Seikuu Arai

Seikuu is peaceful, practical and strongly opposed to creating weapons. He respects craftsmanship but rejects the idea that a smith must dedicate that skill to producing increasingly effective instruments of death.

His beliefs are inseparable from his responsibilities as a husband and father. Rather than chase his father's reputation, Seikuu wants to live quietly and protect the family he has built.

He is initially reluctant to help Kenshin because forging another sword appears to contradict everything he believes. Kenshin's own refusal to kill, however, gives Seikuu reason to reconsider what a sword can represent in the hands of someone committed to protecting life.

Seikuu is a skilled blacksmith who inherited extensive knowledge of metallurgy and weapon construction from Shakku. He nevertheless directs those abilities toward civilian tools rather than swords.

His understanding of his father's work allows him to recognize the significance and construction of Shakku's blades. He also knows the history surrounding the sword Shakku left behind.

Seikuu is not presented as a combatant. His importance lies in craftsmanship and in deciding how the legacy of a weaponsmith should be carried into a more peaceful age.

After Soujirou Seta breaks Kenshin's original sakabatō, Kenshin seeks Seikuu in Kyoto. Seikuu refuses to forge another sword, explaining his rejection of his father's philosophy.

The arrival of Chou Sawagejou, a collector searching for Shakku's final masterpiece, forces the issue. Chou threatens Seikuu and his family, particularly his infant son Iori Arai.

Seikuu directs Kenshin to the final sword Shakku left at a shrine. Kenshin draws it against Chou and only afterward discovers that Shakku's last masterpiece is another reverse-blade sword, the Sakabatō Shinuchi.

Recognizing that his father ultimately created a weapon suited to Kenshin's vow, Seikuu entrusts the Sakabatō Shinuchi to him.

Shakku Arai is Seikuu's father. Seikuu rejects his father's dedication to sword-making but eventually gains a more nuanced understanding of the meaning behind Shakku's final sakabatō.

Azusa Arai is Seikuu's wife and shares the peaceful family life he seeks to protect.

Iori Arai is Seikuu's infant son. Chou threatens Iori to force Seikuu to reveal the location of Shakku's final sword.

Kenshin Himura seeks Seikuu's help after losing his original sakabatō. Seikuu initially refuses but comes to respect Kenshin's commitment to protecting others without killing.

Chou Sawagejou targets Seikuu because of his connection to Shakku's legendary swords.