Ask John: What is the Signifigance of the Cross-Shaped Scar?

Question:
What is the signifigance of the cross-shaped scar? Good characters and bad characters have them such as Kenshin (Ruroni Kenshin) on his face and Vash (Trigun) on his chest and a villian from Yu Yu Hakusho on his face.

Answer:
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Cross or X shaped scars appear on characters including Himura Kenshin of Rurouni Kenshin, Vash the Stampede of Trigun, Misato Katsuragi of Evangelion, Sagara Sousuke of Full Metal Panic, Yamcha of Dragonball, Mibu Kyoshiro from Samurai Deeper Kyo, and many others. But there is no singular common trait between any of these characters besides the fact that they’ve all lived through a violent past. In fact, anime’s most famous cross scar, the one on the face of Himura Kenshin, isn’t actually even a single scar. The Rurouni Kenshin Tsuikohen OAV series reveals that it’s actually two separate, overlapping scars made at different times, by different people, that coincidentally happen to make an “X” shape.

Since anime characters are drawn, there’s always a need to distinguish one from all others. Un-natural hair colors have always been one method employed by Japanese animators to distinguish their characters from other anime characters. Especially facial scars are another method of establishing individuality. Captain Harlock’s famous scar is one of the elements that makes him so recognizable as who he is. Likewise, Himura Kenshin’s scar is a distinguishing characteristic. Scars express characterization; they denote experience and perseverance through hardship. But there are only a limited number of ways to depict noticeable scars in anime. In effect, the frequency of the cross shaped scar in anime is just coincidental. The cross shaped scar has no greater significance or deeper meaning that any other type of scar seen in anime.