Yoshiwara is a red light district built into an underground shipyard in Edo and ruled over by a tyrannical Amanto warlord. Because of connections to the Bakufu and the Harusame, Yoshiwara is allowed to act as an independent city with its own laws.
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Tsukuyo
Tsukuyo
Voiced by: Yuko Kaida (JP), Takanori Hoshino (male, JP), Marlie Collins (EN), Kirby Morrow (male, EN)
A competent Action Girl, she is also known as the "Courtesan of Death", which means she doesn't serve as an actual courtesan, rather she protects them from unsavory patrons and general aggression. She scarred her own face to reject her identity as a woman at her master's request. Her loyalty and home lies with Hinowa who looked after her when she was a child.
Despite initially appearing to be Hosen's loyal enforcer, she is quick to defect and become allies with the Yorozuya when they try to reunite Seita with Hinowa. Starting out she is cold and reserved, but the Yorozuya are able to make her open up to others, for which she thanks them. She also appears to develop feelings for Gintoki, but firmly denies it when she is teased about it.
- Action Girl: One of the most active and accomplished female fighters among the supporting cast.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Her hair is golden blond in the manga but has a light greenish tint in the anime.
- Amazon Brigade: She is the leader of the Hyakka, a group of female ninjas who serve as Yoshiwara's police force.
- Antiquated Linguistics: Tsukuyo speaks in the archaic arinsu dialect used by the courtesans of Yoshiwara in the Edo Period.
- The Atoner: In her first appearance she carries the weight of all the terrible things she's done under Hosen and tries to make up for it by sacrificing herself against the Hyakka to buy the Yorozuya time. After holding them off and convincing them to join the rebellion, the Hyakka convince her she has nothing to atone for, helping her get over it.
- Attractive Bent-Gender: Turns into a tall and very handsome man in the Gender Bender Arc. She even gets a personality change into a Handsome Lech to go along with it.
- Badass Boast: Delivers one to the Shogun's palace guards on behalf of herself, Kagura and Nobume.Tsukuyo: Show that you can stop the women you sneer at. Show that you can defend the castle built upon the tears of those women. Since you've forgotten about them, we'll have to remind you! These women have come to topple a country!
- Badass in Distress: In the Red Spider Arc she gets captured by Jiraia, who ties her up in a spider's web, forcing her to watch as he burns down Yoshiwara, and attempts to flay the skin off her face to turn her into him. After Gintoki frees her and then beats him, she protects Gintoki after Jiraia gets back up and attempts to kill him one last time.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: At one point, Tsukuyo wants Gintoki to touch her chest, as she doesn't want to be treated as a woman. Unfortunately, when Gintoki falls face-first onto her chest (and feels them for good measure), she realizes that she doesn't want any of it.
- Blemished Beauty: Tsukuyo scarred her own face when she chose to throw away her life as a woman, but she's still one of the most beautiful women in the series.
- Bridal Carry: Gintoki carries her in his arms after freeing her from Jiraia's web, before setting her down against a wall while he fights Jiraia.
- Broken Bird: Her troubled past, both her growing up in Yoshiwara and what happened with her mentor, left her emotionally scarred.
- Can't Hold Her Liquor: You want hilarity? Give Tsukuyo some alcohol. Any will do, including one piece of brandy-filled chocolate.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: More apparent during the misunderstanding of Gintoki getting married to Sacchan, as Tsukuyo rewrote the wedding card from Hinowa and Seita with a simpler message (and did her own with a decidedly snarky tone). Gintoki is pretty much not amused.
- Combat Stilettos: She wears high-heeled boots and has no problem fighting with them on.
- The Comically Serious: Tsukuyo's still somewhat unfamiliar with the world above ground, which causes her to be dragged into stupid or funny situations while remaining completely serious, though she occasionally laments her own participation.
- Cool Big Sis: Acts as a big sister towards Seita. He even calls her "Tsukuyo-nee", which is a way of addressing older sisters.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Dressed in all black and is called the "Courtesan of Death", yet is also the kind-hearted and selfless protector of Yoshiwara.
