Aoshi Shinomori

Aoshi Shinomori is the former okashira (leader) of the Oniwabanshū, an elite ninja organization. Once a prodigy who rose to lead his men at a young age, he is a master of kodachi swordsmanship whose cool demeanor conceals a deeply conflicted loyalty to those under his protection.

Cool, composed, and carrying the weight of a complex past, Aoshi Shinomori steps into the pages of Rurouni Kenshin with the kind of commanding presence that makes readers sit up and take notice. Debuting in 2005 under the creative vision of Nobuhiro Watsuki and Kenichiro Yagi in this Viz publication, he navigates a world populated by some of the series' most compelling figures — Hajime Saito, Sanosuke Sagara, Kaoru Kamiya, and others who make every chapter crackle with tension and drama. Though his catalog appearances number just six, the company he keeps speaks volumes about his place in the Rurouni Kenshin universe — this is a character who belongs in the thick of things. For fans drawn to the brooding, formidable figures that give a story its edge, Aoshi Shinomori is absolutely worth seeking out.