Kenshin Himura, the lead of the Rurouni Kenshin anime series, was a former assassin known as Hitokiri Battosai. Seeking redemption from his past crimes, Kenshin roams the land with a reverse katana, swearing to never take another life. On his redemption journey, Kenshin meets Kaoru, a young woman who is assaulted by a fake Hitokiri Battoi. After dealing with the fake, Kenshin accepts Kaoru’s friendship, and a new chapter unfolds in his life.
Fans of the Rurouni Kenshin anime series long for more due to the intense depictions of epic sword battles and honor-bound warriors. Thankfully, various other anime shows explore themes similar to those in Rurouni Kenshin. These carefully chosen anime, which include battles for justice and warriors looking for redemption, will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
8 Blade Of The Immortal
Manji, a skilled wandering samurai, is turned immortal at the hands of an 800-year-old woman. While this may be a bonus to other skilled warriors, Manji seeks to undo his immortality, as the notion of death would forever remain a mystery to him even if he were ready to die. To make amends for his actions that led to his turning immortal, Manji must kill 1,000 evil men to atone.
Like Rurouni Kenshin, Blade of the Immortal is an anime series that focuses on a swordsman who must wander the land, cleansing it of evil people, to achieve his desires.
7 Samurai 7
Unlike many anime series featuring Samurai, Samurai 7 is set in a futuristic world where humans can integrate themselves with machines to become increasingly powerful and dangerous. With man looking more like a machine, one’s power equals their standard of living. In the anime series, the Elder of the Kanna village recruits Samurai to fight against the Nobuseri, samurai turned bandits who intend to start a reign of terror.
Like Rurouni Kenshin, Samurai 7 explores themes of honor and loyalty while heralding the Samurai as the main focus of the series. Although Rurouni Kenshin is set in a historical setting and Samurai 7 in a futuristic one, Samurai 7 has traits that fans of Rurouni Kenshin are sure to appreciate.
6 Dororo
Hyakkimaru was born without limbs, facial features, or internal organs due to a pact his father made with demons to rule the land. Sent away by his mother lest his father kills him, Hyakkimaru is raised by a healer who gives him prosthetic limbs and teaches him to fight. Hyakkimaru is currently traveling with Dororo, a thief who joins him on his journeys, in order to kill the demons and recover his missing body parts.
Dororo is a darker-themed anime series that explores the concept of revenge as the protagonist battles against demons. However, like the protagonist of Rurouni Kenshin, Hyakkimaru is a ronin who wanders the land, using his abilities to achieve a cause.
5 Drifters
During the Battle of Sekigahara, Shimazu Toyohisa suffered critical wounds. As he stumbles away from the battlefield, he finds himself in a hallway of doors, where he runs into Murasaki, a guy sitting at a desk. Murasaki then sends Toyohisa to another world, where he finds warriors like himself who are known as ‘Drifters’.
Drifters has supernatural elements like magic and dragons that Rurouni Kenshin lacks. However, both series have a similar concept that they portray beautifully. With Drifters portraying humans from different periods coming together to save humanity in another world, fans of Rurouni Kenshin would find it intriguing, to say the least.
4 Arslan Senki
As a result of a cunning conspiracy by King Andragoras III's closest advisors, the neighboring country of Lusitania invades Pars. Still, Arslan, the crown prince of Pars, narrowly escapes with the aid of his father’s devoted servant, Daryun. Arslan then sets out on a difficult journey to assemble an army and free his country from Lusitania's rule with the help of a small group of companions.
While Arslan Senki explores themes similar to Rurouni Kenshin, it takes it a step further by exploring how the young Arslan must not only assemble a potent army to regain his kingdom but also survive the political and social complexities of war and its aftermath.
3 Kingdom
Xin and Piao, two war orphans, dream of becoming 'great generals of the heavens.' Unfortunately, Piao is used as a double body for the King of Qin, Ying Zheng, and is fatally wounded in a power struggle for the throne. Although initially furious after the discovery, Xin joins the Qin army and relentlessly pursues his goal. Moreover, he aids Ying Zheng in unifying the warring states to bring an end to the constant warfare. All while pursuing his ambition of becoming a Great general of the heavens.
Kingdom is set in the Warring States period of China, which contrasts with Rurouni Kenshin’s Meiji period setting. However, this only serves to increase the intrigue fans of Rurouni Kenshin would experience with the Kingdom anime series.
2 Afro Samurai
This anime series portrays the life of Afro Samurai, who, in feudal yet futuristic Japan, witnesses his father Rokutaro, the owner of the No. 1 headband, getting killed by Justice, the owner of the No. 2 headband. As per Afro Samurai world laws, the No. 2 headband can kill the wearer of the No. 1 headband to become No. 1 and obtain godly powers. As Afro watches his father's title of strongest get taken, he vows to avenge his father and become the strongest.
Unlike the more light-hearted Ruroni Kenshin, which portrays a man wandering the land swearing to never take a life again, Afro Samurai takes on a darker theme that actively explores the death of characters in bloody battles.
1 Samurai Champloo
Developed by Shinichiro Watanabe, this anime series is centered around the youthful outlaw Mugen and the wandering samurai Jin, who get together by a ‘string of fate’ to assist the waitress Fuu in finding a samurai who smells of sunflowers. Although their goal has a vague description, the trio embarks on the journey to find the sunflower samurai.
With their similar styles of blending comedy with action, both series portray light-hearted themes alongside intense fight scenes. If fans of Rurouni Kenshin want to re-experience the anime in a similar setting with a different story, Samurai Champloo is a great choice.