- Death Faked for You: She fakes the deaths of Seita and the Yorozuya with fake kunai in their first encounter, allowing them to slip away to a secret exit. She also faked the deaths of prostitutes otherwise marked for death before hiding them among the Hyakka.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Initially cold and reserved, but meeting Gintoki and his friends made her unveil the kind and considerate woman she is inside.
- Dressing as the Enemy: Along with Gintoki and Nobume, she disguises herself as a member of the Naraku to sneak aboard Sadasada's escape vessel and ambush him.
- Drunken Master: Goes on a rampage whenever she drinks just a drop of alcohol.
- Dual Wielding: Always wields a weapon in each hand when fighting in close quarters, be it one of her kunai or her tanto.
- Fashionable Asymmetry: Her kimono is slitted on one side and is missing the right sleeve, in place of which she wears a long detached tight sleeve.
- Flechette Storm: Her signature combat technique is throwing several kunai at once at her enemies. While the other ninjas in the series also make use of it, none of them apart from Jiraia really uses it as much as she does.
- Forced to Watch: Jiraia gives her a front row seat to Yoshiwara's destruction by tying her up in a spider's web with full view of the burning town.
- From Dress to Dressing: Rips off her left sleeve to use as a bandage for Maizo after Sadasada cuts off his remaining arm.
- Funbag Airbag: Gintoki accidentally falls face-first into her breasts while throwing a spider off his hand. After some awkward silence he then grabs one in surprise and promptly gets suplexed into the floor by Tsukuyo.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: She's initially introduced as an antagonist, for which the stitched scar seems fitting, but it's very quickly subverted as she defects to aid the Yorozuya. Despite how it looks, the scar doesn't hinder her appearance and many characters have commented on how beautiful she is.
- Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Tsukuyo has a hilariously low alcohol tolerance, getting inebriated from taking just a few sips. When she does get drunk, she becomes incredibly hyperactive and violent.
- Hypocritical Humor: Chastises Gintoki for being a bad drunk and destroying a bar, conveniently forgetting what her own comedic quirk is. Sa-chan even calls her out on it and mentions she helped him destroy the aforementioned bar.
- Important Haircut: The second movie features Tsukuyo's Bad Future self wearing her hair loose and shorter.
- In-Series Nickname: She is occasionally called by the nickname "Tsukki", which is first coined by Kagura but also used frequently by Sa-chan.
- In Vino Veritas: Goes from aloof to a violent psycho when drunk.
- Knife Outline: People who piss her off enough may find themselves nailed to a wall by her kunai in their clothes, though in Gintoki's case she prefers to just throw a kunai at his head instead.
- Lady of War: She is a warrior who carries herself with a feminine grace and fights wearing high heeled boots.
- Love Potion: In the Love Potion arc, she falls victim to the love-inducing incense Aizen-kou, causing her to fall in love with the first person she lays her eyes upon. This happens to be Gintoki, who was drunk and peeing in front of her. While she already has a crush on him, this causes her feelings for him to go out of control, causing her a lot of embarrassment.
- Meaningful Name: She is named after the Shinto moon god Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto and part of her name literally means moon. As the protector who watches over the town at night, Tsukuyo is considered the Moon of Yoshiwara just as Hinowa is considered the Sun of Yoshiwara.
- Meaningful Appearance: Such a knife nut that she wears a pair of mini-kunai on either side of her hair. One has to wonder how they stay there...
- A Mother to Her Men: She deeply cares for her fellow Hyakka and staunchly refuses to harm any of them, even if they're trying to kill her. Several of them also happened to be former prostitutes whose deaths she faked and then hid among the Hyakka.
- Ninja: As a Hyakka, Tsukuyo utilizes the skills and tools of a ninja.
- Not So Above It All: Generally tries to remain aloof and act above the stupidity of the rest of the cast, but she often gets dragged into the stupidity as well.
- When teaching history to Seita with Gintoki, she ends up using gorillas and modern technology to teach him about the Sengoku period after having previously gotten angry at Gintoki for doing exactly that. The same chapter also has her asking for a volume of "Nushi ni Todoke" (a reference to the shoujo manga Kimi ni Todoke) to read at the end after Hinowa salvaged the situation, despite earlier having put a kunai in Gintoki's head for trying to read a shonen manga with Seita instead.
