The primary antagonists of the series, the Kiheitai is a radical branch of the Anti-Foreigner Faction led by Takasugi.
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General Tropes
- Advertised Extra: Lampshaded. Despite appearing in every opening after their appearance (and then adding Kamui when he joins Takasugi), the Kiheitai rarely ever appear and, even when they do, they usually (but not always) act in the background. In the New Years card episode Gin receives a card from the officers begging for more screentime, while other characters complain about their popularity despite rarely ever appearing.
- Heel–Face Turn: In the Silver Soul Arc, the remaining members of the Kiheitai join Takasugi in defending Earth from the Altana Liberation Army.
- Historical Domain Character: The Kiheitai
(奇兵隊 Irregular Militia) actually existed, as the crack troops of Choshu under Shinsuke's Real Life basis, Takasugi Shinsaku. They did earn notoriety as a unit led by the most persistent of rebels against the Bakufu—and once they won after the Meiji Restoration, they became the backbone of the Imperial Japanese Army. - La Résistance: During the Joi War, the Kiheitai was part of the resistance force. It still serves as one in the present, but much darker.
- The Remnant: The Anti-Foreigner Faction may have lost the war, but the Kiheitai keeps on fighting.
Shinsuke Takasugi
Shinsuke Takasugi
Voiced by: Takehito Koyasu (JP), Alex Zahara (EN, series), Kyle Jones (EN, movie)
A former comrade of Gintoki and Katsura during the Joi War and the series' primary antagonist. He leads a radical branch of the Anti-Foreigner Faction called the Kiheitai (Demon Soldiers Army) and is known amongst the Shinsengumi as one of the most dangerous criminals around. After the war ended, he vanished and has since gained a deadly reputation due to his assassination of many of the Bakufu's main officers.
Unlike Katsura, he believes that the only way to save the country is to destroy the "rotten" post-Joi war world. His resentment and overwhelming spite drove him to strike a partnership with the Harusame Space Pirates in order to eliminate the Bakufu.
- And Your Reward Is Infancy: Takasugi becomes the last host of Utsuro, but can fight off the possession enough to give Gintoki the chance to kill Utsuro once and for all. In the epilogue, it's implied Takasugi is resurrected by the Altana as a baby like Shoyo was before.
- Arch-Enemy: As Gintoki's and Katsura's former friend, he is also their most personal enemy.
- Authority Equals Asskicking: As the leader of the Kiheitai, he's also the most powerful member.
- Big Bad: As Gintoki's Arch-Enemy and the mastermind behind most of the serious arcs, Takasugi serves as the main antagonist for most of the series. After he's put in a coma in the Shogun Assassination arc, Utsuro appears in the following arc to take over the role of Big Bad.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Later on enters in an alliance with fellow major villain Kamui.
- Butterfly of Death and Rebirth: His kimono is covered in golden butterflies and the symbolism is perfectly in-line with his radical intentions.
- Cain and Abel: Takasugi is basically Gintoki's adopted brother since both were taken under Shoyo's wing since childhood. Whenever they see each other, Takasugi wants to fight Gintoki to death because Gintoki beheaded their father figure in order to save him and Katsura.
- The Chessmaster: He has managed to turn his small but dangerous organisation into a major player in the great scheme of things through the acquisition and manipulation of new allies, to the point where he allies himself with Shogun-to-be Nobunobu, putting him almost right at the center of Bakufu. Unfortunately he gets outplayed right before a checkmate by the Tendoshu, who give the title of shogun to Nobunobu in exchange for becoming their puppet, backstabbing Takasugi and putting him in a coma.
- The Comically Serious: Plays the role in flashbacks and made fun of for it in the present.
- During the New Years Cards episode, Gin receives a card from the Kiheitai and at first believes it's an almost death threat from Takasugi written in blood. Although it turns out it's from his men.
- The Reunion arc had Henpeita giving Gin three false notes from Takasugi about buying them yakult or being paid back for some yakult from the past. Gin, Katsura, and Sakamoto all bought it and reacted until Henpeita said they were fake.
- He joined in with Gintoki and Katsura spitting on Sakamoto's face after he said on his behalf that they are friends again.
