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... would he be much different?

I really can't decide. On the one hand, Kenshin's basic personality doesn't change from the time he is a child to a hitokiri to a rurouni. He has strong, firm beliefs in right and wrong, has a tender heart and is compassionate towards everyone. He believes everyone's life is worth something and sticks to that his whole life.

However, because at 13 he joins the Ishin Shishi and becomes Hitokiri, he loses the ability to believe in his own self worth because he commits the very acts he believes are most despicable. Even though as a rurouni he forgives others for making the same acts, he can't forgive himself. Actually, that's almost a little egotistical... it's okay if someone else does it, but he should know better. XD I'm sure Kenshin doesn't think of it that way, but after a while of watching him wallow one starts to think, "Darling, you didn't do anything wrong. You were living life the best way you could at the time. What more can anyone ask of you?"

But, if Kenshin had never become Hitokiri, had never met Seijuurou Hiko, had never lost his parents, and instead had grown up presumably on a farm with his happy family, in what ways would he be different?

Discuss!

If he'd never gone through any of the tragic stuff (his parents' death, enslavement, etc.) he would've just been a peaceful farmer, husband and father till his death.

I think that if he wasn't a Hitokiri, he would have still gotten himself involved in the revolution. Maybe he might have even the person who hires Makoto Shishio?

You have very good arguements for both sides of the story, Akira_Hoshino. And like you said, it is very hard to decide...

Reading your other threads and posts makes me think that you are a psycologist, deep analyzing Kenshin so well ^^ (If you're not, maybe you should become one? LOL)

Anyway, I know that I am a very different person now than I was, say, ten years ago. Being treated badly made me realize the importance of treating others with kindness, understanding and respect. Because of things in my past, I could never (and have never) harmed a person.
What I'm trying to say is that Kenshin must have changed because of his past. A quiet happy life on the countryside with his family is much different from a life of a hitokiri with no one to love him.
Still, even as a hitokiri, Kenshin never lost respect for certain things, just like you said.

But I think the answer to you question is, that YES Kenshin has changed because of his past. He is the same person in heart, but different in mind.

Wow, that's a really good question.

Well, the question technically is asking if he was never 'hitokiri'. Who's to say he still didn't take part in the war? Maybe something completely different happened to him, and he never wandered, or took a seat in the government instead. It's a good question, because there are so many things that could have lead him not to be a hitokiri. If he never learned swords, he'd be a farmer. If he obeyed his swordsmaster and didn't take part in the war, he wouldn't be a hitokiri, but a kick-a** swordsman with a bad past. But would he be driven enough to wander then?

I think he'd be different in the fact he'd be more naive and ignorant and more black and white in areas that involve killing. He'd probably be quiet, happy, and a lot more unruley tho than he is now (I doubt he'd be doing laundry and grocery shopping xd ). But empty inside because he knows there's more out there, and he never goes wandering, so he never knows what it is.

He wouldn't be the funny clown that I love him for. And it's not a gay love, it's a "Man this guy is totally awsome I wish I was just like him!" love. stare Anyways. His clumzyness is a disguise to hide who he really is, the most kick-a** swordsman in his anime, next to his master. If he wasn't a swordsman, he'd probably have a dull, farming life.

If he never became a Hitokiri.He would have never had become Ruroni.Therefore he wouldn't have met Kouru,Yahiko,Sano,and Megumi.Kouru's dojo would be empty.Yahiko would still be a pickpocket.Sano would still be Zanza, fighter for higher.Megumi would ethier be dead, or making opiom while plotting to kill Konriu and herself.

if he had never become one he would most definately be a different person, especially if he was never sold into slavery. i mean regardless of if he left hiko or not he would have become a swordsman regardless.