The author said that Kenji exists solely to be the son of Kenshin and Kaoru, and even though the character was "cliché", he felt that Kenji had to appear. Kenshin has spent ten years traveling Japan as a rurouni in search of redemption, carrying a sakabatō with the vow to never kill again. He infers much of what happened to Kenshin from this marker and sadly realizes that his student finally learned his lesson. He also tells Hiko of the three young women who he had wanted to protect, but who instead sacrificed themselves for him. He also seems to possess considerable insight, wisdom, and foresight.
Plans for another sequel were revealed on September 4, 2017. Kenshin's answer is The following morning, Kenshin reveals that he has not been able to discover what is it is that he lacks. But since Shishio and Sōjirō were present and Kenshin needed to go to Kyoto, he decided to make Senkaku a "violent village despot." After a short talk with Fuji about how, despite his size, Fuji was a warrior and not a monster, the two face off. Due to exhaustion and scheduling issues, the arc became three chapters instead of the planned four and Watsuki said some parts did not get fully developed as a result. Like Kenshin, he has a rather youthful appearance, despite being 43 years of age. Hiko is the most powerful fighter in the series, vastly superior to all other characters. "The Secret Life of Characters (44) Inui Banjin," Watsuki, Nobuhiro. Himura Kenshin, known as the legendary hitokiri of the Meiji Revolution, Himura Battōsai (緋村抜刀斎), is the main protagonist and titular character of the Rurouni Kenshin series. In a similar manner Raijūta injures Yutarō's right arm, and Yutarō goes to Germany for medical treatment.
He is also equally proficient in hand-to-hand combat, able to seamlessly use both unison. He created him after his editor told Watsuki that he needed to put more depth into the black market weapons organization. Kenshin proves himself a worthy apprentice until the news of the war reaches them. "The Secret Life of Characters (4) Hiruma Kihei & Gohei," Watsuki, Nobuhiro. Like Kenshin, he has a rather youthful appearance, despite being 43 years of age. Shinta's friends were killed along with the traders. So he instead used that design for Senkaku, who Watsuki said turned out to be unimportant also. He manages to both block a strike from Fuji, who was capable of cleaving the Aoi-Ya inn in half, and push Fuji's sword aside. Kenshin answers that he has no intent to carry the title of Hiko Seijūrō XIV, but then asks a favor to Hiko to protect his friends while he goes to fight Shishio, and Hiko does insult his "idiot apprentice" for asking him to clean up his mess, but still does so as they part ways. As he finishes telling Kenshin this, he loses consciousness and falls to the ground, having been hit by the full force of the Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki.
He also wears an ankle-length, white cloak with red lining. "The Secret Life of Characters (41) Yukishiro (Himura) Tomoe," Watsuki, Nobuhiro. "The Secret Life of Characters (32) Hiko Seijūrō," Watsuki, Nobuhiro. Otowa's design model was a previously rejected "Watsuki had no model for Heishin. He decided that the story involving the two coming together was taking "too many" pages, so he made the duo as brothers instead of being "circumstantially related." "The Secret Life of Characters (45) Otowa Hyōko," Watsuki, Nobuhiro. Kenshin rushes Hiko back to his house and gives him what he believes to be powerful medicine, hoping to save him. As the story advanced towards Kenshin's final battle, Watsuki realized that the other characters would have no "glamour" and created the Sū-shin on the spot. "The Secret Life of Characters (10) Oniwabanshū ● Han'nya," Watsuki, Nobuhiro.
But because he believed that it exposed the truths and lies of the Meiji Restoration, he decided to include it. He tells Kenshin to leave, going so far as to say that his apprenticeship had been a mistake. When Kenshin returns, Hiko realizes that although Kenshin made a mistake in joining the war, his years spent as a wanderer demonstrated that Kenshin understood both his mistake and the teachings of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryū. The film was released subtitled in US theaters in October 2016.
His philosophy as a swordsman is that the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryū should be used to protect people from suffering, but only if it is used independently from any political power. Version Three had to fight Kenshin and therefore was made into a "powerful suit." When the boy tells him that his name is Shinta, Hiko gives him the name of Kenshin, stating the name Shinta sounded too soft to be the name of a swordsman. "The Secret Life of Characters (11) Oniwabanshū ● Shikijō," Watsuki, Nobuhiro. Originally Watsuki planned for Okina to fight Saizuchi, but he cut the concept because he wanted to maintain the balance of the story and because his "inner story-editor" asked him if anyone would really like to see "two old codgers" fight each other.
Nothing is known about Hiko's past prior to meeting Kenshin. As Kenshin's childhood prior to the days of his life as the Hitokori was expanded upon, Hiko's design was simplified so his hairstyle and cape would be easier to draw, and his personality was revamped to the somewhat self-absorbed but still selfless and just warrior he is.