Sagara, Sanosuke
Seiyuu / Dub
Summary
Sagara Sanosuke abandoned his family at a young age to join the Sekihō Army, leaving behind his father Kamishimoemon, mother Naname, and younger sister Uki. He returned years later to find his mother dead and his family name changed to Higashidani, though he refused to use it. His sister had become fiercely protective of their younger brother Ota, who admired Sanosuke’s bravery and eventually trained at the Kamiya Kasshin-Ryū dojo under Sanosuke’s advice. Sanosuke had taken his name from his captain, Sagara Sōzō, after the Sekihō Army fought for the imperial alliance. When the new government faced financial issues, former officer Shindō Tatewaki framed the army for fraud, leading to their execution. Sanosuke was the sole survivor besides his friend Tsukioka Katsuhiro. In the manga, he discovered Sōzō’s death by seeing his decapitated head, while in the anime, Sōzō sacrificed himself to save Sanosuke. Filled with rage, Sanosuke worked as a mercenary under the nickname "Zanza," derived from his massive zanbatō. This sword, originating from the Ōnin Struggle, was so heavy it had lost its edge, forcing Sanosuke to use it as a blunt instrument to smash and crush. Hiruma Kihei and Gohei hired him to assassinate Himura Kenshin, but after Kenshin defeated him and revealed his vow never to kill, Sanosuke became a loyal ally. Following the destruction of his zanbatō during that fight, he largely abandoned the weapon, using it only once more to defend the Kamiya dojo during the Jinchu arc. He also adopted a boxing style that emphasized the power of his right fist. At the end of the series, Sanosuke fled Japan to avoid wrongful arrest and traveled the world. Five years later, he sent a letter from Mongolia during a Kenshin-gumi reunion, stating he would remain there for a while before returning home.