- Orphan's Ordeal: She was sold as an apprentice courtesan while still a young child, but her rebellious nature often got her into trouble until Hinowa came along to take care of her. In order to be able to protect her she then got tutored by Jiraia, but seemingly lost him in a fire.
- Pervert Revenge Mode: Don't grope her, like Gintoki accidentally does, unless you want to be suplexed into the ground.
- Pop-Cultured Badass: Downplayed, especially compared to Gintoki. That said, she casually references To-Love-Ru's Punny Title as well as calling Gintoki Koro-sensei when the latter tries to teach Japanese history to Seita.
- Red Baron: She is known as the Shinigami Tayuu, often translated as "Courtesan of Death" or more literally "Death God Courtesan".
- Reverse Grip: Wields her dual tantos facing downwards in melee combat.
- Rugged Scar: Tsukuyo's scar marks her as a badass Action Girl right off the bat.
- Running Gag: Gintoki can't seem to dodge kunai around her; they usually end up in his head.
- Sarashi: Wears a sarashi with her kimono's right sleeve hanging off to the side during her time as part of the Diamond Perfume backing band in the HDZ48 arc.
- Scars Are Forever: She scarred her own face with a knife as a child to mark her rejection of the life of a courtesan at her master's request.
- Slipknot Ponytail: Not a ponytail, but her hair comes loose during her stand against her own Hyakka.
- Smoking Is Cool: She always is always smoking a stylish kiseru, which is a long Japanese pipe.
- Sobriquet Sex Switch: Her male form in the Gender Bender Arc is called "Tsukuo".
- Straight Man: Occasionally plays the role in response to Gintoki's stupidity or Ayame's antics.
- Sugar-and-Ice Personality: She's normally somewhat aloof and reserved, but she's friendly enough to those she knows (especially after her defrosting) and often goes out of her way to help people, regardless of cost to herself.
- Tsundere: Gintoki may be very good at invoking her anger, but her feelings for him are quite obvious. She also denies it whenever it's suggested, as seen when she denies buying chocolate for him for Valentine's Day.Tsukuyo: I only bought this chocolate because I was ordered to, not because I wanted to...Kagura: You look embarrassed.
- Undying Loyalty: As she says herself, her only real loyalty is to Hinowa, not to Hosen or Yoshiwara.
- Verbal Tic: Not in the strictest sense of the term, but the manner in which she speaks is based off of oiran
speech, which makes sense given her position in Yoshiwara. - Vitriolic Best Buds: Hangs out a lot with Ayame Sarutobi despite the two often bickering with each other.
- When She Smiles: It's rare for her to give a completely heartfelt smile, but when she does it's really touching.
- Wingding Eyes: Her eyes briefly turn into Heart Symbols after being affected by a Love Potion, before turning into a pair of golden balls. Yes, those kinds of balls.
- Workaholic: Extremely dedicated to her job as Yoshiwara's guardian, to the point where Hinowa has to trick her into working as a courtesan for a night to get her to relax a little.
- Wrestler in All of Us: In the Red Spider arc, Tsukuyo slams Gintoki against the floor with a German Suplex after an Accidental Pervert moment. Twice.
- You Shall Not Pass!: Stands alone against her own Hyakka to give the Yorozuya time to get to Seita and Hinowa in her first arc. She ends up convincing them to rebel against Hosen with her.
Hinowa
Hinowa
Voiced by: Tomo Sakurai, Kikuko Inoue (Silver Soul arc) (JP); Kelly Sheridan (EN)
- All-Loving Heroine: Her love for others is very strong, to the point where she even comforts Hosen and stays by his side as he dies, despite being the cause of everything bad in her life.
- Badass Pacifist: Having previously been a courtesan and being currently confined to a wheelchair, she can't fight back at all. However, her sheer force of will is so strong even Hosen couldn't bring her down.
- Cool Big Sis: She took Tsukuyo under her wing when she was still a little girl, taking on the role of her big sister.
- Damsel in Distress: She is held personally captive by Hosen and is unable to escape by herself because he sliced up her heel tendons the last time she fled Yoshiwara.
- Good Samaritan: Used to feed Tsukuyo, and other children like her, at the risk of getting punished.
