Isami Kondō, founding commander of Kyoto’s peacekeeping Shinsengumi, emerges from Edo as a leader of warmth and approachability, guiding subordinates with compassion while valuing their counsel. His unwavering trust in others’ goodness occasionally borders on naivety, yet he confronts consequences with steadfast accountability. Bound by youthful ambitions to transcend non-samurai origins, Kondō forges an unbreakable alliance with Toshizō Hijikata, whose strategic mind complements his own role as the group’s public emblem and ethical anchor. From Sōji Okita’s childhood, Kondō molds him into a formidable swordsman, nurturing a bond akin to father and son. Empathy drives Kondō to shelter Chizuru Yukimura during her quest, just as resolve propels him to spearhead the Shinsengumi’s pivotal strike at the Ikedaya Inn. A gamble on recruiting dissenter Itō Kashitarō sparks betrayal, retaliation, and near-fatal wounds for Kondō. Upon recovery, he steers the group into formal shogunate service, securing status through land and titles—a pragmatism that fractures loyalties, spurring departures among disillusioned comrades. Confronting battlefield carnage, Kondō orders retreat, grappling openly with miscalculations. In a final gambit, he surrenders as a decoy, defying Hijikata’s pleas to secure his men’s escape. His offscreen execution reverberates through bereft allies, cementing his legacy. Early trials reveal Kondō’s deft navigation of power struggles, from tempering Serizawa Kamo’s volatility to humbly rectifying missteps like a lodging error that inflamed tensions. He balances idealism with concessions to necessity, apologizing freely yet upholding authority. Through shifting loyalties and bloodshed, his journey traces a fall from optimism to solemn resolve, etching his influence indelibly into the Shinsengumi’s spirit and the lives it shaped.