Banri is a youkai shaped by a harsh upbringing. Branded an outcast due to his father's murderous reputation and his own heritage, he grew up on the streets. This forged his street smarts but also cultivated a callous personality and a core instinct for self-preservation, leading him to vanish when threats arose. He presents a superficially smooth and friendly facade, masking his readiness to abandon friends to avoid personal risk. Despite his resourcefulness, his choices frequently endanger both himself and others.

Physically, Banri embodies a "yanki" aesthetic with short bleached blond hair, a visible forehead, and notably thin eyebrows from past over-plucking. He possesses a tall, lean, and well-built frame. During the Burial arc, he wore dark clothing—a black hoodie and sunglasses—reflecting his habitual need for concealment after over a year in hiding.

His history is deeply entwined with Sha Gojyo. After witnessing Gojyo defend himself against punks targeting his hanyou status, Banri recognized his fighting skill and approached him. They became friends and eventually roommates. Banri acted as Gojyo's first friend after his half-brother's abandonment, teaching him street survival. Their friendship persisted despite Banri's unreliability. Roughly a year before Gojyo met Cho Hakkai, Banri fled after attracting dangerous yakuza attention by pursuing a crime boss's mistress, disappearing completely until the situation cooled.

Upon returning, Banri joined a thieving gang and sought Gojyo's help, unaware Gojyo now lived with Hakkai. This reunion sparked a confrontation where Banri expressed deep resentment towards humans and criticized Shangri-la's racial discrimination, citing Hakkai's limiters as youkai oppression. Days later, Banri was captured by his gang after betraying them during a theft. When the gang confronted Gojyo, they offered Banri as a substitute hostage until Banri returned. Knowing Banri faced likely death otherwise, Gojyo accepted. As Banri left, he told Gojyo to "live another day," marking his final appearance. This action exemplified his established pattern of sacrificing friends for his own survival—a trait Gojyo anticipated and accepted as inherent to Banri.