In the order I got them!

From Chichiri no da:

1) Because he's the only one who has even a prayer of hurting Kenshin when he's in Battousai mode.

2) Because he can actually put away his hatred long enough to work with an enemy to accomplish something he considers to be important!

3) Because he can stand in that Gototsu stance for many many hours (ahhh, the stamina!).

4) Because he actually has PRINCIPLES.  No matter how scary Aku Soku Zan sounds, it's basically what Kenshin would be if he could actually do the "Zan" part.

5) Is he really evil?

6) Because he doesn't care about money!

7) Because he's less obsessive than Aoshi.

8) Because he even has cooler lines than Aoshi!

9) Wow, wasn't that move when he drove the broken-off point of his sword all the way through Sano's shoulder cool?  Poor Sano-san!

10) Because he's a sword fighter, but he can also beat anyone in a fist-fight.  You don't see Battousai taking one of Sano's punches and just standing there, do you?

11) Tee hee!  Wolves are cool!

12) Because he doesn't care what any one thinks.  Anyone.  Least of all his employers.  Least least of all the government.  Least least LEAST of all Himura Kenshin! (Who cares about being thought of as "the Strongest" anyway?)

13) Tokio and Saitou no Miko are right... he can even make leaning against a dumbster look sexy!

14) Wow, wasn't that move when he counted the Ryu Tsui Sen by thrusting upwards cool?  Why didn't anyone else think of that?

15) Ahou ga.

16) Aku. Soku. Zan.

17) He was a real person!

From Miko no da:

18) Even though he looks like a cockroach, he still has fangirls!

From Ben Samson:

19) He uses his left hand to fight, which is almost as good as being left-handed!

From The Net Haven:

20) He doesn't rely only on his weapons, very versatile

From jm leovi chua:

21) Because he has a reason to wear the same old shirt everyday like a uniform... because IT IS a uniform!!! (Can you say Sano has a closet-full of that white kimono and bandages? I don't think so...)

From Janie Wang:

22) Try the fact that he can light his cigarette under any weather condition on the first try without lighting his hair on fire.

From Andrew:

23) He has da coolest uniform any1 can have

24) He's hardcore

25) And hes a bad guy (how cool is dat?)

From Nataku:

26) Saitou-san is the true embodiment of Bushido and Seigi. It might be just me but Saitou had a good chance of being accused of being a traitor by other Shinsegumi members after he joined the Meiji government which had caused the group's downfall. He might not bother the accusations, but if it was I who was in his place, I would had collapsed(literally), and the same goes with anyone else, especially Battousai himself. Saitou did what he thought was right, for all fools would say, and that took alot of courage and faith.Thus for myself, Saitou is great not only because he is a match for Sean Connery, but also because he had truly followed, deep to his bones, the seigi of Aku Zoku San.

From Mio:

27) He doesn't think Kenshin is a god.

28) He's not handsome but soooo extremely gorgeous, really attractive *sigh*

29) He's married.

From Becca-chan:

30) Saitou-sama has a very laid back way of fighting. Kenshin does kick ass but he's the only guy (as of episode 60 from what ive watched) that can bring the Hitokiri Battousi out of Kenshin. His hair is definitely weird...did they even have hair gel back then? I love how he can act really sweet and innocent as Fujita Goro and then open his eyes and get that same glare of being ready to kill but have no battle aura. He is very logical in everything he does, even when fighting ShiShiO when his first Gototsu doesn't land because both of his legs were cut up pretty badly, he continued to use the same move to trick ShiShiO into thinking they were the same moves but were actually different moves that started out the same. When he 'dies' after that battle, he simply stands there smoking while Sano screams at him. I love the little thing between Sano and Saitou, they're like two siblings, the younger one trying to prove himself to the older one. It's a major bummer though that he's married :*(

From Lindsey Winks:

31) Saitoh is definately one of the best RK characters out there because he's the most normal of the whole bunch. I mean, he isn't a guilt ridden assasin like a certain red-head we know, and he didn't go off his rocker with some strange obsession (although, I have to admit, I am a die-hard Aoshi fan.) I mean, he's married, and he has a career, hell, the guy even has morals.

From MaryBeth:

32) Because he acts so cool even when there's something bad going on, like his normal self. Unlike Sano, who will shout like crazy, Kenshin will suddenly say Oro again, Aoshi, who will suddenly get that devil-like look in his eyes, Kaoru, who can only say Kenshin, Yahiko, who would (you get the point). And unlike them, even in his angry form, he looks sexy and devious, and he is super mysterious.

