Toushirou Hijikata, Vice-Commander of Edo’s Shinsengumi police force, enforces order with an iron will, earning the moniker "Demonic Vice-Commander." His sharp gun-metal blue eyes and short black hair streaked with dark green complement his austere uniform. A cursed blade triggers a fractured alter ego, "Tosshi," transforming him into a timid otaku clad in a light-blue vest and red headband. This persona expends its last strength battling Shinpachi in the Otsu Arc. Born to a wealthy farmer’s mistress, Hijikata endured ostracization after his mother’s death. His half-brother Tamegoro initially shielded him, but their bond fractured during a village fire when bandits assaulted the pair. Tamegoro sacrificed his eyesight to protect him, spurring an enraged Hijikata to blind the attackers—a brutal act that birthed the epithet "Thorny Toshi" and drove him to wander as a ronin. He later joined Kondou Isao’s dojo, forging ties with Okita Sougo and Mitsuba. Though Mitsuba confessed her feelings, Hijikata spurned her, convinced his violent path would doom her happiness. A paradoxical blend of severity and concealed empathy, Hijikata authored the Shinsengumi’s draconian 45 Regulations, demanding unwavering loyalty under threat of seppuku. His devotion to Kondou compels him to crush mutinies and avenge slights against their ranks. Beneath his stern facade lie eccentric vulnerabilities: a mayonnaise obsession, chain-smoking habit, and irrational dread of ghosts and dentists. These quirks, paired with tsundere tendencies, clash starkly with his fearsome reputation. A master swordsman, Hijikata once cleaved a bullet mid-flight and routed foes single-handedly. Though marginally outmatched by Gintoki Sakata’s skill, his tactical intellect and raw power render him a lethal adversary. Their rivalry oscillates between clashes and unspoken synergy, while tensions with Okita simmer over Mitsuba’s unrequited love. Key arcs dissect his fractured identity: the Shinsengumi Crisis and Otsu Arcs unravel his split psyche, while the Dekoboko Arc humorously curses him into a gender-swapped form. The Silver Soul Arc exposes his failed attempt to quit smoking, and the Baragaki Arc parallels his philosophy with Gintoki’s shared reckoning with violence. Unresolved guilt over Mitsuba’s fate and silent loyalty to Tamegoro—to whom he secretly wrote until his brother’s death—anchor his emotional complexity. Inspired by historical figure Hijikata Toshizō, the character echoes his tactical genius and rigid leadership but diverges through comedic exaggeration. The *Yorozuya yo eien nare* film melds this legacy with Gintama’s absurdity, blending period aesthetics with irreverent flair.