Shinomori Aoshi
Shinomori Aoshi is the Okashira, or leader, of the Oniwabanshū in the anime and manga series Rurouni Kenshin. He is 26 years old (by East Asian age reckoning), has black hair, and has blue eyes. He is a tactical genius and master of the kodachi. He has a very stern, concise and cold personality.
His life
Shinomori Aoshi was a ninja belonging to the Oniwabanshū, who worked for the Shogunate government during the Edo period. Shinomori was given the role of Okashira at the age of fifteen, in time to prepare the Edo Castle Oniwabanshū for the defense of their capital. That time never came. All but four of the Oniwabanshū left to settle into new lives in the Meiji era.
After the revolution, since a few members of the Oniwabanshū were unable to adapt to life in the Meiji era, Aoshi and these members worked for the corrupt, power-hungry business man, Takeda Kanryū instead. Aoshi held Takani Megumi captive to fight Himura Battōsai to prove that the Oniwanbanshū were the strongest in Japan. When Kanryū betrayed him, his four subordinates lost their lives while protecting him. Aoshi decided to honour their deaths by proving that the Oniwaban were the strongest warriors. In order to meet this goal, he vowed to fight against Kenshin and win.
Aoshi's weapon of choice is called a kodachi. He originally used only a single of these short swords, but later mastered the nitō-ryū style, employing a pair of the swords. When in their saya, they appear to be part of a single sheathed sword, one blade appearing to be the hilt, while the second blade is stationed opposite the first and blends in with the saya itself, giving it the impression of being a nodachi.
Kyoto Arc
During his time in Kyoto, Aoshi challenged Okina, who was in charge of a secondary Oniwabashū base and was originally considered to be the new leader as he and the former leader were at the same level, but he declined and suggested Aoshi. During the duel it was revealed that Aoshi is more powerful than the former leader and old man and beat him with his new move, the Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren, a twisting attack using both kodachi that comes from either the left or the right side and can land up to six blows simultaneously. When Kenshin and his friends were about to face the best fighter Shishio had, Seta Sōjirō, Aoshi challenged Kenshin in a duel in a private library room. After almost beating Kenshin with his X attack, Kenshin used the most deadly move of the Hiten Mitsurugi style on him and won. During the duel with Shishio, Kenshin was almost killed and Aoshi jumped in to fight Shishio, using his attack but to no avail, but managed to give Kenshin time to recover and for Shishio to use up his fifteen minute fighting limit.
Personality
Shinomori Aoshi is calm, cold, handsome, and expressionless. Behind his usual cool exterior hides his soft side. He cares for the oniwabanshū more than he cares about himself. After the Bakumatsu, Aoshi was offered high-ranking jobs, but he rejected them and chose to stay with the Oniwabanshū because of his commitment to the other Oniwabanshū members.
Techniques
Gokō Jūji: (Give-Vast Cross) Aoshi crosses the two kodachi and moves the outwards in a scissor-like cut.
Jissen Kenbu: (Actual-Battle Sword-Dance) Combo attack using "Ryūsui no Ugoki" to flow around the enemy, confusing them. Aoshi will then strike from various points, slashing them with his kodachi, before deciding to end it with "Kaiten Kenbu". Before deciding to use a two kodachi style of fighting, this was Shinomori's final attack.
Kaiten Kenbu: (Spinning-Heavenly Sword-Dance) Aoshi claims to have used this attack to defeat "all who intruded upon Edo castle". It involves Aoshi rapidly spinning around three times, while holding the kodachi backwards, to slash the opponent thrice in an instant. Aoshi usually uses this attack after disorienting the opponent with Ryūsui no Ugoki.
Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren: (Spinning-Heavenly Sword-Dance Six-Series) This attack is Aoshi's ōugi. The attack involves Aoshi switching the grip on one kodachi backward, then slashing the opponent six times in rapid succession, from both sides (it relies on confusing the opponent on the direction from which each subsequent strike is going to come). It's basically Kaiten Kenbu but done with two kodachi. It's the move he used to defeat Okina and later in the Revenge-manga arc cuts through a large tree while fighting Gein. Shishio was able to interrupt the technique after Aoshi executed it too slowly, a consequence of being stricken with Kenshin's ōugi earlier.
Onmyō Hasshi: (Yin-Yang Bridge) Aoshi throws both kodachi at the opponent, hitting the end of the first one with the second one for an extra boost. The second kodachi is hidden directly behind the first. So the opponent would only see one kodachi heading for him/her in their line of sight.
Onmyō Kōsa: (Yin-Yang Cross) Aoshi blocks an enemies striking weapon with one kodachi, then strikes it with the second kodachi, thrusting the first one through. This attack was used against Okina's metal tonfa (kempo attack stick, similar to a modern day police baton) cutting through them.
Ryūsui no Ugoki: (Flowing-Water Movement) This is moving technique where Aoshi moves around fast and silently. Confusing the opponent due to the fluid motion & continiously changing speed. He used this to attack Kenshin and tried to use it against Okina, though because of Okina's background as a fellow ninja, he was familiarized with the attack.