Henya Kariwa

Henya is confident, aggressive and proud of the unusual technique that separates him from conventional fighters. He expects opponents trapped on the ground to be virtually helpless against attacks delivered from above.

His willingness to maintain an extremely emaciated body demonstrates considerable commitment to his fighting method. Flight is not simply produced by equipment; his entire physique has been deliberately shaped around making the technique possible.

Henya can also underestimate opponents who appear physically inferior. That becomes particularly important when he faces Yahiko, whom he initially has little reason to regard as a serious threat.

Henya's signature technique, Hiku Happa, combines a wing-shaped glider with dynamite. He detonates explosives beneath himself, using the resulting blast to propel his extremely light body upward while the wings provide lift and control.

From the air, he can dive toward opponents and attack with a blade mounted on his arm. Further explosions allow him to regain altitude, creating a repeating cycle of aerial attacks that conventional melee fighters struggle to answer.

The technique is possible because Henya has starved himself until his body is extraordinarily light. This extreme specialization grants genuine flight-like mobility but also leaves him dependent on his glider, explosives and control of the vertical battlefield.

Henya is one of the Juppongatana assigned to attack the Aoiya while Kenshin, Sanosuke and Saitou are fighting through Shishio's headquarters. His opponent becomes Yahiko, the youngest of the principal defenders.

Henya initially dominates because Yahiko cannot reach him. Rather than matching the technique directly, Yahiko studies how Henya's explosions affect the surrounding environment and searches for a way to exploit the blasts.

Yahiko uses a shouji door caught by one of Henya's explosions as an improvised glider, allowing himself to be launched into the air. He reaches Henya above the battlefield and defeats him with a direct attack, turning Henya's greatest advantage against him.

After Shishio's defeat, Henya receives a pardon. The Meiji government recognizes the value of his unusual aviation skills and employs him as an intelligence operative in Asia.

Makoto Shishio commands Henya as one of the Juppongatana during his campaign against the Meiji government.

Yahiko Myojin is Henya's principal opponent during the attack on the Aoiya. Yahiko defeats him by exploiting the lift generated by Henya's own explosives to reach him in midair.

Kaoru Kamiya, Misao Makimachi and Nenji Kashiwazaki are among the defenders targeted during the Juppongatana assault.

Kamatari Honjou, Iwanbou, Saizuchi and Fuji fight on the same side as Henya during the attack on the Aoiya.