Kenjo Kurihara captains the pirate ship Barbaroosa under a legal Letter of Marque. He is Chiaki Kurihara's father, sharing a generally positive relationship with her, though his actions sometimes embarrass her.

His physical appearance varies by medium. Light novels depict him with swept-back hair, thick eyebrows, a darker mustache and beard, and several scars, including one prominently crossing the bridge of his nose; he typically wears a standard captain's uniform. The anime portrays him with light brown eyes, dark brown dreadlocks, a wide nose, and a distinct beard (thin below the nose with three inward-pointing sections on the chin). He is tall and muscular, initially shown in casual attire: a headband, vest, and baggy trousers. His formal captain's uniform features a long dark green coat with yellow lining, a furry purple overvest, skull necklace, shoulder pads, and a bicorne hat bearing the Barbaroosa's emblem; the film *Abyss of Hyperspace* later replaces this hat with a tricorne. The manga design shows combed-back dark hair with pale streaks, similar facial scars, and a uniform with skull-shaped shoulder pads and a cape.

Personality-wise, Kurihara is generally friendly and upbeat but adopts seriousness during critical situations. He respects protocol among legitimate pirates, such as discouraging random recruitment onto other ships to avoid complications.

He inherited his Letter of Marque and command of the Barbaroosa at an unspecified time before the series began. Raising Chiaki within this pirate environment contrasted with Marika Kato's upbringing.

Key plot involvements include:
* During the Golden Ghost Ship arc, he ordered Chiaki to remain at the Sea of the Morning Star after she finished shopping for him, citing emerging complications.
* In the Hakuoh Pirates arc, he intervened to prevent inexperienced sailors from joining the Bentenmaru's substitute crew, offering his own men instead. Later, while docked, he discussed crew selection philosophies with Marika.
* In the anime-exclusive Pirate Hunter arc, he coordinated a frontier pirate alliance against a common threat. He tasked Chiaki with seeking Marika's help to find the "pirate's song" summoner. Commanding the Barbaroosa during the battle at the Pirate's Nest, he provided tactical oversight and reassurance to allies. Post-battle, he permitted Chiaki to return to school.
* In *Abyss of Hyperspace*, facing severe spatial turbulence aboard the Barbaroosa, he ordered the jettison and detonation of arms packs to enable an emergency FTL escape. Later, supporting the Bentenmaru, he acknowledged Chiaki's command when their ships combined forces and participated in combat against Yggdrasil's fleet.
* Novel-exclusive arcs show him investigating a distress signal from the Kokuchou in the Garnet A system, observing anomalous stellar activity and relaying findings to Marika. During the Wanted arc, he met Marika on Serenity while the Bentenmaru crew evaded capture, arriving late and enduring Chiaki's reprimand.

His capabilities as a pirate captain imply standard operational skills, though specific proficiencies are unquantified. Beyond his familial tie to Chiaki, he shares mutual professional respect with Marika Kato. A novel-exclusive trivia note mentions a nickname paralleling the historical pirate Blackbeard (Edward Teach).