- Convenient Coma: The Shogun Assassination arc ends with him in a coma and the Kiheitai on the run. He finally wakes up in the Rakuyou arc and immediately starts fighting again.
- The Corrupter: Often corrupts others, including his employers, into evildoing.
- Despair Event Horizon: Hit it in the past when Shoyo died.
- Died in Your Arms Tonight: He spends his final moments in Gintoki's arms.
- Disc-One Final Boss: He is eventually upstaged by the Tendoshu, who get Nobunobu to betray him and the Harusame to betray his ally Kamui. The Naraku also strike while they're fighting the Yorozuya, causing great damage to both sides and putting Takasugi in a coma until he wakes up in the Rakuyou arc.
- Determinator: Gintoki's match in sheer determination to not give up a fight.
- The Dreaded: The Bakufu rightly fears him and everybody begins panicking when he gets involved.
- Enemy Mine: After he and Gintoki spent several chapters beating the shit out of each other in the Shogun Assassination arc, the two briefly team up to take on Oboro when the Naraku and Tendoshu move in to mop up both the Kiheitai and the Shogun's supporters.
- In the Rakuyou Arc, he's back out of his coma to fight off the Naraku... this time with Gintoki, Katsura, and Sakamoto once again as allies!
- Eyepatch of Power: His bandages serve as one, covering the left eye he lost during the war. Kamui lampshades it when they first met, wondering if he has powerful eye hidden behind it.
- Eye Scream: How did he lose said eye? Oboro threw a knife at it. Ouch.
- Evil Counterpart: His character is a fairly good representation of what Gintoki and Katsura could become if they ever decide to go on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
- His relationship with Kamui is also respective to Gin's relationship with Kagura, with both reacting flatly to the Yato's actions and often dealing with them jumping ahead of everyone. But where Gin treats Kagura like his daughter and is much more childish, Kamui and Takasugi have a working relationship that appears to be turning friendly, since Kamui assisted Takasugi out of the last fight they had and shows the most belief that he'll be okay.
- Evil Former Friend: He used to be friends with Gintoki and Katsura, but the end of the war and Shoyo's death turned him against them.
- Expy: Takasugi's pretty much a Big Boss clone, being unable to get over the death of his mentor. Forming an organization (Kiheitai and MSF) that turns more to extremes (Outer Heaven), with a sunglasses wearing musician (Bansai and Katsuhira Miller), and a muscle who was rival who turned to a friend (Ocelot and Kamui) as his right hand men. Takasugi also has heavy shades of Shishio with his desire to destroy what he sees as a desecrated Japan, very fitting considering Gintoki's similarities to Kenshin, and his status as Gin's former comrade in arms turned enemy from a past he's trying to forget and move on from in his present, profit-seeking lifestyle calls to mind Vicious.
- Faux Affably Evil: Acts politely with a clear hint of hostility and condescension in his tone.
- Fighting from the Inside: After his body is controlled by Utsuro's blood, Takasugi manages to fight him off with some help from Oboro who is also in the blood and this gives Gintoki the opportunity to finish Utsuro off once and for all.
- Freudian Excuse: Shoyo Yoshida's unfair treatment and death at the hands of the Bakufu sent him flying over the Despair Event Horizon and led to his view of the world being rotten and unsalvageable. Likewise, his hatred of Gin yet neutrality towards Katsura is because it was specifically Gin who killed Shoyo, having been forced into it.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: Went from a rebellious rich kid to a war hero out to save his mentor, before becoming a vengeful terrorist out to destroy everything and the Bakufu's biggest headache.
- Giggling Villain: Prone to amused giggling.
- Go Out with a Smile: Takasugi and Gintoki bid goodbye to each other with a smile as Takasugi dies from his injuries after the final confrontation with Utsuro.
- Grand Theft Me: Turns out that by absorbing some of Oboro's ashes, Takasugi's body became controlled by Utsuro who had used him to reach the resurrected Shoyo and kill him.
- Handicapped Badass: Takasugi may be missing an eye, but he's a highly skilled fighter who is Gintoki's equal in all forms of combat.
