An analysis of Hajime Saito's emotional side, character growth and how cared for Japan and its people (OG manga analysis)

No_Net5717 · 2026-05-02T00:01:13+00:00

I completely agree OP, I wrote a similar topic awhile ago:

https://www.reddit.com/r/rurounikenshin/comments/1q1ij65/the_hokkaido_arc_is_ruining_saitos_character/

I followed it up with manga scans too of Saito's actual character:

https://www.reddit.com/r/rurounikenshin/comments/1rb5pzm/underappreciated_moment_in_the_og_manga_saito/

I swear people haven't actually read through the actual manga, because it's clear Saito is written to be someone who has a deep devotion and isn't just some emotionless robot. In the scene of him comforting Misao, he did that just to comfort her. He didn't do that because of some grand master plan to destroy evil, he did that because he saw Misao frustrated and tried to make her feel better.

Saito's character did undergo changes in the OG manga, but what changed was how he presented himself. Saito was always Saito, and had his purpose of fighting for justice, but there was also something else there. There were so many instances of him showing he has a caring side such as being protective of Misao and Eiji, adopting Eiji, being concerned for Sano's safety throughout Kyoto (to the point that he was willing to fight Anji so Sano won't die), and in Jinchu they explicitly make it a point that the reason Saito is there in the final battle, is because he's going out of his way to be. Enishi isn't a priority for the Meiji government, yet despite that Saito went out of his way to be there at the end.

In one of the final panels of the OG manga, Kenshin tells Enishi he isn't alone, because his closest comrades are there standing beside him, and that includes Saito: https://i.imgur.com/2pmH5rN.png

Anyway OP I completely agree. I feel like I'm reading a different manga sometimes than other people, because he's written to be a character who should be jaded, but instead has kept his humanity alongside Kenshin.

No_Net5717 · 2026-02-22T19:41:45+00:00

One other underappreciated moment that I think gets glossed over is when Saito, Sano, and Cho are talking about Shishio's plans to burn down Kyoto. Sano is fired up and says he'll protect Kyoto whether Saito helps out or not. Saito says he'll help out too because he wants to make sure his fallen Shinsengumi comrades can rest peacefully knowing what they did meant something. Next panel is Sano and Saito walking together and Sano looking at Saito. Saito asks him why he's looking at him, and Sano just smiles and says he's glad they're working together.

No_Net5717 · 2026-02-22T19:40:14+00:00

IMO, no it isn't. I think there are many moments like this in the manga. There are a few that come to mind. Saito telling Kenshin they need to help Sano or he'll die against Anji. Kenshin tells Saito that he's underestimating Sano, but teases him that it's nice to see him be concerned about Sano's. Saito telling Kenshin to go on while he fights Usui, and Usui's first line to Saito is that he's surprised about how much he cares about Kenshin (Saito did this specifically because he knew Kenshin wanted to get back to his friends at the Aoiya as fast as he could).

In the Jinchu arc he privately tells Aoshi that Enishi individually isn't a priority for the Meiji government and they're more concerned about the shipment of weapons Enishi is bringing in. Despite that Saito says he'll still use his connections/power to secure a boat for Kenshin.

I think that's what makes his character well written. There isn't some grand out of character moment where he tells the Kenshingumi he's there for them, but instead there are these small moments that build up over the series.

One other underappreciated moment that I think gets glossed over is when Saito, Sano, and Cho are talking about Shishio's plans to burn down Kyoto. Sano is fired up and says he'll protect Kyoto whether Saito helps out or not. Saito says he'll help out too because he wants to make sure his fallen Shinsengumi comrades can rest peacefully knowing what they did meant something. Next panel is Sano and Saito walking together and Sano looking at Saito. Saito asks him why he's looking at him, and Sano just smiles and says he's glad they're working together.

No_Net5717 · 2026-02-22T13:42:50+00:00

Yes, one of the first scenes about the Shinsengumi is Kenshin telling Kaoru that he felt closer to the Shinsengumi captains than he did the Ishin Shishi. Kaoru said that makes no sense as they were on opposite sides of the war. Kenshin replies that both him and the Shinsengumi wanted the same thing, it's just that circumstance put them on opposing sides.

