Kenshingumi

The Kenshingumi (剣心組) is the fictional name of the protagonist group of the series, that is centered around Himura Kenshin.

History[]

The Kenshingumi was formed when Himura Kenshin (a former assassin known as Hitokiri Battōsai, who fought at the end of the Tokugawa era to give back power to the emperor) met Kamiya Kaoru in Tokyo Meiji 11. Kenshin helped Kaoru to stop Hiruma Gohei, who was impersonating as the Hitokiri Battōsai in order to destroy the Kamiya Dōjō. Kaoru then invited Kenshin to stay and live at the Kamiya Dōjō. Later other members joined like Myōjin Yahiko (who was saved from the yakuza), Sagara Sanosuke (who was an errand fighter-for hire) and Takani Megumi (who was rescued from forced labor by corrupt businessman Takeda Kanryū).

The Kenshingumi's primary mission is to help those in need, but the stakes keep rising as the story progresses.

Plot[]

Pretty much all the conflicts throughout the series involve the Kenshingumi fighting those who want to oppress others.

Tokyo Arc[]

At the beginning of the series Kenshin and Kaoru fought to stop Hiruma Gohei (and his brother Kihei), who was impersonating as the Hitokiri Battōsai in order to destroy the Kamiya Dōjō.

Later, both of them fought against Tanishi and Gasuke, members of a local yakuza group, to free Myōjin Yahiko who was being enslaved and forced to rob. Kaoru then offered Yahiko to stay at the Kamiya Dōjō and learn the Kamiya Kasshin-ryū.

Some time after that, a fighter-for hire named Sagara Sanosuke was hired by Hiruma Gohei to defeat Kenshin. Sanosuke was a former Sekihōtai member who was resentful for the betrayal of the Ishin Shishi towards the Sekihōtai that resulted in the latter's extermination (that Sanosuke was able to escape). After Sanosuke and Kenshin fought, Sano realized that Kenshin was not to blame, and was impressed by his peaceful way of life. Sanosuke decided to stay in Tokyo and hang around with Kenshin and friends.

The next big event was when the Kenshingumi met Takani Megumi, a girl with medical knowledge who wanted to escape imprisonment by corrupt businessman Takeda Kanryū. Megumi was later forced to return to Takeda, and to free her, the Kenshingumi fought Oniwabanshū okashira Shinomori Aoshi and four of his fighters. After Megumi was saved, she remained close to the Kenshingumi and decided to continue her medicine studies to become a proper doctor and help people around her.

Kyōto Arc[]

After the appearance of former Kenshin enemy Saitō Hajime, Himura Kenshin was approached by Japan Prime Minister Toshimichi Okubo, who asked Kenshin to travel to Kyōto to defeat former Ishin Shishi assassin Shishio Makoto, who in the present time, was gathering an army with the objective to overthrown the government. This led to Kenshin departing alone from Tokyo (temporarily breaking the Kenshingumi).

While Kenshin traveled to Kyōto he met Makimachi Misao, who was looking for Aoshi and the rest of the Oniwabanshū, unbeknownst to the fact that the 4 warriors (Han'nya, Shikijō, Beshimi and Hyottoko) were killed by Takeda Kanryū. Meanwhile the rest of the Kenshingumi (except Megumi) decided to indeed travel to Kyōto to follow Kenshin: Kaoru and Yahiko via a ship, and Sanosuke on foot. Also Saitō was traveling to Kyōto.

Once Kenshin and Misao arrived at Kyōto, he met the Oniwabanshū at the Aoiya, and they helped Kenshin in the fight against Shishio and his group, the Juppongatana. The different members of the Kenshingumi ended up fighting against members of the Juppongatana, as follows:

Kenshin Himura fought against Sawagejō Chō at a shrine, where Kenshin got a new Sakabatō.
Sagara Sanosuke fought against Yūkyūzan Anji at the Mount Hiei hideout.
Hajime Saitō fought against Uonuma Usui at the Mount Hiei hideout.
The Kyōto Oniwabanshū members Kurojō, Shirojō, Ōmime and Masukami fought against Iwanbō at the Aoiya.
Myōjin Yahiko fought against Kariwa Henya at the Aoiya.
Kamiya Kaoru and Makimachi Misao fought against Honjō Kamatari at the Aoiya.
Hiko Seijūrō XIII fought against Fuji and Saizuchi at the Aoiya
Kenshin Himura fought against Seta Sōjirō at the Mount Hiei hideout.
Finally Kenshin Himura (with some help by Saitō, Sanosuke and Aoshi) fought against Shishio Makoto at the Mount Hiei hideout.

After the fight was over, Kenshin and the rest of the Kenshingumi stayed at Kyōto while Kenshin's wounds were healing. Megumi traveled to Kyōto to take care of Kenshin. After everyone healed Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, Sanosuke and Megumi returned back home to Tokyo.

