Character Profile: Makoto Shishio
Fields | USA Info | Japanese Info | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Name | Makoto Shishio | Makoto Shishio | ![]() |
Race | Human | Human | |
Gender | Male | Male | |
Age | 29 years old (born August, 1848) | 29 years old (born August, 1848) | |
Hair | |||
Eyes | Black | Black | |
Height | About 5'7" | 170 cm | |
Weight | About 130 lbs | 59 kg | |
Blood | Type O | Type O | |
Status | Battousai's successor | Battousai's successor | |
Quote | "If you are strong you live and if you are weak you die." | ||
Voice | Steven Jay Blum (alias: David Lucas) | Masanori Ikeda | |
Debut | |||
Anime | Rurouni Kenshin | Rurouni Kenshin |
Character Description: Makoto Shishio
Makato Shishio is a very complex person, and is a little on the crazy side. He is extremely smart, and rivals Kenshin in both swordsmanship and cunning. Once the Battousai's successor and a lethal manslayer for the Meiji, Shishio assassinated countless men who held secrets that could have eventually lead to the downfall of the Meiji government. Due to his great desire for power, the restoration army was afraid that he would blackmail the government, so they tried to murder him by having his group members shoot him in head and burning him alive.
Amazingly, Shishiou somehow survived, though his body had been severely burned to point that his pores melted. He also managed to kill his assailants before escaping. During the next ten years, with bandages to cover his burnt flesh, a metal plate on his head, and a body temperature higher than a normal person's, Shishiou hid in the shadows and formed the Juppongatana. Astonishingly enough, he states in episode 36 that he was grateful to the Meiji government for the burns he received, as they taught him many lessons. "However, I have absolutely no intention of seeking revenge against them at all" is his exact quote on the matter.
He also had a thing for Yumi, but rarely showed it. He also talked a lot about Hell with emotion and how he based his new order on it. While in the process of overthrowing the government, he discovers that Kenshin is also alive and trying to stop him. After the Rengoku class battleship was sunk, Shishiou decided to deal with Kenshin and his friends before resuming his plans.
Shishio taunts Kenshin and Saito with being unable to guess his true premise. He liked the Revolution because it unleashed "chaos on earth" and that "controlling the world is what a man is supposed to do", to which Soujiro enthusiastically claps. He says that the government is weak and that they cannot dispose of even him, one single man. He says he will bring new chaos to take its place and make the country stronger under his leadership. His reason is not revenge, but to establish the premise of natural law. He will overtake the country because he is more powerful than the government, at least in his mind.
During the final duel between Kenshin and Shishiou, the battle went passed 15 minutes, which was bad for Shishiou, due to abnormal body temperature. After 30 minutes since the fight started, Shishiou spontaneously combusts, with nothing left of him but ashes.
Despite his grizzly death, Shishiou still intends to rule, having Hell as his new target, with Yumi at his side. It's unknown if ever he succeeds or not. Only time can tell...