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The Worst Episodes of Rurouni Kenshin

Every episode of Rurouni Kenshin ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Rurouni Kenshin!

Worst episode
S1E20 Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Act Zero (1)
7.0231 votes
Best episode
S1E7 The Two Hitokiri
8.9403 votes
Top season
Season 1
7.8avg
Binge time
18h 1m
47 episodes
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Worst Episode
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    Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 20 - Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Act Zero (1)
    7.0/10(231 votes)

    S1:E20

    Kenshin and the group are enjoying some tea time together. The group probes Kenshin to entertain them with an interesting story from his travels, specifically requesting "a story that's unusual, fun, and includes a villain's defeat." To answer to their demands, Kenshin decides to tell them about someone he met when he was visiting a foreign settlement in the lively city of Yokohama. A foreign doctor named Elder who was always wearing a mask.

    Director:Keishi Kawakubo
    Writer:Kaoru Kurosaki

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  2. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 18 - Sanosuke & Nishiki Paintings
    7.6/10(238 votes)

    S1:E18

    Sanosuke is visiting the sukiyaki restaurant Akabeko, where he always leaves his bill on a tab. One of Akabeko's workers, Tae, asks him to go buy a Nishiki painting from the painting shop on her behalf. Though Sanosuke had no interest in paintings, he finds one at the store that catches his eye. It was a painting of the man he looked up to as his master back when he was a member of the Sekiho Army, Captain Sagara. With a gleam in his eyes, Sanosuke makes his way to meet with the artist of the painting.

    Director:Yoshitaka Nagaoka
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  3. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 3 - Kasshin-ryu - Reborn
    7.7/10(348 votes)

    S1:E3

    Yahiko's heart is moved by Kenshin and he decides to quit pickpocketing. Yahiko refuses to pay Kanto Shueigumi and resists their demands, but he is beaten up. Kenshin comes to his rescue and settles the matter. Regretful that he could not solve the problem by himself, Yahiko wishes to become stronger. Seeing this, Kenshin takes Yahiko to the Kamiya Dojo.

    Director:Minami
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  4. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 15 - That Man - Raijuta
    7.7/10(242 votes)

    S1:E15

    Kaoru, Kenshin, and Yahiko visit Maekawa Dojo for a training session. The dojo is very lively, and Kaoru's training is well-received by the students of other sword styles. Then a swordsman named Isurugi Raijuta breaks in. He says he is concerned about the future of sword art, and the man, carrying only an actual sword, dismisses the idea of a bamboo sword match. In order to defeat the challenger, Maekawa, the master of Maekawa Dojo, takes on Raijuta, but...

    Director:Yuu Harima
    Writer:Kaoru Kurosaki

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  5. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 19 - Tsunan & Nishiki Paintings
    7.7/10(241 votes)

    S1:E19

    Tsunan is seeking to clear his decade-old unresolved regrets surrounding the Sekiho Army. Empathizing with him, Sanosuke joins Tsunan in conspiring an attack on the Home Ministry. However, Kenshin was waiting for them inside the building to stop them. Seeing the former Revolutionary warrior standing in their way, the same way they faced off against Revolutionary warriors when they were in the Sekiho Army, Tsunan's fighting spirit burns. A flurry of explosives are hurled at Kenshin.

    Directors:Misato Takada, Tetsuaki Matsuda
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  6. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 16 - The Ideal Man
    7.7/10(240 votes)

    S1:E16

    Raijuta, who wants to revive the murderous sword, considers Kenshin, who denies his idea, as an enemy. Raijuta initiates a fight using his actual sword, but Kenshin lands a blow that breaks Raijuta's sword and stops the situation from escalating further. After some time has passed, Yutaro, a boy who claims to be Raijuta's apprentice, arrives at the Kamiya Dojo. He claims he has come to challenge Yahiko, with whom he doesn't get along, to a match, but the way Yutaro holds his bamboo sword is no good...

    Director:Daiki Handa
    Writer:Kaoru Kurosaki

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  7. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 26 - On the East Sea Road
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E26

    Megumi is alone in Tokyo and coincidentally encounters Aoshi at Kamiya Dojo, who’s come back for another fight with Kenshin. Aoshi asks Megumi where Kenshin is, but she feigns ignorance. Unhappy with the lack of response, he threatens to kill her if she doesn’t tell him, when a man suddenly appears. Meanwhile, Kenshin encounters a young girl in the forests of the Hakone mountains as he makes his way to Kyoto.