From Mokona Chan:

33) Saito is the best and the sexiest character in RK. He can kick ass, no doubt about that, but the best part is how he uses his teeth to take off his gloves. ::hearts:: Everytime I see it I would just faint. He is just too sexy to resist!!!!

From Dave: the Angry Voltron Driver:

34) He's cool.

35) He really is a good guy. Really!

36) He's no sell out. "A dog is tamed with food.... A man is tamed with money.... But nothing can tame Mibu's wolf."

37) He's almost always unflappable, just don't metion his wife!

38) He doesn't care what everybody thinks.

39) He has a cool wolf effect when he does his Gotatsu Zero Zehki.

40) He's Sano's sempai, in a wierd way.

From Charles K. Sweeney:

41) He has principles and refuses to compromise them, unlike a certain trenchcoated ninja we all know and love (I love Aoshi, I do, but he went against his beliefs of right and wrong to win a title that was, ultimately, meaningless as well as denied him). For example, even though he regards the Battousai/Kenshin as an enemy, he fights alongside Kenshin/Battousai for the common good, because he believes that "Aku. Soku. Zan" should be upheld, personal rivalries notwithstanding. It takes an honorable person to lay aside their petty hatred in defence of the greater good.

42) He also sets aside his own inclinations to do what is needed of him. He could have easily killed Sanosuke, both in the dojo (although it would have been impractical, but I digress) and outside Katsu's house, but he didn't. Although I have a sneaking suspicion he wanted to, even if it were just for a moment :) Hell, he probably could've killed Kenshin, and was seriously considering it (in the dojo), but he instead laid aside his wishes and completed his assignment to test Kenshin's skill. I have to admire that, having been in semi-comparable situations. Only the strong can sublimate their own wills to do what is right/necessary.

43)  I love his hair, fangs (yes, fangs! If you don't know what I'm talking about, rewatch the fight with Battousai. Eps. 30-31, I believe), amber eyes, voice, and attitude. I aspire to reach such heights of bad-assedness.

From Cef:

44) For the fact, that he doesn't give up, nor does he run away, unlike Sano he doesn't let anyone beat him till he can't fight anymore, he does what he can to stop that then beats them back, and looks so damn kool doing it.

45) Also because he kills enemies up right, he doesn't waste his time if he doesn't have to running away or what ever, he just finishes it quick, and with style.^_^

From Razibul Ahmed:

46) Saitou's the man because basically, he is probably one of only two men that can piss Battousai off and back it up. (Hiko's the other one by the way....although I think Hiko is the best swordsman in RK)

I don't like Kenshin......so anyone who can slap him around a bit is tops in my book........(that's also the reason I like Hiko......that boy just tosses Kenshin around like he was Yahiko :-) ) Battousai mode indeed.

47) Saitou.....no remorse......no regrets......Aku Soku Zan

From Skyfyre:

48) Who else can look so sexy after impaling Usui (the blind swordsman of the Jyuppongatana) 4 metres up on a wall with a katana?

From Utsukushii Ansatsusha:

49) Saitou is, well Saitou. When you purr his name, it send shivers down the spines of everyone in the room even if they DON'T know who he is ::sighs... hearts::

From Brother Ferens:

50) Well most obviously every great hero has to have a great villian otherwise how else would the hero establish himself as great. in a side to that he is a villian with a code of honor befitting of a hero, has the greatest fighting ability [sorry kenshin], and knows how not to be a liability [sorry sano]. and lets face it half those guys wouldn't be as cool if not for their "villian like" traits, kenshin the former battousai, sano and his terrorist upbringing... simply put he's the coolest character in the series.

From Hitomi:

51) Because he is the full embodiment of bad ass and still has a wife that's not budda.(Which, in it's own way, is sad that he's not single)

52) He is the ultimate chain smoker and doesn't have any symptoms of cancer.

Submit any additional reasons to chichirinoda@japan.com!  I'd love to put them up, with proper credit, of course! However, you should remember that if you want me to give you credit, you have to sign your name at the end of the email! Otherwise I'll just have to email you back to ask - which is a pain! I'll cut and paste from the email, so if you don't want it worded that way (or spelled that way...) don't word/spell it that way! ^_^  Any changes you want to make to the way I put up your submission will be honoured!

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