The main heroine of Rurouni Kenshin.
She is a master of the “Kamiya Kasshin-ryu,” a martial arts school founded by her father, Goro Okita, and serves as the deputy instructor at the Kamiya Dojo (eventually becoming its full-fledged instructor). In town, she’s renowned as a beautiful young woman known as the “Swordsmanship Chōchō.”
As befits someone who carries on a prestigious martial arts tradition, her swordsmanship is truly exceptional; however, since Kenshin and those around him are monstrously strong, her abilities don’t quite stand out.
That said, while she loses to Hiruma in the early stages, in the middle part of the story she joins forces with Soujirou Seta to defeat one of the Ten Swords, Honjou Kamatari, demonstrating her considerable skill.
In the anime adaptation, when her weapon—a wooden practice sword—is broken, she also practices unarmed techniques such as Aikido, Jujutsu, and Judo, showing mastery-level proficiency. Though not often highlighted, the fact that she can precisely execute a knee strike using a snapped wooden sword reveals her extraordinary physical strength.
In times of crisis, she fights wielding non-sword weapons like wooden or bamboo swords, appearing in her traditional gi and hakama with a ribbon tied loose.
After an incident brings her into contact with Himura Kenshin, she accepts him—even after learning he is the legendary assassin Battōsai, once hailed as the strongest swordsman of the Bakumatsu period—and takes him in as a lodger.
In the one-shot version, she was depicted as Megumi’s younger sister and Yahiko’s older sister.
Generally cheerful and energetic, she possesses a strong sense of justice.
However, she can also be quick-tempered and easily angered, often quarreling with Yahiko, occasionally delivering comedic blows to Kenshin and his companions, and even drawing her bamboo sword at times (in Kenshin’s case, almost always for unreasonable reasons; with Yahiko and Sanosuke, even discounting her fiery temperament, her antics go too far to be considered mere playful mischief).
Moreover, in the early chapters, due to her trusting nature, she readily believed lies told by Hiruma Kibei—who pretended to be down-and-out to gain access to the Kamiya Dojo’s land—and by two former students seeking help (“I tried to stop some drunken thugs causing trouble, but they ended up hating me”). She was thus frequently deceived.
Within the series, along with Saito Hajime comparing Megumi to a “fox” and Soujirou to a “weasel,” Kaoru herself is likened to a “tanuki.”
Confident in her own beauty, she even exposes her cleavage when stripped down, boasting an attractive figure. She flies into a rage if called “ugly” (though this is hardly surprising for any woman…).
Additionally, in the early days, whenever other women approached Kenshin—especially Megumi—her mood would sour instantly, revealing a rather jealous side.
Incidentally, her personality differs most markedly between the original manga and the live-action film–based Kinema edition released to commemorate the movie’s debut.
This variation stems from Kazue’s rewriting based on contemporary trends: compared to the tomboyish original, the Kinema version portrays her as somewhat more subdued.
Though repeatedly teased about her culinary ineptitude, she was a remarkably responsible person who supported Kenshin and his apprentice Yahiko during an era when women’s participation in society was still difficult, even footing the meals for Sanosuke, who came to the dojo without income. She could be considered a pioneer of working women (while Kenshin himself might be described as a stay-at-home husband).
In the anime adaptation, as her financial burdens grew, she even sent Kenshin, Yahiko, and Sanosuke away to earn money (an episode where Kenshin unusually contemplates “using his sword for money”). At the same time, she herself also went off to work.
Furthermore, possessing a strong inner core, she never changed her attitude upon learning Kenshin’s true identity and past; when he headed toward Kyoto—prompted in part by Megumi’s reprimand—she followed him solely driven by her desire to see him again.
As the deputy instructor of a martial arts dojo, she excels in combat insight and weapon knowledge. During the “Jinchū Arc,” when Etō Hyōko and Yahiko clashed, she advised Yahiko about hidden weapons and successfully detected their traps (earning praise from Etō as “quite astute”).