The Saddest Story
Soujiro’s Seta’s life is the most saddest and depressing story-line throughout Rurouni Kenshin. Before saying anything let me review the other sad stories: Kenshin, Yahiko, Sano, Megumi, and somewhat on Kaoru. It is evident that between all these cases that Kenshin’s is that saddest, as he was orphaned, and his guardians were killed protecting him. Yahiko is also an orphan, but he did not experience as much violence as Kenshin did and Sanosuke became a gangster after Sagara’s death, which, although violent, did not plague him by regrets or unnecessary deaths. Megumi, of course, only had some doctor connection with opium, while Kaoru had a dead father.
Now that I have touched upon those points, let’s get to Soujiro. Soujiro’s story-line is the most sad and depressing one of all. Firstly, Soujiro, unlike Kenshin, is an illegitimate orphan, meaning he was rejected from society in the very beginning. Kenshin was not repelled from society, he was sold off, but he made new friends, and had some respect. Kenshin also managed to have loving guardians (even if it was for a short while), while Soujiro grew up in an unhappy environment. Soujirou never found love EVER, he was both mentally and physically abused. Mentally because he could never show his true feelings, which can easily be compared to kenshin’s cross-shaped scar, teaching Kenshin to be quiet about his past. Kenshin’s scar, however, was a sign of hate and love both, showing that Kenshin, unlike Soujirou, was loved. In Soujirou’s case Shishio Makoto did not love him, he used him to fight and spread his message of “Blood of the weak and food for the strong.” Soujiro never found love in this as from the very beginning, Shishio did not help him but made him “become strong” on his own (ie. giving him the katana to fend on his own). Even though Kenshin’s protectors died, he met Hiko shortly afterwards, who taught him to love again, followed by Tomoe. Hiko gave Kenshin something to look up to and gave him an occupation, teaching Kenshin the basis of Samurai. Due to this, Kenshin was never confused in his ways, he knew he was killing, and justified it for the new era.
Soujirou, on the other hand, was confused between believing in his conscience or Shishio’s philosophy. He never showed his emotions, and by god, the kid laughed in the face of death but cried when he killed his relatives. Thus meaning that from the very beginning he didn’t know which path to follow. Soujirou, like Kenshin, had a past that was haunting him, except his past was a bit worse because unlike Kenshin, it was not clear to him. Kenshin knew his past and his reasons, while Soujirou did not, and could not understand reasoning. He always hid his feelings, and although Kenshin did this too, he was able to open up to his friends, while Soujirou could not open up to anyone because the very people around him were the ones he questioned. Kenshin also had a reason of keeping quiet about his past, but Soujirou’s past was based on a flimsy factor; that Shishio had “saved” him, when in fact, Shishio would have easily left Soujirou to die. Soujiro was left on his own to take care of his problems, while in Kenshin’s case, Hiko stepped in and took the burden off his hands. If Soujiro had not succeeded, Shishio would have left him to die, as he believed Soujiro was weak.
Soujiro’s lack of emotion was a very sad and scary aspect. Kenshin barely showed what was on his heart, but his Kenki and emotions always went along with his fights and talks. Although he acted very innocent most of the time, Kenshin could easily turn serious and give off Kenki in a battle. Soujirou looked the same throughout the whole series, no one could ever tell what he was thinking. Kenshin was the same way to an extent, but Soujiro was thoroughly hidden.
Kenshin’s most depressing story-line was that he accidentally killed his own wife, Tomoe. Although this is very emotional and sentimental, it cannot even compare to Soujirou. Soujirou never knew love, and this is what made it depressing. Although Kenshin had killed Tomoe, he did realize and make his promise to stop murdering after the war was over. Kenshin still had his memories of Tomoe and and although it was sad to loose her, it would have been sadder if he had not loved at all. He had a purpose to his being, to his life, and later on, this guided him to Kaoru. While, all the while, Soujirou had no purpose at all, he acted like a robot, had no one to talk to or share his feelings, and never had anyone since his birth. Though this would mean that Soujirou never knew the pain, I’m sure that Soujirou, if we looked at him longer, would feel an impenetrable pain later on for all of his murderous acts. Even if Soujirou never loved a person, that would be even worse, because pain without any reminder of love is not balanced, and only pain is left. Kenshin had that pain, but he eased it with Kaoru, with his wondering, and basically his whole time with his people. If Kenshin did not know what pain was, he would never realize happiness, and vice versa. Since Soujirou did not, or could not know any love, he will have a more difficult time adapting, and even so, it is evident that he realizes that love exists. This makes it worse because he knows what it is, and he feels the lack of it, this is what makes him question Kenshin’s battle. Soujirou is found saying “Why did you not save me?” meaning that he wanted to be loved, and the fact that he wasn’t, made him what he was and he had no emotional output to put all of those feelings.
