Yukishiro Enishi
Encyclopedia
Yukishiro Enishi is a character from the manga Rurouni Kenshin
by Nobuhiro Watsuki
. He is the primary antagonist of the final arc of the series, the Jinchū arc, and the younger brother of Yukishiro Tomoe
.
as a "manic-type" "going higher and higher and higher," the Rurouni Kenshin author wished to paint Yukishiro Enishi as a "depressive type" "falling deeper and deeper and deeper." Watsuki added that Enishi became "sort of wishy-washy" as Shishio's influence remained. Watsuki said that he could see the "obsession" within Enishi; therefore it fits the "Terminator
-like" character that Watsuki intended to depict.
The author wrote that Enishi's admiration for his sister, obsession, and hatred for Kenshin reflects "Watsuki's dark side"; the author added that he has no older sister and no people that he feels a need to take revenge on. Since Shishio has aspects within Watsuki that the author considers to be positive, Enishi has Watsuki aspects that the author feels are negative.
Watsuki said that he "fell into bouts of self-disgust" while drawing Enishi. The author added that he felt attachment towards Enishi and that he would someday like to use Enishi in a future work.
According to the author, Enishi's design model is "a slightly deviant, white-haired, pointy-haired, handsome young man, appearing in a fancy Kamijō Atsushi
-sensei
-like manga." In other words, Enishi had no specific design model. Watsuki said that, since he had "inadequate art skill," he could not portray what he intended to. The author added that some people mistakenly believed that Vash the Stampede of Trigun
and Basara from Macross 7
were design models for Enishi. Stating that "models are strictly models," Watsuki "converted" Enishi to his style. The creator gave Enishi glasses since Enishi appeared in the mafia
, "shady Chinese
clothing" since Enishi lived in China, and a "half-cape" originating from Gambit
of X-Men
Age of Apocalypse
. Watsuki believed that this is one of his "better" designs. The author felt that Enishi was "too handsome" for a final villain and that Watsuki tired of drawing "handsome types."
When Tomoe became engaged to Kiyosato Akira, Enishi reluctantly accepted him because Kiyosato truly made Tomoe happy and she loved him. Kiyosato later joined the Mimawarigumi
, believing that the somber Tomoe would be happy if he became a hero, only to be killed by Hitokiri Battōsai (Himura Kenshin
) for the new era. Tomoe left her brother behind to seek revenge, working with spies from the Shogunate to do so. Enishi became consumed by his loneliness to bring her back to Edo (now Tokyo) so they could be together.
When he was about ten, Enishi ran away from Edo, disappearing for nine months. He discovered the location of Tomoe through the Shogun agency and soon appeared before her, revealing that he was the Shogun agency's contact sent to Tomoe. While he believed that he was helping Tomoe's revenge, he did not know Tomoe had grown to love Kenshin, despite the fact he killed Kiyosato. She sent him away, hoping to protect Kenshin, leaving him angry and confused by her actions.
After witnessing Kenshin's accidental killing of Tomoe, his hair turned snow white from the stress and grief of losing her. Enishi became more unstable and swore Jinchū (If the heavens will not punish Kenshin, then he will), for destroying his sister's happiness and then killing her. He disappeared to China, where he was taken in by a kind and wealthy family after suffering months of hardship in the wilderness.
, made by the corpse-artist Gein, to appear as though Enishi drove his sword through her heart, effectively driving Kenshin into a semi-coma
tose state of depression
, much to Enishi's glee.
After Enishi completes the Jinchū, he takes Kaoru back with him to an isolated island with no plans of allowing her to return to Tokyo until Kenshin dies from his state of "living hell". He leaves his organization in the hands of his subordinate, Woo Heishin, a man who cares more about profits than anything. Enishi states that he only used the organization to obtain the resources he needed to actuate his revenge. As Enishi rests, he closes his eyes to see Tomoe again but is shocked to discover that his sister is no longer smiling at him. In a moment of madness, he attempts to strangle Kaoru, only to experience severe convulsion
s, which cause him to fall to the floor vomiting. Kaoru concludes that this reaction is a result of the psychological trauma
of witnessing his sister's death; his subconscious
cannot allow him to lay hands on any woman who (in his eyes) resembles Tomoe. This is why he instructed Gein to make the Kaoru replica.
After Kenshin recovers and arrives at Enishi's Island hideout, the two fight a final duel in which Enishi believes killing Kenshin will make Tomoe smile again. Kenshin retorts that he cannot die yet, and Enishi's answer is wrong because Tomoe does not wish for revenge. After Kenshin defeats Enishi (who is unable to win because Tomoe's smile is gone), he is arrested, given Tomoe's diary and ends up in the fallen village that Kenshin had been in during his depression. There he sees his father who had aided in Kenshin's recovery, though he does not completely recognize him. His father simply tells Enishi that for the time being, he should simply rest.
