Kitarou entered the world under grim circumstances, born in a cemetery after his pregnant mother Iwako perished, clawing his way from her grave three days post-burial. His father, Medama-Oyaji, manifests as a sentient eyeball following his body’s decay. As the final survivor of the Ghost Tribe—a lineage of reclusive yōkai whose cave-dwelling existence fueled human ghost myths—Kitarou bears distinct traits: long hair conceals his missing left eye, an injury variably attributed to birth or an infant accident when a frightened caretaker dropped him onto a gravestone. His attire consists of a blue Showa-era school uniform beneath a black-and-yellow striped vest woven from ancestral hair, paired with wooden geta sandals. This vest channels his powers, bridging the afterlife and amplifying his abilities.

Kitarou’s age fluctuates across portrayals, ranging from centuries old (specifically 350 in live-action films) to eternally childlike despite slow aging. He studied alongside Neko-Musume at Yōkai Elementary School and occasionally attended "Under the Grave Middle School." After a human named Mizuki raised him until age six, he wandered with Medama-Oyaji before settling in GeGeGe Forest. He inhabits transient shelters like tree houses, often in poverty, rejecting monetary rewards for his yōkai-mediating services in favor of aid for victims or appeasement offerings. During adolescence in *Zoku GeGeGe no Kitarō*, he briefly assimilated into human society as Getakichi Tanaka, working part-time jobs and confronting societal flaws before retreating to the mountains.

His personality evolved from early kamishibai and rental manga’s vengeful, greedy deceiver to a heroic arbiter championing human-yōkai harmony. Mature and justice-driven, he exhibits sternness when punishing irredeemable humans or malicious yōkai, yet remains oblivious to romantic overtures, particularly Neko-Musume’s. Living humbly and nomadically, he protects humans from destructive yōkai and vice versa, enforcing balance through intimidation or moral warnings about hell while acknowledging humanity’s imperfections.

Kitarou wields regenerative healing, detachable remote-controlled limbs, hair-needle projectiles, a supernatural-detecting hair antenna, and spirit-energy finger blasts. His vest bolsters strength and elemental resistance. He summons allies like Ittan-Momen via a yōkai ocarina and demonstrates playful competitiveness in stories like "Obake Nighter," leading a yōkai baseball team with enchanted gear such as evasive baseballs during conflict mediation.