RK child prodigies...

When one thinks of 'prodigy' and 'Rurouni Kenshin' in the same sentence, Soujirou the "Heaven Sword" comes foremost to mind. But Sou-kun isn't the only child prodigy in RK. In fact, there are no less than six child prodigies in the RK universe. Here they are:

Seta Soujirou The "Heaven Sword", Soujirou the Prodigy, is the strongest member of the Juppon Gatana, Shishio's elite band of warriors. He once said that he could do the work of all Ten Swords all by himself -- while some may take that as a foolish boast, for Soujirou it was nothing but the truth. He possesses a swordsman's natural skill, an ability that is immensely useful given that he has had virtually zero training. Everything he learned, he learned on his own. He re-created -- and essentially perfected -- a legendary speed technique, the Shukuchi. His self-taught battou-jutsu is equal to that of Battousai, who himself was reknowned for his proficiency in that technique. He discovered the secret of the Ama Kakeru Ryuu no Hirameki after only seeing it once, and it can be assumed that he was well on his way to creating a similar technique himself, lacking only the proper frame of mind to pull it off. Given his natural talents, one can only guess at the enormity of his potential if he had proper training and a stable mentality. Perhaps his journey will give him that, eventually.

Quote: After all, in this world the flesh of the weak is the food of the strong. The strong live, the weak die. You don’t kill? You protect the weak? That’s what you say, but you’re wrong. Why didn’t you protect me then? If what you say is right, why didn’t anyone protect me? No one protected me then. The only thing that protected me was the truth that Mr. Shishio taught me. All it took was one stroke of the wakizashi . . .

Himura Kenshin He was known during the war as "Battousai", a swordsman of the highest caliber, for all that he was only fourteen when he started. With the strength of his Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu sword technique, he virtually paved the road for the coming of the Meiji Era, a road paved with blood. Idealistic and at times naive, he left his sensei to fight in the Bakumatsu, even though the tenets of his school forbade taking sides in any conflict. Being so young and impressionable, the horrors of war left a scar on his heart, a scar more lasting that the one that marked his face. Now vowing not to take another life, he uses his sword to protect others in an attempt to expiate the sins of his past.

Quote: Protecting people from the suffering of the ages is the reason for the Hiten Mitsurugi school! If I can't use it now, when can I? There are so many people suffering before my eyes--I can't ignore them! I would sacrifice my life and my bloodstained sword for an age in which people could live in peace. I wielded my sword and killed for the principles of the Hiten Mitsurugi school . . . It was for a new age in which the weak could find happiness, but up til now, I didn't know what happiness was . . . There's only one thing I can do--fight for the happiness of the people I see before me . . . The happiness you once lost. I want to try and protect it for you . . .

Shinomori Aoshi The youngest ever Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu at the tender age of fifteen, Aoshi is a master of two hundred years of Oniwabanshuu martial arts. Skilled both with weapons or without, he also possesses a fine tactical mind. He once burned with the desire to be the strongest, for the honor of the Oniwabanshuu, whose place in history was never brought to light, a fact that grated on him. He threw away all that was precious to him, a sacrifice for strength. In the end of it all, he saw that his path was wrong, and now he keeps searching for an answer...

Quote: Get up, Battousai. The you I know wouldn't have been beaten just with that. I'll say everything you said about me to you. Destroying you just like that would mean nothing. I have to destroy the man they called the strongest of the Bakumatsu, Hitokiri Battousai! I live to destroy that man in the name of the four who perished. That will be proof that we were truly the strongest! This is what I threw away everything for. Honor. Pity. Good and evil. And true companions who knew the road I walk. Get up, Battousai. I'll destroy you now, and the glory of the strongest will fall into my hands. Then, my Bakumatsu and my life as the final Okashira can all end. Battousai. Turn that reverse blade around and answer my sword with your full strength.

Yukishiro Enishi Kenshin's brother-in-law, his hatred for the former hitokiri knows no bounds. Left alone after his sister's death, he eventually found his way to China and ended up in the hands of the immense Chinese criminal underworld. His technique, the Watoujutsu, was all learned from reading a book and practiced alone. Everything he has done has been to further his goal of revenge on Kenshin. He is a excellent fighter, having created a style that sealed all the moves of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryuu, even its ougi. A demon of combat, three things give Enishi his strength: his hatred and lust for vengeance, his Watoujutsu, and his final secret, the Kyokeimyaku -- "Nerves of Insanity"...

Quote: Natural talent? No. This is an acquired strength. A strength my sister gave to me--the strength of my revenge. I've hated you ever since that snowy day . . . Even after my hair turned white, even after I fled to Shanghai, I still hated you. Spring, summer, autumn, winter . . . Rain or shine, day or night. It was as if my brain fed on my hatred for you. I was able to constantly maintain a state of consciousness, as if I'd forgotten what sleep was! An ordinary person's mind and body would be calmed by sleep, but when I slept it only quieted my body; my mind remained conscious . . . My ever-conscious mind reached through my spinal cord to every nerve in my body, spurring their growth. They became hypertrophied, whetted ever sharper, little by little. After fifteen years, I was able to feel the lightning that pulsed down my own nerves! This is my secret weapon, the Kyokeimyaku!

