MYOJUIN YAHIKO

Yahiko's family came from a Samurai class. After the Bakumatsu war, when the feudalism system was abolished, his mother worked as a prostitute to try and support him. (His father had died during the war, protesting the new government). Yahiko was only a baby at this time. When his mother died, he was taken in by local Yakuza (mafia). Kenshin and Kaoru met him briefly when Yhiko tried to rob Kenshin and was caught by Kaoru. Later when the pair found out that he was being forced to steal to pay off a family debt, Kaoru went to take him away from the gang. Kenshin shows up just as things start to look bleak for her and Yahiko. After the mafia head realizes that his members are no match for Kenshin, he lets them go quitly. Yahiko is then taken to live with them. Kenshin immediately appoints him as a new student much to both Yahiko and Kaoru's dismay.

ABOUT YAHIKO:

AGE: 10

HEIGHT: I forget, as tall as any other Japanese ten-year old boy I would imagine.

WEIGHT: 21 kilo's

APPEARANCE: Spiky black hair, dark brown eyes

OCCUPATION: Former Yakuza(mob) member. Now, a student in the Kamiya dojo.

AKA: Runt, midget, Yahiko-chan

CHARACTER:

Yahiko has a lot of pride for a kid. Also, he wants to be a very strong fighter, as strong as Kenshin. Because of this, he didn't want to learn Kaoru's form at the beginning. I think that his biggest accomplishment is that he helped Kaoru get back on her feet and follow Kenshin. (An act that is constantly credited to someone else in almost every place I go, but that will be discussed in her character page)

MY OPINION: I think you already know by now my opinion on Yahiko. He starts out a tortured kid, turns into a bratty brother, becomes mature somewhere along the line, and then, after the second season, returns to being a brat. I don't hate Yahiko. What I hate is how he is how he's always treated as if he were a better fighter than Kaoru. I honestly do not think that a ten-year old beginner who never held a sword in his life, can be better than a 17 year old girl who had trained all her life and taught him everything he knows; save for that Kenshin wannabe move that he only learns at the end of the second season. And yet we still hear, "Yahiko, protect Kaoru!" or "Yahiko, protect Jo-chan". It drives me nuts! Also, hearing him insult Kaoru for about a million times becomes boring, if not annoying after a while. But, he is a necessary character and he has his moments (and by that I don't mean moments where we see 'oh how strong that kid is'. I mean real moments where we see the childish, sweet, caring side. Too bad they're so few...