Chibita is a character originally created by Fujio Akatsuka, first appearing in the classic manga Osomatsu-kun before becoming a fixture in the modern anime Mr. Osomatsu. In his earliest appearances, he was a nameless, often bullied child, but he quickly evolved into a lead character and became one of his creator's favorites to write. His background is notably inconsistent in early stories, with a rotating cast of family members including an older brother, various fathers and mothers, and even a younger sister named Chibiko in some tales. Despite these shifting origins, the most persistent depiction is of him as a free-roaming child, sometimes an orphan, who lives in a pipe in a scrapyard.

Physically, Chibita is instantly recognizable by his diminutive stature. As a child, he stands at a mere sixty centimeters tall, making him significantly shorter than those around him. He has a shaved, bald head with a single protruding hair and a prominent crease across the scalp. His face is characterized by wide eyes, a pointed nose, and three lines on each cheek, which official sources have described as hardened mucus from a runny nose that has been wiped onto his face. His typical outfit consists of a long-sleeved shirt with a single button, often colored yellow or deep red, paired with simple pants. In his modern incarnation as an adult in Mr. Osomatsu, he remains short but has grown, wearing a yellow dress shirt, blue shorts, and a red bow tie while working at his oden stall.

Chibita's personality is defined by a powerful combination of determination and resilience. He is a cheeky and spirited young boy who refuses to give up no matter how much he is pushed around or bullied, particularly by the Matsuno sextuplets. While he is often portrayed as a pure and kind-hearted child who is a great friend to animals like cats and frogs, he also has a significantly devious side. He is prone to scheming, getting into fights, and seeking elaborate revenge when he feels he has been wronged. This unfortunate yet scrappy nature often positions him as a sympathetic underdog. His speech patterns reinforce his rough-and-tumble persona; he has a distinct "Kekeke" laugh, speaks with a very rough accent, and has signature catchphrases like calling someone an idiot "barou" or shouting "Teyande barou chikusho," which conveys his general frustration and anger.

Chibita's primary motivation, especially in his youth, is survival and retaliation against those who bully him, namely the Matsuno brothers. However, his most defining and lifelong obsession is with the Japanese winter dish oden. His favorite food, he is rarely seen without an oden skewer in hand, which typically features a piece of konjac, fried tofu, and narutomaki. This obsession becomes his life's work. As an adult in Mr. Osomatsu, his entire identity and role in the story shift to that of an oden stall owner. His daily motivation becomes creating the perfect oden and, more pressingly, getting the perpetually broke Matsuno sextuplets to finally pay their ever-growing tab.

Chibita’s role in the story and his relationships are central to his character. His most significant bond is with Iyami, who acts as a mentor, scheming partner, and a sort of surrogate family for the otherwise rootless child. The two frequently plot together against the sextuplets, though their relationship can be transactional, and Iyami is known to betray Chibita when it suits him. His dynamic with the Matsuno sextuplets is one of mutual antagonism. While they often torment him, he is far from a passive victim; he is a formidable fighter, considered even better than Osomatsu, and will go to extreme lengths to get revenge. He also has occasional, often dysfunctional, interactions with other characters like Totoko, for whom he sometimes harbors a crush.

Chibita also possesses a number of notable, if sometimes absurd, abilities. Aside from his proficiency in fighting, his head is shown to be incredibly durable, capable of shattering teeth when bitten. In the modern series, his dedication to oden is so extreme that he is shown bathing naked in its broth. In one notable episode, the accidental plucking of his single hair triggers a violent, vengeful rampage against the sextuplets, demonstrating the depth of his pent-up frustration. Over the course of the various series, Chibita shows clear development. While he remains tenacious, his adult self in Mr. Osomatsu is a more responsible and settled figure who has channeled his chaotic energy into his cooking, though his patience is still constantly tested by the troublesome brothers.