Sagara Sanosuke , born Higashidani Sanosuke, is a main character in the Rurouni Kenshin series . A disgraced former member of the Sekihō army , in his youth, Sanosuke spent the years following the Meiji Revolution venting his frustrations as a "combat merchant" under the name Zanza, while hating the Ishin-Shishi who framed and murdered his comrades. as well as the flawed Meiji government they created. After meeting Kenshin , however, Sano is able to put his feelings aside and end his days as a combat merchant - instead joining Kenshin's group at Kamiya Dōjō.. With his great strength and upright character, Sanosuke is a welcome and invaluable ally in Kenshin's adventures, serving as a trusted friend in times of peace and a reliable "right hand man" in battle.
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Apparence
Tall and lean, Sanosuke's slight build belies his immense strength and superhuman tenacity, but his wild shock of spiky brown hair and intense brown eyes are clear indications of his demeanor. Sano is always seen wearing a white happi jacket with black trim and the kanji character aku (惡) - meaning evil or bad - emblazoned
visibly on his back in black and white dōgi pants. While he always wears his jacket open - sometimes leaving his arms out of the sleeves so that it simply drapes over his shoulders, Sanosuke does not wear a shirt underneath, instead leaving his chest bare while white sarashi bandage tape is wrapped around his abdomen; the same white sarashi is wrapped around his ankles and feet. In addition, Sano wears a long headband and matching sarashi around his left forearm, which are often shown in red, but sometimes seen in purple. While he fights with his fists and relies on his ability to absorb damage rather than any defensive skills, Sano is also frequently seen in bandages, most notably around his right hand and forearm after mastering Futae no Kiwami .
After leaving Japan and heading to the mainland at the end of the series, Sanosuke lets his already wild image get wilder by allowing his hair to lengthen to a shoulder-length mane while growing a chinstrap beard.
Personality
Simple and impetuous, Sanosuke presents a rather complex set of morals despite his relatively simple demeanor. Not particularly concerned with whether a person aligns with "good" or "bad," he instead places importance on whether or not people are honest with themselves or others. Largely due to his experience with the Sekihō Army and the Ishin Shishi of the Meiji government, Sanosuke is keenly aware that definitions of right and wrong are arbitrary and subjective-often altered or switched depending on who is in authority-and, therefore, does not judge those who choose the path or balk at doing "illegal" or "immoral" things themselves. However, he considers lying and hypocrisy to be the height of wickedness, and therefore,
Although he generally displays a demeanor somewhere between sarcastically jovial and bored, Sanosuke is described by those close to him as having a temper like fire - a fire that smolders with the losses of his past in quiet times but flares up completely when his fists itch. In keeping with his impetuous and direct nature and despite his quick tongue, Sanosuke is more inclined to speak with his fists than with his words. For him, there is no greater pleasure than that found in fighting with strong opponents and no greater disappointment than raising his fists against a weaker man. When Sano's temper is inflamed by the victimization of a friend, however, he becomes unable to calm down until his fists hit a target, no matter how strong his enemy.
However, after coming into contact with Himura Kenshin and the Kamiya dojo group, Sanosuke began to see a deeper path in life. For the most part, renouncing his violent nature, Sano soon comes to admire Kenshin and joins the ex-hitokiri's mission to help the downtrodden and the victims. Along the way, Sanosuke meets more and more people whose strength he begins to value differently. To those whose inner strength resembles Kenshin's, Sanosuke offers his strong right arm, and to those whose ideals have gone astray, Sanosuke seeks to give the same inspiration that Kenshin gave him.
Unfortunately, Sanosuke's impetuous directness is accompanied by a strong strain of stubbornness. Although rather observant in crucial situations and particularly astute at dispensing criticism, he can often be rather simple-minded, forcing those with a sharper mind to explain the intricacies of any complex event. Sanosuke is also known to his close friends as a bit of a mooch, wandering into the Kamiya dojo for free meals, borrowing money from friends with no real promise of repayment, and racking up quite a large unpaid tab at the Akabeko.
Relationships
- Sagara Sōzō - Sano' s childhood mentor and hero, the army captain Sekihō treated the boy like a younger brother, entrusting him with all his dreams and ideals for the future. Sano came to see Sōzō as a shining beacon of hope and honesty, and so when the newly formed Meiji government branded the captain a traitor and executed him to cover up his own lies, young Sanosuke's innocence died with him. In a time of emotional turmoil, Sano reflects on Sōzō's selflessness and finds the inner strength he needs to see the path ahead. On at least one occasion, these reflections gave Sano a vision of Captain Sagara as if the man's ghost stood before him.
