Gentatsu Takatsuki

Gentatsu is a committed warrior who takes his responsibilities to Aizu seriously. Although he operates as a killer during the Bakumatsu, his characterization is closely connected to loyalty and duty rather than simple bloodlust.

His personal connections reveal a gentler side removed from the battlefield. He is remembered with affection by Toki and by his surviving comrades, whose later choices are heavily influenced by what happened during the revolution.

Gentatsu is a highly skilled swordsman and practitioner of Kanuma-ryū. His employment as a hitokiri for Aizu places him among the professional killers active during the Bakumatsu.

His skill is sufficient for him to confront Battōsai directly. Like Kenshin, Gentatsu belongs to a class of swordsmen used by opposing political factions for lethal covert work.

The anime does not give him the extensive catalogue of named techniques associated with Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, but his reputation and role establish him as an accomplished combatant.

Gentatsu's story takes place primarily in flashbacks connected to the Shimabara Arc. He fights for Aizu while Kenshin serves the Chōshū Ishin Shishi, placing the two assassins on opposing sides of the revolution.

Gentatsu eventually crosses swords with Kenshin during the Bakumatsu and is killed by him. His death becomes one of the grievances carried into the Meiji era by people who survived the conflict.

Shigure's inability to accept the sacrifices and political compromises surrounding the Restoration contributes to his later anti-government uprising, while Toki is forced to confront the possibility of losing still more people to the same cycle of violence.

Toki Takatsuki is Gentatsu's younger sister and remembers him long after the Bakumatsu.

Shigure Takimi is Gentatsu's close comrade from the Bakumatsu and remains deeply affected by his death.

Kenshin Himura fights on the opposing revolutionary side. Kenshin kills Gentatsu during their Bakumatsu confrontation, a fact that later connects him personally to Toki and Shigure.

Sadashirou Kajiki belongs to the circle of former warriors connected to Shigure and the unresolved grievances of the Bakumatsu.