Jinchū Arc[]

The final big fight of the Kenshingumi was against Yukishiro Enishi, who was seeking revenge against Himura Kenshin for the death of his sister Yukishiro Tomoe years ago when Kenshin was the Hitokiri Battōsai.

When Enishi and his group, all named "The Six Comrades" (people who also seek revenge on Kenshin for the death of friends and closed ones in the past by Kenshin as a Hitokiri) attacked several places throughout Tokyo in hopes of hurting people who Kenshin considered friends, the Kenshingumi went to different places in Tokyo to stop the Comrades. In the span of that attack, the different members of the Kenshingumi fought against different members of The Six Comrades:

Sagara Sanosuke fought against Inui Banjin at the Police Chief Uramura's house.
Kenshin Himura fought against Otowa Hyōko also at the Police Chief Uramura's house.

Several days later Enishi and his Six Comrades openly attacked the Kamiya Dōjō with the objective to kill Kamiya Kaoru. In that battle, the different members of the Kenshingumi had a rematch against the different members of The Six Comrades as follows:

Sagara Sanosuke fought against Kujiranami Hyōgo and Inui Banjin.
Myōjin Yahiko fought against Otowa Hyōko.
Kenshin Himura fought against Gein.
Saitō Hajime fought against Yatsume Mumyōi.
Kenshin Himura fought against Yukishiro Enishi.

After the fight, Enishi manages to distract Kenshin and attacks Kaoru, seemingly killing her. Then Enishi (alongside Gein) disappears. The rest of the comrades are apprehended by the police.

When Kenshin discovers the apparent death of Kaoru Kamiya, he flees Tokyo and goes to the village of the dammed in a catatonic state. Despite all tries of different people, Kenshin remains unresponsive for days. Several days later Kujiranami Hyōgo escapes from prison and causes a turmoil at the streets of Tokyo. Myōjin Yahiko fights Kujiranami Hyōgo. Meanwhile Sanjō Tsubame goes to Kenshin to plea for his help. This somehow manages to reach Kenshin, and he awakes, goes to Tokyo and defeats Kujiranami Hyōgo. Then Kenshin collapses from exhaustion / starvation.

Meanwhile Saitō, Shinomori Aoshi and Makimachi Misao were investigating Yukishiro Enishi's whereabouts and discovered that Kaoru was still alive. Aoshi fought against Gein and killed him. Saitō's investigations discovered that Enishi was holding Kaoru hostage at a remote island. So when Yahiko and Kenshin healed from their wounds, all the Kenshingumi embarked on a final mission to rescue Kaoru and put an end to Enishi.

The Kenshingumi arrived at the island, where they met Woo Heishin (the person second in command at the Yukishiro Enishi's criminal syndicate). He had a group of bodyguards named "Su Shen" (The Four Stars). So, different members of the Kenshingumi had a fight against the different members of the Su Shen as follows:

Saitō Hajime fought against Seiryū
Shinomori Aoshi fought against Suzaku
Sagara Sanosuke fought against Byakko
Myōjin Yahiko fought against Genbu

After that, Himura Kenshin has a final showdown against Yukishiro Enishi, where Kenshin defeated him for good. As a result, Enishi is aprehended by the police and Kaoru is saved. Finally, all the members of the Kenshingumi returned back home to Tokyo.

Members[]

The Kenshingumi has had several members in different moments of time, all centered around the Kamiya Dōjō.

Core Members[]

Name	Style	Affiliation
Himura Kenshin	Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū	Ishin Shishi (formerly) Kamiya Dōjō
Kamiya Kaoru	Kamiya Kasshin-ryū	Kamiya Dōjō
Myōjin Yahiko	Kamiya Kasshin-ryū	Tanishi (formerly) Kamiya Dōjō
Sagara Sanosuke	Personal Brawl Style Futae no Kiwami	Sekihōtai (formerly) Kamiya Dōjō

Secondary Members[]

Name	Style	Affiliation
Takani Megumi	None (medical doctor)	Oguni Clinic
Makimachi Misao	Ninjutsu	Oniwabanshū
Saitō Hajime	Gatotsu	Shinsengumi (formerly) Police
Shinomori Aoshi	Kodachi Nitō Ryū	Oniwabanshū
Kurojō Shirojō Ōmime Masukami	Ninjutsu	Oniwabanshū
Okina	Ninjutsu	Oniwabanshū
Hasegawa Ashitarō	To be added	To be added
Inoue Alan	To be added	To be added
Kubota Asahi	To be added	To be added

Temporary Members[]

Name	Style	Affiliation
Tsukayama Yutarō	Kamiya Kasshin-ryū Fencing	Tsukayama estate
Tsukioka Tsunan	Personal Brawl Style	Sekihōtai (formerly)
Ōkuma Daigorō	To be added	To be added
Jinpū	To be added	To be added
Hiko Seijūrō XIII	Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū	None