- Heel–Face Turn: Takasugi finally sees the error of his ways at the end of his fight with Gintoki in the Shogun Assassination arc. On the last arc during the battle against the Altana Liberation Army, he becomes more like an Anti-Hero.
- Historical Domain Character: His historical counterpart is Takasugi Shinsaku.
- It's Personal: Towards the Bakufu as a whole for ordering Shoyo's arrest and execution, but especially towards the former Shogun Sadasada and the Tendoshu. He personally takes the head of the former in prison.
- Kick The Son Of A Bitch: He kills the Shogun's corrupt uncle in the Courtesan of a Nation Arc. Said person was responsible for Shouyou's arrest along with several other atrocities.
- Knight of Cerebus: Whenever Takasugi shows up, things start getting very serious.
- Knight Templar: Believes that the eradication of everything is the only way to save the country.
- The Last Dance: His Villainous Friendship with Kamui starts off with this as a promise.
- Living on Borrowed Time: He was fatally wounded by the Naraku and kept himself alive by using Oboro's ashes to obtain the latter's immortality. However, Takasugi knows the effect is wearing down and he probably has very little time left before he does die.
- Manipulative Bastard: So far, he's actually shown a fair amount of restraint when it comes to his Kiheitai, but he's not above igniting mutiny among the Shinsengumi by manipulating one of their advisors.
- Nietzsche Wannabe: The world as he sees it is a rotten place which can only be saved by destroying it.
- Out-Gambitted: In the Shogun Assassination Arc, he is outsmarted by the Tendoshuu who struck when he was fighting the Yorozuya, while Nobunobu betrayed him to become the new Shogun.
- Perpetual Smiler: Always seen with a smile or smirk on his face.
- Pet the Dog: After defeating Oboro and listening to his dying words about Utsuro, he decides to bring him back to Earth for a proper burial to pay his respects.
- Pocket Protector: An old school book saves him when Katsura pulls a surprise attack on him from within an Elizabeth costume.
- Psychotic Smirk: His default expression.
- Purple Is the New Black: His hair color is either black, purple, or a mix of the two.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Still on one. He is especially bitter at the world for taking away his teacher Shoyo.
- Shadow Archetype: Like Gintoki, Takasugi's actions are motivated by his love for their teacher Shoyo and his sense of loss after Shoyo's death, but instead of living according to Shoyo's teachings, Takasugi let himself be consumed by his despair and hatred of the Bakufu that was responsible for having Shoyo unfairly arrested and executed. While Gintoki fights to protect the people he still has in his life, Takasugi seeks to destroy the world that allowed Shoyo to die so tragically. In their climactic battle at the Shogun Assassination arc, Gintoki outright calls Takasugi his "other self".
- Slasher Smile: He's more prone to Psychotic Smirks, but he occasionally shows off a maniacal grin.
- Smoking Is Cool: Smokes a kiseru, which is a Japanese type of pipe.
- Straight Man: To Kamui. At one point, all Takasugi can do is sigh and explain his plan after Kamui punches Nobunobu across a street.
- Throwing Your Sword Always Works: Throws his sword straight through two Naraku to save Bansai from being killed, right after he woke up from his coma.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Yakult is treated as his, due to the Reunion Arc where for two chapters his running gag was about the drink. Fans quickly grabbed onto this trait, too, because it was the first goofy characterization he's ever had in, again, 422 chapters.
- Visionary Villain: Takasugi has a vision for the world, which will most likely result in it's destruction.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Used to be this with Gintoki and the other Joui comrades. Him spitting on Sakamoto like Gintoki and Katsura is actually a good sign they are progressing.
- Warrior Poet: The real man was one and wrote many poems in prison which he sent to his teacher, and this one is too a poet, although it's Played for Laughs and his poems are weird, very weird.
- We Used to Be Friends: Childhood friends with Gintoki and Katsura before going their separate ways after the war and his descent into villainy.
- Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: The death of his teacher Shoyo convinced him that the world is rotten and he won't stop destroying it until his inner beast stops roaring.
- Your Days Are Numbered: Oboro's ashes saved his life by giving him a Healing Factor, but Takasugi knows this is just prolonging his life a bit and he very likely will die soon.
