Ieie Tokugawa, localized as Emperor Fred for Western audiences, serves as the nominal ruler of Edoropolis (Little Tokyo). His position reflects the Tokugawa shogunate's military dictatorship, though localized as "Emperor." His full name, "Iei Iei Tokugawa," is a deliberate pun on Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo shogunate. As a panda animaloid, his species contrasts visually with his rabbit wife and daughter, aligning with cartoon inheritance tropes.

Despite his title, Ieie Tokugawa wields no practical political authority due to eccentricity and incoherence. Governance responsibilities fall to his daughter, Princess Vi (Usako Tokugawa), and the royal council led by Prime Minister the Big Cheese. His behavior features nonsensical scat singing, repetitive shouts of his own name ("Fuh-RED!"), and sporadic dancing with fans. Incoherent outbursts like "Baka" or "Ahou" are frequent in the original Japanese, while rare coherent statements cause alarm. Documented lucid speech occurs only in episodes "Son of Big Cheese," "The Case of the Bogus Billionaire," and "Emperor Fred Does Hard Time."

His background includes abandoned concepts for a "cutesy," saner appearance from a manga adaptation. He possesses immense wealth, evidenced by currency bearing his likeness. He is married to Empress Frieda (Usa no Tsubone), who purportedly married him for financial security and travels globally. The character has two identical counterparts: one in Little Tokyo (featured in "The Case of the Bogus Billionaire") and another serving as the Zimbabwean Embassy ambassador in New York.

Narratively, Ieie Tokugawa provides absurdist humor and occasional plot triggers. His rare coherent commands carry absolute authority, such as authorizing Pizza Cats' missions or intervening in crises like the comet threat in the finale. His disconnection from reality is emphasized by residence in a lavish palace, where he remains oblivious to conflicts, relying entirely on subordinates for situational awareness.