Udō Jin-e

Udō Jin-e was a hitokiri for the Shinsengumi during the Bakumatsu who became bloodthirsty post-war and a major antagonist of the Tokyo Arc.

Appearance[]

In the Bakumatsu Jin-e wore a standard Shinsengumi outfit and had wavy brown hair in a ponytail. When he appears in the Tokyo Arc his hair had become grey and he had cut the ponytail off. His outfit changes to a black bodysuit that covers all his body except his face and hair, over which he wears a tan kimono with a brown belt and a long red scarf. He also wears Black boots and a straw hat. The most noticeable trait of Jin-e is his eyes, which are inverted to have white pupils and dark blue sclera, though they appear normal while using Shin no Ippō on himself.

Personality[]

Jin-e has a passion for killing, enjoying it so much that he killed people on the side of the Ishin-Shishi as well as members of his own Shinsengumi. His thirst for blood led him to become a hired assassin after the war. Jin-e respects his enemies, shown when he wanted to fight Kenshin at his strongest (unlike Tatsumi, who wanted to weaken Kenshin by domesticating him before killing him). Jin-e is also fond of instilling fear upon others, as seen when he delights in seeing the horror on the faces of his victims, before slaying them.

Relationships[]

Shinsengumi - Jin-e originally sided with them during the Bakumatsu, but after killing multiple members for his own enjoyment, which lead to be expelled from the group.
Shibumi - He hired Jin-e as an assassin to ultimately target Kenshin Himura.
Takeda Kanryū (Live Action only) - Kanryū hired Jin-e as an assassin to eliminate Kenshin Himura, who opposed Kanryū's plan to use Megumi Takani to expand his drug empire.
Himura Kenshin - Jin-e wanted to fight and kill Kenshin for the enjoyment of fighting and killing, but to also prove his own strength and abilities. Ultimately, they fought each other, which concluded in Kenshin's victory.
Kamiya Kaoru - Jin-e kidnapped Kaoru as a way to anger Kenshin and get him to revert to his Battōsai personality. To further aggravate Kenshin's self-control and provoke him into submitting to his bloodlust, Jin-e performed the Shin no Ippō on her to cause Kaoru to suffocate to near-death.

Abilities[]

Jin-e is an extremely skilled assassin and swordsman, possessing a mastery of the Nikaidō Heihō style (二階堂平法). His swordsmanship allows him to effectively wield his blade with either hand, able to seamlessly switch between them to confuse his opponent, even throwing Kenshin with his advanced powers of judgment off balance and find an opening. His physical strength, speed, agility, and endurance are extremely high to the point that they border on superhuman. However, Jin-e’s most dangerous ability is his unique Isukumi (paralyzing terror) technique Shin no Ippō. He projects his chi through his eyes at his opponent. This completely hypnotizes the target and Jin-e usually uses it to paralyze his target, leaving them unable to move. He can control how strong the effects are and can also use it on himself to make himself believe he is invincible and greatly increase his power. He can also use it to paralyze a person to the point of paralyzing their lungs, making them unable to breathe, causing them to suffocate and die. There are three methods to break the effects of the spell: It can be dispelled by himself, his opponent's chi must have a similar strength to his own in order for them to break it, or he must be killed.

History[]

He attacked high-ranking Imperialist officials of the Meiji government (leading some to believe he fought for the Tokugawa shogunate during the war, since he did state that he was a member of the Shinsengumi, though his thirst for blood led him to killing members of his own squad), killing anyone who stood in his way. He appears as a man dressed in a long scarf, straw hat, and long kimono, and has a unique ability to project his "swordsman's spirit" toward people, hypnotizing them with his eyes known as the Shin no Ippō (心の一方, lit. "One Side of the Soul"). It can also be used to strengthen himself.

Tokyo Arc[]

Jin-e is obsessed with defeating the famous Hitokiri Battōsai when he meets him during Jin-e's attempted assassination of Mr. Tani, a government official. He leaves, stating that if Kenshin cannot fight him to his fullest potential, then he has absolutely no chance of winning against him in a duel. The following day, Jin-e ends up kidnapping Kamiya Kaoru in an effort to coerce Kenshin into becoming a ruthless hitokiri once again, and fight him in a battle to the death. Kenshin follows Jin-e's trail to the forest, where the two duel once more. Despite Kaoru's life being in danger, Kenshin still could not bring himself to fight with the intent to kill and Jin-e overwhelmed him. As he was not content to defeat Kenshin while he was withholding his true strength, Jin-e uses a more advanced technique with the Shin no Ippō to completely paralyze Kaoru's lungs, with Jin-e informing Kenshin that that if he didn't kill him in the next few minutes, she would die via suffocation. Enraged, Kenshin fully reverts back to the Battōsai and the two resume their battle. Kenshin manages to defeat him with Soryusen, shattering the bones and tearing the ligaments of his right arm even after Jin-e used his own spell to amplify his strength. Kenshin raises his sword to kill him as Jin-e looks on gleefully, but Kaoru dispels the Shin no Ippo and releases Kenshin from his Battōsai self. Kenshin then rushes to Kaoru's side, and Jin-e's last action is to take up his sword with his other hand and stab his own heart, while revealing that he was in fact an assassin working for a government official who wanted his peers murdered. After his death, Jin-e continues to haunt the site where he died.

Quotes[]

"As expected at the legendary manslayer... you’re truly a different person when you’re ready to kill… It is time for me to take this battle seriously, Battōsai so that I can defeat the revolution’s strongest man! Shin no Ippō induces an illusion that paralyzes the victim. I will now use it upon myself. In other word, I will induce an illusion upon myself that will maximize my full potential..."

- Jin-e while powering up

Don’t look at me like that, Battōsai. I much prefer the look in your eyes when you said you were going to kill me. Within every fiber of your being, you’re truly a manslayer. I am also a manslayer, so I know of what I speak. A manslayer is a manslayer until the day he dies… he can never be anything else. Ugh… I’ll be watching you from the edge of hell... to see how long you can keep saying... you’re a wanderer...

- Jin-e's last words right before he dies

In the Live-action film[]

Udo Jin-e (Koji Kikkawa) — Udō Jin-e as portrayed in the 2012 live action movie

In the live-action movie, it isn't Hiruma Gohei but Jin-e who impersonates Kenshin as Hitokiri Battōsai, working with Kanryū. He was played by Kōji Kikkawa.

He kidnaps Kaoru under orders of Kanryū after she witnesses the killings of policemen; he does so in order re-awaken the Hitokiri inside Kenshin.

Trivia[]

In the anime and manga, Jin-e's appearance is heavily based off of Gambit from the X-Men series, due to Watsuki being a big fan of Marvel.