HAJIME SAITO
HS
Captain of the Shinsengumi's Third Unit during the Bakumatsu. Now a government operative who has changed employers without changing principles. Old enemy of Kenshin, occasional and entirely unsentimental ally, completely indifferent to whatever philosophical position Kenshin has arrived at regarding killing. His code, aku soku zan, slay evil immediately, is the direct opposite of Kenshin's vow and the show gives it genuine weight rather than using it as a cheap counterpoint. Gatotsu stance. One of the best characters in the series and the most honest about what the Meiji era actually cost and required.
HAJIME THROUGH THE ARCHIVE //
JUPPONGATANA & KYOTO FACTION //
Open page →Usui lost his sight fighting Shishio and developed Shingan, using extremely sensitive hearing to read breathing, heartbeat and movement around him. He joins the Juppongatana while claiming that he is waiting for a chance to kill Shishio.
Why it matters
Saitō identifies the lie underneath the arrangement: Usui already knows he will never challenge Shishio. The "revenge" story lets him preserve his pride while serving the man who broke him, which is why Saitō defeats him psychologically before Zero Stance finishes the fight.
