1. Handsome Swordsman of Legend  

First aired: 3/17/2003

During the Bakumatsu in the mid-1850s, a legendary manslayer feared far and wide for his sword skills, Hitokiri Battousai, existed. Ten years later, in Tokyo, rumors are circulating about a man called Hitokiri Battousai, who is terrorizing the citizens. Kaoru Kamiya, a local dojo owner, wants to take him down, and when she finds a person she believes is him, she attacks. However, he is only a wanderer, Himura Kenshin. After clearing things up, she finds out that he actually is the real Battousai, but that he has made an oath not to kill anymore. Therefore, someone else has to be the man from the rumors. But who is it that is terrorizing the citizens using his name, and what is his motives for doing so?

2. Kid Samurai  

First aired: 3/18/2003

Kenshin meets a kid, Yahiko Myouji, a descendant of a long line of samurai warriors. After his parents died, they had a large debt to pay to a Japanese mafia, so Yahiko pickpockets people the get money to pay back the debt. After saving him from the mafia, Kaoru decides teaches Yahiko.

3. Swordsman of Sorrow  

First aired: 3/19/2003

It seems Yahiko is having some trouble adjusting to his new sensei - Kaoru. The reason for that is that he wants to learn swordsmanship to defeat his enemies, not to protect others, which is the main point of the Kamiya Kasshin Style.

4. Bad!  

First aired: 3/20/2003

While at the Akabeko, the group oversees a brawl between a man named Sanosuke and a couple of drunk guys. Aftwewards, he challenges Kenshin to a fight. However, he declines. Later, it is revealed that Sanosuke is the fighter-for-hire Zanza, and that he has been hired by Gohei to kill Kenshin

5. Reverse-Blade Sword vs. Zanbatou  

First aired: 3/21/2003

Zanza returns to fight Kenshin, and his reason for hating the Ishin Shishi is revealed. Kenshin does not deny that the Sekihoutai were treated badly, and Yahiko and Kaoru tell Zanza how Kenshin is trying to help other people to repay his debt for killing so many people during the Douran. Zanza finally realizes that Kenshin was doing far more than he was in trying to help people.

6. Appearance of Kurogasa  

First aired: 3/24/2003

When government officials start getting murdered by an assassin called Kurogasa, Kenshin is asked to protect a certain government official. Sano, never one to miss a fight, goes with Kenshin.
After seeing the assassin, Kenshin realizes that the assassin is Udou Jine, an outcast of the Shinsengumi. Jine was cast out from the Shinsengumi because he killed people for pleasure, not for the Shinsengumi cause. When Jine finds Kenshin, he realizes he has found someone who he can enjoy fighting against. He tells Kenshin to go back to being a Hitokiri (assassin) because if Kenshin doesn't, he will never be able to beat Jine, and Jine will keep killing people.
Jine kidnaps Kaoru, hoping this will speed up the process of Kenshin becoming a Hitokiri once more.

7. Deathmatch Under the Moon  

First aired: 3/25/2003

When Kenshin and Jinei start their battle, Jinei quickly realizes that Kenshin still has not truly become the Hitokiri Battousai that became legend. Jinei uses his "Shino Ippo" to stop Kaoru's breathing to force Kenshin to revert to the cold-blooded killer that he once was.

8. A New Battle  

First aired: 3/26/2003

While gambling with friends, Sano and Kenshin learn that one of Sano's friends died when tricked into using opium. As Sano takes in the news, a young woman named Takani Megumi rushes in on Sano and Kenshin begging for their help. Kenshin and Sano learn that Megumi is being hunted by a cruel businessman named Takeda Kanryu and a group called the Oniwabanshu. When Kenshin and Sano take Megumi to Kamiya Dojo, they are attacked by a couple of the Oniwabanshu, resulting in Yahiko being poisoned by a poison dart. Megumi takes over the treatment of Yahiko, and reveals that she is a skilled doctor, especially in creating medicine. This revelation makes Sano even more suspicous after finding Megumi with some opium....

