Hannya is a student of Aoshi. Born in a poor village, he was abandoned at birth to lessen the burden on the community. Despite this, Hannya survived but could not return to his village, so he roamed like a wild animal until Aoshi found him and offered him a place in the Oniwabanshū.
Hannya is the group's master of disguise, a skill he achieved by removing his distinctive facial features. This is why he wears a demonic mask. Grateful for the purpose Aoshi gave him within the Oniwabanshū, Hannya is fiercely loyal and even disfigured his face to enhance his ability to disguise himself as anyone.
Hannya sacrifices his life to buy Kenshin enough time to retrieve his sakabatou and defeat Kanryuu, thereby saving Aoshi. His combat style primarily stems from Aoshi's training, but Hannya adds his own twist by painting horizontal stripes on his arms. This creates an illusion of shorter limbs, misleading opponents about the true reach of his attacks.