    Directors:Toshiyuki Anzai, Shinsuke Terasawa
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  8. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 27 - The Abandoned Village
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E27

    The name of the girl that Kenshin encounters in the forests is Misao Makimachi, and she came from Kyoto to find Aoshi’s Oniwaban Group. Kenshin is surprised to hear his name. Upon seeing Kenshin’s reaction, she asks him if he knows where Aoshi is, but he keeps his mouth shut. However, Kenshin is touched by the emotions Misao has for Aoshi, in which he then decides to make the journey to Kyoto with her.

    Director:Koji Aritomi
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  9. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 28 - Portrait of the Ambitious
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E28

    Kenshin steps into Shingetsu Village, a place where the Mishima brothers escaped from. The village is currently under the control of Senkaku, Shishio’s subordinate, who rules with an iron fist and uses violence to control the villagers. They are frightened of the violence and unable to do anything but obey. The village has decayed and exudes an unusual aura about it. Kenshin heads over to where Shishio is located with Hajime, who’s learned about the current situation and visited the village. In the background of these events, Eiji’s heart burns with the desire for revenge against Senkaku.

    Director:Toshiyuki Anzai
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  10. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 30 - Encounter in the Forest
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E30

    Sanosuke makes his way to Kyoto while trudging through the forest and getting lost at the same time. On the road there, he meets Anji Yukyuzan, a fallen monk currently in training. Sanosuke witnesses Anji unleash an astonishing strike up close, a technique that took Anji 10 years to acquire. There, Anji decides to teach Sanosuke “the Mastery of Two Layers,” an art of destruction. However, he requires Sanosuke to learn the technique within one month; if he fails, he will have to die. Against this unreasonable and excessive condition laid out to him, Sanosuke declares he’ll learn it within a week. The training for this technique, which will make or break his life, begins….

    Director:Yasuaki Fujii
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  11. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 31 - Arrival in Kyoto
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E31

    Kenshin and Misao arrive in Kyoto, where they’re welcomed by Okina, a grandfather figure to Misao. It turns out, Okina is a former member of the Oniwaban Group. Okina offers his help and Kenshin ask him to help find someone for him.

    Director:Yoshitaka Makino
    Writer:Kaoru Kurosaki

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  12. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 35 - Seijuro Hiko
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E35

    Kenshin obtains a new sakabato. Having involved Seiku in this conflict, he decides to leave Aoiya before inviting any further danger. Meanwhile, Misao stops by Shirobeko, a beef hot-pot restaurant where Kaoru and Yahiko work part time, where she learns Kaoru is searching for Kenshin.

    Director:Ryuta Yamamoto
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  13. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 36 - Meeting of the Warlords
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E36

    Kenshin reunites with Kaoru and the rest at Seijuro Hiko's place, who is a master of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. Seijuro learns from Kaoru that Kenshin goes around the country acting as a rurouni who helps people, when he then decides to pass down the last ultimate technique of the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.

    Director:Tomo Ookubo
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  14. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 38 - Misao's Decision
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E38

    Aoshi injures Okina, leaves Misao behind, and shows up at Aoiya. He asks the Oniwaban Group where Kenshin is. Aoshi's in a ghastly state, but accepts what Yahiko and Kaoru tell him and decides to wait for Kenshin where Shishio is. Okina is on the verge of death but undergoes treatment by Megumi, who has come rushing to Kyoto.

    Director:Takashi Ueno
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  15. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 40 - The Ten Swords Summoned
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E40

    As a result of passing down the ultimate technique, Seijuro endures a fatal wound.

    Directors:Koji Aritomi, Neri Mikawa
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  16. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 42 - As If in Flight
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E42

    Kenshin and Hajime realize that Shishio has another objective in mind that lies in Osaka. They meet up with Sanosuke there. To stop the Great Kyoto Fire, Kenshin asks for help from everyone at Aoiya via a letter while leaving Ryusaku Arato, the chief of police, in charge of supervising on the ground in Kyoto. Kenshin, Hajime, and Sanosuke head to Osaka Bay on a carriage after they finish their errands. Then, senior police officer, Hikozaemon Omi brings along Juro Kitazawa, a young 11-year-old boy who says he wants to meet with Arato.

    Directors:Yoshitaka Makino, Kim Surimu
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  17. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 44 - The Great Kyoto Fire (2)
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E44

    Kenshin and Aoshi engage in a battle on the deck of the ironclad Rengoku. Behind the scenes, Sanosuke manages to board the ship and tries to blow up the engine room with the explosives he got from Tsunan. However, Shishio's underlings Hoji, Shuzo, Toshiro prevent him from going any further. Meanwhile in Kyoto, Arato faces off against Kamatari and Henya alone to buy time for the police forces to evacuate.

