Editing Sagara Sanosuke (section)

== Appearances ==

=== In ''Rurouni Kenshin'' ===
Born February 1860 in [[Nagano Prefecture|Nagano]], Sanosuke is a former member of the [[Sekihōtai|Sekihō Army]].<ref name="Profiles">{{cite book|title=Rurouni Kenshin Profiles|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|year=2005|isbn=978-1-4215-0160-4}}</ref> Having admired his captain [[List of Rurouni Kenshin characters#Sagara Sōzō|Sagara Sōzō]], he takes the [[family name]] Sagara from him.<ref name="Profiles" /> But when the revolutionary government encounters financial problems, it labels the Sekihō Army as frauds in order to "bury their promises". Sōzō is executed, leaving Sanosuke as one of the few survivors. Consumed with hatred for the Ishin Shishi, and guilt at not being able to protect his hero, Sanosuke becomes a fight merchant in [[Tokyo]].<ref>{{cite book |year= 2003 |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 2 |last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter= Act 7: Mark of Evil |isbn= 1-59116-249-1 |url= https://archive.org/details/rurounikenshinme00wats_1 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |year= 2003 |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 2 |last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter= Act 8: And Then, Another |isbn= 1-59116-249-1 |url= https://archive.org/details/rurounikenshinme00wats_1 }}</ref> Over the next ten years, he gains a reputation as one of the strongest hired fighters of the city.<ref>{{cite book |year= 2003 |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 1 |last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter= Act 6: Face Off: Sagara Sanosuke |isbn= 1-59116-249-1 |url= https://archive.org/details/rurounikenshinme00wats_1 }}</ref> The destruction of the Sekihō Army and the loss of all his friends has caused Sanosuke to hate the Meiji Government and he wears the Japanese kanji for "evil" on the back of his jacket. He bears this symbol as a mark of his loyalty towards his past in the Sekihō Army.<ref name="new">{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 9|year=2004|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Act 73: Encounter in the Forest (Part II)|page=137|isbn= 978-1-59116-669-6 }}</ref> Sanosuke uses an enormous zanbatō in battle, giving him the moniker {{nihongo4|Zanza|斬左}}. The blade has no edge and Sanosuke only uses it to smash and crush his opponents.<ref>{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 1 |last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher  = [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Act 6: Face Off: Sagara Sanosuke|year=2003|page=160|isbn= 1-59116-220-3 }}</ref>

[[File:Wikifutaenoki.jpg|thumb|Sanosuke performing the ''Futae no Kiwami'']]
In his introduction in the manga, Sanosuke is hired to fight Kenshin, but after the former assassin defeats him, he learns of the truth of Kenshin's no-kill approach and becomes one of his allies.<ref name="pal">{{cite book |year= 2003 |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 2 |last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter= Chapter 8 |isbn= 1-59116-249-1 |url= https://archive.org/details/rurounikenshinme00wats_1 }}</ref> After Kenshin defeats him and breaks his zanbatō, Sanosuke decides to focus on [[unarmed combat]].<ref name="pal" /> When the criminal [[Shishio Makoto]] tries to conquer Japan, Sanosuke helps Kenshin in the fight against him. While on his trip to Kyoto to aid him, Sanosuke was trained in [[kenpo]] from a warrior monk named [[List of Rurouni Kenshin villains#Yūkyūzan Anji|Yūkyūzan Anji]]. Anji taught Sanosuke a secret technique called {{nihongo4|''Futae no Kiwami''|二重の極み||lit. "Mastery of the Two Layers"}}.<ref name="new" /> ''Futae no Kiwami'' is a special art in which the user performs two hits in quick succession with any part of his body. The first hit with the [[Interphalangeal articulations of hand|proximal interphalangeal joint]] neutralizes the hardness of the target, then the second blow, struck with the [[Proximal phalanges|proximal phalanx]], breaks the target before it recovers from the force of the first blow.<ref>{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 9|year=2004|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Act 72: Encounter in the Forest (Part I)|isbn= 978-1-59116-669-6|pages=122–123 }}</ref> Using his mastery from this art with his right hand allows him to defeat the third most powerful opponent in Shishio's [[List of Rurouni Kenshin villains#Juppongatana|army]]: Anji.<ref>{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 13|year=2005|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Chapter 111|isbn= 978-1-59116-713-6 }}</ref>

