Jibanyan began life as Rudy, a red cat deeply bonded to his owner, Amy. Tragically struck by a truck at an intersection, his death transformed him into a Yo-kai. Misunderstanding Amy's grief-stricken "lame" comment as directed at him, he became fiercely determined to defeat trucks, often possessing humans to attack vehicles at crossroads. He later learned Amy's remark reflected her own guilt. Haunted by memories of Amy, he repressed his past identity as Rudy.

As a Yo-kai, he lived near Springdale's fish market intersection, relentlessly training against trucks. He encountered other cat Yo-kai like Pounce de Leon, Sir Pouncalot, and Alfred. His life changed when Nate intervened during one of his possessing sessions. Jibanyan moved into Nate's home, initially causing disruptions that nearly led to exorcism before his behavior improved. He became one of Nate's primary allies, frequently summoned for incidents despite occasional friction over interrupted hobbies like eating Chocobars or attending Next HarMEOWny concerts.

His personality blends fierce combat motivation with laziness towards unimportant tasks. He obsessively collects Next HarMEOWny merchandise and dreams of owning a Chocobar factory. In battle, he specializes in rapid paw strikes, showcased by his Soultimate Move, Paws of Fury. Though incapable of natural evolution, he undergoes fusion transformations: merging with Roughraff creates the rebellious Baddinyan, fusion with Coughkoff results in the sickly Thornyan, and contact with Whisper produces Buchinyan. Using the Yo-kai Watch Model Zero, he accesses comedy-based Z Medal Soultimate Moves like Nyaight, Nyext, and Victory, said to be inherited from his family.

Manipulated back in time by Kin and Gin, Jibanyan relived his past with Amy. He discovered she aspired to be a fashion designer and that grim reaper-like Yo-kai intended her death, not his. Offered a chance to alter history, he sacrificed himself, pushing Amy from the truck's path and dying in her place. Witnessing her true grief and hearing her aspirations, his spirit encouraged her design dreams before ascending. This cemented his purpose and loyalty to Nate.

Later iterations expanded his story. He met his American counterpart, Tomnyan, sparking a rivalry comparing Japanese and American culture while bonding over shared origins. He participated in the mass Yo-kai battle against Lord Enma during the Enma Budokai. In Shadowside timelines, he became a Mononoke Tribe Yo-kai serving Summer, frequently battling alongside her. He saved Miho, Amy's daughter, from Shinigami. Recognizing Miho's connection to Amy caused him to briefly revert to his Rudy form, restoring lost memories and triggering his transformation into a Shadowside form. During this battle, body fragments split off to form the separate Yo-kai Junior. His Shadowside self retained Amy's final request to accompany her bike rides, fulfilling it in his new form.

He appeared in alternate continuities: aiding Summer against the Oni King Rasen in *Yo-kai Watch Shadowside: Forever Friends*, and his reincarnated human identity, Jinpei Jiba, emerged in *Y School Heroes*. A stronger variant, Jibanyan S, achieved S-Rank status with enhanced abilities like the Slow Down S inspirits and the All or Nothing skill, though his goal of defeating trucks remained unrealized.

Relationships define his journey. With Nate, he balances annoyance over interrupted hobbies with deep loyalty, often being Nate's first summoned Yo-kai. Whisper shares a light-hearted rivalry involving frequent bickering. Komasan admires his strength and desires fusion as Jibakoma. Usapyon transitioned from finding his idol fandom peculiar to forming a solid friendship. His dynamic with Tomnyan mixes cultural rivalry with mutual respect born of similar origins.