New Dragon Ball Super Episode Features Rurouni Kenshin Easter Egg

Even though Rurouni Kenshin has been off-air for years, the shonen series still stands as one of the genre’s finest series. The fluid, thought-provoking anime followed a skilled samurai named Himura Kenshin as he traveled about, atoning for previous sins he made as a bloodied warrior. Over the years, numerous other anime titles have paid homage to Rurouni Kenshin with references, and Dragon Ball Super has just joined the list. In the anime’s most recent episode, fans noticed one character on the show had some familiar quirks.

On Dragon Ball Super, the anime’s last episode ended with Goku being challenged to a battle by a fighter from Universe 11. The warrior Toppo watched the Saiyan as he fought in his exhibition match for the Tournament of Power, and Goku acted harshly enough to make the powerful fighter consider him a villain. Next week, the match between Toppo and Goku will begin in full-force, but episode 81 did see Toppo gear up for the battle.

It was during his preparation that fans of Rurouni Kenshin noticed something peculiar about Toppo. When talking about Goku, the heroic warrior used the phrase, “Aku Soku Zan” which roughly translates to “Slay Evil Immediately” in English. The term is a familiar one since one major character in Rurouni Kenshin often uttered the phrase. Saitō Hajime often used the term as he was a captain of the Shinsengumi. Toppo mirrored the character even further when he then slid into Saito’s ‘Gotatsu’ stance as he challenged Goku to a formal battle. The form was one Saito took whenever he would engage in battle with opponents like Kenshin.

So far, there’s no telling whether the nod is an foreshadowing one. There are few outward similarities between Toppo and Saito, but the warrior’s personality may shift accordingly as Dragon Ball Super continues.

Dragon Ball Super recently kicked off the ‘Universal Survival’ saga. You can check out the brief synopsis for it below:

“At Goku’s request, the Omni-Kings’ “Tournament of Power” martial arts tournament between universes now begins! …But this also proves to be the beginning of universal destruction. What awaits the victors of this tournament, and the vanquished…?! How will these intense team battles between the elites of each universe turn out…?!”

MORE: Here’s What Happens To Nappa’s Hair When He Goes Super Saiyan

As for its start date, the new sage is slated to premiere on February 5, 2017. The “Universal Survival” saga will be part of the recent simulcast agreement that sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation have scored. Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. CST. Toonami will begin airing the English dub on Adult Swim Saturdays at 11:30 p.m.