TV-Series
Description
Isao Kondou is the chief of the Shinsengumi, the special police force in Edo. He is a tall and powerfully built man with a strong facial structure, brown hair, and a goatee, standing approximately 184 centimeters tall. Due to his rugged appearance and sometimes brutish mannerisms, he is frequently and unofficially referred to by the nickname Gorilla. He is 28 years old and was born on September 4th.
Kondou is defined by a striking contradiction between his role as a dignified leader and his personal behavior as a comedic fool. At his core, he is a kind, warm-hearted, and exceptionally sincere individual. He has a generous spirit that allows him to see the good in people while often refusing to acknowledge their flaws. This unwavering trust in his comrades makes him the central pillar of the Shinsengumi, as his subordinates do not just follow him out of duty but out of deep personal loyalty and respect. However, this image of a stoic commander is regularly shattered by his obsessive and public infatuation with Shimura Tae. After she offered him words of encouragement, he fell deeply in love and began a relentless campaign of stalking, leading to frequent public nudity, bizarre declarations of love, and near-constant physical punishment from Tae herself. Despite his perverse tendencies and foolish actions, his persistence is genuine, and he treats his affection for her with an almost noble seriousness.
Before the formation of the Shinsengumi, Kondou was the heir to a swordsmanship dojo in the Bushuu region. As a child, he was a delinquent who got into trouble, including an incident where he attempted to rescue classmates from loan sharks, which resulted in the burning of his temple school. This event motivated him to become stronger. It was during his time running the dojo that he took in two wayward youths: Toushirou Hijikata and Sougo Okita. Recognizing their potential despite their violent pasts, he gave them a place to belong. Later, seeking to uphold the samurai code during a time when the government had forbidden swords, he moved his followers to Edo and established the Shinsengumi. To regain the right to carry swords, the group allied itself with the shogunate, becoming a special police force tasked with maintaining public order.
His primary role in the story is as the leader and emotional anchor of the Shinsengumi. While Vice-Chief Hijikata often handles the day-to-day administration and discipline, Kondou serves as the organization's soul. The members view themselves as the swords that protect their pure-hearted commander. This dynamic is tested severely during the Shogun Assassination arc and the Farewell Shinsengumi arc. Following the death of the Shogun, Kondou takes responsibility for the failure to protect him and is sentenced to execution. To protect his men from being implicated, he willingly surrenders. He is rescued from the prison island of Kurojanoshima by a coalition that includes his former rivals, and during the escape, he receives a large diagonal scar across his face. After these events, he temporarily leads his forces out of Edo.
Kondou shares a profound bond with his two longest-serving comrades. Hijikata Toushirou acts as his stern right-hand man and the enforcer of the group's rules, yet he is fiercely protective of Kondou, famously declaring that Kondou is the heart of the Shinsengumi. Sougo Okita, while frequently mocking the chief or attempting to assassinate him as a gag, holds a deep respect for the man who gave him a home. Despite being a sworn enemy of the terrorist Joui faction, Kondou develops a complex rivalry with Katsura Kotarou, which eventually evolves into mutual respect and cooperation against common threats. He also forms an unlikely friendship with Sakata Gintoki of the Yorozuya, as both share a desire to protect the people of Edo.
Throughout the series, Kondou experiences significant development from a pure gag character to a tragic hero. The Farewell Shinsengumi arc forces him to confront the consequences of his leadership, and he matures from a bumbling stalker into a man willing to die for his principles and his men. After the final battle against Utsuro in the Silver Soul arc, the Shinsengumi disbands, and Kondou retires. He attempts to live a quiet life as a live-in housekeeper for the Shimura family, his way of staying close to Tae, while also briefly being forced into a political marriage with a gorilla-like alien princess. He ultimately rejects this political marriage to return to his life and friends in Edo.
In terms of combat ability, Isao Kondou is a remarkably powerful swordsman, though his skills are often overshadowed by his comedic antics. He specializes in a power-based, one-hit kill style of swordsmanship derived from his dojo's teachings. He has demonstrated the ability to defeat elite opponents like Toujou Ayumu with a single strike. While he rarely participates in prolonged battles due to his need to be protected as the commander, he possesses immense physical strength, capable of fighting alongside fighters like Hijikata and Okita against overwhelming odds.
