Shishio Makoto
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Makoto Shishio is a fictional character from the manga and anime series Rurouni Kenshin. Shishio Makoto is roughly based on Serizawa Kamo, the original lead commander of the Shinsengumi. He is the main antagonist of the Kyoto arc.
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[edit] Background
After the death of Yukishiro Tomoe, Himura Kenshin became a free wielding swordsman to protect members of the Inshin Shishi. Shishio Makoto became his successor as the shadow hitokiri (assassin) and was responsible for the assassination of Izuka, the man who had betrayed his comrades.
The future Meiji government was more secretive about Shishio than Kenshin; many members of the Chōshū and Satsuma clans (the members of the future Meiji government) would have very little information on him.
Later, the new Meiji government believed it would be in their best interests to eliminate Shishio before he became too powerful since Shishio was a man who desired power. Thus during the Boshin War, Shishio was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, doused in oil and burned alive by the new government formed by the Ishin Shishi. He survived, sustaining severe damage to his entire body. Afterwards, he assembled a group of the best fighters in Japan, called the Juppongatana (Ten Swords), to overthrow the Meiji government.
Shishio envisioned a Japan ruled by him, enforcing the principles of natural selection, or what he called "Survival of the Fittest". Using this belief he ran a campaign against the Meiji government, as he felt it was too weak to effectively lead the country. This was during the time when Japan was in a weak position and the West was colonizing parts of Asia. Also using his motto he molded an ideological disciple out of Seta Sōjirō. He planned to strengthen the economy with petroleum once he took over the country.
[edit] Story
After Kenshin's sakabatō is broken, Shishio and his followers have reached the climax in their plans to overthrow the Meiji government with only Kenshin, Saitō Hajime, Sagara Sanosuke, Kamiya Kaoru, Myōjin Yahiko and the Oniwabanshū rallying to stop him.
Shishio sends his subordinates to deal with the Oniwabanshu, Kamiya Kaoru, and Myōjin Yahiko while leaving his most powerful fighters to fight Kenshin, Saito, and Sagara Sanosuke. Shishio sends his lover Komogata Yumi to guide Kenshin. Sōjirō, after his defeat, asked Yumi to tell Shishio about the truth behind Kenshin's Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki, before leaving him.
Ultimately, Shishio must experience the technique first hand in order to defeat Kenshin, the last remaining block in his conquest. As a result of the damage done to his sweat glands, he could fight for no more than fifteen minutes; otherwise his temperature would continue to rise. He continued to fight; although he had surpassed his limits, his body became so hot his blood started to evaporate and he slipped into madness. Yumi attempted to stop Kenshin out of concern for Shishio, but was impaled by Shishio's sword along with Kenshin. Yumi died happily knowing she had finally been of use in battle to her love.
When Kenshin finally decided to try the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki against him, Shishio successfully blocked the technique with this knowledge, but he was unaware of the fact that the technique consisted of two parts, the latter of which was not necessary against Aoshi or Sōjirō: The first blow is so powerful it creates a vacuum, paralyzing the opponent temporarily while Kenshin spins around for a second hit.
In the end Shishio was not exactly able to "surpass his limit". Right when he reached his limit, his temperature skyrocketed--igniting his body fat and oils--leaving him to die burning alive. As he did, he laughed maniacally, the meaning to the laughter lost to everyone.
His most loyal servant, Hoji, followed him straight to the grave, slitting his throat in prison when the Meiji Government refused to let him have a public trial. At the end of the Kyoto Arc, he is seen with Yumi and Hoji in Hell. All three walk off into the distance, with Shishio claiming that he will conquer Hell.
His final appearence is in the manga during the Jinchū arc in Kenshin's vision of hell after Kaoru's supposed death. He appears in front of Kenshin mock him but the deeply depressed Kenshin didn't care whether he was dead or alive and assumed that Shishio was there to guide him into hell. Shishio agrees to take Kenshin with him, but only if Kenshin were to admit that he was wrong about everything he fought for back in Kyoto.
[edit] Techniques
He uses a sword with a serrated blade called Mugenjin which is soaked in the flesh, oils and body fat of the victims he had killed over the course of his life. As a result, he is able to execute fire-oriented techniques. He, like Kenshin, is able to register his opponent's techniques, and could then analyze their strengths and weaknesses, taking advantage of them. His will to live is abnormally strong, almost as powerful as Kenshin's.
Shishio's strength, durability, and ability to read his opponent place him in the same league as Kenshin, but It can be said that Shishio is stronger than Kenshin. Throughout his fight, Shishio demonstrates the ability to stop Kenshin's Ryu Shou Sen using only his fingers, effortlessly dodge and counter Saito's ultimate Zero-Style Gatotsu, instantly see through Aoshi's "fluidic movement" technique, and take Sanosuke's Futae no Kiwami without any injury. He uses Mugenjin to execute techniques referred to by Hoji as "The Three Secret Swords":
Homura Dama - This is the technique Shishio has used the most. Using friction to ignite the human fats that have soaked into his sword over time, this serves to distract the opponent from his swings. The result is being simultaneously being burned and slashed at the same time.
Guren Kaina - He fills his gauntlets with gunpowder, and ignites them with the sparks caused by the Mugenjin. Thus it results in an explosion. Guren Kaina dishes out a lot of force, but the gloves have to be changed after use.
Kaguzuchi - The Kaguzuchi is the ultimate technique in Shishio's arsenal. He activates it by scraping his blade from the base to the tip on the end of the scabbard, creating a miniture fiery cyclone around the blade. The technique is not fully revealed, but A theory suggests that Shishio starts the fire and then slashes at the enemy, thus he can incinerate them entirely while still cutting them. Before Shishio could use utilize the Kaguzuchi, he was countered by Kenshin's ultimate attack. Interestingly in the game Jump Ultimate Stars , one of Shishio's support attacks is the Kaguzuchi and he performs it as described above.
[edit] Trivia
- In an interview (contained in Kenshin Kaden), mangaka Nobuhiro Watsuki said that he was too into the character of Shishio so he had made Shishio the strongest of the Kyoto Arc.
- In volume 2 of Buso Renkin (also by Nobuhiro Watsuki), Tsumura Tokiko is bandaged up so much that she looks like Shishio.
[edit] Voice Actors
- Japanese Seiyuu: Masanori Ikeda
- English Voice Actor: Steven Blum
- Brazilian Voice Actor: Emerson Caperbat
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Kagutsuchi A shrine to the antagonist Makoto Shishio.
| Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X) |
|---|
| Characters |
| Himura Kenshin | Kamiya Kaoru | Sagara Sanosuke | Myōjin Yahiko | Takani Megumi | Shinomori Aoshi| Makimachi Misao| Minor characters |
| Terms and Historical references |
| Samurai | Shinsengumi | Battousai | Meiji period | Saitō Hajime | Four Hitokiri of the Bakumatsu | Ishin Shishi | Three great nobles |
