In Rurouni Kenshin, a great deal was made of his weapon, the sakabataou or reverse-blade sword. It symbolized Kenshin's desire to never kill again because the blade was on the upper side that never hit people, meaning the wielder could not slash as easily to deliver a death blow.

When I was reading this over a decade ago, I felt this didn't make sense and I'm still unsettled now. Even if the blade is on the wrong side, you still have a fucking metal sword. That shit can kill people. It's like beating someone with a lead pipe. It's just as deadly, but now it's slower since you slash with a dull edge.