To get to the point, the saddest story was of Soujiro. He had a story-line that was both unique and interesting, like Kenshin’s. Yet his went beyond the regular expectations. Kenshin himself was surprised, and he knew that something “really bad” happened to Soujiro, as he related to Sanosuke. Soujiro was also the most hard to beat enemy that Kenshin faced. I read it in a poll manga.
Ah yes, Soujiro’s past was quite sad. I personally think that Kenshin’s story was the saddest mainly because he did have people that loved and cared about him. I mean, Soujiro didn’t have love but then at least he didn’t have to deal with such a complicated emotion. Kenshin, on the other hand, had fallen in love with a woman and killed her by accident! She died in his arms and had been betrayed twice (Tomoe and Izuka). After this he married Kaoru and had to keep leaving her. He expressed his feeling sorry for not being there for her and then the burden of knowing that you couldn’t even spend the end of your days with the woman you loved as well as your son must be quite painful. Oh, and let’s not forget all the people Kenshin had killed. Sure he didn’t know them too well (or at all) but he knew the pain of having lost someone and after Tomoe died, he knew the vast pain and suffering he had caused the families of all those he killed etc! And yet, he kept living for everyone he cared for. It seemed for him that living was more of a punishment than dying. Soujiro, in my opinion, wasn’t as bad off as Kenshin, because he didn’t love. Sure he was deprived but as we can tell from Kenshin, sometimes it’s better off that way.
I’m gonna take up a point of view not yet considered. I think Kenshin, Soujrou and Sano had equally depressing lives. Soujirou was abused and horribly mislead at a very young age. Kenshin lost his parents and almost everyone he loved and trusted and on top of that he started killing people! He knew it was wrong where as Soujirou did not (this has been said many times before but I’m gonna say it again cause some people still don’t get it).
Soujirou was found by Shishio which didn’t help him much to straighten things out, it just made things worse. After Sozo was killed, Sano was all alone and you really don’t know much about what happened after that so you can assume he was on his own from that point on. Kenshin was lucky and was found by Hiko. Soujirou and Kenshin both killed many people and both felt bad about it (Soujirou did after his fight with Kenshin I think). As far as I know, Sano didn’t kill anyone so he didn’t have to live with regret like Kenshin and later Soujirou. Everyone on Rurouni Kenshin has a sad life story but none compare to these three.
I agree and disagree. They were both equally sad, I don’t really think that there is the saddest story. Soujiro not having anyone in his life and with Shishio to make it worse, yes. But someone mentioned that Soujiro never found true love or something like that, well that isn’t as painful as when someone you love is taken away from you and killed in front of your eyes thus bringing me to Kenshin. He had Tomoe and his 3 guardians. For his 3 guardians he has to stand there and watch them get struck down, Tomoe was more painful because it was his fault that she got killed. But things did get better for Kenshin for a little while then it went down hill with him becoming the Battousai. But for Soujiro, they just went down hill, no ups it was just down. But I think that Kenshin’s loss of Tomoe and his guardians was just as painful.
Also another thing is that with Kenshin, he never really knew his parents until he was passed on to his guardians. I don’t think he can even remember their faces! But Soujiro was and orphan, I believe that he knew somewhat of his parents. That is why I don’t think there is the saddest story.
If you think about it… every character in RK has a sad past/is enduring a hard life. Soujirou, with his family, what he did to them and the whole ordeal that went on in his head. Kenshin, from the very beginning as Shinta, with Tomoe, and regretting to be a man-slayer, and having to ward off “Ghosts from the past,” that try to kill him/bring the man-slayer in him back. Sanosuke, captain Sagara’s tragic death, that he saw it first hand. Yahiko, both his mother and father had died, his dad in a war when he was in the ShougiTai, and his mother from a disease she contracted for being a courtesan, and how he was lied to by the Yakuza so he could work for them. Tsubame how she had to work for people her parents worked for. Megumi, the only survivor from her (Takani) family in the Aizu war, how she was forced to make opium that ended hundreds of people’s lives. Miss Kaoru, how she was all alone since her parents died, how she had no students at her dojo, and how Kenshin’s ordeals constantly take a toll on her. The list goes on, Misao loosing the Oniwabanshuu and having to put up with Aoshi’s various ordeals. Aoshi and the death of his comrades (Oniwabanshuu) and how he becomes oblivious to right and wrong to hold the title of the “strongest” for the Oniwabanshuu. Anji, and how all the kids he was caring for died in a tragic fire.