Bansai Kawakami
Bansai Kawakami
Voiced by: Takumi Yamazaki (JP), Andrew Love (EN, movie)
Regarded as one of the strongest swordsmen in the country, Bansai serves as second-in-command of the Kiheitai. He carries a shamisen which doubles as a tool for garroting or tying up his opponents.
On top of being famous as a skilled swordsman, Bansai is also a talented songwriter. He works as a music producer under the name Tsunpo and the pop idol Otsu's newer songs are written by him. Overall, Bansai is shown to have an extremely calm demeanor, although he is capable of violence when necessary and appears to take an interest in potential challenges to his skill.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: While the anime gave him green hair, manga covers and color pages depict him with black hair.
- Badass Biker: Going well with his outfit, he rides a cool motorcycle.
- Badass Longcoat: Wears a long dark coat.
- Cool Shades: Never takes them off.
- The Dragon: Takasugi's right-hand man.
- Headphones Equal Isolation: Subverted. He wears them to show his innate connection to music, which he uses as a means of judging a character's personality and fighting style.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Already mortally injured, he sacrifices himself by taking on waves and waves of enemy soldiers in order to buy time for Takasugi to stop the Hinogatsuchi. At the end he then blows himself up along with several enemies with a bunch of grenades, paving the way for Takasugi.
- Hidden Weapons: His shamisen has a sword hidden within.
- Historical Domain Character: Remind you of anyone, de gozaru? Turns out he was named after Gensai Kawakami, one of the four notable assassins of the Bakumatsu period, whom Kenshin himself was inspired by. Bonus points for also joinning Takasugi's Kiheitai, just like Kenshin.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Gintoki uses his strings against him by pulling his helicopter to the ground with them, though he manages to survive.
- Instrument of Murder: Bansai can use the strings from his shamisen to restrain and cut people up.
- Made of Iron: He's particularly resistant as shown in his fight against Gintoki.
- Noble Demon: He's devoted to the Kiheitai's cause, seeing himself essentially as a villain, but despite this he confesses to Takasugi that he'd "fallen in love with the heroes' song" and also spares Yamazaki's life.
- Pet the Dog: He spares Yamazaki's life.
- Razor Floss: From his shamisen strings, no less.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives one to Gintoki in their encounter in the Shinsengumi Rebellion Arc."Gintoki Sakata... You are a ghost. You once tried to protect this country with Shinsuke and the others. You are obsessed and unable to let go. You are a living ghost! There is no longer anything for you to protect! Ghosts should go back to where they belong!"
- Red Baron: He is known as Hitokiri Bansai, or Bansai the Manslayer, a title used by his historical counterpart and shared in the series with Nizo, Pirako and Senbee.
- Senseless Violins: His shamisen has a sword hidden inside of it.
- The Stoic: Calm and collected, with little variation beyond an occasional smirk.
- Sunglasses at Night: Even when at work at nighttime, he still wears his sunglasses.
- Verbal Tic: As noted above, he uses "-de gozaru", an ancient suffix mostly used by Ronins and other types of rogue swordsmen to mark hostility and masculinity without being rude.
- Villains Out Shopping: Although he works with Takasugi in the Kiheitai, he's also a songwriter who's written songs for Otsu Terakado while off-duty.
- Warrior Poet: Speaks in musical terms and enjoys music in general.
Matako Kijima
Matako Kijima
Voiced by: Risa Hayamizu (JP), Carli Mosier (EN, movie), Nanao (live action movie)
A member of the Kiheitai who is skilled at using firearms rather than swords. She wields a pair of pistols and is known as the "Red Bullet" for her honed sharpshooting skills. She is extremely loyal to Takasugi to the point where it appears she has a crush on him. She is quick-tempered, easily agitated, and prone to screeching when upset.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: While still blonde in both versions, her clothes are changed from dark red in the manga to pink in the anime. The live action movie however makes her outfit red again.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Though she's hardly any better than Takasugi herself.
- Dark Action Girl: She is very capable in combat with those pistols of hers.
- Guns Akimbo: Handles her twin revolvers pretty well in combat.