- High-Class Call Girl: She is the highest ranking courtesan in Yoshiwara and supposedly able to turn away any customer she doesn't like, even if they are a rich lord. However she actually hasn't served a customer since Hosen cut up her heels, instead he only presents her on a balcony to lure in customers.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: She is one of the most saintly characters in Gintama, despite her profession as a courtesan.
- Lust Object: For Hosen, who deems her unbreakable attitude to be that of the sun, something he cannot bask in or he'd die.
- Meaningful Name: Part of her name can mean both 'day' and 'sun', which is fitting seeing how she is considered the Sun of Yoshiwara.
- Parental Abandonment: Hinowa was sold by or taken away from her parents as a child to become a courtesan in Yoshiwara.
- The Pollyanna: Never loses her good mood, even in the direst conditions. Only exception was when she rejected Seita in an attempt to let him survive Hosen's wrath.
- Plucky Girl: Dignified and determined, even when facing a group of Mooks who could kill her in a heartbeat.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Hinowa has become the de facto leader of Yoshiwara following its liberation.
- Shipper on Deck: She appears to ship Tsukuyo together with Gintoki and frequently teases her about her feelings for him. She even tricks Tsukuyo into working as a courtesan for an evening, with Gintoki as her client. Ultimately the attempt backfires when it is discovered Tsukuyo has a hilariously low alcohol tolerance.
- Silk Hiding Steel: She's well-mannered and kind to the point of sainthood, but has an unbreakable iron will.
- Throwing Off the Disability: Following the post-Silver Soul Time Skip, Hinowa is shown walking again, albeit with the assistance of a cane. How this is possible isn't stated, but it can be assumed she underwent some sort of medical procedure to repair her slashed tendons.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: A beautiful Japanese woman in a kimono who is gentle, supportive, motherly, wise and incredibly strong-willed. This is why all the courtesans of Yoshiwara look up to her.
Seita
Seita
Voiced by: Yuko Sanpei
One day, he tries to steal from Gintoki but gets outdone by him and eventually agrees to work for Otose to get the money he needs. The Yorozuya end up taking on Yoshiwara's ruler Hosen to reunite him with Hinowa. It is revealed that his actual mother died giving birth to him and that Hinowa adopted him as she was forbidden to carry a child herself.
- Death by Childbirth: His real mother was a courtesan who became pregnant and was kept hidden by the other courtesans, but died when she finally gave birth to him, leading to Hinowa adopting him.
- Happily Adopted: Hinowa may not have been his real mother, but she chose to adopt him after his real mother died and they were reunited.
- Momma's Boy: He is a courageous little boy who is deeply devoted to a mother he has been separated from his entire life.
- Mouthy Kid: He is initially rather snarky, even insulting Shinpachi as a virgin, but he quickly grows out of it.
- Orphan's Ordeal: He lived a tough life on the street after his old caretaker died, living each day by stealing.
- Percussive Pickpocket: As a street kid without kids, he initially makes his living from picking pockets. But when he picks Gintoki's pocket, his own gets stolen and he gets caught by him.
- Street Urchin: Before meeting Gintoki, Seita used to live on the streets.
Hosen
Hosen
Voiced by: Banjo Ginga
- Achilles' Heel: Like all Yato, direct exposure to the sun can be lethal to him, especially since he has been underground for so long. This weakness ends up being his demise against Gintoki.
- Alas, Poor Villain: Despite his cruelty and evil actions, Hosen is given a sympathetic sendoff as Hinowa comforts him while he dies under the sun.
- Arc Villain: Serves as the villain of the Yoshiwara in Flames Arc.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Ruled over the Yato as King of the Night by virtue of being the strongest among them. Only Umibozu was able to challenge his rule.
- Bare-Fisted Monk: His fight with Kamui shows him to be quite the capable hand-to-hand fighter without his umbrella.
- Barehanded Blade Block: He blocks one of Tsukuyo's tanto with his bare hand before tossing her at her fellow Hyakka.
- Battle Strip: Discards the top of his robe before he fights Kamui and later on Gintoki.
- BFS: The other Yato Clan members wield relatively small umbrellas, but Hosen wields an enormous umbrella which is bigger than himself!