In Shimabara Arc, when Shougou and Sayo’s parents and village people where all brutally killed in front of them, Sayo’s disease and their tragic story of leaving it all behind to avenge their people. And even the evil guys, how Shishio was supposed to be burned to death and disposed of, how Jin’e was a madman. RK seems to revolve around tragedies of the past, and how they play a vital role in shaping the characters as their present selves. That is why this series is paramount to all others, ALL of the characters are developed very in-depth, creating a sense of attachment to them and their stories.
Ohhhhh *claps for mellisa* very very good point. When you really think about it they all have really sad lives and that does make you want to know more about them and hope that they are able to find happiness. And that makes the pairings even more interesting.
There are parts I agree on and there are parts that I disagree on. I agree on the fact that he does have a very sad story, but I disagree on it being the saddest. Sure, he gets crapped on in life, but look at the other characters for example. Take Kenshin. How the heck would YOU feel if you just murdered your loved one by accident? How would you feel if the people who cared for you was killed right in front of you, and you couldn’t do a thing about it? How would you feel if you were raised as a soldier, a trained killer, at the age you’d probably losing your front teeth, and at the age you actually start liking the opposite sex? YOU would not know what to do, and at this time, he was like Soujiro, confused, and he doesn’t know the difference between right or wrong. But at the time during the OVAs, he had gained a conscious, he then knew that he was on a mission, he was sent to kill people, and he had the right of mind of what he was doing. Kenshin realized what he did, and he would learn that his mistakes, his past, the people he killed endlessly, would haunt him for the rest of his life.
The idea of him, not being “loved, or experienced love, or having any friends,” it’s true his family hated every bit about him, but it doesn’t mean that he’s hopeless. It’s true, he was abused, and through hate, anger, and sorrow, he didn’t learn the difference between right and wrong. His life is full of hate and deceit, even when he joined the Juppon gatana, they all hated his guts. But that’s not the end. He may have been scared of people due to his family, but like he is in battle, he can’t fear people. HE has to go out there, and make friends, find love, he can’t wait for it to come to him. He is the only one to find the truth, what’s the right thing to do. He may be young, but he has to go for it. Sanosuke’s story is also full of sorrow. He became a gangster when his group was executed, because they were following orders given by them. He had to watch his friends and allies, one by one, fall to the ground dead. It hit him harder when his captain gave his own life to save his. How would you feel, if your life was spared, at the expense of your friends? You yourself would beat yourself up, and he would live with that agony of losing his friends.
When it all comes down to it, they all have sad lives. I think Kenshin’s is still the saddest, but that’s my opinion. You really can’t compare them all and say that _____’s is the saddest story of them all, because ultimately, they’ll all face their past, they’ll have to live with it, and take it with them.
Yeah, if you said Soujiro’s life is one sad story, I’ll agree with that. But I still think that Kenshin’s life is worse. Soujiro’s young, yet he can find a love one one day; but Kenshin killed, hurt, his love ones… Intentionally or not, Kenshin still suffering even when he’s smiling or laughing. Well, Soujiro can laugh pretty much, ne? Yeah, I know… It’s because Soujiro couldn’t even know why or how to laugh while he was still with his family, and that Shishio told him “everything.” But he would have a better life if he follows the right path (a.k.a not Shishio led him to), wouldn’t he? And Kenshin still had a pitiful, miserable life, even when he’s trying to make a better living. Yes, I’m sorry for Soujiro, but Kenshin would get my pity more.
This is a very hard topic to discuss. Simply because, Kenshin’s situation and Soujiro’s situation are so very different and can almost not even be compared.
Kenshin was a young boy around the age of seventeen or something when Tomoe was killed. Earlier on, when he was even around seven or something, he witnessed his new “family” of four days slayed right before his eyes. That experience is the closest you could ever get to comparing Kenshin’s and Soujiro’s past. It’s totally different otherwise.
At about the age of ten or younger, Soujiro was just a little boy whose parents died and ended up being left in the care of his relatives and never really knew love. Always being hit and screamed at, the closest he’d ever had to any kind of love is that of Shishio’s which he knew wasn’t even love. Shishio didn’t care about him, all he was was Shishio’s body guard and protector as to return the favor of Shishio giving him that wakazashi that changed his life forever. But wasn’t it Shishio’s presence in the first place that almost got him killed???
Kenshin’s pain comes from love being taken away from him, while Soujiro’s pain comes from having a gaping hole inside of him of never having been loved. Therefore, these two types of pain are entirely different. If you had to choose which one was worse, you still couldn’t. If you think if having pain longer is worse (which we all can probably agree, is that not having it too long of a time) then Kenshin’s LIFE would probably be worse, but not necessarily his pain. Kenshin will forever be scarred because he lost parents to a disease, his spirit to the government and his wife Tomoe thanks to his own hands. Kenshin shall always have to live with this whereas someday Soujiro will find happiness with his “true love” and be able to seal the gaping hole within himself.
