Kenji is the son of Himura Kenshin and Kamiya Kaoru. With natural-born sword skills that surpass those of either parent, will Kenji be a saint or sinner in the New Era?

Kenji, Time Line By Time Line

OVA: I'll start with this time line since it's the one with which most
fans are familiar (unfortunately).

In the OVA time line, Kenshin leaves Kaoru and Kenji behind to travel
all over Japan to continue to atone for his sins. Kenji sees this
depress his mother, who stops playing with him and just sits and pines
for her husband to return. This causes Kenji to grow up resenting his
father. Kenshin is seldom home, and when he is, Kenji wants nothing to
do with him.

What Kenji does want is to learn his father's old sword style, Hiten
Mitsurugi Ryu. Kenji is a prodigy with the blade and finds Kamiya
Kasshin Ryu, with its emphasis on preserving the enemy's life, too
soft. What he desires is the power of Hiten; for two reasons: To
understand what true strength is and to surpass the legend of his father.

At age 15, after finding out that Kenshin will be leaving again (this
time for China!), he leaves the dojo and goes to the only person who
can teach him Hiten: Father's old master, Hiko Seijuro XIII.

Hiko gives Kenji some basic sword training in battoujutsu, but mostly
just keeps Kenji busy. He's already decided that out of respect for
Kenshin, he will not pass the style on to his son. We do get to see
Kenji perform a So Ryu Sen on a training post!

At about this time, Yahiko shows up, Sakabatou Shinuchi in hand and
asks Kenji to come home because Kaoru is dying from the disease
Kenshin infected her with. Kenji refuses and says that Kaoru isn't
waiting for him, but for someone else.

In the evening, Yahiko gives Kenji the Sakabatou and asks him to think
things over. Kenji remembers the only time he ever saw his father
fight: When Kenshin passed the Sakabatou on to Yahiko. Kenji also
remembers when Kenshin started wandering again and what it did to his
mother.

In the morning, Kenji and Yahiko face off for a duel. Kenji and Yahiko
fight, each showing his skill with the blade. Kenji leaps and displays
the deadly grace of a true swordsman. Yahiko even admits that he
envies Kenji's genius. However, on his side, Yahiko has 15 years of
experience and the heart to protect those around him. Channeling these
feelings through the blade of the Sakabatou, he knocks Kenji's blade
from its hilt and knocks Kenji to the ground by hitting his shoulder.

Kenji is stunned and subdued. By feeling the strength of Himura
Kenshin through the Sakabatou, he finally gains some understanding of
true strength. Yahiko then passes the Sakabatou on to Kenji for his
own genpuku and takes Kenji back to Tokyo.

I know a lot of people think Kenji is a spoiled, ungrateful brat in
the OVA for resenting Kenshin and leaving home. But honestly, what
would we have done in his position? His father is never around. His
mother is always depressed and hardly pays attention to him. How is he
SUPPOSED to feel?

Honestly, I feel sorry for Kenji in the OVA time line. I think he
acted the way most people would if they were emotionally neglected by
their parents. I'm surprised Kenji didn't turn out totally evil at the
end of the OVA.

At the end of the OVA, we see Kenji and a girl who looks a lot like
Kaoru walking away from the dojo together about a year after his
parents' death. Kenji carries the Sakabatou on his shoulder and is now
wearing hakama and gi like Kenshin used to wear.

The couple stops by the sakura field where Kenshin and Kaoru breathed
their last. Kenji stares at the spot and looks a bit sad. The girl
asks him what's wrong, but Kenji quickly dismisses the subject and
instead compliments her ribbon. He then says he wants them both to
live happily as they head toward their future together.

I certainly can't blame Kenji for not wanting to stay in the dojo or
maybe even Tokyo after the childhood he had. All I can say is that I
know OVA Kenji won't repeat his father's sins and will be an excellent
father to his kids!

Manga: The manga leaves a lot to be interpreted about Kenji's
upbringing and relationship with his father. We see him in the last
chapter of the story and then in Yahiko no Sakabatou and Haru ni Sakura.

Kenji appears to have a penchant for climbing onto high places and
then being too frightened to come down without help. We also see that
Kenji loves his mom very much, as he starts laughing and reaches for
her while he's still dangling off Yahiko's bokken.

Kenji watches as Kenshin and Yahiko duel for the Sakabatou. His blue
eyes are wide and he obviously astonished at the power Dad and
Yahiko-nii show.

Next, we see Kenshin trying to hold and talk with Kenji. He tells
Kenji that if he works hard, he will get the Sakabatou after Yahiko.
This must not go over too well, as Kenji gives his father's hair a yank.

Watsuki does give a bit of a glimpse into Kenji's future in the Secret
Life profile he does for all his main characters. He says that as
Kenji gets older, his genius with the blade starts to manifest itself.
Kenji is able to knock off Hiten Mitsurugi moves after only hearing
about them in stories.

This leads Kenji to become a warped genius who is more cynical than
Saitou and more selfish than Shishio. During these years, does Kenshin
watch his son using Hiten with a growing dread in his heart? Does he
understand how Hiko felt when he left for the war?

How does this ultimately affect the relationship between father and
son? Can they reconcile their differences, or will Kenji be lost to
them for good?

Kenji also ends up fighting with Yahiko and Tsubame's bullheaded son
Shinya for the right to be called the final master of Hiten Mitsurugi.

My theory on this is that Shinya grows up watching Kenji practice his
Hiten moves and with his photographic memory is able to basically
mimic Kenji the way Yahiko was able to mimic Kenshin in battle.

I would love very much to see Kenji and Shinya fight each other, no
holds barred, in a Hiten vs Hiten match. That would be my highest
ideal of RK entertainment!