Kitaro, a yōkai boy born from the grave of his deceased mother, Iwako, after her death during pregnancy, stands as the last of the Ghost Tribe. His father, Medama-Oyaji, a sentient eyeball reanimated by residual life force, guides him as both parent and strategist. Kitaro emerged independently from the grave, with conflicting accounts of his left eye’s loss—either injured during birth or removed by Mizuki, a human who briefly raised him before he fled in childhood. Resembling a pre-adolescent boy, Kitaro’s hair conceals his missing eye. He dons a striped *chanchanko* vest woven from ancestral hairs, granting regenerative healing, electrical manipulation, and weapons like hair needles and finger guns firing projectiles. His attire—wooden *geta* sandals and a navy school uniform—remains largely consistent across adaptations. The 1996 iteration portrays him as calm and dry-witted, prioritizing mediation over conflict yet unleashing fury when allies like Neko-Musume are threatened. He forgives yōkai easily but enforces justice ruthlessly, attacking Wanyūdō for endangering Neko-Musume or punishing humans harming innocents. His moral code demands protection for both species, though he rejects irredeemable evil indiscriminately. Raised transiently amid rejection for his hybrid nature, Kitaro attended Yōkai Elementary with Neko-Musume. He now resides in GeGeGe Forest, often in poverty, refusing monetary rewards but accepting modest offerings like food. His days involve resolving clashes between humans and malevolent yōkai, balancing tensions between worlds. Medama-Oyaji occupies Kitaro’s empty eye socket as mentor and parent. Neko-Musume, a half-yōkai, shares mutual respect with him, though her romantic feelings go unreturned due to his emotional detachment. Nezumi-Otoko, a self-serving yōkai, alternately clashes with and aids Kitaro, who tolerates him with unexplained patience. Kitaro’s agelessness remains ambiguously portrayed: some media reference his existence since the Edo period, while his childlike appearance persists. The 1996 series implies centuries of activity through encounters with long-sealed yōkai, cementing his role as a timeless guardian bridging historical and modern conflicts. Evolving across adaptations, Kitaro shifted from morally ambiguous trickster to a figure of unwavering justice. The 1996 version highlights his diplomatic growth, blending solemn duty with dry humor and deepened loyalty, reflecting a nuanced guardian committed to equilibrium between worlds.