Over a long period of time, Kenshin’s soul and heart is healing during the years he spends with Kaoru, but he is not fully healed until the last minute before he dies in Kaoru’s arms. In conclusion, Kenshin may have had the worst overall life, but his pain and Soujiro’s pain is so different that who can’t even say which is worse. It’s like comparing someone who just got fist degree burns to his/her entire chest and back to someone who’s feet were just cut off in some kind of accident. Two different kinds of pain, two different kinds of lives, two different men.
In my mind’s eye, Twinsidedblade52, Yotaka, and Karis (in her final opinion) stated things exactly the way I would have, for I also know what it’s like to lose a loved one. I also know how it feels to have hurt someone and later regretted it. But it’s also hard to decide because it all comes down to different people’s opinions. Mine being that Kenshin’s is the saddest only because he’d been betrayed, more than once, lost many loved ones, some killed by his own hands. And when he did find some happiness with Kaoru, when they wed and had their son Kenji, he could never be with them much. And as a result of his absence, his own son practically hated him. That, and many other reasons, is why I chose Kenshin.
I think Kenshin has had the saddest life of all of them. Yes, Soujiro has had a sad life but, Kenshin’s life is sadder. Let’s start off with Kenshin’s life.
Kenshin was born a peasant with no last name, left to be another useless peasant boy who won’t do anybody good. His parents died and was sold off. Then Kenshin met, possibly, the first nicest people he had ever met and have them killed the following night. He wanted to protect them but he couldn’t. Then Hiko came along and took him under his care. Now with the war going on, he wants to go into the war and change the era into a good one. So he leaves against Hiko’s wishes and fights. He has turn his heart cold, he becomes the Hitokiri Battousai. No one wants to even hear his name. No love. And then he meets Tomoe and eventually kills her with his own hands. The one person who understood his feelings gone because he killed her. Vowing to never kill again, he wanders for ten years. Do you think that is not hard? Never killing again when that’s all you seen and done all your life. Then he meets Kaoru and the rest now having to protect them when his past comes to haunt him and try to kill the people he loves. He can’t let that happen again so he can’t let Kaoru get close to him. Or else the enemies would try to hurt or even kill her. Leaving him alone in his mind. And plus every few enemies he goes Battousai, meaning he doesn’t care if he kills or gets killed. And in the end, he never fully heals until he’s with Kaoru in her arms and then dies. Leaving about 40 years of pain and suffering.
Now Soujiro life. Starting off with when he was born. His parents also dies but he is left with other relatives that he didn’t even love. He was beaten and scolded for nothing, always doing the work. Then he met Shishio. When Shishio was about to kill him, Soujiro only smiled and said he wanted to die. So, Shishio gave him the wakazashi to change his life. Telling him the weak are only food for the strong. Soujiro wasn’t confused anymore, he now knew Shishio was right. So he killed all of his relatives with no remorse. Only smiling. Kenshin didn’t WANT to kill Tomoe. Then Soujiro lived with Shishio, killing people as Shishio commanded. Soujiro had someone to talk to. Someone he loved for years. Even if Shishio didn’t love him back, he didn’t care. Kenshin had no one for ten years. Then Soujiro and Kenshin fought and Soujiro realized that Shishio was wrong. The person he thought knew everything was wrong. He could not handle it. He cracked. Kenshin then defeated him, showing Soujiro that there are people with different ideals. Knowing this, Soujiro changed his life forever at the age of 22. Now Soujiro would wander Japan for ten years, searching for his answers to the questions he had. He didn’t feel sad for what he did. All he had bad in his life was the abuse. He still loved Shishio even after Kenshin beat him. Nothing changed but his ideals. Kenshin changed everything. Proving that Kenshin had a very hard life and Soujiro did not have one as hard. Soujiro did not have to protect anyone. Kenshin had everyone. In the end, Soujiro found his peace during his life but Kenshin found his peace when he died. That is my opinion. Thanks for reading!
Well, I’m not sure whether if this is right but they both have equally different and yet same depressing pasts. Himura Kenshin had his parent died of cholera when he was around 7-8 years old and was picked up by slave traders. However, they were killed along with the three sisters who died in front of his very eyes in order to protect him. Kenshin wanted to save them so badly with a sword but Hiko rescued him from the bandits and raised him, teaching him to be a swordsman.