- Himura Kenshin - Sanosuke respects Kenshin's strength, but initially holds a bitter grudge against him as one of the Ishin-Shishi, believing them all to be hypocrites for framing and murdering the Sekihō army and his mentor. After losing to him, however, he learns his belief in protecting the weak, which is in contrast to many imperialists who simply sought power and wealth at the expense of others. Since he sees Kenshin's ideals as similar to what his mentor believed in, he develops a deep level of reverence for him. He reveres Kenshin as he did his mentor and is willing to follow him to the end, even if it means death. However, when Saitō told Sanosuke that Kenshin had left Tokyo because he was a liability, Sanosuke was very offended. He continued to follow Kenshin to Kyoto and reminded him with a punch that he could more than defend himself, and that he would always be there to support Kenshin whenever he needed a hand. Moreover, he remembered the intense grief that had struck him deeply and stayed with him for a long time after the murder of his mentor and therefore wanted to help Kenshin in order to avoid going through the same grief again. During the fight with Yukishiro Enishi's men, Kenshin refuses to help Sanosuke because of his respect for his strength and pride, saying that if he dies, "he was only that of a man" .
- Tsukioka Katsuhiro - Former comrade in the Sekihō army. Sano is surprised when he learns that Tsukioka is still alive, living under the pseudonym "Tsunan". They later reunite and Tsunan is willing to help him when he needs it, such as giving him bombs when he decides to go to Kyoto in order to help Kenshin take down Shishio Makoto, which is convenient because he can use them to destroy Shishio's prized ship, the Rengoku .
- Yūkyūzan Anji - The closest thing Sanosuke had to a mentor since the death of his late master, Sano first met the fallen monk at Shimosuma, the site where the Seikihotai were executed. After overcoming Anji's ordeal of learning to use the Futae no Kiwami attack in a single week, Sano was drawn to the monk-turned-fighter with a deep spirit and an equal hatred for Meiji. However, because he had also been the henchman of Shishio, the third strongest of the Jupongatana as Bright King, their confrontation was inevitable. Seeing his former bitter and enraged self in Anji's infernal behavior, Sano lost no respect for his mentor but fought hard and courageously to bring him to his senses. He still deeply respects Anji at the end of the series, continually making mention of his strength and enlightenment. During the fightsFudōsawa , Sano goes crazy and while beating him to a bloody pulp, declares that he is no match for a man who has fought and learned from the God of Destruction himself (referring to Anji).
Myōjin Yahiko - They have a very brotherly relationship. Sano likes to pick on Yahiko, and the two often fight each other (which results in Yahiko getting beaten). They are also often partners in mischief, often to Kaoru's dismay. However, when things get serious, Sano will give Yahiko his advice and guidance, including how to become a man. Towards the end of the series, Sano grants Yahiko his apartment, while Yahiko will later start wearing Sano's signature aAu symbol on the back of his collar.
Kamiya Kaoru - Sanosuke often treats Kaoru like a child and plays pranks and pranks on him, alongside Yahiko, however, the two are still comrades and good friends and look out for each other when the time comes. When Kaoru is allegedly murdered, Sanosuke burns with rage and for the first time, he has the desire to kill his supposed murderer, Enishi. After, it is learned that Kaoru is alive (thanks to Shinomori Aoshi ), Sano helps the others to find her and join the battle against Enishi and his henchmen.
Takani Megumi - Sanosuke initially despised Megumi for her role in the death of his friends from opium. In the manga, he starts to warm up only after saving her from Kanryu . But in the anime series, he warms up after hearing the story of his family before they were captured.
Saitō Hajime - Sano on the surface, hates Saitō and resents the fact that Saitō had complete control over their fight in Tokyo. Saitō sees Sano as weak and stupid and will not hesitate to remind him of this. It was the fight with Saitō that caused Sano to seek a way to become stronger as he headed to Kyoto. However, although Saitō chastised him about his lack of defense, Sano refused to become stronger as Saitō suggested, claiming that it was not his style, and perhaps out of spite. Despite their animosity towards each other, however, the two quietly respect each other's strength.
Higashidani Family - A family of 5 people consisting of Higashidani Kamishimoemon , Higashidani Naname , Higashidani Uki , Higashidani Ota and Sano. After Naname's death and Sanosuke's choice to leave the family, Kamishimoemon raised the two youngest children alone. Sano's mother died after he left when his brother was born, so he didn't know that he had a younger brother and that his mother had died. His sister, who was very attached to him, did not know what had become of him and was devastated to learn of his departure to join the Sekiho army and later when she discovered the fate of the Sekihotai. Her father told her about her mother's death during a chance encounter in which they fought out of pride.
Capabilities
Unfortunately, being rather stubborn, Sanosuke doesn't have many skills outside the physical realm. However, he makes up for this with a body that is remarkably well-suited for combat. Despite his lithe figure, he is a man of almost superhuman strength, capable of breaking down massive doors, splitting trees in half with punches and kicks, shattering rocks with his fists, and incapacitating formidable opponents with a single finger movement. Sanosuke's strength is also what allows him to wield his formidable trademark sword--the Zanbatō--as if he were completely unaware of its significant weight. Although his relative inexperience with swordplay coupled with the unwieldy size of the blade forces him to swing it sideways or vertically, Sanosuke manages to be quite menacing with it, digging trenches in the dirt where his sword hits the ground and even using it to crush gunfire.
