Rurouni Kenshin

The 11th year of Meiji, downtown Tokyo. Kamiya Kaoru, assistant instructor of the "Kamiya Kasshin-ryu", is after the "Hitokiri Battosai”, a murderer who has been slaying men in the name of her style. One night, she meets a man carrying a sword and immediately questions him, but he has no intention to fight. "Is he really the Hitokiri Battosai?" He introduces himself as Himura Kenshin, a "Rurouni".

A week has passed since the street killing in the name of Kamiya Kasshin-ryu has been resolved, although there are no signs of students entering the dojo. Then, a young boy, Myojin Yahiko, steals Kenshin's wallet. Kenshin gives the wallet to him, saying that it is his fault that it was stolen. Yahiko resents Kenshin for treating him like a child but has reasons for collecting money.

Moved by Kenshin, Yahiko decides to quit pickpocketing. He refuses to pay the Kanto Shueigumi and resists, but is beaten close to death. Kenshin comes to Yahiko’s rescue and puts an end to the matter. Regretting that he could not solve the problem by himself, Yahiko wishes to become stronger. Kenshin sees this and takes him to the Kamiya dojo.

Kenshin, Kaoru, and Yahiko visit Akabeko, a sukiyaki beef restaurant. They encounter drunken supporters of the Civil Right Movement who make a commotion and throw a liquor bottle at Kenshin. Sanosuke Sagara, a man who happened to be there, stepped in and beat them up with a poke on their forehead. Sanosuke sees Kenshin’s true nature and shows interest. “Would you like to fight me?"

Kenshin confronts Sanosuke, who wields the heavy "Zanbato" easily. He launches a barrage of attacks against Sanosuke who boasts an abnormal resilience and appears unaffected. When Sanosuke falls to the ground, it seems that the victor is decided. However, as he loses consciousness, he recalls memories from ten years ago when he was a member of the Sekiho Army, which fuels his determination to win.

The police chief approaches Kenshin with a request to defeat the serial killer “Kurogasa,” who targets former Ishin Shishi and still commits murders. Kenshin and Sanosuke escort Tani Jusanro, who has received death threats in a letter. At exactly 1am, Kurogasa appears. His true identity is Udo Jin-e, a wandering swordsman who gained notoriety as an assassin since the end of the Edo period.

Jin-e notices Kenshin's strength from the time he was known as “Battosai the Manslayer,” and he uses Kaoru as a hostage to further enrage Kenshin. The two battle fiercely. However, Jin-e, convinced that Kenshin has not regained his former strength, uses the Shin no Ippo technique on Kaoru, sealing her breath. With only two minutes left until Kaoru suffocates, Kenshin's anger reaches its peak.

Sanosuke’s friend died from an overdose of opium, which is not only a prohibited drug but also too expensive for the average person to afford. A mysterious woman named Takani Megumi appears in front of the puzzled Kenshin and Sanosuke. Kenshin and his group repel the private soldiers of Takeda Kanryu, who wants to capture Megumi. However, Megumi is currently in possession of opium...

Hyottoko, a member of the Oniwabanshū, attacks the Kamiya dojo where Megumi is hiding. He attacks Kenshin and Sanosuke with "Kaentoiki," in which he breathes fire from his mouth. Megumi, expecting Kenshin and the others to be defeated by the middle-ranking Onmitsu, tries to flee the scene. Kaoru stops her and says, "They are fighting for you". She tells her to believe in Kenshin's strength.

The Oniwabanshū have not appeared for over a week and Megumi starts to get along with the people at the Kamiya dojo. However, Sanosuke can't accept the fact that Megumi was the creator of the opium that killed his friend. One day, she suddenly disappears, leaving a letter stating that she was leaving of her own will. Kenshin and the others find it suspicious and head to Kanryu’s mansion.

At Kanryu’s mansion, Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Yahiko are fighting to reclaim Megumi. Standing in their way is the Oniwabanshū's spy, Hanya. Despite using his Kempo skills and Shinwan-no-jutsu to confuse Kenshin, Kenshin manages to uncover the secret of the technique and successfully overcome it during battle. Just when it seemed to be over, Hanya removes his mask, revealing a shocking true face.

Kenshin faces the leader of the Oniwabanshū. After the surrender of the government during Bakumatsu, the Oniwabanshū lost their purpose and became battle maniacs. Aoshi, driven by his unfulfilled regrets, relentlessly pursues the title of the strongest. Kenshin doesn’t tolerate unjust fights. Two individuals who made their living through killing during Bakumatsu clash, staking their pride.