9. Strongest Group of Ninjas  

First aired: 3/27/2003

Sano confronts Megumi as to why she has opium on her. Kenshin, after careful thought, recognizes Megumi as the daughter of the Takani family, a family with a great history in medicine. Megumi is taken into the woods by Hannya, where Kannryu offers a deal. He says that if she comes back, he will not hurt her or any of her friends. He leaves her to decide. She thinks about it and decides to go back, but when she gets to the gate of Kannryu's mansion, she realizes that Sanosuke has followed her. Suddenly, another Oniwaban member, named Shikijo, attacks Sano. He seems very difficult at first, but Sano easily defeats him. The rest of the group catches up, and they all break into Kannryu's mansion. Kenshin gives Kannryu one hour before he enters and takes back Megumi by force.

10. Aoshi  

First aired: 3/28/2003

Kenshin and gang, or the Kenshin-gumi, (at least that's what Yahiko calls them) raid Kanryu's mansion. Kanryu, fearing the wrath of Kenshin, promises to return Megumi in one hour, an hour in which Kanryu will torture Megumi to find out the formula for the new opium.

11. Farewell, the Strongest Men  

First aired: 3/31/2003

Shinomori uses his special move "Kaiten Kenbu" and wounds Kenshin. Kanryu appears, ready to kill Kenshin and Shinomori with his gattling gun. Meanwhile, Megumi tires to kill herself, but Sano stops her, and Kenshin tells her that she should become a doctor to help those in need, so that she could make-up for the people she harmed when she was producing opium.

12. Birth of a Boy Swordsman  

First aired: 4/2/2003

Yahiko gets involved with a young girl named Sanjou Tsubame who is being used by a group of thugs to steal keys to households. Yahiko tries to stop them from using Tsubame, but he is beaten badly because he was out-numbered. After his defeat, he asks Kenshin if there were any techniques to fight multiple enemies, and Kenshin replies by giving him a strategy.

13. Striving For the Grand Championship  

First aired: 4/3/2003

Kenshin and co. meet a reject sumo wrestler in the street. Kaoru feels bad for him, so they take him to the Kamiya Dojo, where he eventually trains to surpass those who rejected him, and becomes a true sumo.

14. To Save a Small Life  

First aired: 4/4/2003

Megumi must prove that she is a skilled doctor in the face of bad rumors spread by the Hishi Manji Gang. She also must face and break the sexist stereotypes that hold her back from being accepted as a skilled and trustworthy doctor.

15. Two Legendary Manslayers  

First aired: 4/4/2003

An assassin group, known as the Jinpu Squad, wants to enlist a kind-hearted teacher named Sasaki Heihachirou, who used to be a swordsman, to their group. Sasaki refuses because he has given up fighting and killing. He wants to be left alone so he can teach children to read and write so that they will be prepared for the future to come. One of the assassin group members, Toma Sakaki,was a former student of Sasaki before the revolution, and won't accept his rejection, and threatens to harm the children Sasaki teaches if he doesn't join them.

16. A Promise From the Heart  

First aired: 4/7/2003

Sasaki decides to become a swordsman once again to protect the children, but Sano doesn't allow him to. Sano enlists the help of Kenshin to stop Toma, the former student of Sasaki, and the assassin member trying to force Sasaki to join the assassin group. Toma is trying to assassinate Yamagata Aritomo, a high-ranking official in the government, who is also Kenshin's friend.

17. Fly to Your Dreams  

First aired: 4/8/2003

A young girl named Marimo and her father leave a circus group run by evil men named Sumida to start a circus of their own. When Marimo and her father start their "Cannon-ball girl" act (Marimo gets shot out of a cannon), Sumida's circus loses business, angering Sumida. Sumida tries to sabotage Marimo's act, but Yahiko comes to the rescue, along with Sano "the living target", Kenshin "the umbrella master", and Kaoru "the ringleader".

