Anime all-stars · Superhuman
Gintoki Sakata vs Kenshin Himura
Two war legends who swore off killing: a wooden sword against a reverse blade.
Tale of the tape
| Gintama | Universe | Rurouni Kenshin |
|---|---|---|
| Superhuman | Tier | Superhuman |
| A legendary war veteran’s swordsmanship with a wooden sword | Strength | God-like speed and the Hiten Mitsurugi style |
| Lazy, broke and obsessed with sweets | Weakness | Fights with a reverse-blade sword that will not kill |
| 2–0–1 | Record on Versus | 3–1 |
The Arena
Kenshin Himura took a wrong turn through a rainy back street and found himself in a strange version of Edo, where aliens walked the streets and a silver-haired samurai was sitting outside a sweets shop eating a parfait. Gintoki looked at the red-haired swordsman with the cross-shaped scar and stopped eating. He knew that look. He used to see it in the mirror.
“You were in a war,” Gintoki said. Kenshin smiled gently. “A long time ago. You too, I think.” Gintoki shrugged. “The Joui war. They called me the White Demon.” Kenshin nodded slowly. “They called me Battosai. The Manslayer.” For a long moment, the two of them stood in the rain, two legends who had walked away from their legends.
Then a gang of samurai thugs surrounded them both, and Gintoki sighed. “Let’s get rid of these guys. Then we can find out which of us is better.”
Round One
The thugs did not last ten seconds. Then Gintoki and Kenshin faced each other in the rain, wooden sword against reverse-bladed sword, and the street went quiet. Kenshin moved first, a blur of red hair, his reverse blade striking Gintoki’s shoulder before Gintoki saw the draw.
Gintoki grunted and swung back. Kenshin dodged it easily, a hand’s width away, and struck three more times. He was the faster swordsman by far, the greatest master of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu of his generation, and every strike landed exactly where he intended it.
Gintoki took them all, staggering, bleeding from a cut on his forehead. And kept grinning. “Oh, you’re good,” he said. “Really good. This is gonna hurt.”
The Turn
Gintoki stopped joking. His eyes changed, and suddenly Kenshin was facing a different man, the demon of a war against alien invaders that had lasted years. Gintoki’s wooden sword came down with terrifying force, and Kenshin blocked it and felt his arms go numb. Gintoki was much stronger than he looked.
They fought down the street in the rain, Kenshin’s speed against Gintoki’s brutal, instinctive power. Kenshin used Ryutsuisen, a dive from above. Gintoki took it on his shoulder and swung back so hard his wooden sword cracked against Kenshin’s blade. Neither man was holding back anymore.
Kenshin prepared his ultimate technique, Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki, the fastest draw in his school. Gintoki saw him crouch, and understood exactly what was coming.
The Finish
Kenshin drew, faster than sound, and Gintoki did not dodge. He stepped forward into the strike, taking the blade across his chest, and the vacuum that followed the swing pulled him even closer. That was exactly what he wanted. He let the force carry him in and brought the wooden sword down on Kenshin’s shoulder with every ounce of strength he had.
Kenshin went down on one knee, his sword arm numb. Gintoki stood over him, bleeding, swaying, his wooden sword cracked in half. Both of them were breathing hard. Neither had used the edge of a blade on the other, and neither ever would.
Gintoki held out his hand. Kenshin took it and rose. “Why did you step into my strike?” he asked. Gintoki shrugged. “Because you’re faster than me. The only way to beat a guy faster than you is to let him hit you.” Kenshin laughed, the first real laugh in a long time. Then they went into the sweets shop together, and Kenshin paid for the parfaits.
The verdict
Gintoki Sakata wins
Kenshin is the faster, more technical swordsman and lands far more strikes, but Gintoki is stronger and far more durable, and his willingness to take a hit to land one decides the fight.
- DurabilityGintoki can absorb strikes that would end most fights.
- StrengthHis blows numb even Kenshin’s arms.
- InstinctHe steps into the ultimate technique instead of trying to dodge it.
How the rematch could go differently: A younger Kenshin as the Battosai, fighting with the edge of his sword, would likely end it before Gintoki could step in.
Who do you think wins?
Who would win in a fight between Gintoki Sakata and Kenshin Himura?
Gintoki Sakata wins. Kenshin is the faster, more technical swordsman and lands far more strikes, but Gintoki is stronger and far more durable, and his willingness to take a hit to land one decides the fight.