IGN listed him as the fourth best villain in anime due to his strength and philosophies despite suffering severe burns in his body. Manga News described Shishio's arc as one of the most preferred ones in the entire manga, Yukishiro Enishi's revenge arc is also popular nevertheless. Although the same site enjoyed Sojiro's fight and how it connected with Shishio's past, they said sixteenth manga's best part was Kenshin's fight against Shishio due to the build up and symbolism the two characters have. The eventual climax led further praise based on how menacing Shishio is shown in the battle against his predecessor although he questioned if Kenshin had been a superior enemy if had kept back his original killer persona.