Takeru Satoh
Ōtomo found Satoh a good fit for Kenshin's character after the two worked together in a previous film. After choosing Takeru Satoh as the lead, producer Shinzō Matsuhashi commented, "Satoh has the looks and stature to be a proper Kenshin." Watsuki added that when this project was just starting, he and his wife were discussing who should play Kenshin, and decided that Satoh topped the list.