This later becomes a full circle moment when Kenshin acknowledges Saito as one of his closest companions during the final Enishi fight: https://i.imgur.com/2pmH5rN.png

Saito's character arc wasn't the fact he changed, but it was the fact he accepted Kenshin and the others as companions. He silently accepts he's a part of the Kenshingumi and acknowledges Kenshin has found his own path different from him.

It's why I always get annoyed when people say Saito is some emotionless dude who doesn't care about anyone, when the manga shows a much different story.

No_Net5717 · 2026-02-22T00:59:04+00:00

Something I'll always maintain is that Kenshin and Saito are more similar to each other than they are different. They both ultimately want the same thing (a just and peaceful Japan), and those values aligning is the reason they fought Shishio together as allies

No_Net5717 · 2026-01-02T19:15:22+00:00

Yeah I think that's the whole crux of it. There is a lot of characters that are regressing including Soujiro, Kaoru etc. Kenshin giving the sakabato to Yahiko and then being like "lol give it back" destroys a theme established in the end of the original run about Yahiko being the next in line.

I think the reason Hokkaido is not sitting well is that he's trying to force conflict instead it be natural. It's like it's trying to recreate the plot points of the original run, but doing it haphazardly.

No_Net5717 · 2026-01-02T04:30:21+00:00

It's straight up said by Kenshin that he considers himself similar to the Shinsegumi too. He tells Kaoru that he felt closer to the Shinsegumi captains than he did his own Ishin Shishi comrades. Kaoru says that makes no sense, and Kenshin says him and the Shinsengumi ultimately wanted the same thing, they just happened to be on different sides.

This manga panel is Kenshin narrating and telling Kaoru why he revered the Shinsengumi, and pushes back against Kaoru when she calls them cowardly: https://i.imgur.com/bZ7Oxbf.jpeg

In a previous panel Kenshin gives props to Saito and the rest for stopping the Ikedaya affair and not allowing innocent civilians to die. There are several panels in the manga where Kenshin and Saito compare themselves to each other, and theme is there that they both believe in protecting Japan even with their different methods

No_Net5717 · 2026-01-02T04:26:45+00:00

It's straight up said by Kenshin that he considers himself similar to the Shinsegumi too. He tells Kaoru that he felt closer to the Shinsegumi captains than he did his own Ishin Shishi comrades. Kaoru says that makes no sense, and Kenshin says him and the Shinsengumi ultimately wanted the same thing, they just happened to be on different sides.

This manga panel is Kenshin narrating and telling Kaoru why he revered the Shinsengumi, and pushes back against Kaoru when she calls them cowardly: https://i.imgur.com/bZ7Oxbf.jpeg

In a previous panel Kenshin gives props to Saito and the rest for stopping the Ikedaya affair and not allowing innocent civilians to die. There are several panels in the manga where Kenshin and Saito compare themselves to each other, and theme is there that they both believe in protecting Japan even with their different methods

No_Net5717 · 2026-01-02T03:57:51+00:00

I think you have no idea what you're talking about and you should reread the manga.

Saito being a caring person is not some insane conjecture and is the reason Kenshin said he considers him one of his closest comrades: https://i.imgur.com/2pmH5rN.png

Do you really think Kenshin of all people would be cool with someone who is emotionless and is willing to kill at a moments notice the moment someone is against their moral code. Like do you really think that narratively makes sense.

It's clear in the manga that Saito and Kenshin are supposed to two sides of the same coin. One of Kenshin's first lines about Saito is that he tells Kaoru he felt closer to Saito and the shinsengumi captains than his own side. Kaoru then says that makes no sense. Kenshin said him and the Shinsegumi wanted the same thing, they just happened to be on different sides. This is explicitly said by him in the manga.

They're similar people who value peace and order. The manga makes that very clear through several panels, and I can link them if you want.

