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Shura is an anime-only character and the leader of the Kairyu pirates, who raid ships containing valuable goods that they can sell off to feed the poor.

Appearance[]

In her masked form, Shura has the appearance of a dangerous killer, however, in her normal form she appears as a slim attractive young woman, with average height, having black hair and brown eyes. She normally wears white headdressing and red top with white pants and long brown boots. After suffering a bullet wound on the leg, Himura Kenshin tells Sarujiro to bring her new clothes and he finds a pink kimono given by her father as a child to wear the day she got married; however, Shura never wears it and continues her life on the open seas.

Personality[]

Despite being a pirate leader, Shura has a great sense of nobility, stealing only from those who gain their riches through illicit means and using her earnings to feed, clothe and shelter the poor people in her village. She opposes the idea of killing or harming women and children and is strongly influenced by her father, who taught her that even though the Kairyu's intentions were righteous, stealing and pirating were morally reprehensible acts and only a last resort needed to help feed his people.

Abilities[]

Shura fought with a three-section staff that can disconnect into a chain-staff, and has great agility and reflexes, which is even noted by Kenshin during their battle. She is also able to use a sword, as seen when she demands Kenshin to fight her again, after losing to him earlier on (though Kenshin refuses).

Relationships[]

  • Her Father - She looks up to him and in the end aspires towards his dream, i.e. a peaceful life in the sea without being obligated to commit the shameful acts of piracy, even though the only ones targeted are corrupt rich people.
  • Kairyu - Shura was the leader of the Kairyu Pirates after her father's death. She wanted to continue some honorable practices while leading them, but that proved unpopular, which led to a mutiny against her.
  • Ginjō - The leader of the mutiny against Shura, Ginjō is a treacherous and corrupt person who looked for personal gain and power using whatever means neccesary.
  • Himura Kenshin - While she was antagonistic towards him in the beginning, she later fell in love with him after she saw his nobility, selflessness and philanthropy and after he saved her life from her crew, who betrayed her.
  • Sarujiro - She is kind towards him and the two have a very close relationship as fellow crew members.
  • Iwazō - A good friend to her father, the two are close together and he is a lot like a second father to her, always looking out for her well-being.

Plot[]

Shura is the daughter of the former leader of the Kairyu Pirates. After her father's death, she succeeded him in leader, and continued his legacy of robbing only from the corrupted rich people. During one raid, some pirates wanted to kidnap Kaoru but Shura did not accept that because of her belief that the Kairyu do not harm women or children, so she took Kenshin to free Kaoru. Due to Shura's strictness and honor-bound rules, along with the fact that she is a woman, the rest of the crew did not like her, with the exception of two, Sarujiro and Iwazō. As a result, the rest of them chose Ginjō, one member who allied with an opium dealer they once robbed, as their new leader, and attempted to kill Shura. Shura returned, and with the help of Kenshin, defeated her wayward crew, and with Sarujiro and Iwazō, she left to the sea, as they were still criminals.

History[]

The Kairyu Pirates were founded by Shura's father to feed the poor fisherman village that was failing on the island. The inhabitants took up arms, only stealing from those who gained their wealth through corrupt means. After their success, however, the pirates became corrupt themselves, and after Shura's father died and Shura became the leader, the corruption began to take hold and the pirates sought more than just food for the village. Shura stayed true to her father's justice, making her very unpopular. After Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sanosuke take a job to protect a boat which is in danger of being attacked by the pirates, Kaoru is abducted by one of the pirates to be tortured and killed.

After Kenshin battles the previously undefeated captain after taking a poisoned dart from another pirate, and then spares her life, she is shocked by his character. When Kenshin offers to trade his life for Kaoru's, Shura accepts on the grounds that they do not kill women and children, and brings Kenshin to Kairyu island to be executed. She challenges him to a fight, however, but he refuses since she saved Kaoru's life. She ties him up to kill later, but before she is able to, the members of her crew rebel and try to kill her. Kenshin unties himself and saves her from death. Once she regains conscience, she realizes that she has fallen in love with him. But when she goes to settle the score with Ginjō, the leader of the traitors, she is tricked at the last second, but is saved by Kenshin just in time.

After seeing Kenshin's strength, a pirate panics and attempts to use a bomb in a last ditch attempt to kill Kenshin and Shura. As a result, nearby containers of gunpowder ignite, destroying the pirates' village and starting a wildfire that begins to spread all over the island. Kenshin and Shura manage to escape the island along with Sanosuke, Kaoru, Yahiko, Sarujiro and Iwazō. After they all got to safety, Shura departed on the sea in search for a new meaning for her life, promising to abandon piracy and meet Kenshin again someday.

Trivia[]

  • Shura was voiced by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn in the American English dub, who also voiced Lady Jaguara in Wolf's Rain, Queen Metaria in Sailor Moon Crystal, Nina Williams in Tekken series, and Cetrion in Mortal Kombat 11.

Gallery[]

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