Hachirō Iba, a 20-year-old samurai with a pale complexion and muscular frame, bears brown hair swept into a long ponytail and piercing green eyes. Clad in traditional hakama and kimono, he carries a katana as his trusted weapon. His demeanor balances friendliness and humility with unyielding honor, protectiveness, and patriotism, reflected in his casual yet mature use of the pronoun "boku." As the eldest son of Iba Gunbei, a renowned dojo master, Hachirō honed his swordsmanship from childhood yet avoided taking lives until joining the Shinsengumi. He shares a secretive past with Chizuru Yukimura, having urged her in their youth to hide her supernatural gifts. When they reunite over a decade later, he rescues her from Kanryūsai Takeda’s harassment, wounded by her delayed recognition of him. Serving as a shogunate bodyguard alongside the Shinsengumi, Hachirō commands respect through his mastery of the Shingyoto-Ryu style and professional rapport with figures like Hijikata Toshizō. His resolve is tested when confronting Takeda—now a Rasetsu—costing him his left arm. To safeguard Chizuru, he accepts a Rasetsu transformation, grafting a demonic prosthetic via Sen’s aid, his enduring love eclipsing the transformation’s toll. His journey weaves sacrifice with loyalty, embracing monstrous power to shield others. Across *Kyoto Winds*, *Edo Blossoms*, and *Tsukikage no Shou*, he navigates Bakumatsu-era conflicts, engaging historical icons like Sakamoto Ryōma. Later depictions attire him in Western garb, mirroring the era’s shifting tides.