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With an extremely massive ensemble cast full of vibrant, bizarre characters, it can be hard for new fans of Gintama to keep track of everyone. Here’s a list of the major players in the series that viewers will be seeing quite a bit of.
Updated February 22, 2022 by Danny Guan: Gintama: The Very Final aired for English viewers only a few months ago, finally concluding this extremely long-running manga and anime series. The movie was a fond farewell to many of the characters that fans of the series had grown to love over the years. Most fans agree that the popularity of Gintama is based solely on the strength and diversity of its characters, who all manage to play a role, whether it be big or small. While the series’ ending is still fresh in everyone’s minds, it’s nice to take a look back at the goofy, heartwarming, and hilarious characters that make up this incredible ensemble cast.
Character Chart
Gintama has a massive ensemble cast, and it only grows as the series goes on. As a result, it can be hard to parse which characters are more important than others. This table provides a short list of some of the more important recurring characters from manga and anime.
*Katsura and Takasugi’s ages are never specified, but since they went to school and were childhood friends of Gintoki, it can generally be assumed that they are around the same age.
Gintoki Sakata
The boss of the Yorozuya and the main character of the series, Gintoki Sakata has a standard height of 5’ 10 (177 cm). He is a fully grown adult at 27 years old, and his birthday is on the 10th of October.
Gintoki is quite unique compared to the majority of Shonen protagonists, particularly being much older than characters like Luffy or Naruto, who are teenagers or even younger. This allows Gintoki to happily take part in the obscene and irreverent humor that made this series so famous.
Shinpachi Shimura
The budding samurai and heir to the Shimura dojo stands at 5'5.5 (166 cm). The young Shinpachi is still a teenager at 16 years old, and his birthday is on the 12th of August.
Shinpachi is Gintoki’s perennial sidekick and usually follows him on whatever job he’s happened to take. While Shinpachi is constantly exasperated by his boss’s antics, he looks up to him and hopes to learn enough from him to help his older sister Tae revive his father’s lost dojo.
Kagura
The youngest member of the Yorozuya is only 14 years old, and her stature matches at 5'1 (155 cm). She was born on the 3rd of November.
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As a member of the powerful Yato Clan, Kagura is potentially not just one of the strongest main characters, but also one of the strongest in the entire series. Whenever the Yorozuya end up getting themselves into a dangerous scuffle, Kagura is always the fighter to count on. It is best not to underestimate her short stature and youth.
Toshiro Hijikata
The vice-commander of the Shinsengumi police group is the exact mirror image of Gintoki, being not only 27 years old, but also 5'10 (177 cm). He was born on the 5th of May.
As the vice-commander, Hijikata is the most level-headed and serious member of the Shinsengumi, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t join in on the silliness every now and then. This mayonnaise-loving, chain-smoking police officer is one of the most popular characters in the series, beating out even some of the Yorozuya.
Isao Kondo
The filthy, obsessive, and creepy commander of the Shinsengumi is one of the oldest characters in the show at 28 years old. He is also the tallest at 6'0" (184 cm). His birthday is on the 4th of September.
Despite his stalker-ish tendencies and lack of dignity, Kondo has one of the biggest hearts in Gintama. There’s a reason why the Shinsengumi revere him so much, even if he is not as put-together as Hijikata is. Of course, he still gets up to a whole bunch of unscrupulous shenanigans, and he is easily one of the grossest characters on the show.
Sogo Okita
The young 1st Division captain of the Shinsengumi is one of the youngest members of this police force at 18 years old. He stands at 5'7 (170 cm). He was born on the 8th of July.
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The ever-popular Okita is easily the strongest member of the Shinsengumi, even without considering his strange preference of using rocket launchers in battle. Despite his sadistic and cruel nature, Okita still possesses a kind heart that swears unwavering loyalty to Kondo and even Hijikata, who he bullies relentlessly.
Sagaru Yamazaki
This much-maligned, often forgotten member of the Shinsengumi is surprisingly the oldest member of the cast, being 32 years of age. Despite his age, he only stands at 5'6.5 (169 cm). His birthday is on February 6.
