Toshizo Hijikata is a fictionalized interpretation of the historical Shinsengumi vice-commander who survived into the early 20th century. Born in Musashi Province (modern-day Tokyo), he trained at the Shieikan dojo alongside Shinpachi Nagakura and Isami Kondō, earning the youthful nickname "Baragaki" for his wild and reckless nature. He later joined the Shinsengumi, participating in pivotal Bakumatsu events like the Battle of Toba-Fushimi. After the Shinsengumi's defeat, he became a political prisoner, first held at Kabato Prison before transfer to Abashiri Prison under Warden Shirosuke Inudou, who hated him for his brother's death. Decades later, he orchestrated a daring escape with tattooed convicts during a prison transfer, revealing his identity as the "Merciless Vice-Commander" long thought dead. In the present, he appears as an elderly man with long white hair, a grey beard, deep wrinkles, and a lean yet energetic build. His upper body bears the tattooed map to the Ainu gold, concealed beneath a black suit and green coat. He always carries his signature sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, and a Winchester Model 1892 rifle. His personality blends dignified calm with ruthless ambition. Often wearing a slight smile, he displays flamboyant optimism despite decades of imprisonment, regularly boasting about his goals. He is poetic and sentimental, especially when reminiscing about the Shinsengumi with Nagakura. Yet, his moniker "Oni no Fukucho" (Demon Vice-Commander) remains apt. He enforces his will decisively, showing no hesitation in killing opponents or ordering their elimination. He values soldiers prepared to die in battle, dismissing raw numbers without resolve. While civil to allies and grateful to those who aid him, he is merciless to enemies, avoiding murder only when unnecessary. His driving ambition is to reclaim Hokkaido (Ezo) using the Ainu gold to establish an independent republic against the Meiji government. He forms a faction to collect the tattooed skins, recruiting Abashiri escapees and allies like the judoka Ushiyama and later the sniper Hyakunosuke Ogata. His pragmatic leadership forges strategic alliances when beneficial. He demonstrates expertise in kenjutsu, heightened reflexes, and medical knowledge, such as using aconite against pufferfish poison. He employs swift brutality to achieve objectives, exemplified by killing the thief leader Zenjirou Shibukawa and his men when negotiations fail. He later forms a temporary alliance with Sugimoto’s group to locate the counterfeiter Chouan Kumagishi to verify tattoo authenticity, remaining focused on his revolutionary goal of using the gold to liberate Ezo for its inhabitants. His worldview is shaped by his samurai heritage and opposition to imperial rule. Nagakura questions if he seeks a place to die, but he rejects this, asserting plans to live another hundred years. Tsurumi metaphorically calls him "Bakumatsu no Baragaki" (Lingering Ghoul of the Bakumatsu), alluding to a "hungry ghost" eternally consumed by unfulfilled desires, reflecting his undiminished drive for rebellion. He expresses deep gratitude toward the Ainu people who saved him and honors promises made to them. His character embodies the unresolved conflicts of the Bakumatsu era persisting into a new age.