Myoujin Yahiko A descendant of samurai, Yahiko grows throughout the series from a street brat into a person worth reckoning. A pickpocket with the heart of a warrior, his belief in what's right and wrong is unshakeable. Seeking only to become stronger to be able to follow in Kenshin's footsteps, he matures at the end of the series in a well-balanced fighter with a potential greater than that of his idol. He is a natural-born swordsman, capable of learning from other's battles and of devising new strategies to suit his needs. In everything that happens, his courage shines brightly.

Quote: Even now, you're still a samurai. Kenshin's a samurai. You're a samurai. Even if you'd fight and die for them, you should accept your different beliefs. But you won't call this over, with your right arm! Samurai hating samurai isn't right! Honor, the age . . . you keep going on about them, but they're just empty words. You should think about what you're going to do with this age that samurai gave their lives for! You strapped a gun on your missing right arm and went on a rampage, but what have you done with your left arm? If you still want to fight, then we'll do it left on left! Fight me once more!

(Note: This isn't my best post, not by a long shot, but it's the best I could come up with on such short notice. I guess I really should have waited until I wasn't so sleepy to write this but I didn't want to forget about it. Anyway, I think it'll do. ^_^)

 

honestly i dont see Kenshin as child Prodigy. as a young child at the age of 4 or 5 he lost his parents and was "adopted" by some slave girls he met. but in reality i dont think he was a natural at the sword. he had honor courage bravery and most importantly a desire to be strong. through hard work as well as an "overbearing" teacher i think he found that strength but when Hiko found him he wasnt much more than just a young boy lost in the world.

 

All true, but the same could be said of Seta, Aoshi, Enishi and Yahiko. Before they gained mastery they weren't much more than young boys lost in the world. There has to some contact with someone or something that unleashes the potential in them. For Kenshin it was Hiko; for Seta, Shishio. Aoshi had the Oniwabanshuu and Okina, who helped raise him. Yahiko had Kenshin and Enishi had his books. Kenshin may not be a natural sowrdsman quite like Seta, but he was extremely talented nonetheless, and at such a young age. Though that talent was gained through training -- unlike Seta, who had almost no formal training at all -- he still fits the description of a child prodigy, i.e an unusually talented or gifted child.

 

i think Sou is a prodigy but i think he the only "real" prodigy yes the others are talented but they had someone there teaching them and they became strong through practice where as Sou just was good at the sword from the beggining....

 

Six Prodigies? I only count 5.

 

me too........

 

eh its nothin important...i would have to say that its spam and if you do continue i will have to bring it up to the Admin. so, please take this as a warning.

 

prodgity?

I think before a valid argument eather way can be made, everyone should agree on the deffenition of prodgity. Prodgity could be taken to mean very different things.

 

yes but i believe talent and training go hand in hand. yes, you can be naturally talented at something, but unless you know how to use it to the best of it's abilities and actually know what you are doing, then it does you no good.and according to the dictionary this is what prodigy means:

1. an extraordinary happeneing, thought to presage good or evil fortune

2. a person, thing, or act so extraordinary as to inspire wonder; a child of highly unusual talent or genius

so if we're talking about child prodigies, defenition 2 is just about right on the dot. soujiro is naturally talented i will give him that, but so is any one else who can pick up a sword and in just a few years be one of the most skilled assasins. but thats just my opinion.

 

SPOILERS!!!










well, a prodigy is not something you become...its really something that you are. Soujirou picked up Shishio's Wakizashi and killed his entire family without any prior training at all...

Kenshin is an amazing swordsmen. Witnessing the death of his parents from Cholera and then watching his adopted sisters dies from a band of ronin gave him unimaginable will power. his will to survive and to protect those who suffer was stronger than any 6 year old should have had. but in these times when life is a struggle just to survive will power is the only thing keeping someone alive. This unimaginable will power helped to pave Kenshin's way to the sword and what kept his heart locked away, creating an unparalelled assassin of amazing strength and speed. however, he wasnt born with these skills, each had to be honed from a rough shape.

Shinomori Aoshi is also like Kenshin. he wasnt born with strength and skill, he had the best teachers showing him the path to becoming Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu. while he was young when he became Okashira, it was because of his immense training and while he was a master tactician, that too was a skill he had to hone.

Enishi is perhaps the closest to Soujirou interms of being a "Prodigy". His immense hatred of Kenshin kept his mind constantly awake. while his body rested his mind constantly thought of his ultamite revenge. that is something that while he was not born with, he had due to natures course not his own training. his "nerves of instanity" is the same.

Yahiko is probably the worst example of being a prodigy. He lacked skill with a sword and he lacked disipline as well as self control. Through the training of Kaoru and watching Kenshin's battles he learned and grew into an immensly powerful swordsmen. Later known as "Myojin Yahiko of the Thousand Shirahadori", he was hailed as the swordsmen who had conquered the entire Eastern half of the country. however, he showed no promise, or skill from the begining.

 

that may be but still, without proper training and discipline, natural talent will only get you so far. and i would like to hear about this yahiko thing, this interests me