– Enishi kicks the back edge of his blade to increase the speed and force of the strike when he swings his Watō upward. The power of this sword attack is so powerful it can sever tree trunks with ease.
– Enishi blocks his opponent's attack with the hilt of his Watō and spins around his enemy's defense on one foot, leaving him a complete opening in which to attack his opponent. This technique is very similar to Kenshin's Ryūkansen, and was used to counter it.
– Much like the Shūgeki Tōsei, Enishi uses his palm to push the Watō during a downward strike, increasing its speed and force.
– A follow-up to the Shōha Tōsei, where the Watō has been stabbed into the ground. Enishi steps on the pommel of his Watō and jumps into the air, and then retrieves his Watō by pulling on the cord attached at the hilt. This is followed by an upward whip-like slash at the overhead enemy. This is a ground-to-air attack that Enishi used to counter Kenshin's Ryūtsuisen.
– Using the Watō to stab his opponent, Enishi then proceeds to lift him in an arc over his head and slam him into the ground. To do this, the sword and the arm must have enough power to support the opponent's weight. In the manga, Kenshin prevented himself from being fully impaled by taking the initial stab into his arm.
– One of Enishi's most visually impressive techniques. First, Enishi jumps normally by holding the Watō at the perfect position (generally behind his back, gathering power for the slash). When he reaches his maximum height from the ground, Enishi uses the fact that his jump has exactly canceled gravity, giving him a split second to make a second jump. Thus, this makes him appear as if he is walking in the air. This is the technique that gave Enishi the edge in air-to-air combat with Kenshin, sealing both the Ryūtsuisen and the Ryūshosen.
– An attack in which Enishi ducks in a manner like a tiger's crouch, and slashes upwards by spinning around. Initially, Enishi will start in a pose similar to Kofuku Zettōsei （i.e. ducking with left leg bend inward and the right leg extended outward） but, by holding the extended Tachi at diagonal position he begins to spin, adding momentum to his attack. Afterward Enishi will rush towards his target with an attack similar to that of an unstoppable tornado. This technique has successfully countered most of Kenshin's ground techniques, completely leaving Kenshin unable to even begin his attacks.
– Enishi's Zetsugi (ultimate attack), he holds the Watō with the hilt facing down and the blade parallel to the back of his arm and ducks as in the Senran Tōsei. He then rises and brings up his tachi, slashing the opponent's chest – this is the technique that Enishi used to counter the Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki, Kenshin's own ultimate attack. This is due to Enishi's crouching stance that allows him to dodge the first strike of Kenshin's extremely fast Battōjutsu
as well as resist the stunning effect by using the ground as support of the initial shock wave and maintain his own offensive stance. During the second attack, Enishi uses the vacuum caused by the first strike of Hirameki to propel him. In order to successfully complete this move his timing must be perfect, or he will be left open for a counterstrike. However, in his second battle with Kenshin, the attack fails and Kenshin delivers a clean hit with the second attack of the Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki
In addition to his Watōjutsu, Enishi possesses an odd ability that he calls the . When using this ability, the nerves throughout his entire body bulge, creating a branching, veinous network of ridges on his skin which looks similar to swollen blood vessels. This ability causes him to become super sensitive to everything around him. In this state, Enishi's senses, speed, and reaction time are dramatically increased, enabling him to immediately react to attacks before they are performed. With this ability, he claims he can see every drop of blood, hear every move of his enemy, and even feel every grain of sand that falls on his body. Consequently, his opponent is completely outmatched in every way offensively. Enishi developed this ability as a result of a continually active brain state, even when sleeping, born from Enishi's hatred and revenge for Tomoe's death. However, it is a double-edged sword that lowers his defensive capabilities of being struck physically, increasing the pain greatly due to his increase nerves (as stated by Shinomori Aoshi
), as well as through his extremely heightened senses, thus it can be used against him (Kenshin's Ryūmeisen (Dragon Howl Flash) which attacks an enemy's ears via a miniature sonic boom).
Rurouni Kenshin
, also known as Rurouni Kenshin and Samurai X, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The fictional setting takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan. The story is about a fictional assassin named Himura Kenshin, from the Bakumatsu who becomes a wanderer to...
by Nobuhiro Watsuki
Nobuhiro Watsuki
is a Japanese manga artist, best known for his samurai-themed series Rurouni Kenshin. He once worked as an assistant for his favorite author Takeshi Obata.-Biography:...
