TV Special
Description
Tōshirō Hijikata serves as the Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi police force in Edo. Known as the "Demonic Vice-Commander" (鬼の副長, Oni no Fukucho), he enforces strict discipline through the Kyokuchū Hatto, a 45-regulation code he authored. Violations traditionally risked seppuku, though he later amended this to prioritize survival. His demeanor is stern and efficient, marked by a short temper and threats of seppuku for insubordination. Beneath this abrasiveness lies concealed compassion; he often aids others while feigning annoyance.
Born the illegitimate son of a rich farmer’s mistress, his father died before his birth. After his mother’s death, only his half-brother Tamegorō accepted him, becoming a father figure. Bandits attacked during a village fire when Hijikata was 11; Tamegorō shielded him but was blinded. Enraged, Hijikata retaliated by injuring the bandits’ eyes, earning the epithet "Thorny Toshi." His siblings' fear drove him to leave home.
As a rōnin, he provoked fights across Bushū’s dojos until outnumbered rivals overwhelmed him. Kondō Isao intervened, offering training at his dojo. There, Hijikata met Okita Sougo and Okita Mitsuba. Sougo resented him for monopolizing Kondō and Mitsuba’s attention. Before departing for Edo with Kondō and Sougo, Mitsuba confessed her love, but Hijikata rejected her, believing his violent life would deny her happiness—a regret he carried secretly. He reunited briefly with Tamegorō, agreeing to send monthly letters, a practice he continued even after his brother’s death, leaving blank pages as tacit proof of his existence.
In Edo, he helped establish the Shinsengumi. His loyalty to Kondō is absolute; he risked his life to rescue him during the Shinsengumi Mutiny, viewing Kondō as the soul of the organization. His rivalry with Sougo stems partly from Mitsuba’s rejection, though they patrol together routinely. Hijikata also clashes with Sakata Gintoki, recognizing their similarities: both fear ghosts and dentists, synchronize in battle, and believe in stopping others from repeating their past mistakes rather than seeking forgiveness.
His appearance features short, dark hair (green-tinted in anime, black in manga), blue or red eyes, and a standard Shinsengumi uniform. Off-duty, he wears a dark yukata. Notable alternate forms include "Tosshi," an otaku alter-ego from the cursed sword Muramasha, clad in a ragged vest and headband; and a female form caused by another curse, depicted with braided hair and overweight due to mayonnaise consumption.
Hijikata wields a sword skillfully, later adopting Muramasha. He defeated Sougo in the Mitsuba Arc and bisected a bullet mid-flight. His strength is acknowledged as lethal, contrasting his weaker "Tosshi" persona. He excels in writing, aiding Shinpachi’s penpal correspondence.
He exhibits obsessive habits: drowning food in excessive mayonnaise, even desserts and coffee, and chain-smoking. When Edo banned smoking, he traveled off-planet to obtain cigarettes. Post-timeskip, he resumed smoking despite attempts to quit. He avoids romantic entanglements, dislikes cabaret clubs, and spends leisure time in cinemas or saunas. He cries during unemotional films.
The cursed sword Muramasha triggered "Tosshi," a timid otaku persona obsessed with anime and figures. This identity "died" after exhausting itself in a boxing match against Shinpachi.
Historically inspired by Hijikata Toshizō, the real Shinsengumi’s vice-commander, the character was initially planned as Gintama’s protagonist before design changes. He shares a birthday with One Piece’s Luffy and inspired Kamen Rider Beast’s mayonnaise preference.
Born the illegitimate son of a rich farmer’s mistress, his father died before his birth. After his mother’s death, only his half-brother Tamegorō accepted him, becoming a father figure. Bandits attacked during a village fire when Hijikata was 11; Tamegorō shielded him but was blinded. Enraged, Hijikata retaliated by injuring the bandits’ eyes, earning the epithet "Thorny Toshi." His siblings' fear drove him to leave home.
As a rōnin, he provoked fights across Bushū’s dojos until outnumbered rivals overwhelmed him. Kondō Isao intervened, offering training at his dojo. There, Hijikata met Okita Sougo and Okita Mitsuba. Sougo resented him for monopolizing Kondō and Mitsuba’s attention. Before departing for Edo with Kondō and Sougo, Mitsuba confessed her love, but Hijikata rejected her, believing his violent life would deny her happiness—a regret he carried secretly. He reunited briefly with Tamegorō, agreeing to send monthly letters, a practice he continued even after his brother’s death, leaving blank pages as tacit proof of his existence.
In Edo, he helped establish the Shinsengumi. His loyalty to Kondō is absolute; he risked his life to rescue him during the Shinsengumi Mutiny, viewing Kondō as the soul of the organization. His rivalry with Sougo stems partly from Mitsuba’s rejection, though they patrol together routinely. Hijikata also clashes with Sakata Gintoki, recognizing their similarities: both fear ghosts and dentists, synchronize in battle, and believe in stopping others from repeating their past mistakes rather than seeking forgiveness.
His appearance features short, dark hair (green-tinted in anime, black in manga), blue or red eyes, and a standard Shinsengumi uniform. Off-duty, he wears a dark yukata. Notable alternate forms include "Tosshi," an otaku alter-ego from the cursed sword Muramasha, clad in a ragged vest and headband; and a female form caused by another curse, depicted with braided hair and overweight due to mayonnaise consumption.
Hijikata wields a sword skillfully, later adopting Muramasha. He defeated Sougo in the Mitsuba Arc and bisected a bullet mid-flight. His strength is acknowledged as lethal, contrasting his weaker "Tosshi" persona. He excels in writing, aiding Shinpachi’s penpal correspondence.
He exhibits obsessive habits: drowning food in excessive mayonnaise, even desserts and coffee, and chain-smoking. When Edo banned smoking, he traveled off-planet to obtain cigarettes. Post-timeskip, he resumed smoking despite attempts to quit. He avoids romantic entanglements, dislikes cabaret clubs, and spends leisure time in cinemas or saunas. He cries during unemotional films.
The cursed sword Muramasha triggered "Tosshi," a timid otaku persona obsessed with anime and figures. This identity "died" after exhausting itself in a boxing match against Shinpachi.
Historically inspired by Hijikata Toshizō, the real Shinsengumi’s vice-commander, the character was initially planned as Gintama’s protagonist before design changes. He shares a birthday with One Piece’s Luffy and inspired Kamen Rider Beast’s mayonnaise preference.