Months later, in an act of revenge on Kenshin, [[Yukishiro Enishi]] fakes [[Kamiya Kaoru]]'s death. Kenshin loses the will to live and when Sanosuke is unable to reach him, he wanders away from Tokyo.<ref>{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 24|year=2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Chapter 209|page=56|isbn= 978-1-4215-0338-7 }}</ref> In his wandering, he is reunited with his family in the [[Shinano Province]] (Shinshū).<!--In the VIZ version it is spelled "Manen"--><ref name="Vol6P110">[[Nobuhiro Watsuki|Watsuki, Nobuhiro]]. "Act 45: Extra: Sanosuke and Nishiki Paintings (1)." ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' Volume 6. [[Viz Media]]. 110.</ref><ref name="Manback2">{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 26 |year= 2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Act 229: A Man's Back 2: Two Alike|isbn= 1-4215-0673-4 }}</ref> Years prior to the start of the series, Sanosuke left the family at the age of 9 to join the Sekihō Army.<ref name="Vol6P110" /><ref name="Manback2" /> Although he does not reveal his identity to his family, upon learning of their poor situation Sanosuke attacks a former [[Shishi (organization)|Ishin Shishi]] who was mistreating them and the town.<ref name="return">{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 26|year=2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Chapter 234|isbn= 1-4215-0673-4 }}</ref> During these fights, Sanosuke's right hand is permanently damaged from the overuse ''Futae no Kiwami''.<ref>{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 19|year=2005|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Chapter 159|page=13|isbn= 978-1-59116-927-7 }}</ref> and overcomes this disability when he discovers using both hands in succession which lessens the impact to his damaged hand.<ref>{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 27|year=2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Chapter 159|isbn= 978-1-4215-0674-6|pages=71–72 }}</ref> After protecting his family, he returns to Tokyo to rescue Kaoru with his friends.<ref>{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 26|year=2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Act 236: Landing|isbn= 1-4215-0673-4 }}</ref> After a successful rescue, Sanosuke leaves Japan and travels the world to avoid being arrested for attacking the Ishin Shishi.<ref name="kanji">{{cite book |title= Rurouni Kenshin, Volume 28|year=2006|last= Watsuki |first= Nobuhiro |publisher= [[Viz Media]] |chapter=Chapter 254|isbn= 978-1-4215-0675-3 }}</ref> The manga ends with a letter from Sanosuke to his friends that he is returning to Japan to be reunited with them.

=== In other media ===
[[File:Rurouni Kenshin Kyoto Inferno The Legend Ends, Red Carpet Premiere Munetaka Aoki.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Munetaka Aoki]] portrays Sanosuke in the live-action films.]]

In the ''[[Rurouni Kenshin#Animated film|Rurouni Kenshin: The Motion Picture]]'', Sanosuke helps to stop the samurai Takimi Shigure from overthrowing the Meiji Government as an act of revenge.<ref>{{cite video |date = 2001 |title = Samurai X – The Motion Picture|medium = [[DVD]] |publisher = ADV Films}}</ref> In the original video animations of the series, he is given a more humanized design and a more emotional personality. In the non-canon ''[[Rurouni Kenshin: Reflection]]'', an older Sanosuke discovers Kenshin gravely injured when he is traveling in Asia and sends Kenshin back to Tokyo by himself, contradicting his character development by his creator, Watsuki.<ref name="ova">{{cite video |date = 2003 |title = Samurai X: Reflection|medium = [[DVD]] |publisher = ADV Films}}</ref> Sanosuke is also a [[Player character|playable character]] in almost all the [[Rurouni Kenshin#Video games|''Rurouni Kenshin'' video games]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.banpresto-game.com/rurouni/main.html|title=Rurouni Kenshin: Enjou! Kyoto Rinne official website|publisher=[[Banpresto]]|access-date=2008-02-06}}</ref> except ''[[Jump Super Stars]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/ajsj/p3.html#|title=Jump Super Stars official website|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|access-date=2008-02-06}}</ref> and ''[[Jump Ultimate Stars]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/ajuj/character/chara_38.html|title=Jump Ultimate Stars official website|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|access-date=2008-02-06}}</ref> in which he isn't playable but is available as a Battle koma.

In ''Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration'', Sanosuke is hired by [[Takeda Kanryu]] to kill Kenshin but he only wishes to fight Kenshin. After losing to Kenshin, Sanosuke agrees to help him with taking care of Kaoru's dojo.

In the live-action film series adapting ''[[Rurouni Kenshin (film)|Rurouni Kenshin]]'', Sanosuke is portrayed by [[Munetaka Aoki]].