However, Kenshin was young (14yrs) and dissatisfied with the warfare going on. Until Hiko finally let him go, he thanked him and he took off to fight. Kenshin did not have a lot of feeling when he killed his first person but I’m sure he got sick of seeing blood but continued on to fight in his own sense of justice. That was until he met Tomoe who taught him that killing wasn’t the answer and reminded him of the good aspects of life. He was really shocked when he realized that she was an undercover and he had killed her fiance with his own bare hands. Yet, he loved and cared for her, so in his desperate search to find her, he was blinded and deaf temporarily. Finally, when he opened his eyes at what he thought would be the last attempt to save her, he found Tomoe trying to protect him and that he had killed her along with the enemy.
She died in his arms, completing the scar and told him that she was sorry. (That was how it was like in the O.V.A and Watsuki said somewhere that he wanted to change his own version). Filled with grief and complete realization at what he had done, he left after the Wars with a sakabatou and the memory of her that continued on till the end of his life.
Now, Soujirou was a different story in some basis. His deceased father was of a wealthy family that distributed rice while his mother (unknown whereabouts) was called a street-side prostitute. His father’s family took him in only to cover the scandal and since he was only their illegitimate half-brother, he was beaten up while Kenshin’s “family” could have cared less of where he was from. He suffered a lot under abuse and grew so scared from the beatings that he smiled so that they would lose interest and stop. One day, he witnessed Shishio Makoto killing three policeman and was so scared when he realized that he was there and announced that he was going to kill him. He remember the beatings and smiled even though he couldn’t help it and didn’t understand why. Shishio was interested and allowed him to live if he would give him shelter, bandages and food.
Soujirou was a little excited when he asked if he was a good man, and was so frightened when he answered him that he was a truly evil man. However, he told his story and Shishio listened, telling him about the strong will live and the weak shall die. Soujirou’s family realized that the food and bandages have been missing and concluded that he was hiding a bandit. They set out to kill him.
Meanwhile, Soujirou was thinking about the blade that Shishio gave him (which he was shocked to receive the item). He thought that being slashed at with a sword must have hurt like a bruise but being weak mustn’t be so bad. He could still bear it and that he would return the weapon back to Shishio.
However, when Soujirou’s family went out to kill the poor kid, Shishio just waited inside the barn. At the last moment, Soujirou grew so frightened and feared for his life, that he took up the blade and killed them. Unlike Kenshin, nobody was there to defend him in trouble (when he was crying for help) and to take the blade away from from his pure hands unstained with blood. Finally, it rained and Shishio asked him if he cried. Soujirou unaware that he was crying and only seeing raindrops, answered no. Shishio smiled and grew interested, decided to take in the boy. Later on in the series, he told Yumi and Hoji, how he had him perfect his skills and to hid his emotions. Also, Saitou noted that Shishio watched a lot of moves and what he seen before, can’t be used against him so he planned to use Soujirou against techniques using reading expressions. I think that Shishio could have cared less and he didn’t really care about Soujirou-except to use him in fights and to weaken Kenshin!
He even admitted that Soujirou was his food (weak) and that he could never escape this fate. Soujirou was practically confused subconsciously but a series of troubled events, pushed them back and in a way, his smile became a scar. A reminder of pain while Kenshin’s was a reminder of pain and life.
During the fight, Soujirou had such a headache at what Kenshin said because deep in his mind, it was true but the years of Shishio’s teachings carved into his mind wasn’t easily set aside. In the end, Soujirou, left after the fight with Kenshin and he respected Shishio (not like a father) so that’s why he left his broken sword and the secret to Kenshin’s succession technique.
So, I say they are equally sad pasts even with the differences. Kenshin’s is a complete opposite due to his birth and certain events compared to his. They were both dissatisfied with something deep down inside and shared a similar belief about the weak at one point. They’ve witnessed deaths with a different outcome by their “rescuers” and killed even if they didn’t really wanted deep inside but only because for who they were fighting for. Kenshin had a love who taught him that it wasn’t right to take someone’s life while Kenshin taught somewhat to Soujirou. Soujirou’s life was filled with abuse, fear and a smile that held back feelings. Kenshin’s had love, (in the beginning) no fear of death and finally a completed scar.
Of course, I have to admit that I think Kenshin’s is a lot sadder (depending on times) but I think they both counter-balance each other despite a little difference. I can’t help feeling sorry that Kenshin had to go through the pain of losing his love but Soujirou, I can’t believe he had to go through so much abuse (by his own family) and go along with Shishio’s ideals (since he had nothing to go to at the time) even though he really hadn’t liked it deep inside. Yet, in the end, they went out to search for their own truths but at different times.