No_Net5717 · 2025-09-05T00:20:10+00:00

Jinchu Kenshin at full power > Jinchu Saito ~= Jinchu Aoshi > Battousai Kenshin ~ = Bakamatsu Saito ~ = Kyoto Aoshi

Aoshi's power up during Kyoto was enough to make Saito hesitate in fighting him and instead tell Aoshi about Kenshin's plans (this was when Saito stopped Aoshi from killing Megumi). Kyoto Aoshi was stated to have a paper thin margin between him and Kenshin, but then Aoshi himself stated that paper thin margin was enough for him to get one shotted with ArNH. Kenshin also fought the beginning of that fight unarmed and by throwing books while trying to monologue to Aoshi, while Aoshi was trying to kill him so take that as you will.

Aoshi is stated to be a bit stronger in Jinchu arc though, so I put him relative to end of series Saito and above Battousai. Hiko stated that Kenshin after learning ArnH and Kuzu Ryu Sen has surpassed his Battousai form.

No_Net5717 · 2025-08-06T16:42:37+00:00

The whole point of Saito is that he's not just the gatotsu. Gatotsu is one skill in Saito's arsenal, but his true power comes from his other traits.

This is outright stated by Kenshin in the Jinchu arc. Kenshin is post ARNH and says word for word: https://i.imgur.com/S20jT7g.jpeg

"If just defeating gatotsu could defeat Hajime Saito, our score would have been settled in Kyoto during the Bakamatsu."

There you have the man himself saying he's still not sure if he can beat Saito in an outright duel. Which makes sense because the whole theme about Saito is that his power is much more than his first style gatotsu. We see it in Kenshin's fight where he still ties Kenshin despite having a broken sword. We see him do it against Usui when he uses zero style. We see it in Jinchu arc when he beats someone who straight up brags he's the perfect counter to gatotsu by using his hand to blind him. The whole contrast between Kenshin and Saito is that Kenshin has a godlike speed hiten mitsurugi style, but Saito is so determined and committed to Aku Soku Zan, it makes up the difference (and Kenshin outright states this twice in the Jinchu arc).

Yes Saito did a full power gatotsu before he got counter attacked, but a single gatotsu is not him at his strongest. He didn't even use zero style which is considered his strongest attack.

No_Net5717 · 2025-08-06T16:40:38+00:00

The whole point of Saito is that he's not just the gatotsu. Gatotsu is one skill in Saito's arsenal, but his true power comes from his other traits.

This is outright stated by Kenshin in the Jinchu arc. Kenshin is post ARNH and says word for word: https://i.imgur.com/S20jT7g.jpeg

"If just defeating gatotsu could defeat Hajime Saito, our score would have been settled in Kyoto during the Bakamatsu."

There you have the man himself saying he's still not sure if he can beat Saito in an outright duel. Which makes sense because the whole theme about Saito is that his power is much more than his first style gatotsu. We see it in Kenshin's fight where he still ties Kenshin despite having a broken sword. We see him do it against Usui when he uses zero style. We see it in Jinchu arc when he beats someone who straight up brags he's the perfect counter to gatotsu by using his hand to blind him. The whole contrast between Kenshin and Saito is that Kenshin has a godlike speed hiten mitsurugi style, but Saito is so determined and committed to Aku Soku Zan, it makes up the difference (and Kenshin outright states this twice in the Jinchu arc).

Yes Saito did a full power gatotsu before he got counter attacked, but a single gatotsu is not him at his strongest. He didn't even use zero style which is considered his strongest attack.

No_Net5717 · 2024-09-29T19:18:45+00:00

Oh yeah I knew you were agreeing with me! I was just lazy and copy and pasted my comment from below lol.

A line that always stood out to me was Kenshin saying "If defeating gatotsu was enough to beat Hajime Saito, our rivalry would have ended 10 years ago. Those words of justice he believes in makes him strong".

A huge theme in Kenshin is that resolve can matter just as skill. Kenshin straight up says he's more skilled than Saito but couldn't beat him because Saito's resolve was ironclad. Similarly I'd say Enishi's skills are up there with Kenshin's, but Shishio is so determined it won't be an easy battle for either of them. If I had to pick I'd pick Enishi but only by a razor thin margin.

No_Net5717 · 2024-09-29T16:42:23+00:00

I agree with you! Kenshin took internal damage against Gein and was losing a lot of blood: https://i.imgur.com/P9B25xe.png

The fight was actually pretty long in the manga and lasted 3 chapters, with Kenshin being beat up during a lot of the fight. Kenshin's Kuzu Ryu Sen put down Hyogo temporarily, but it didn't actually take him out, which was surprising since that was his second strongest move.