18. Run, Yahiko!  

First aired: 4/9/2003

Hiruma Gohei returns once again to try to get even with Kenshin. This time he tricks Yahiko into stealing Kenhin's sakabatou, and then kidnaps Yahiko to force Kenshin to fight his hired assassins.

19. Raijuta's Ambition  

First aired: 4/10/2003

Kenshin, Kaoru, Yahiko, Sano, and Megumi are invited to visit Genzai sensei's sister in the country. While there, they are introduced to Tsukayama Yutarou, a young boy who has a vast inheritance, including a huge area of land. Yutarou wants to become a great swordsman like his father, and asks Kenshin if he is any good with his sword, and if Kenshin wants to teach him how to use a sword if he is any good.

20. Revival of the Shinko Style  

First aired: 4/11/2003

Raijuuta and a couple of his men attack Kenshin because they don't want him to interfere with their plans. Yutarou, who was watching Kenshin and Raijuuta's men fight, falls into the ocean. Kenshin dives in to rescue Yutarou and takes him to Genzai sensei's home to recover.

21. Dissolution of a Nightmare  

First aired: 4/14/2003

When the military strike force arrives to stop Raijuuta's plans, a bloody battle is fought between the government army and the swordsmen Raijuuta gathered. Seeing the men butchering each other, Kenshin jumps into the fray and tells everyone to stop fighting. Kenshin decides to settle the battle with a one on one fight with Raijuuta.

22. Danger on a Runaway Locomotive  

First aired: 4/15/2003

Kenshin, Kaoru, Sano and Yahiko board a steam train not knowing that it is going to be attacked by pirates who want the gold which is being transported in the train. Kenshin and the others fight off the pirates and receive some money as a reward for their bravery. Kaoru uses this money to get a group picture taken of them, dragging in Sano who believes cameras suck out your soul.

23. Sanosuke's Betrayal  

First aired: 4/16/2003

While running a little errand for the Akabeko owner, Sano sees a painting of his mentor Sagara Souzou. He finds out that the artist is his old friend Tsukioka Katsuhiro who had also been part of the Sekihoutai. Like Sano, Katsu hates the current government and is still trying to get even with the Ishin government for the massacre of the Sekihoutai. When Katsu asks Sano if he wanted to join him in dismantling the Ishin government, Sano must choose between his new friends, and his friend from the past.

24. Midnight Battle  

First aired: 4/17/2003

Katsu notifies Sano that he is going to attack a government building at midnight. Sano, who had decided to go along with Katsu, holds a farewell party for Kenshin and his friends who do not know the true reason behind the party.

25. The Crimson Pirate  

First aired: 4/18/2003

When Kaoru gets angry at Kenshin, Yahiko and Sano for not having jobs and not earning any money, the three decide to take a job as guards for a ship which needed to go through pirate territory. When they get on the ship, they find out that Kaoru had taken a job as a cook in the same ship.

26. Lightning Incarnate  

First aired: 4/21/2003

Upon arriving at the island where the pirates live, a couple of Shura's men discover opium in the cargo from the ship that they raided. Most of the men under Shura's command don't understand why Shura insists on only stealing things that they need to survive, and only steal these things from wealthy people. Ginjo, one of Shura's men, and a couple of his followers decide to go into the opium trade without the permission of Shura.

27. Burn, Island of Terror!  

First aired: 4/22/2003

After having her leg treated from a wound received when her men attacked her, Shura decides to go after Ginjo and the pirates that betrayed her. She makes a loyal cabin boy and an old retainer who cared for her all his life board a ship to escape in case she is killed. Shura leaves the boy and the old man with Kenshin and heads off to confront Ginjo.

28. Prelude to the Impending Fight  

First aired: 4/23/2003

Kenshin, who normally doesn't dream about the time he fought in the Douran, is now having vivid and distrubing dreams about that period of his life. A deadly opponent from the past who Kenshin fought to a draw a couple of times is once again after Kenshin.