- The Gunslinger: Prefers old-fashioned pistols to heavier firearms or swords.
- The Lad-ette: She's considerably undignified, once engaging in a crude spitting match with Kagura.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: She often throws a fit when she gets upset.
- Historical Gender Flip: She's apparently based on Kijima Matabei, a male gunslinger.
- Ignored Enamored Underling: Matako doesn't even try to hide her big crush on her boss Takasugi, but he never shows any signs of reciprocating and her advances get dismissed.
- Parental Abandonment: Both of her parents are dead. Her father fought against the Amanto and was executed by the Bakufu, while her mother was persecuted because of her husband until she died.
- Red Baron: She is known as "Red Bullet".
- Rescue Romance: Matako wanted to join Takasugi's cause of destroying the Bakufu to avenge her parents. Takasugi rescuing her from an execution was what made her fall completely in love with him.
- Revolvers Are Just Better: She uses a pair of revolvers, which are actually fitting weapons for the time period, but horribly outdated compared to the Amanto's advanced weapons.
- Smitten Teenage Girl: She's maybe a bit too devoted to Takasugi.
- The Smurfette Principle: Matako is the only female member of the Kiheitai, is a skimpily-dressed Dark Action Girl, and has a huge crush on her evil boss.
- Subordinate Excuse: She seems to be part of the Kiheitai mainly due to Takasugi, but she seems to hold their goal, the eradication of the Bakufu, in high regard with or without Takasugi.
- Tragic Keepsake: Her guns are a memento from her father, who was captured and executed by the Bakufu.
- Trigger-Happy: She's a bit too eager to pull her pistols on somebody.
- Unfortunate Names: As Kagura is quick to point out, Mata is slang for crotch. It becomes even worse when Gintoki and Nobume mistakenly called her name Manko (vagina) and Chinko (penis) much to her dismay.
- You Killed My Father: Her motivation for joining the Kiheitai is to avenge her father's death at the hands of the Bakufu and the persecution her mother suffered as a result.
Henpeita Takechi
Henpeita Takechi
Voiced by: Chafurin (JP), George Manley (EN, movie), Jiro Sato (live action movie)
The strategist of the Kiheitai is notable for his strange fetishes and his usually brilliant assessment of situations. While capable of fighting, his abilities are less notable in comparison to other big players of the Kiheitai.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: In the matters of organisation and strategy, he's actually quite competent, but it's offset by his fetishes and weird habits.
- Butt-Monkey: The Kiheitai's resident Butt-Monkey, who suffers all of the humorous abuse among its members.
- Defector from Decadence: He was a former Bakufu official in charge of hunting down rebels, but defected to join Takasugi as a strategist and advisor.
- The Evil Genius: Henpeita handles both strategies and logistical matters within the Kiheitai, putting him in this role.
- Genre Savvy: He's well aware that Gintoki, Katsura and Sakamoto will be a future threat to Takasugi's plans and takes steps towards eliminating them.
- Historical Domain Character: There is a Tosa-based shishi leader by the name of Takechi Hanpeita / Zuizan, better known in his time as Sakamoto Ryoma's erstwhile friend, neighbor and former superior in the radical sonno joi movement. The fact that Gintama's Takechi looks very stereotypical and non-descript compared to the other members of Gintama's Kiheitai might be a visible reference to the real-life Takechi's very straightforward and humourless reputation—which Sorachi perverts to hilarious extremes.
- Heroic Sacrifice: He attempts to sacrifice himself by ramming his ship into the Hinokagutsuchi, giving Takasugi another 15 minutes to stop it. But it's revealed a few chapters later that both he and his ship survived ramming into it.
- Insistent Terminology: "I'm not a lolicon, I'm a feminist!"
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Often tries to pass off as Takasugi, which almost always ends with him getting beaten up by Matako and Bansai. Gintoki, Sakamoto and Katsura also get to beat him up when he shows up at their reunion party dressed as Takasugi.
- The Strategist: As the Kiheitai's strategist, Henpeita organises most of the Kiheitai's plans and efforts, and also explains some of the Kiheitai's plans to his fellow members.