. He is the primary antagonist of the final arc of the series, the Jinchū arc, and the younger brother of Yukishiro Tomoe
Yukishiro Tomoe
, known in Western order as Tomoe Yukishiro in the English anime OVAs, is a fictional character in Nobuhiro Watsuki's popular manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin and is the first wife of the series' main protagonist Himura Kenshin.She plays a major role in the manga's final arc, the Jinchū arc...
.
Conception and design
Watsuki used "revenge" as Enishi's "model or concept." Since Watsuki created Shishio MakotoShishio Makoto
, known in the anime in Western order as Makoto Shishio, is a fictional character from the manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin. He is the primary antagonist of the series' Kyoto arc...
as a "manic-type" "going higher and higher and higher," the Rurouni Kenshin author wished to paint Yukishiro Enishi as a "depressive type" "falling deeper and deeper and deeper." Watsuki added that Enishi became "sort of wishy-washy" as Shishio's influence remained. Watsuki said that he could see the "obsession" within Enishi; therefore it fits the "Terminator
The Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
-like" character that Watsuki intended to depict.
The author wrote that Enishi's admiration for his sister, obsession, and hatred for Kenshin reflects "Watsuki's dark side"; the author added that he has no older sister and no people that he feels a need to take revenge on. Since Shishio has aspects within Watsuki that the author considers to be positive, Enishi has Watsuki aspects that the author feels are negative.
Watsuki said that he "fell into bouts of self-disgust" while drawing Enishi. The author added that he felt attachment towards Enishi and that he would someday like to use Enishi in a future work.
According to the author, Enishi's design model is "a slightly deviant, white-haired, pointy-haired, handsome young man, appearing in a fancy Kamijō Atsushi
Atsushi Kamijo
is a Japanese manga artist. At times he is billed as "Atsushi Kamijo and Yoko", which refers to Yoko Murase, his assistant. Kamijo is known for his stylish designs, which often use pure white backgrounds with very little middle ground between black and white...
-sensei
Sensei
' is a Japanese word that basically means "person born before another." In general usage, it means "master" or "teacher," and the word is used as a title to refer to or address teachers, professors, professionals such as lawyers, CPA and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other figures of authority...
-like manga." In other words, Enishi had no specific design model. Watsuki said that, since he had "inadequate art skill," he could not portray what he intended to. The author added that some people mistakenly believed that Vash the Stampede of Trigun
Trigun
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yasuhiro Nightow, published from 1996 to 2008 and spanning 17 collected volumes....
and Basara from Macross 7
Macross 7
is an anime television series. It is a sequel to the show The Super Dimension Fortress Macross that takes place many years after the events of the first series following a cast of mostly new characters. The show ran from October 16, 1994 to September 24, 1995 at 11:00 AM, and 49 episodes were aired...
were design models for Enishi. Stating that "models are strictly models," Watsuki "converted" Enishi to his style. The creator gave Enishi glasses since Enishi appeared in the mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
, "shady Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
clothing" since Enishi lived in China, and a "half-cape" originating from Gambit
Gambit (comics)
Gambit is a fictional character, a Marvel Comics superhero that has been a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Jim Lee, the character first appeared briefly in Uncanny X-Men Annual #14 , weeks before a more comprehensive appearance in Uncanny X-Men #266...
of X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
Age of Apocalypse
Age of Apocalypse
"Age of Apocalypse" is a 1995 - 1996 comic book crossover storyline published in the X-Men franchise of books by Marvel Comics. The Age of Apocalypse briefly replaced the universe of Earth-616, although it was later retconned as having occurred in the alternate universe of Earth-295, it had...
. Watsuki believed that this is one of his "better" designs. The author felt that Enishi was "too handsome" for a final villain and that Watsuki tired of drawing "handsome types."
Background
When Enishi was an infant, his mother died and he was raised by his older sister, Tomoe. She raised him herself, becoming both sister and mother to him, and he grew to love her quite dearly.When Tomoe became engaged to Kiyosato Akira, Enishi reluctantly accepted him because Kiyosato truly made Tomoe happy and she loved him. Kiyosato later joined the Mimawarigumi
Mimawarigumi
The was a special police force created by the Tokugawa shogunate during the late Bakumatsu period to restore public order to Kyoto.In the unsettled period after to ending of the national isolation policy, the political situation in Japan became increasing chaotic...
, believing that the somber Tomoe would be happy if he became a hero, only to be killed by Hitokiri Battōsai (Himura Kenshin
Himura Kenshin
, known as Kenshin Himura in the English-language anime dubs, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki. He is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series, as well as the related media in the franchise...