- Blood Knight: Actually pretty restrained most of the time for a Yato, but he still takes pleasure in battle when actually fighting.
- Dirty Old Man: A villainous example, he fully enjoys the privilege of being the boss of an underground city of prostitutes. Both Kamui and Gintoki call him out on it.
- Evil Gloating: Gloats right in Gintoki's face about the weakness of the samurai and the futility of his efforts to stop him while slowly crushing his head against a wall.
- Evil Old Folks: Hosen is the elderly and ruthless ruler of Yoshiwara.
- Eye Scream: Gintoki stabs out his right eye with Tsukuyo's pipe.
- Facepalm of Doom: Grabs Gintoki's face and crushes it against a wall while taunting him. Gintoki retaliates by stabbing out his right eye.
- Grievous Harm with a Body: After blocking Tsukuyo's tanto with his bare hand, he grabs her and tosses her at a group of attacking Hyakka.
- Healing Factor: As a Yato Clan member he heals injuries faster than humans, but apart from the minor scratches he received against Kamui having healed by the time he faces Gintoki, he doesn't get the chance to show it.
- Human Alien: As a Yato, Hosen looks exactly the same as a human, but has the benefits of superhuman strength and healing faster from injuries, while suffering from weakness against sunlight.
- If I Can't Have You…: He'd rather cut up Hinowa's heels or kill her himself than let her escape his grasp.
- Kick the Dog: Sliced up Hinowa's heel tendons so she couldn't walk anymore, as punishment for having dared to run away from Yoshiwara.
- Lightning Bruiser: He's big, extremely strong and deceptively fast. Combine that with his huge weapon and it's no wonder Gintoki, Tsukuyo and the Hyakka could barely take him on.
- Lodged-Blade Recycling: Tsukuyo and the Hyakka unleash a huge barrage of kunai against him. Of those kunai, he pulls out three and throws them back at Tsukuyo, though Gintoki pushes her out of the way.
- Lonely at the Top: Despite his alleged ruthlessness and his love for battle, at the twilight of his life he realizes that his lifestyle only brought him emptiness and longing.
- Old Master: Despite his old age, Hosen is still among the strongest of Yato and almost manages to turn Gintoki into a bloody paste on the wall with little effort.
- One-Man Army: Effortlessly fends off Gintoki and the Hyakka on his own with little more than scratches to show for it.
- Parasol of Pain: As with all Yato he wields an umbrella, though his is enormous and usually held in the mouth of a rabbit statue.
- Retired Badass: He has long since retired from the battlefield, preferring to rule over Yoshiwara where he can enjoy both alcohol and women for the rest of his life. Despite this, he's still quite capable of turning people into blood smears on the wall.
- Super-Strength: As one of the strongest Yato, he possesses an unmatchable physical strength capable of turning humans into blood smears on the wall.
- Villainous Crush: Hosen is obsessed with making Hinowa his because her ever radiant smile and unbreakable will reminds him of the sun, which he also desires to feel despite its rays being deadly for him.
- Villainous Widow's Peak: His receding hairline certainly doesn't make him look heroic.
- Weakened by the Light: All Yato are weak against the sun, but for Hosen it's downright lethal, as he has spent several years hiding from the sun underground, weakening his resistance to sunlight. This fuels his desire to make Hinowa submit to him, as he sees her as the human representation of the sun in Yoshiwara.
- Weapon Tombstone: His giant umbrella is used to mark his grave.
- Worthy Opponent: He very fondly remembers his fight against Umibouzu in the past, which lasted for three days... until Umibouzu had to go to the toilet. He still regards it as the best fight he's ever had.
- Would Hit a Girl: He sure as hell would. He would even kill her if he deemed it necessary.
- Would Hurt a Child: While he was initially willing to let Seita go, he does express his intent to kill him when he refuses to leave.
- Yandere: He crippled Hinowa to make sure she would never try and escape from him ever again.
Jiraia
Jiraia
Voiced by: Yusaku Yara
- Alas, Poor Villain: As he dies from a kunai to the neck, Zenzo explains his tragic backstory, while Jiraia himself apologises for and regrets all the suffering he put Tsukuyo through. He finally dies smiling when Tsukuyo carries him to see the moon one last time and forgives him.