Nizo Okada
Nizo Okada
Voiced by: Yutaka Aoyama (JP), Jay Hickman (EN, movie), Hirofumi Arai (live action movie)
A blind sword-for-hire who works for the Kiheitai and who normally answers to Shinsuke. He's first encountered by Gintoki and the Yorozuya while he's working for Kahei Hashida. He fights Gintoki, who breaks his sword and defeats him.
At the onset of the Benizakura Arc, he tries to assassinate Katsura with the cursed sword Benizakura, but fails to actually kill him. He then becomes more crazed and out of control due to Benizakura gradually turning his body into a cybernetic extension of itself. After Gintoki sets off to find the vanished Katsura, the two cross paths again, with Nizo defeating him with the help of Benizakura. He is later killed in his third and final encounter with Gintoki aboard the Kiheitai's main ship.
- An Arm and a Leg: Shinpachi cuts off his right arm while he's busy trying to kill Gintoki, but he replaces it with Benizakura.
- Ax-Crazy: He's downright unhinged.
- Blade Below the Shoulder: Benizakura turns into one as it grafts itself onto his right arm, later replacing it entirely when Shinpachi cuts it off.
- Blind Weaponmaster: He's blind, but still a quite accomplished swordsman.
- Blood Knight: He just wants to cut people up and really enjoys a good fight.
- Body Horror: Benizakura turns him into a monstrous combination of machine and flesh as it takes over his body.
- The Brute: Serves as the Kiheitai's strongarm, being quite good at killing, but not very good at handling more delicate matters.
- Cybernetics Eat Your Soul: The longer he wields Benizakura, the more of himself he loses to the sword, before being completely consumed by it at the end.
- Death Seeker: He wants to go out in a blaze of glory in service to Takasugi, hopefully killing as many people as possible while at it.
- Expy: Nizo's
Chaotic Evil and Blood Knight tendencies are referencing Kurogasa/Udo Jin-e of Rurouni Kenshin, down to his superhuman sword skills. Fittingly, they're both written from the same historical figure (and similarly, Nizo's iconic appearance in the Benizakura arc mirrors Jin-e's Knight of Cerebus role in his home series). - Faux Affably Evil: Nizo oozes murderous intent, all while trying to talk in a polite manner. It's rather creepy to put it mildly.
- Handicapped Badass: Lacking eyesight doesn't make him any less of killer.
- Hero Killer: Tries to be this by going after and supposedly killing Katsura but doesn't succeed.
- Historical Domain Character: Named after Okada Izo, one of the noted assassins of the Bakumatsu—and possibly the one with the most negative reputation amongst them.
- Iaijutsu Practitioner: A master at drawing his sword and slashing in the same motion, but he ends up abandoning his former fighting techniques as Benizakura fuses itself to him.
- Killed Off for Real: Is killed by Gintoki at the end of the Benizakura arc.
- Leeroy Jenkins: A villainous example. He is so eager to test out Benizakura that he ends up ruining Takasugi's plans regarding the sword by luring the Kiheitai's enemies to their hideout.
- Major Injury Underreaction: He barely reacts to Shinpachi cutting off his arm, instead he nonchalantly says it was mean of him to do that.
- My Horse Is a Motorbike: Rides a flying bike shaped like a horse into battle against Katsura's flying warships, complete with reins!
- Never Found the Body: In the epilogue of the Benizakura arc, Yamazaki claims that Nizo is MIA. However, his death is confirmed when his ghost briefly shows up during the Silver Soul arc.
- Red Baron: He is known as Hitokiri Nizo (Nizo the Manslayer) due to his proficiency in killing people. He shares this title with Bansai, Pirako and Senbee.
- Professional Killer: Serves as both an assassin and a sword-for-hire when he's not working with the Kiheitai.
- Psycho for Hire: He doesn't really care for the money he's paid, but gets a huge kick out of murdering people.
- Psycho Supporter: For Takasugi.
- Scarf of Asskicking: Wears a red scarf while running around hunting ronin and testing out Benizakura.
- Sword Cane: Initially wields one until Gintoki breaks it and he gets hold of Benizakura.
