understanding of what kind of relationship he actually had with Kenshin. Unfortunately, he won't appear in the live-action Final Chapter, which has been announced for release, but he plays a major role in the live-action films that have been released, so be sure to refer to this article when rewatching the live-action versions. As such, Shishio is a very popular character in Rurouni Kenshin, so be sure to check out the other article that summarizes more about Shishio Makoto.
