Hannya is one of Aoshi's most devoted followers in the Oniwabanshū. He was abandoned as an infant in his impoverished village and survived on his own, living almost feral, until Aoshi took him in and gave him purpose. That debt of loyalty shaped everything about him afterward.
He's best known as the group's master of disguise. The trick to his skill is brutal and permanent—he deliberately disfigured his own face and removed his most distinctive features, then painted horizontal stripes across his arms to mess with people's depth perception. The stripes make his limbs look shorter than they actually are, throwing opponents off during combat. He wears his signature demonic mask as part of the same strategy, blending seamlessly into different identities when needed.
His fighting style mirrors Aoshi's teachings but with these personal touches. What really defines Hannya, though, is his absolute devotion to Aoshi. He's willing to sacrifice everything for him—and does, eventually giving his life to buy Kenshin time to retrieve his sakabatou so he can defeat Kanryuu and save Aoshi. For someone who was once abandoned and left to fend for himself, having someone believe in him was everything.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
