Rurouni Kenshin (US)

After rumors of a man calling himself Hitokiri Battousai terrorizing the citizens of Tokyo begin, Kaoru Kamiya, the owner of a small dojo, takes it upon herself to catch him. After confronting a swordsman with a cross-shaped scar but dismissing him as a simple wanderer, she takes him into her family's dojo. After a confrontation, the wanderer defeats the man posing as Battousai and after some prompting reveals his real name to be Kenshin Himura, as well as his identity as the true Battousai, once a well-known and well-feared hitokiri during the Bakumatsu. Kaoru urges him to stay and declares that it is the wanderer she invites to stay at her place, not the assassin.

After nearly being victimized in pickpocketing by a young street urchin Yahiko Myojin, Kenshin takes sympathy on the boy who declares himself to be from a samurai family. After his mother's death, Yahiko has been forced into working for the yakuza to pay off his deceased mother's debt. Kaoru goes to rescue the boy but finds herself in a perilous situation until Kenshin appears and defeats the yakuza single-handedly. Kaoru then takes Yahiko as her student at Kenshin's prompting despite the reluctance of both of them.

Yahiko is discontent with the teachings of Kamiya Kasshin-ryu, wanting to defeat his enemies over protecting the innocent. After defeating corrupt policemen, Kenshin is greeted by an old acquaintance from the military. He invites him to re-join the military and become a high-ranking officer. However, Kenshin declines this offer, vowing to use his sword for justice.

Gohei Hiruma, the man who Kenshin had previously defeated in the first episode, hires Sanosuke Sagara, known as Zanza after his signature zanbato, to take Kenshin down. He accepts, but not for the money. Instead, he plans to acquaint himself with his new opponent.

Zanza returns to fight Kenshin, and reveals his reason for fighting and his past with the Sekihoutai, where his captain and teammates were used as scapegoats by the government. Kenshin defeats him and breaks the zanbato, and they become allies.

Government officials are being murdered. Jinei Udoh, a former hitokiri known for his ruthless attitude, is doing it and the government asks Kenshin for help. When Jinei sees Kenshin, he realizes he has a worthy opponent and kidnaps Kaoru, telling Kenshin to meet him later.

Jinei has kidnapped Kaoru in order to force Kenshin back into his murderous ways. Kenshin almost kills Jinei, but Kaoru calls out, and he spares him. Jinei then takes his own life.

One of Sanosuke's friends has died from opium when a mysterious woman named Megumi Takani shows up and needs his help, in which Kenshin tags along. She is being pursued by the Oniwabansh?, an elite group of ninja that used to protect the Edo castle. They protect her, but Yahiko is poisoned.

Kanry? Takeda forces Megumi to return by threatening the people at the dojo. Sanosuke convinces her to return, but Megumi is captured by one of Kanry?'s underlings.

The group goes to retrieve Megumi, but the Oniwabansh? stands in their way. Kenshin narrowly defeats Han'nya, and then he, along with Sanosuke, confronts commander Aoshi Shinomori. Aoshi takes out Sanosuke with one blow, urging Kenshin to begin to battle.

Kenshin narrowly defeats Aoshi as well. Aoshi asks Kenshin to finish him off, and when Kenshin refuses, Aoshi vows revenge. Kanry? shows up with a gatling gun and kills the four members of the Oniwabansh?, who die defending Aoshi. Megumi tries to kill herself for her past misdeeds, but they save her just in time. Aoshi buries his comrades and swears that he will defeat Kenshin for their sake.

Kaoru takes in Toramaru, a sumo wrestler who has been kicked out of his sumo stable. The leading wrestler fears being overtaken, and uses his status to keep Toramaru down. Kaoru teaches Toramaru to be self confident, and he rejoins the sumo stable.

Megumi treats a girl with a life threatening heart condition, but a faith healer enters town and begins to seeminly perform miracles to cure the sick at exorbitant sums, while spreading rumors that Megumi is a quack. When the young girl is put in a life threatening situation because of her parents' desperation, Kenshin and Sanosuke rush to save her before it is too late.

