Therefore, Watsuki had Shishio motivated by revenge and a desire to conquer, therefore making him destructive in a manner similar to that of Serizawa Kamo of the Shinsengumi.

Watsuki explained that Shishio will not compromise his beliefs under any circumstances, has no objections to "using others as a means to an end", and seeks "absolute power" "with ruthless abandon".

Watsuki believes, "with some confidence", that the scene of Shishio in hell walking across a pile of skeletons is "as good a dramatization of a villain in RuroKen that we're ever going to get."

[4] In history police were forbidden from entering the Mount Hiei temple grounds, so criminals gathered there and claimed that they were there for "religious enlightenment".

[8] Shishio is introduced by word of mouth as successor to the name, hitokiri, when Himura Kenshin became a free wielding swordsman to protect members of the Ishin Shishi.

[9] He survived, sustaining severe damage to his entire body to the point that he must wear bandages day and night to cover his disfigured skin.

[9] Shishio, with the aid from a man named Sadojima Hōji, assembled a group of the best fighters in Japan, called the Ten Swords (Juppongatana), to overthrow the Meiji government.

At some point, he met Komagata Yumi, a former high-ranking geisha who despised the Meiji Government's new policies on prostitution, with whom he shared a romantic relationship.

Shishio's sword, like Kenshin's, is a work by master swordsmith Arai Shakku: a blade called Mugenjin (無限刃, lit.

"Unlimited Blade"); its self-sharpening serrated edge flaked away in a regular pattern as it was used and it had become soaked in the flesh and body fat of the victims he had killed over the years.

[25] In the latter movie, Shishio appears off the Tokyo coast in a large black iron-clad battleship, and demands that the prime minister visit him.

[30] Anime News Network acclaimed both Shishio's characterization in regards to what he represents to Kenshin's past: "a merciless killer who believes his sword to be the only justice in the land.

[32] Bamboo Dong from Anime News Network referred to him as "everyone's favorite mummy man" but found disgust in how the OVA showed him having a sexual relationship despite his poor body's form as a result of suffering major burns.

Dong also criticized the lack of delivery of good fight scenes despite all the build up Shishio has in order to conquer Japan through his forces.

[37] The eventual climax led further praise based on how menacing Shishio is shown in the battle against his predecessor although he questioned if Kenshin had been a superior enemy if had kept back his original killer persona.

Jahanzeb Khan of Snap Thirty described Shishio and his minions "as a force to be reckoned with, a legitimate threat to the vulnerable Japanese society that is still struggling to transition into the Westernized values of the new government.

"[39] Clarence Tsui from Hollywood Reporter noticed parallel between Shishio's actions to real life events that occurred in Japan in the liveaction.

However, his fight scenes in his ship was praised[41] Roxy Simmons of Eastern Kicks focused on Fujiwara's acting in particular as he "was finally able to spread his wings in this, and was fantastic as the antagonist Makoto Shishio, portraying a nuanced version of his character and vulnerabilities that made his end all the more satisfying.

"[42] Lito B. Zulueta of Philippine Daily Inquirer stated that Kenshin and Shishio are "totally engaging and, in their own terms of twisted motivation and mission, credible characters.

"[43] In retrospect, F. Liu from International Journal of Education and Humanities wrote that while Shishio sticks to a bushido like Kenshin and Saito, his values are highly different from the other protagonist as his morals change after being betrayed by the Meiji and instead builds his own ideologies, swearing revenge against the Meiji while valuing the concept of how stronger people should kill the weak for their own sake.

He took the deaths of his subordinates for granted while carrying out his plan to overthrow the government, believing that he, as the physically and mentally strong man, would ultimately triumph.

However, Shishio's death acts like a karmic backlash due to how his plans and ambition backfire in his last fight against Kenshin as he dies in by being incinerating himself.