Ask John: What Does Ronin Mean?

Question:
When it comes to the word “Ronin,” it usually means repeating 2 or more times to get into college, like Love Hina. But then we have Ronin Warriors which has nothing to do with school whatsoever. Just to confirm, what does the word “Ronin” mean?

Answer:
The word “ronin” is an ancient Japanese term that’s most commonly translated as “masterless samurai.” A ronin was a feudal era samurai who was not employed by a daimyo (feudal lord). In contemporary times, the term “ronin” evolved to refer to Japanese students who, like wandering samurai who did not belong to any organized group, had failed their first college entrance exam and were left unemployed and not attending school.

In a related side note, the name “Rurouni Kenshin” was Watsuki Nobuhiro’s own combination of the words “ronin” and “samurai” to form “Rurouni,” or “Wandering Samurai Kenshin.”