The Jinpuu squad is performing vigilante assassinations. They try and force Sasaki, a local schoolteacher, to pick up his sword again, but Sano and Kenshin fight them off. Toma, the Jinpuu leader, vows to kill Kenshin.

Yahiko meets a cute girl named Tsubame Sanj?, who works at the Akabeko restaurant under Tae Sekihara. She is being forced into making a copy of the key to the Akabeko restaurant by a group of thugs, and Yahiko decides to help her by himself. He defeats the thugs, although with a little help from the group.

Toma was a former student under Sasaki. Ultimately, the Jinpuu squad is taken down and Toma repents to his former master.

The group goes to the circus and Yahiko takes a liking to the "Human Cannonball" girl Marimo. A circus boss tries to sabotage the show and make Marimo work for him, but Kenshin, Kaoru, and Sanosuke entertain the crowd until Marimo can find the right mix of gunpowder and fly from the cannon.

Gohei Hiruma returns and hires the Onizaki brothers to kill Kenshin. Gohei tricks Yahiko into bringing him the reverse blade sword, and then he ties Yahiko up. Kenshin is outmatched by the Onizaki brothers, but Yahiko escapes and brings the sword, allowing Kenshin to win.

The group goes on vacation in Izu. There, a wealthy boy Yutaro Tsukayama falls under the influence of Raijuta, who intends to create a kingdom with his warriors. Kenshin battles Raijuta's men for the sake of Yutaro, but they gain the upper hand.

Kenshin leaves Raijuta's warriors to save Yutaro from drowning. Kaoru teaches Yutaro the swordsmanship of the Kamiya Kasshin-ry?, although he doesn't understand its moral aspects. The military attacks Raijuto and his gang.

Kenshin stops the battle by challenging Raijuta to a one on one battle. He figures out the trick to Raijuta's vacuum cut, and defeats him. Yutaro is injured in the battle, and decides to move to Germany for better medical care.

The group takes a train trip to Yokohama for fun. A train robbery ensues in efforts of stealing a of gold coins from a nobleman. The group eventually defeat the robbers. All the while, Sanosuke complains that photography is the work of the devil.

Sanosuke goes to a picture shop to buy a picture for Tae at the Akabeko restaurant. While at the picture shop, he stumbles across a portrait of Captain Sagara, drawn by Tsunan Tsukioka, another surviving member of the Sekihoutai. Sanosuke joins with Tsunan and defeats Tashiwachi Shindo, the man who framed Captain Sagara ten years earlier.

Sanosuke throws a party at the dojo for everyone. Little does everyone except Kenshin know, Sanosuke is really planning to leave the group for good to revive the long lost Sekihoutai with his friend Tsunan. Kenshin goes to stop Sanosuke and Tsunan from destroying the Internal Affairs Department with bombs. Sanosuke rejoins the group and Tsunan stops making bombs.

Kaoru goes on a boat cruise to get some money. Miraculously, Kenshin, Yahiko, and Sanosuke find the same boat cruise and get on it, not knowing that Kaoru is on the same ship as they are. Kenshin eventually finds out, and then the Kairyu, fearsome pirates who fight like demons, attack the boat. Kenshin, poisoned, defeats Shura, the leader of the Kairyu. As the pirates retreat, they capture Kaoru. Kenshin exchanges himself for Kaoru and is taken by the Kairyu, leaving Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sanosuke behind.

Shura and the Kairyu land at Kairyu Island with Kenshin. Shura does not have the heart to kill Kenshin, and so Ginjo, a greedy member of the Kairyu, makes up a plan to kill Shura and become leader in her place. Shura gets shot in the leg by Geki, another one of her followers who has now sided with Ginjo.

Kenshin and Sarujiro helps to nurse Shura back to health, then Shura finds out that Ginjo gave Iwazo some opium. Shura goes off to fight and defeat Ginjo. She is defeated by him, since he played a dirty trick on her. Kenshin then comes in and ends the fight. Geki then throws a bomb, destroying Kairyu Island and all its inhabitants, except for Kenshin and Shura.