Despite being a relatively low-key member of the Shinsengumi, Yamazaki remains a general fan favorite due to his constant presence as a comic relief character. Whether it be playing kabaddi while on duty or going crazy from eating too much anpan, a Yamazaki episode is always sure to be a lot of fun.
Kotaro Katsura
This airheaded, manic Joui patriot is only slightly shorter than his childhood friend Gintoki, being 5'9 (175 cm). While his age is never specified, it is generally assumed that he is in his mid-twenties, since he should be around the same age that Gintoki is. He was born on the 26th of June.
Seriously determined to free Japan from Amanto oppression, Katsura remains one of the goofiest characters in Gintama. While he is highly motivated and passionate, his airheadedness and absent-mindedness are just as high, causing him to get into all kinds of ridiculous trouble.
Shinsuke Takasugi
Just like Katsura, Takasugi’s age is never specified within the series. However, since he is childhood friends with Gintoki, it can generally be assumed that he is also in his mid-twenties. Of the three childhood friends, he is the shortest at 5'7 (170 cm). His birthday is on the 10th of August.
The extremist leader of the Kiheitai, Takasugi serves as one of the major antagonists of the series. Despite this, he mostly moves in the background, and as a result, he does not show up very often in the series. However, his importance to the plot of Gintama as a whole cannot be overstated, especially during its more serious arcs.
Tae Shimura
Tae Shimura (also known as Otae) is Shinpachi’s older sister, being 18 years old. She is just slightly taller than him at 5'6 (168 cm). She was born on October 31.
While, outwardly, she expresses the demeanor of a traditional Japanese beauty, Tae hides her true nature of being incredibly violent, aggressive, and acerbic, especially to people she sees bothersome like Kondo. Nevertheless, she has her moments of kindness and charity, and always tries to be a role model to her younger brother and Kagura.
Ayame Sarutobi
The masochistic ninja better known as Sacchan is an endless pursuer of Gintoki’s affections. She stands at 5'6.5 (169 cm) and she is in her mid-twenties. Her birthday is on the 2nd of June.
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Endlessly perverted and remarkably persistent, Sacchan is so intent on receiving Gintoki’s love, whether it be a warm kiss or a punch to the face. It’s easy to forget that she is an extremely skilled ninja and assassin on par with some of the best fighters in the series. Still, she has her endearing moments, and at the very least, her ridiculous antics are always fun to watch unfold.
Kyubei Yagyu
The young heir of the Yagyu clan and Otae’s childhood friend is one of the shortest characters at only 5'2 (157 cm), standing only one inch above Kagura despite being 17 years of age. Kyubei’s birthday is on the 20th of April.
Born a girl, Kyubei was raised as a man in order to become a proper heir to her prominent clan. While Kyubei was freed from such obligations thanks to a fight with Gintoki, Shinpachi, and the Shinsengumi, she still occasionally struggles with her personal identity.
Tsukuyo
The leader of Yoshiwara’s Hyakka and a mighty ninja in her own right, Tsukuyo is quite young for someone in her role, being around 23 years of age. She stands at 5'7" (170 cm), the tallest among the female characters, and her birthday is on the 9th of February.
Generally cool and collected, Tsukuyo hides a heart of gold full of compassion, despite her rough upbringing in the brothels of Yoshiwara. Tsukuyo is one of the most popular characters in the series ever since her breakout appearance in the Yoshiwara arc.
Kamui
The bloodthirsty older brother of Kagura is one of the most dangerous people in the series at only 18 years old. He stands at 5'7 (170 cm) and his birthday is on the 1st of June.
While Kamui does not appear until well into Gintama’s run, he nevertheless becomes very important to the plot as one of the series’ central antagonists. His importance is strengthened by his familial connection to Kagura, one of the main characters of the series. His insane strength and warrior mentality make him a threat that can’t be ignored.
Elizabeth
This strange duck-like creature always hanging around Katsura is a complete mystery, and many of the characters are at a loss as to what it actually is. While its age is unknown, it does have a birthday on the 7th of September. It stands 5'11 (180 cm), towering over its comrade Katsura.
The true identity of this strange creature has been debated endlessly both inside and outside the series. Nevertheless, it’s very clear that it is very loyal to Katsura and would do almost anything for him. Elizabeth is one of the most recognizable characters in the series and is a perfect example of its absurd nature.
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