The chapters of the Rurouni Kenshin were written and illustrated by Nobuhiro Watsuki. The first chapter of Rurouni Kenshin premiered in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1994 and the series ran in the magazine until 1999. The story takes place during the early Meiji period in Japan and follows a fictional assassin named Himura Kenshin, formerly known as the "Hitokiri Battōsai (人斬り抜刀斎), who becomes a wanderer to protect the people from Japan.
The 255 individual chapters known as "Acts", as well as a few one-shots authored by Watsuki were collected and published in 28 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. The first volume was released on September 2, 1994 and the last on November 4, 1999. In July 2006, Shueisha re-released the series in a twenty-two kanzenban special edition volumes. A single chapter follow up to the series, Yahiko no Sakabatō (弥彦の逆刃刀, lit. "Yahiko's Reversed-Edge Sword"), was originally published in Weekly Shōnen Jump after the conclusion of the series. The chapter is focused on Myōjin Yahiko some time after the end of the series when he is requested to take care of a dojo for a short time. Left out of the original volumes, the chapter added as an extra to the final kanzenban release.
The first eighteen volumes were adapted into an anime produced by Studio Deen, and aired in Japan from January 10, 1996 to September 8, 1998. Additionally, several parts of the following volumes were adapted into two original video animations series.
Rurouni Kenshin was licensed for an English-language release in North America by Viz Media. The first volume of the series was released on October 7, 2003. The first volumes were published irregularly, but a monthly basis was established by Viz media after volume seven due to good sales and consumer demands. The last volume was published on July 5, 2006. Yahiko no Sakabatō was also serialized in Shonen Jump during 2006. In January 2008, Viz re-released the manga in a wide-ban format called "VIZBIG Edition", which is a collection of three volumes in one.
In December 2011, Shueisha announced Watsuki would be putting his current series, Embalming -The Another Tale of Frankenstein-, on hold to begin a "reboot" of Rurouni Kenshin, called Rurouni Kenshin Cinema-ban, as a tie-in to the live-action movie. The series began in the June 2012 issue of Jump SQ., which was released on May 2, 2012, and depicts the battles that are featured in the live-action film. Another special titled Rurouni Kenshin Chapter 0, was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump in August 2012. On May 7, 2012, it was announced in Viz Media's digital manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump Alpha that Rurouni Kenshin Cinema-ban will join its line-up, being retitled Rurouni Kenshin: Restoration and published monthly starting on May 21.