    Director:Tomo Ookubo
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  18. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 47 - A Beautiful Night
    7.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E47

    Shishio sends a dueling challenge directed at Kenshin, Hajime, and Sanosuke. The duel is to be held the next day on Mt. Hiei, northeast half way up the mountain in a small shrine with a six-storied torii. At Shishio's fortress, Hoji proposes a strategy to Shishio for an "absolute victory," when the Ten Swords assemble there.... And on the night before the duel, Kaoru talks to Kenshin as he stares up into the night sky.

    Director:Kosuke Kuremizu
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  19. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 21 - Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Act Zero (2)
    7.8/10(232 votes)

    S1:E21

    The current Kenshin has left his past as a manslayer and wished for a peaceful world. Though Elder looked at him with eyes of confusion, Kenshin knew that Elder also shared this same desire for a healthy society and felt a sense of comradery with him. Meanwhile, another doctor called Deian Ishizu was scheming to get rid of Elder, as Elder did not seek monetary gain in exchange for her medical services, and Deian thought this was disrupting his business. Deian hires Espiral, a master of Western swordsmanship, to get rid of Elder. However, it seems Espiral has an entirely different motive for taking on the job...

    Director:Shohei Yamanaka
    Writer:Kaoru Kurosaki

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  20. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 29 - To Kyoto, Once More
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E29

    Kenshin defeats Senkaku and finally faces off against Shishio. However, Shishio expresses his disappointment at Kenshin's policy of refusing to kill and lets his close associate, Sojiro Seta, deal with Kenshin. He leaves the village with another associate of his, Yumi Komagata. To continue his pursuit of Shishio, Kenshin faces off with Sojiro and exchanges blows of Battojutsu, which can make or break the fight's outcome. It is a battle of divine speed from both sides...

    Director:Ryuta Yamamoto
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  21. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 32 - Cho of the Ten of Swords
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E32

    Seeking a replacement for his broken sakabato, Kenshin visits Seiku, the son of highly honored swordsmith Shakku Arai, only to learn that he has quit making swords. Respecting Seiku’s philosophy of peace, Kenshin gives up his request for a new blade. Meanwhile, Ten Swords member Hoji Sadojima reports to Shishio on Kenshin’s movements.

    Director:Koji Aritomi
    Writer:Kaoru Kurosaki

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  22. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 33 - Drawing of the Forbidden
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E33

    Known as “the Sword Hunter” in the Ten Swords organization, Cho is adept at maneuvering a variety of different and unique swords. As for Kenshin, he continues to risk his life and fight for peace in the new era and to save Seiku’s son, Iori, even though he’s forced to fight with a broken sakabato.

    Director:Tetsuya Endo
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  23. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 34 - Sakabato First Attack
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E34

    Going back in time, the 4th year of Keio. Kenshin is suffering from a high fever in the main hall of a desolate shrine. Kenshin falls asleep and when he awakens, he finds himself being nursed back to health by former private detective Giichi and his wife Satsuki in their home.

    Director:Shunji Yoshida
    Writer:Kaoru Kurosaki

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  24. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 37 - Aoshi vs. Okina
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E37

    Hoji plans an attack of Aoiya at night using a secret unit, the Owl Clan, in order to capture Okina and catch a hint of Kenshin's whereabouts, but instead the Owl Clan were the ones defeated. Okina challenges Aoshi to a battle via a member of the clan whom he sent back to Shishio's location.

    Director:Yuki Ukai
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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  25. Rurouni Kenshin Season 1 Episode 39 - Between Life and Death
    8.0/10(1 votes)

    S1:E39

    Kenshin undergoes training so that he can learn the ultimate technique. He barely manages to get in a hit against Seijuro in a bout, where he then learns "Kuzuryuusen,"a powerful technique that launches nine slashes at the same time. Kenshin learns to see through Seijuro's swift sword movements and masters "Kuzuryuusen" by looking at it only once. However, the technique was only born out of the process of passing down the ultimate technique, "Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki" of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.

    Director:Tetsuya Endo
    Writer:Hideyuki Kurata

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Worst Episodes Summary

"Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story, Act Zero (1)" is the worst rated episode of Rurouni Kenshin. It scored 7.0/10 from 231 votes. Directed by Keishi Kawakubo and written by Kaoru Kurosaki, it aired on November 17, 2023. This episode scored 0.6 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Sanosuke & Nishiki Paintings".

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