Teppei Hōjō, uncle and former legal guardian of Satoko and Satoshi Hōjō, emerges as a violent, abusive figure following the death of the siblings’ parents. Forced into guardianship with his wife Tamae, he exploits the children for labor and financial gain while indulging in gambling, drinking, and criminal ventures such as loan sharking. Collaborating with lover Rina Mamiya, he orchestrates badger games, using Rina’s seduction of wealthy targets as a pretense for blackmail, intimidation, and violent extortion.

His brutality sparks confrontations across multiple timelines: Keiichi Maebara kills him in Tatarigoroshi-hen during an attempt to shield Satoko, while Rena Ryūgū ends his life in Tsumihoroboshi-hen to protect her father. Teppei evades legal repercussions by avoiding physical evidence of abuse and coercing Satoko’s silence through threats to destroy her brother’s possessions.

In later arcs (Gou/Sotsu), repeated time loops force Teppei to relive his deaths through traumatic nightmares, imprinting fragmented memories of alternate realities. These haunting visions trigger a gradual yet profound shift. He abandons crime, expresses remorse, and strives to become a protective guardian for Satoko. Though met with her distrust, his persistent efforts—including enlisting authorities to safeguard her—foster fragile moments of reconciliation.

Decades later in the Rei manga, a reformed Teppei dotes on Sakiko, Satoko’s daughter, embodying sustained redemption. His affectionate bond with his grandniece starkly contrasts his past tyranny, illustrating enduring personal growth.

Teppei’s arc transitions him from volatile antagonist to a figure consumed by regret, seeking atonement. While his backstory remains undefined, his relationships—particularly with Satoko—underscore themes of cyclical abuse, guilt, and the fraught possibility of forgiveness, framing his evolution as both cautionary and cautiously hopeful.