Four men are shot to death and one is shot repeatedly in both legs, plenty of blood sprays and stains the ground, though the actual act is mostly shadowed out.
The first half of season one has mostly bloodless or offscreen violence, but later episodes have some blood.
A violent fight scene that goes on for a couple episodes in which several swordsmen fight several army officers. During this, several men are shot to death with plenty of blood spraying (though it's mostly seen in still-shots) and several others are slashed with swords.
One episode has several men killed by several others with swords. Although mostly in still-shots, plenty of blood sprays in a couple instances and the very bloody aftermath is seen.
A woman is shot in the leg. Plenty of blood sprays and the wound is graphically seen afterwards. A man then takes the bullet out of the wound with a knife, though this is offscreen.
Bloodless samurai martial arts violence in general, though it becomes more violent in the Kyoto arc.
Some blood is seen for comic effect. (Example: Kenshin accidentally getting his thumb caught in the sheath of his Katana.)