) for the new era. Tomoe left her brother behind to seek revenge, working with spies from the Shogunate to do so. Enishi became consumed by his loneliness to bring her back to Edo (now Tokyo) so they could be together.
When he was about ten, Enishi ran away from Edo, disappearing for nine months. He discovered the location of Tomoe through the Shogun agency and soon appeared before her, revealing that he was the Shogun agency's contact sent to Tomoe. While he believed that he was helping Tomoe's revenge, he did not know Tomoe had grown to love Kenshin, despite the fact he killed Kiyosato. She sent him away, hoping to protect Kenshin, leaving him angry and confused by her actions.
After witnessing Kenshin's accidental killing of Tomoe, his hair turned snow white from the stress and grief of losing her. Enishi became more unstable and swore Jinchū (If the heavens will not punish Kenshin, then he will), for destroying his sister's happiness and then killing her. He disappeared to China, where he was taken in by a kind and wealthy family after suffering months of hardship in the wilderness.
Plot overview
Enishi is the main antagonist of the Jinchū arc of the manga. He desires to bring jinchū upon Kenshin. In addition, Enishi believes that Tomoe wants revenge as well and constantly sees the image of his sister smiling on him. The purpose of Enishi's Jinchū is not to kill Kenshin, but to plunge him into a living hell by taking away the person he cares for the most, just like Kenshin did to him. After having his comrades attack various acquaintances of Kenshin, Enishi reveals himself to Kenshin and declares that he will attack the Kamiya Dojo in ten days. In the attack on Kamiya Dojo, Enishi fights and defeats Kenshin shortly before delivering Jinchu. Enishi accomplishes his goal by leaving a life-size doll of Kamiya KaoruKamiya Kaoru
, known as Kaoru Kamiya in the Media Blasters English-language dub and Kori Kamiya in the English Sony Samurai X dub, is a fictional character from the Rurouni Kenshin universe created by Nobuhiro Watsuki as a main protagonist of the media franchise, which consists of a series of manga, anime,...
, made by the corpse-artist Gein, to appear as though Enishi drove his sword through her heart, effectively driving Kenshin into a semi-coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose state of depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, much to Enishi's glee.
After Enishi completes the Jinchū, he takes Kaoru back with him to an isolated island with no plans of allowing her to return to Tokyo until Kenshin dies from his state of "living hell". He leaves his organization in the hands of his subordinate, Woo Heishin, a man who cares more about profits than anything. Enishi states that he only used the organization to obtain the resources he needed to actuate his revenge. As Enishi rests, he closes his eyes to see Tomoe again but is shocked to discover that his sister is no longer smiling at him. In a moment of madness, he attempts to strangle Kaoru, only to experience severe convulsion
Convulsion
A convulsion is a medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in an uncontrolled shaking of the body. Because a convulsion is often a symptom of an epileptic seizure, the term convulsion is sometimes used as a synonym for seizure...
s, which cause him to fall to the floor vomiting. Kaoru concludes that this reaction is a result of the psychological trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
of witnessing his sister's death; his subconscious
Subconscious
The term subconscious is used in many different contexts and has no single or precise definition. This greatly limits its significance as a definition-bearing concept, and in consequence the word tends to be avoided in academic and scientific settings....
cannot allow him to lay hands on any woman who (in his eyes) resembles Tomoe. This is why he instructed Gein to make the Kaoru replica.
After Kenshin recovers and arrives at Enishi's Island hideout, the two fight a final duel in which Enishi believes killing Kenshin will make Tomoe smile again. Kenshin retorts that he cannot die yet, and Enishi's answer is wrong because Tomoe does not wish for revenge. After Kenshin defeats Enishi (who is unable to win because Tomoe's smile is gone), he is arrested, given Tomoe's diary and ends up in the fallen village that Kenshin had been in during his depression. There he sees his father who had aided in Kenshin's recovery, though he does not completely recognize him. His father simply tells Enishi that for the time being, he should simply rest.
Techniques
Enishi's sword style is Watōjutsu, a style composed of kenjutsu and Chinese sword fighting used in conjunction with the Watō, a Chinese-made Japanese sword over 30 inches long (classified by Saitō as a Tachi). Watōjutsu is the combination of the speed and slashing style of kenjutsu form with the strength and flexibility of a typical Chinese sword art. Enishi taught himself Watōjutsu from a manual that he found which is also referred to as Garyū (self-taught) Watōjutsu. Watōjutsu includes techniques that perfectly counter those of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, but within the context of the story this is coincidental; Enishi's Watōjutsu is entirely based around offense and power, heedless of defense; he never attempts to block, but rather counter-attacks his opponent to utilize his superior offense. His command of speed and height proves effective in matching many of the techniques in Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū. He is also the only person to ever fully block a Kuzu Ryūsen; when Kenshin attempted the technique again, Enishi prevented him from even finishing the first strike.– Enishi kicks the back edge of his blade to increase the speed and force of the strike when he swings his Watō upward. The power of this sword attack is so powerful it can sever tree trunks with ease.