- Animal Motifs: The spider motifs are all over this guy. He is called "Jiraia the Spider" and fights by spinning threads all around the area, using it to jump from thread to thread and execute brutal hit-and-run attacks on his foes. He also frequently compares himself to an unusual spider with his philosophy of "feeding" the prey caught in his web, either by training them or gaining their trust, before finally killing his prey when they are ready. He even ties up Tsukuyo in a spider's web to witness Yoshiwara's destruction.
- The Atoner: A very messed up one: To atone for failing to save his sister, he sets up a revenge story against himself by turning Tsukuyo into him.
- Backstab Backfire: A variation. He gets up after his defeat at Gintoki's hands and tries to kill him when his back is turned, only for Tsukuyo to kill him with a kunai to the neck.
- Battle Strip: Literally jumps out of his robes when he prepares to fight Gintoki for a second time.
- Broken Pedestal: Tsukuyo looked up to him for training her to protect Hinowa and Yoshiwara, but once he returns to destroy Yoshiwara and she learns what he is truly like, she renounces him and stops calling him master. After learning his tragic backstory, she calls him master again while carrying him to see the moon in his final moments.
- Combat Pragmatist: His style of fighting involves executing brutal hit-and-run tactics by jumping from each of the many threads he sets up, never giving his opponent a chance to retaliate.
- Cynicism Catalyst: Initially the death of his family, but his sister's suicide is what really drove him off the edge.
- Death Seeker: His ultimate goal is to die at the hands of his pupil to atone for failing to save his sister. He gets his wish, though not quite like he imagined.
- Declaration of Protection: He vowed to always watch over and protect Tsukuyo when she cut her face, but what he really wants to protect is his vision of the person he wants her to become.
- Evil Mentor: He trained Tsukuyo entirely for his own purpose, seeking to turn her into a clone of himself to either kill him or get killed by him. When she begins to develop closer bonds with other people, he returns to destroy Yoshiwara and the people she care about to bring her back on the path he set out for her.
- Facial Horror: He burned his own face off, giving him both a horrific appearance and the ability to disguise himself with fake faces.
- Faking the Dead: He staged a fire in Yoshiwara, which he then pretended to die in while saving the life of his student. He did this because he believed she shouldn't have anybody to rely on.
- Flaying Alive: He intends to flay the skin off Tsukuyo's face with a kunai, in the belief she will become like him. Thankfully, Gintoki showed up to interrupt that.
- Flechette Storm: He frequently attacks his opponents with a storm of kunai at once, a technique also favored by his student Tsukuyo.
- Go Out with a Smile: He dies smiling, proud of his student Tsukuyo as she carries him to see the moon one last time.
- Leitmotif: "It's Bad Luck to See a Spider at Night"
- Kick the Dog: Almost kills Gintoki and tries to burn down Yoshiwara just to piss off Tsukuyo.
- Master of Disguise: Thanks to having burned his face off, he's capable of replacing it with fake ones to work undercover.
- Master of Threads: His choice of weapon are wired kunais. While he primarily uses his threads as footholds to jump around and attack his enemies, he can also use them to restrain people and in the anime, cut people up.
- Neck Lift: Chokes and lifts up Tsukuyo with one hand while lecturing her about her failures.
- Ninja: Noted to be the strongest ninja in the Oniwabanshū. He also founded Yoshiwara's female police force, the Hyakka, and trained them in the ways of the ninja.
- One-Man Army: When the Oniwabanshū was on the verge of splitting due to divided opinions on the Amanto invasion, he alone was sent to wipe out the faction clamoring for resistance against the Amanto — and succeeded. He also subjugated all of the many gangs now working for him all on his own.
- Playing with Fire: Able to use fire via his threads, letting him set Yoshiwara on fire from a distance.
- Psychotic Smirk: Prone to giving people an unnerving smirk.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gives several speeches to Tsukuyo throughout his arc about how weak she is for relying on other people and not living up to his expectations.
- Tragic Villain: The circumstances of his life made him into a very messed up man.
- Two-Faced: He rips off half of the fake face he wears over his real burned face, giving him the appearance of having one normal face and one horribly disfigured face.