Kondou is defined by a striking contradiction between his role as a dignified leader and his personal behavior as a comedic fool. At his core, he is a kind, warm-hearted, and exceptionally sincere individual. He has a generous spirit that allows him to see the good in people while often refusing to acknowledge their flaws. This unwavering trust in his comrades makes him the central pillar of the Shinsengumi, as his subordinates do not just follow him out of duty but out of deep personal loyalty and respect. However, this image of a stoic commander is regularly shattered by his obsessive and public infatuation with Shimura Tae. After she offered him words of encouragement, he fell deeply in love and began a relentless campaign of stalking, leading to frequent public nudity, bizarre declarations of love, and near-constant physical punishment from Tae herself. Despite his perverse tendencies and foolish actions, his persistence is genuine, and he treats his affection for her with an almost noble seriousness.
Before the formation of the Shinsengumi, Kondou was the heir to a swordsmanship dojo in the Bushuu region. As a child, he was a delinquent who got into trouble, including an incident where he attempted to rescue classmates from loan sharks, which resulted in the burning of his temple school. This event motivated him to become stronger. It was during his time running the dojo that he took in two wayward youths: Toushirou Hijikata and Sougo Okita. Recognizing their potential despite their violent pasts, he gave them a place to belong. Later, seeking to uphold the samurai code during a time when the government had forbidden swords, he moved his followers to Edo and established the Shinsengumi. To regain the right to carry swords, the group allied itself with the shogunate, becoming a special police force tasked with maintaining public order.
His primary role in the story is as the leader and emotional anchor of the Shinsengumi. While Vice-Chief Hijikata often handles the day-to-day administration and discipline, Kondou serves as the organization's soul. The members view themselves as the swords that protect their pure-hearted commander. This dynamic is tested severely during the Shogun Assassination arc and the Farewell Shinsengumi arc. Following the death of the Shogun, Kondou takes responsibility for the failure to protect him and is sentenced to execution. To protect his men from being implicated, he willingly surrenders. He is rescued from the prison island of Kurojanoshima by a coalition that includes his former rivals, and during the escape, he receives a large diagonal scar across his face. After these events, he temporarily leads his forces out of Edo.
Kondou shares a profound bond with his two longest-serving comrades. Hijikata Toushirou acts as his stern right-hand man and the enforcer of the group's rules, yet he is fiercely protective of Kondou, famously declaring that Kondou is the heart of the Shinsengumi. Sougo Okita, while frequently mocking the chief or attempting to assassinate him as a gag, holds a deep respect for the man who gave him a home. Despite being a sworn enemy of the terrorist Joui faction, Kondou develops a complex rivalry with Katsura Kotarou, which eventually evolves into mutual respect and cooperation against common threats. He also forms an unlikely friendship with Sakata Gintoki of the Yorozuya, as both share a desire to protect the people of Edo.
Throughout the series, Kondou experiences significant development from a pure gag character to a tragic hero. The Farewell Shinsengumi arc forces him to confront the consequences of his leadership, and he matures from a bumbling stalker into a man willing to die for his principles and his men. After the final battle against Utsuro in the Silver Soul arc, the Shinsengumi disbands, and Kondou retires. He attempts to live a quiet life as a live-in housekeeper for the Shimura family, his way of staying close to Tae, while also briefly being forced into a political marriage with a gorilla-like alien princess. He ultimately rejects this political marriage to return to his life and friends in Edo.
In terms of combat ability, Isao Kondou is a remarkably powerful swordsman, though his skills are often overshadowed by his comedic antics. He specializes in a power-based, one-hit kill style of swordsmanship derived from his dojo's teachings. He has demonstrated the ability to defeat elite opponents like Toujou Ayumu with a single strike. While he rarely participates in prolonged battles due to his need to be protected as the commander, he possesses immense physical strength, capable of fighting alongside fighters like Hijikata and Okita against overwhelming odds.