– Enishi blocks his opponent's attack with the hilt of his Watō and spins around his enemy's defense on one foot, leaving him a complete opening in which to attack his opponent. This technique is very similar to Kenshin's Ryūkansen, and was used to counter it.
– Much like the Shūgeki Tōsei, Enishi uses his palm to push the Watō during a downward strike, increasing its speed and force.
– A follow-up to the Shōha Tōsei, where the Watō has been stabbed into the ground. Enishi steps on the pommel of his Watō and jumps into the air, and then retrieves his Watō by pulling on the cord attached at the hilt. This is followed by an upward whip-like slash at the overhead enemy. This is a ground-to-air attack that Enishi used to counter Kenshin's Ryūtsuisen.
– Using the Watō to stab his opponent, Enishi then proceeds to lift him in an arc over his head and slam him into the ground. To do this, the sword and the arm must have enough power to support the opponent's weight. In the manga, Kenshin prevented himself from being fully impaled by taking the initial stab into his arm.
– One of Enishi's most visually impressive techniques. First, Enishi jumps normally by holding the Watō at the perfect position (generally behind his back, gathering power for the slash). When he reaches his maximum height from the ground, Enishi uses the fact that his jump has exactly canceled gravity, giving him a split second to make a second jump. Thus, this makes him appear as if he is walking in the air. This is the technique that gave Enishi the edge in air-to-air combat with Kenshin, sealing both the Ryūtsuisen and the Ryūshosen.
– An attack in which Enishi ducks in a manner like a tiger's crouch, and slashes upwards by spinning around. Initially, Enishi will start in a pose similar to Kofuku Zettōsei （i.e. ducking with left leg bend inward and the right leg extended outward） but, by holding the extended Tachi at diagonal position he begins to spin, adding momentum to his attack. Afterward Enishi will rush towards his target with an attack similar to that of an unstoppable tornado. This technique has successfully countered most of Kenshin's ground techniques, completely leaving Kenshin unable to even begin his attacks.
– Enishi's Zetsugi (ultimate attack), he holds the Watō with the hilt facing down and the blade parallel to the back of his arm and ducks as in the Senran Tōsei. He then rises and brings up his tachi, slashing the opponent's chest – this is the technique that Enishi used to counter the Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki, Kenshin's own ultimate attack. This is due to Enishi's crouching stance that allows him to dodge the first strike of Kenshin's extremely fast Battōjutsu
Battojutsu
is a Japanese term meaning techniques for engaging a sword. It is often used interchangeably with the terms iaijutsu, battōdō, or iaidō, although each term does have nuances in the Japanese language and different schools of Japanese martial arts may use them to differentiate between techniques...
as well as resist the stunning effect by using the ground as support of the initial shock wave and maintain his own offensive stance. During the second attack, Enishi uses the vacuum caused by the first strike of Hirameki to propel him. In order to successfully complete this move his timing must be perfect, or he will be left open for a counterstrike. However, in his second battle with Kenshin, the attack fails and Kenshin delivers a clean hit with the second attack of the Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki
In addition to his Watōjutsu, Enishi possesses an odd ability that he calls the . When using this ability, the nerves throughout his entire body bulge, creating a branching, veinous network of ridges on his skin which looks similar to swollen blood vessels. This ability causes him to become super sensitive to everything around him. In this state, Enishi's senses, speed, and reaction time are dramatically increased, enabling him to immediately react to attacks before they are performed. With this ability, he claims he can see every drop of blood, hear every move of his enemy, and even feel every grain of sand that falls on his body. Consequently, his opponent is completely outmatched in every way offensively. Enishi developed this ability as a result of a continually active brain state, even when sleeping, born from Enishi's hatred and revenge for Tomoe's death. However, it is a double-edged sword that lowers his defensive capabilities of being struck physically, increasing the pain greatly due to his increase nerves (as stated by Shinomori Aoshi
Shinomori Aoshi
, known in Western order as Aoshi Shinomori in the English version of the anime, is a fictional of the Oniwabanshū in the manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin.-Design:...
), as well as through his extremely heightened senses, thus it can be used against him (Kenshin's Ryūmeisen (Dragon Howl Flash) which attacks an enemy's ears via a miniature sonic boom).