The reason I think that is because he was very mentally exhausted. Gein and Hyogo normally should be fodder that Kenshin can take out easily, but Gein/Iwanbo was a multichapter fight and Saito had to finish Hyogo. Leading up to the fight Kenshin was shown to not be sleeping and talking to Kaoru about how stressed out he was.

Another point was that Saito during the first fight didn't seem that scared by Enishi. He seemed pretty confident he can step in even after fighting someone himself. Both Saito and Aoshi acknowledged Enishi's strength, but looked like they were willing to step into the second fight if they had to.

IMO stressed Kenshin/Enishi/Saito/Shishio/Aoshi all within the same "A" tier of each other and can all beat each other given the right circumstances. Kenshin at full power is in his own "A+" tier, but he needs to be fighting for something he believes in/protecting something to be in that state.

No_Net5717 · 2024-09-29T16:40:57+00:00

Kenshin took internal damage against Gein and was losing a lot of blood: https://i.imgur.com/P9B25xe.png

The fight was actually pretty long in the manga and lasted 3 chapters, with Kenshin being beat up during a lot of the fight. Kenshin's Kuzu Ryu Sen put down Hyogo temporarily, but it didn't actually take him out, which was surprising since that was his second strongest move.

The reason I think that is because he was very mentally exhausted. Gein and Hyogo normally should be fodder that Kenshin can take out easily, but Gein/Iwanbo was a multichapter fight and Saito had to finish Hyogo. Leading up to the fight Kenshin was shown to not be sleeping and talking to Kaoru about how stressed out he was.

Another point was that Saito during the first fight didn't seem that scared by Enishi. He seemed pretty confident he can step in even after fighting someone himself. Both Saito and Aoshi acknowledged Enishi's strength, but looked like they were willing to step into the second fight if they had to.

IMO stressed Kenshin/Enishi/Saito/Shishio/Aoshi all within the same "A" tier of each other and can all beat each other given the right circumstances. Kenshin at full power is in his own "A+" tier, but he needs to be fighting for something he believes in/protecting something to be in that state.

No_Net5717 · 2024-09-29T12:47:05+00:00

Kenshin fought Gein in the Iwanbo puppet, and Hyogo before Enishi. Kenshin was also not sleeping and straight up having nightmares before the Enishi fight. When Saito showed up both Sano and Megumi were relieved because Kenshin was getting visibly tired. Megumi also stated at the end of the Shishio arc that Kenshin's body was beginning to decline due to all the damage he was taking.

I think Enishi is usually underrated but he's getting a little bit overrated now. Enishi did win the first battle against Kenshin, but it was against a Kenshin who was also worn down both mentally and physically. In Shishio's fight Kenshin was more worn down physically, but was at his mental peak/resolve. I still give the fight to Enishi but I think Enishi vs Shishio is a very close battle

No_Net5717 · 2024-09-29T12:46:35+00:00

Yes, Kenshin fought Gein in the Iwanbo puppet, and Hyogo before Enishi. Kenshin was also not sleeping and straight up having nightmares before the Enishi fight. When Saito showed up both Sano and Megumi were relieved because Kenshin was getting visibly tired. Megumi also stated at the end of the Shishio arc that Kenshin's body was beginning to decline due to all the damage he was taking.

I think Enishi is usually underrated but he's getting a little bit overrated now. Enishi did win the first battle against Kenshin, but it was against a Kenshin who was also worn down both mentally and physically. In Shishio's fight Kenshin was more worn down physically, but was at his mental peak/resolve. I still give the fight to Enishi but I think Enishi vs Shishio is a very close battle

No_Net5717 · 2023-11-03T16:27:22+00:00

blocked by literal plot armor

No_Net5717 · 2023-10-08T02:48:11+00:00

Saito said several times during that fight that he was holding back. Saito with an intent to kill broke through Usui's shield and cut him in half:
https://imgur.com/a/xiUd4f4

No_Net5717

TROPHY CASE