Kamina is a young man from the subterranean village of Giha, where humanity has been forced to live for generations. He stands out immediately for his tall, well-built frame, tan skin, short blue spiky hair, and red eyes usually hidden behind his trademark pair of red triangular sunglasses. His body is marked by blue, tattoo-like markings that run down both arms and across his upper back and shoulders. He typically wears only a pair of pants, a red cape, and carries a nodachi, a long Japanese greatsword, as his weapon of choice.

Possessing a seemingly arrogant and boisterous personality, Kamina is passionate about his goals and pursues them without a trace of fear, hesitation, or sometimes common sense. He is an unyielding idealist who demands recognition, often referring to himself as the Great Kamina. His signature catchphrase is Just who the hell do you think I am? Despite his loud and often foolish exterior, which includes a perverted streak he proudly declares as part of being a man, Kamina is far more insightful than he appears. He admits that his bravado and fearlessness are devices he uses to hide his own worries and to support others, revealing a complicated and self-aware individual beneath the hot-headed surface.

Kaminas core motivation is the dream of reaching the surface world, a place he alone believes he glimpsed as a child. This dream is deeply personal and rooted in a childhood memory of being too afraid to follow his father to the surface, a regret that fuels his unwavering drive. More than just a personal ambition, his fight against the Beastmen who rule the surface is driven by a desire to create a future where future generations can live without fear. He forms the Team Gurren, with his younger soul-brother Simon, a timid digger who looks up to him. Kamina is the charismatic leader who takes the blame for their rebellious acts and rallies everyone to his cause with dramatic, inspiring speeches. His role is that of the fearless catalyst who drags his friends from their hidden underground village to the vast, dangerous surface and begins the fight against the Spiral Kings oppressive rule.

His most significant relationship is with Simon, to whom he is an older brother and mentor. Kamina is one of the few people who firmly believes in the timid Simons abilities, constantly pushing him to be greater and serving as his source of courage. He famously tells Simon not to believe in the Simon that believes in him, nor the Kamina that believes in him, but to believe in the Simon who believes in himself. Kamina also forms a key relationship with Yoko, a sharpshooter from the surface who joins them. The two share a mutual attraction and eventually confess their feelings and share a kiss on the eve of a major battle. Kamina is also the founder of the Team Dai-Gurren, the main resistance force against the Beastman Empire, and his charisma naturally makes him its leader.

Across the story, Kamina develops from a village delinquent obsessed with the surface into a skilled and respected commander of a growing army. While he begins as a poor pilot of his Gunmen, the giant robot he names Gurren, he becomes a formidable fighter who can rival elite Beastman pilots like Viral. His greatest development comes from his partnership with Simon, as they learn to combine their mechs, Gurren and Lagann, to form the powerful Gurren Lagann. He grows to trust Simon completely, even handing over control of a fight to his younger brother when he sees the determination in his eyes. Tragically, his development is cut short during the mission to capture the enemy fortress Dai-Gunzan. After being mortally wounded by one of the Four Divine Generals, Thymilph, Kamina uses the last of his strength to combine with Simon one final time. He defeats the general with a new technique, the Giga Drill Breaker, and dies in the cockpit, leaving his legacy and final words to inspire his comrades to continue the fight.

In terms of abilities, Kamina is an expert physical fighter and swordsman, able to go toe-to-toe with beastmen who possess superior strength. He is a remarkably quick learner, becoming an excellent pilot and an accurate marksman in a very short span of time. Perhaps his greatest ability is his immense fighting spirit, a manifestation of Spiral Power, the life force that allows for growth and evolution. His willpower is so strong that, despite being mortally wounded, he forces himself to continue fighting long enough to secure victory. His charisma is so potent that it directly inspires and strengthens his allies, allowing them to perform beyond their normal limits. Even in death, his influence remains a driving force for the entire team, with his memory and unwavering spirit continuing to motivate Simon from beyond the grave.