Sōjirō Seta

==Summary==
Sōjirō Seta was Shisho Makoto's right-hand man and the strongest swordsman of Juppongatana (Ten Swords). 
Born as an illegitimate child, Sōjirō was heavily abused by his relatives. After enduring mistreatment day after day, he discovered that they would leave him alone if he bore the beatings with a smile. One night, Shishio nearly killed Sōjirō after the young boy witnessed him committing murder. However, the bandaged man was intrigued by the child's ability to smile even under extreme fear. Shishio agreed to spare Sōjirō if the boy provided him with food, bandages, and a hideout. Soon after, Sōjirō's relatives discovered the intruder and attempted to kill the boy to avoid accusations of treason. Cornered and desperate, Sōjirō snapped and cut them down with a wakizashi that Shishio had given him. 
From then on, Sōjirō adopted Shishio's philosophy that "the weak are food for the strong," transforming into a feared assassin who murdered numerous people in Shishio's name. Later, Sōjirō became one of Kenshin's most formidable opponents, thanks to his superior footwork using the "Shukuchi" technique, his masked emotions, and his exceptional swordsmanship, which earned him the nickname "Tenken."
==Powers and Stats==
Tier: 
Name: Sōjirō Seta, "Tenken" (Heavenly Sword)
Origin: Rurouni Kenshin
Gender: Male
Age: 16 (Shishio Arc), 21 (Hokkaido Arc) 
Classification: Wanderer, Swordsman, Assassin (former), Member of the Juppongatana (former)
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Master Swordsman, Chi Manipulation, Empathic Manipulation (Unconsciously neutralized his own emotions, making him harder to read), Acrobatics, Stealth Mastery
Attack Potency: City Block level+ (Matched Himura Kenshin, who crossed swords with Hiko Seijuro, who blocked a building-demolishing slash from Fuji the Giant)
Speed: Subsonic+ with Hypersonic reactions and combat speed (Sōjirō's footwork is superior to Kenshin's, but his reaction time is slower, making their combat speed roughly equal)
Lifting Strength: Superhuman
Striking Strength: City Block level+
Durability: Likely City Block level+ (Survived Kenshin's Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki, which was powerful enough to nearly kill Hiko Seijuro, albeit while Kenshin was using a reverse-bladed sword. Besides, Sōjirō was incapacitated in the process)
Stamina: Superhuman (Never gets winded traveling at the previously mentioned speeds for several minutes)
Range: Extended Melee Range
Standard Equipment: Naomasa Kotetsu and Kikuichimonji Norimune (a second-class Japanese sword)
Intelligence: Gifted. Sōjirō is unusually talented in swordsmanship, as if ordained by the heaven, which earned him the nickname "Tenken" (天剣). The term "Tenken" shares the character "天" (ten) with the word "Tensai" (天才), meaning "genius." Although "Tenken" specifically refers to a divine sword, it can also be interpreted as emphasizing Sōjirō's prodigious abilities as a swordsman, akin to that of a genius. At such a young age (12 years younger than Kenshin), Sōjirō matched Kenshin's swordsmanship and almost thoroughly defeated him in a sword-drawing contest, even though Kenshin was unconsciously holding back. Furthermore, Sōjirō is the most powerful of the Ten Swords, despite being the youngest.
Weaknesses: Sōjirō tends to toy with his opponents, often choosing to utilize only a fraction of his full speed. The durability of his sword is significantly lower than that of Kenshin's new weapon. Deep down, Sōjirō actually feels discomfort while taking lives. This unease is suppressed within his subconscious, compelling him to retain a whirlwind of pent-up emotions. This emotional turmoil eventually destabilized him mentally during his battle with Kenshin, impacting his performance.
Notable Attacks/Techniques:
*Tenken (天剣, Heaven Sword) - Sojiro's unique fighting style, which presumably a title given by his mentor, Shishio. Its name comes from his prodigious swordsmanship, which appears to have been bestowed directly from the Heaven.
**Shukuchi (縮地, Earth Shrinkage) - It's a technique that reduces the spatial distance between opponents via exceptional footwork. Sōjirō's Shukuchi surpassed the god-speed utilized by practitioners of the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu, completely vanishing from sight and allowing Sōjirō to run on walls with ease. It also allows him to completely avoid all of the nine attacks of Kenshin's Kuzuryuusen.
**Shuntensatsu (瞬天殺, Heavenly Instant Kill) - Sōjirō's ultimate technique. It combines Shukuchi's top speed and Tenken's Battojutsu, killing the victim before they feel any pain. Shuntensatsu allows him to match the "super god speed" of the Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki; however, it was ultimately defeated because of the inferior power of this technique.
*Kanjō ketsuraku (感情欠落, Concealment of Emotions) - Due to his traumatic past, Sojiro unconsciously suppresses his subjective emotions and only expresses positive feelings. This passive skill gives him a significant advantage during combat, rendering his opponent's sixth sense nearly ineffective, forcing them to rely solely on their eyes or other strategies, such as the Battoujutsu contest, to track Sojiro's movements. Shishio stated that Kenshin, without his Battousai persona, would not stand a chance against Sojiro as long as he has "Heaven Sword", "Lack of Emotions", and "Shukuchi".
==Notable Matchups==
Victories:
Losses:
Inconclusive:
Category:Characters
Category:Rurouni Kenshin
Category:Male Characters
Category:Sword Users
Category:Weapon Masters
Category:Manga Characters
Category:Anime Characters
Category:Antagonists
Category:Assassins
Category:Murderers
Category:Criminals
Category:Villains
Category:Sociopaths
Category:Acrobats
Category:Chi Users