- Villainous Breakdown: Goes through one when he realizes that despite everything he has lost and sacrificed in order to be strong, Gintoki was still able to beat him.
- Would Hit a Girl: And willing to flay the skin off her face for that matter.
Suzuran
Suzuran
Voiced by: Teiyu Ichiryusai (Old), Yumi Uchiyama (Young)
She once made a promise to leave Yoshiwara with her loved one, who never returned to her. Learning of the promise, Gintoki and Tsukuyo set out to reunite her with her lover. While they initially presumed Sadasada was her lover, it is revealed that he only used her to lure his rivals to their deaths. Her lover actually turns out to be Sadasada's retainer, Maizo, whose promise to Suzuran had been found out by Sadasada, causing him to prevent Maizo from meeting Suzuran on the pain of death for both of them.
- Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: According to Hinowa, she made such a fuss about staying in Yoshiwara that Hosen relented and let her stay when it moved underground.
- False Teeth Tomfoolery: Accidentally spits out her false teeth at Gintoki's crotch, right after boasting about knowing certain "techniques" the younger courtesans don't.Gintoki: What kind of technique is this?!!
- High-Class Call Girl: She was the highest ranked courtesan in Yoshiwara in her youth and several lords sought her favor, but were turned away after a cup of tea.
- Honey Trap: Sadasada forced her to serve some of his rivals and lure them to their deaths in Yoshiwara.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Despite being forced to play a part in Sadasada's schemes, she's kind-hearted and beloved by Yoshiwara's younger generations.
- I Was Quite a Looker: She was exceedingly beautiful in her youth, causing many a man to fall for her.
- I Will Wait for You: Willing to wait for many years for her lover to return and take her away from Yoshiwara.
- Miniature Senior Citizens: She's shrunk a lot in her old age.
- The Promise: Made a promise long ago with her lover to leave Yoshiwara with him. It's postponed due to Sadasada's interference, but they meet up just before she dies.
- Small Role, Big Impact: She appears for a few scenes in her arc, but manages to indirectly expose the government's corruption and causes Shigeshige to turn against the Bakufu after noting his uncle's depravity. In short, the last quarter of the manga and the status quo-shattering outcomes that happened during them is only possible due to her.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: With Maizo, though they're finally reunited just before she dies.
- World's Most Beautiful Woman: She was incredibly beautiful in her youth, to the point where her beauty was said to have come from the heavens. Combined with her skill as a courtesan, she was sought after by almost everyone.
Hotaru
Hotaru
Voiced by: Ayahi Takagaki
- Arc Villainess: She is the antagonist of the Aizen-Kou Arc, better known as the Love Potion Arc.
- Childhood Friends: She was one of Tsukuyo's childhood friends while growing up.
- The Exile: Exiled from Yoshiwara as punishment for the trouble she caused. It's actually used to let her reunite with her lover.
- Eyes Always Shut: Never opens her eyes, but seems to have no problem seeing where she's going.
- A God Am I: All of her "love zombies" affected by the Aizen-Kou worship her as a goddess, referring to her as Aizen-Myoo, the Buddhist god of love.
- Insecure Love Interest: She had a lover who worked as a carpenter. When she found out the daughter of his boss was in love with him, Hotaru assumed her lover had already chosen that woman over her, a mere courtesan. Turns out Hotaru was wrong and her lover remained faithful to her.
- Interrupted Suicide: Intends to jump to her death while loved by all of Yoshiwara, but is stopped by Tsukuyo and Gintoki. Said jump to her death also proves to be the signal for unleashing the antidote to the incense.
- Love Hungry: Craves love and affection, turning to the love-inducing incense Aizen-Kou after she believes her lover to have abandoned her. She also uses said incense to cause all of Yoshiwara to love her.
- Love Is in the Air: Spreads the love-inducing incense Aizen-Kou all over Yoshiwara, causing all sorts of trouble and making the inhabitants fall in love with her.
- Love Potion: Addicted to the love-inducing incense Aizen-Kou, using it to fall in love with her customers and causing them to fall in love with her.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: First appears being dragged away by a guy who has presumably drugged her. In reality she drugged him so she could blame him and stay beneath suspicion.
