is killed by Seta Sōjirō. Originally, Senkaku was one of the Juppongatana, so Watsuki put a lot of effort into his creation. But since Shishio and Sōjirō were present and Kenshin needed to go to Kyoto, he decided to make Senkaku a "violent village despot." Originally the author had Senkaku as an experimental character who could not form any words. Still, an editor commented that Senkaku "is not a wild animal" during a meeting, so Watsuki scrapped this idea. Senkaku had no model for his personality, and after the scrapping of the inarticulation trait he became "pretty much just muscle-head small fry." Senkaku's design originates from the design of the four Abukuma priests, a group of minor antagonists. Watsuki had no attachment towards the four bald priests, but felt that the cone-shaped head design was "a waste for an unimportant character." So he instead used that design for Senkaku, who Watsuki said turned out to be unimportant also. In retrospect Watsuki felt that the Coneheads may have influenced him in a Sega Saturn commercial, and the Giant Soldier in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The author felt regret about Senkaku; what he regretted most was how he could not use Senkaku's special technique "Piercing Head-Butt" in the storyline. Shishio Makoto is the leader of the Juppongatana and the primary antagonist of the Kyoto arc. Shishio was Kenshin's successor as hitokiri for the Ishin Shishi. When the new Meiji government discovered Shishio's insatiable lust for power, they attempted to kill him and lit his body on fire. But he survived and has gathered an army to exact his revenge and overthrow the government. Komagata Yumi , also known as , is Shishio's lover. She was the most famous oiran in Yoshiwara and took pride in it, until the María Luz Incident. She became reviled at the Japanese government's refusal to compensate the newly emancipated prostitutes due to it regarding them as equivalent to livestock. She serves as Kenshin, Saitō and Sanosuke's guide through Shishio's maze-like hideout, taking them from each duel to avoid traps. She is often concerned about Shishio and his medical state. When Shishio's body becomes overheated in his fight with Kenshin, she runs in between them and pleads with Kenshin to end the duel. Still, Shishio runs her through with his sword, mortally wounding her and injuring the unguarded Kenshin. Knowing that she has finally been