Kanryu aims to kill Kenshin and rains bullets with his Gatling gun on him as well as the Oniwabanshū who were once part of his subordinates. Faced with this heinous act, the Oniwabanshū use their respective abilities to counter the Gatling gun. At this moment, their goals align with Kenshin's. Kenshin and the Oniwabanshū join forces to challenge the overwhelming power of modern weaponry.

Yahiko, the only student at Kamiya dojo, has been skipping practice from time to time. He says he is "just taking a walk", but because he is serious about his swordsmanship training, it is hard to believe that he is simply skipping practice for a walk. Kenshin, Kaoru, and Sanosuke decide to follow him and find out why. What is Yahiko's true purpose?

Kaoru, Kenshin, and Yahiko go to the Maekawa dojo for a training session. Kaoru's practice is well received by students there. Then, a master swordsman named Isurugi Raijūta comes. He says that he is worried about the future of kenjutsu, and he only uses a real sword. He looks down on men who practice with shinai. To prevent him from destroying the dojo, Master Maekawa takes on Raijūta…

Raijūta wants to revive swordsmanship as a killer’s sword. Kenshin is against his vision and is considered an enemy by Raijūta. Raijūta challenges Kenshin to a sword fight but fails when Kenshin breaks Raijūta's sword. A few days later, Yutarō, a boy who claims to be Raijūta's disciple, arrives at Kamiya dōjō. He says he’s there to challenge Yahiko, but how he holds his shinai is incorrect…

After being hit by Raijūta's technique, Yutarō severely wounded his right arm. He is unable to wield a sword ever again. Yahiko, who has always quarreled with Yutarō, knows more about his passion for swordsmanship than anyone else. Yahiko takes Yutarō's hand and leaves the clinic to witness the fight between Kenshin and Raijūta. On a forest road at night, Kenshin and Raijūta begin their fight.

Sanosuke is asked by Tae at Akabeko, to go to a Kusazōshi shop to buy a Nishiki-e. Although he is not interested in Kusazōshi itself, one of the drawings in the store caught his eyes. It is a drawing of Captain Sagara, whom Sanosuke had looked up to as a mentor during his time in the Sekihōtai. Sanosuke's eyes change and he goes off to see the artist who drew the drawing.

Tsunan, after ten years of planning, tries to avenge the Sekihōtai. Sanosuke agrees with Tsunan's wish and joins him in his attack on the Department of the Interior. However, Kenshin is waiting inside the building to stop them. Tsunan's fighting spirit burns against the former Ishin Shishi who stands in his way, just as they did in the days of the Sekihōtai. A burst of bombs attack Kenshin.

Kenshin and the others are having tea, enjoying their time together. Kenshin is pressured to tell a story during his travels. The group's wishes are summed up as a story that is rare, enjoyable, and defeating bad guys. So told, Kenshin decides to tell the story of his encounter in Yokohama, a bustling Foreign Settlement. This is the story of a foreign doctor named Elder, who always wore a mask.

Kenshin, who wishes to leave his manslayer past behind and hopes for a peaceful world, shares Dr. Elder's desire for a healthy world, even if looked at strangely. At the same time, Ishizu Deian, a doctor who felt that Elder's free treatment was an obstacle to his business, hires Espirar, a master of Western swordsmanship. Deian asks Espirar to kill Elder, but he has another objective in mind.

Kenshin dreams of the Shinsengumi, samurais who once opposed the Ishin Shishi. The Shinsengumi were so skilled that even Battōsai could not conclude their matches. Kenshin wonders why he dreamed of this now. While Kenshin, Kaoru and Yahiko are away, a man with distinctive eyes arrives at Kamiya dōjō, where Sanosuke happened to be. He identifies himself as Fujita Gorō, a medicine seller…

After winning the battle against Akamatsu, Kenshin reunites with Saitō Hajime at the Kamiya dōjō. Kaoru allows Hajime, who visits them as a disguised policeman going by the name of Fujita Gorō, to enter the dōjō. Hajime denounces Kenshin for his laxity. Hajime's sword skills, which have been polished as an assassin in the ten years since Kenshin retired as a Hitokiri, bare its fangs.

Ōkubo Toshimichi, an ex-Satsuma Clan samurai and current head of the Department of Internal Affairs, was behind the matter. Ōkubo says the successor of the Hitokiri Battosai is active in Kyoto, and wants Kenshin to stop him. The man was supposed to have been killed ten years ago by the government—in other words, by his comrades. When Kenshin is asked to assassinate him, what is his answer...