However, even with his monstrous strength, Sanosuke's real advantage in battle comes from his Herculean tenacity; conventional attacks, armed or unarmed, have little or no effect on him, and in the rare instances when he is wounded by a powerful opponent, he is usually able to momentarily ignore the pain and recover from most injuries with unexpected speed. As a result of this, however, Sanosuke has almost no concept of self-defense beyond simply absorbing blows; he is not accustomed to blocking or parrying in a fight and often returns to combat before his previous wounds have fully healed.
Futae no Kiwami
After his defeat at the hands of Saitō Hajime , it is clear to Sanosuke that his level of strength will be of little help against the enemies to come. Sano's attempts to increase his usefulness lead him into the presence of Yūkyūzan Anji , who teaches him the basics of his secret technique: the Futae no Kiwami or "Mastery of the Two Layers." With this technique, Sanosuke is able to supplement his prodigious strength with the ability to completely pulverize matter. He does this by implementing a double strike, first using the proximal interphalangeal joints of his right hand, then bending his hand to strike with the proximal phalanx joints. The first blow counteracts and negates the natural resistance of the target object and the second blow, delivered in 1/75th of a second, strikes the target object before it can recover from the initial blow, causing it to completely shatter.
"Three Layer Mastery" His original technique that with the first two strikes, he opens his fist creating a third strike, was used to defeat the creator ( Anji) of the two layers.
History
Sanosuke is a former member of the Sekihō army. When the group is destroyed by the Meiji government, he becomes a fighter for hire to calm his anger by fighting. During his introduction in the series, he meets the vagabond Himura Kenshin , who easily defeats him and is able to convince him to stop his mercenary work and start protecting people. After this meeting, Sanosuke becomes Kenshin's best friend and his partner in most of their fights. He also appears in the flagship movie of the series and in other media related to the Rurouni Kenshin franchise, including a plethora of electronic games and original video animations (OVA).
Many anime and manga publications have commented on the character of Sanosuke. Mania Entertainment has praised his character development, noting that he becomes more trustworthy and reliable as the series progresses. SciFi.com called him a "video game icon" and noted how he is described as a "tragic figure." Sanosuke has been popular with the Rurouni Kenshin reader base, ranking second in all popularity polls. Merchandise based on Sanosuke has also been released, including keychains and plush dolls.
Creation and reception
Sanosuke was one of the last major figures of the series to be created. Watsuki created him to be Kenshin's best friend, who is willing to hit him when he is sad to make him "wake up" from his sadness. Although Sanosuke is a main character in the series, Watsuki felt that he could not write everything he wanted to about him and thought that making him the main character of a series would prove interesting.
Watsuki describes Sanosuke's visual motif by referring to his design model, Lamp, the main character in Takeshi Obata's Mashin Bōken Tan Lamp-Lamp. Watsuki, working as an assistant on Obata's manga, formed the character by doodling in sketchbooks, adding and subtracting elements of the proposed character "with the blessing of the original artist, of course." Watsuki saw Harada's version of Shiba Ryōtarō as the one he wanted to use as a model for his design and said that the character's big, spiky hair was the strangest element he had ever drawn.
In July 2006, the Japanese publishers of Rurouni Kenshin released the kanzenban edition. In the fifth kanzenban, Watsuki redesigned the character of Sanosuke in a draft version. To emphasize his hatred of the Meiji government, Watsuki drew the Japanese kanji for "bad" (惡, aku) as a tattoo on Sanosuke's back; in the original series, the mark is shown on the back of his character's jacket. Unlike the manga where Sanosuke wields a fictional oversized version of a zanbatō, Watsuki gave him a more historically accurate zanbato. He also gave him an armor-like fabric to make him look more like a warrior.
In the animated adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin, Watsuki's creations were combined with the vocal talents of Yūji Ueda, a seiyū. In producing the English dubbed version of the series, Media Blasters chose Lex Lang as Sanosuke's voice actor. When writing Sanosuke's dialogue, Clark Cheng, the writer of the English dubbing script, noted that the character was smarter than he would have liked in the first few episodes, and slowly tried to change the character's dialogue to make him sound more stupid so that he would be more similar to the Japanese version of the series.
In the real action movie
In the live action movie, he first saw Kenshin when they were both in prison and after finding out that he was Hitokiri Battōsai , he challenged him and fought him, although Kenshin did nothing but dodge all of his attacks throughout the fight (unlike in the anime/manga, where Kenshin beat him unconscious). Later, he helped Kenshin rescue Megumi, who was kidnapped by Takeda Kanryū . He fought against Inui Banjin during this battle, while Kenshin fought Gein . Sano was put in bandages by Megumi and seen resting at the end.
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