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Rurouni Kenshin : The Wandering Samurai 

Kenshin Himura

Kenshin is the main character in the series who leads a life dedicated to helping others with the power of his god-like sword technique that in his past, gave him the famous title, Hitokiri Battousai (man-slaying assassin). After giving up his ways as a assassin, he becomes a wandering rurouni traveling the land peacefully until he is 28 and encounters Kamiya Kaoru and joins to live with her in her dojo. Though he seems simple, his past is clouded and painful. Kenshin was born under the name of Shinta to a peasant family somewhere in Japan. When he was young, both parents died in a cholera outbreak in his village and it is hinted that Shinta may have had siblings. Anyway, he was taken under the care of three young slave women till they were attacked one night and all were killed save Shinta by a powerful swordsman named Hiko Sejuro. Hiko takes Shinta in and raises him under the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu and changes his name to Kenshin instead of Shinta since Shinta is too gentle a name for a future swordsman. He was raised this way until he was a young teenager and then left Hiko to become a hired assassin. After spending a few years being an assassin, he had grown to be one of the most feared hitokiris in all of Japan and his name was spoken with great fear. He then met a young woman by the name of Yukishiro Tomoe and fell in love with her. They were married and lived together in hiding until it was revealed that Tomoe was a spy for her dead fiance who Kenshin had previously killed. Kenshin accidentally kills Tomoe and receives the cross scar from his battle. Afterwards, he leaves on a journey and vows never to kill again carrying his sakabatou with him no matter where he goes. At least, until he meets a young woman by the name of Kamiya Kaoru ten long years later.