Gintamahas established itself asone of the greatest comedy seriesto ever come out of Japan, with a manga run that has lasted for over fifteen years. While both the manga and the anime have already wrapped up, there are still a lot of people just discovering this amazing show for the first time.
With an extremely massive ensemble cast full of vibrant, bizarre characters, it can be hard for new fans ofGintamato keep track of everyone. Here’s a list of the major players in the series that viewers will be seeing quite a bit of.
Updated July 18, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Class 3-Z Ginpachi-sensei is set to debut in 2025, bringing the iconicGintama charactersback to screens, albeit in a different environment. In celebration of this pending release, galleries and more information have been added for each character.
Character Chart
Gintama has a massive ensemble cast, and it only grows as the series goes on. As a result, it can be hard to parse which characters are more important than others. This table provides a short list of some of the more important recurring characters from manga and anime.
27
5'10" / 177 cm
16
5'5.5" / 166 cm
14
5'1" / 155 cm
28
6'0" / 184 cm
18
5'7" / 170 cm
32
5'6.5" / 169 cm
20s*
5'9" / 175 cm
5'6" / 168 cm
20s
17
5'2" / 157 cm
~23
???
5'11" / 180 cm
38
5'10.5" / 179 cm
60s
~16
5'5" / 166 cm
Jun 22
*Katsura and Takasugi’s ages are never specified, but since they went to school and were childhood friends of Gintoki, it can generally be assumed that they are around the same age.
Gintoki Sakata
Founder Of Yorozuya Gin-chan
The boss of the Yorozuya and the main character of the series, Gintoki Sakata has a standard height of5' 10 (177 cm). He is a fully grown adult at27 years old, and his birthday is on the10th of October.
Gintoki is unique compared to the majority of Shonen protagonists, particularly being much older than characters like Luffy or Naruto, who are teenagers or even younger. This allows Gintoki to happily take part in the obscene and irreverent humor thatmade this series so famous.
Shinpachi Shimura
Member Of Yorozuya Gin-chan & Leader Of Tsu Terakado’s Imperial Guards
The budding samurai and heir to the Shimura dojo stands at5'5.5 (166 cm). The young Shinpachi is still a teenager at16 years old, and his birthday is on the12th of August.
Shinpachi is Gintoki’s perennial sidekick and usually follows him on whatever job he happens to take. While Shinpachi isconstantly exasperated by his boss’s antics, he looks up to him and hopes to learn enough from him to help his older sister Tae revive his father’s lost dojo.
Kagura
Member Of Yorozuya Gin-chan & Daughter Of Umibozu
The youngest member of the Yorozuya is only14 years old, and her stature matches at5'1 (155 cm). She was born on the3rd of November.
As a member of the powerful Yato Clan, Kagura is potentially not just one of the strongest main characters, but alsoone of the strongest in the entire series. Whenever the Yorozuya end up getting themselves into a dangerous scuffle, Kagura is always the fighter to count on. It is best not to underestimate her short stature and youth.
Toshiro Hijikata
Vice-Commander Of The Shinsengumi
The vice-commander of the Shinsengumi police group is the exact mirror image of Gintoki, being not only27 years old, but also5'10 (177 cm). He was born on the5th of May.
As the vice-commander, Hijikata is the most level-headed and serious member of the Shinsengumi, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t join in on the silliness every now and then. This mayonnaise-loving, chain-smoking police officer is one of the most popular characters in the series, beating out even some of the Yorozuya.
Isao Kondo
Commander Of The Shinsengumi
The filthy, obsessive, and creepy commander of the Shinsengumi is one of the oldest characters in the show at28 years old. He is also the tallest at6'0" (184 cm). His birthday is on the4th of September.
Despite his stalker-ish tendencies and lack of dignity, Kondo has one of the biggest hearts inGintama. There’s a reason why the Shinsengumi revere him so much, even if he is not as put-together as Hijikata is. Of course, he still gets up to a whole bunch of unscrupulous shenanigans, and he is easily one of the grossest characters on the show.
Sogo Okita
Captain Of The Shinsengumi 1st Division
The young 1st Division captain of the Shinsengumi is one of the youngest members of this police force at18 years old. He stands at5'7 (170 cm). He was born on the8th of July.
The ever-popular Okita is easily the strongest member of the Shinsengumi, even without considering his strange preference for using rocket launchers in battle. Despite his sadistic and cruel nature, Okita still possesses a kind heart that swears unwavering loyalty to Kondo and even Hijikata, whom he bullies relentlessly.
Sagaru Yamazaki
Spy For The Shinsengumi
This much-maligned, often-forgotten member of the Shinsengumi is surprisingly one of the oldest members of the cast, being32 years of age. Despite his age, he only stands at5'6.5 (169 cm). His birthday is onFebruary 6.
Despite being a relatively low-key member of the Shinsengumi, Yamazaki remains a general fan favorite due to his constant presence as a comic relief character. Whether it be playing kabaddi while on duty or going crazy from eating too much anpan, a Yamazaki episode is always sure to be a lot of fun.
Kotaro Katsura
Leader Of A Faction Of Joi Patriots
This airheaded, manic Joi patriot is only slightly shorter than his childhood friend Gintoki, being5'9 (175 cm). While his age is never specified, it is generally assumed thathe is in his mid-twenties, since he should be around the same age that Gintoki is. He was born on the26th of June.
Seriously determined to free Japan from Amanto oppression, Katsura remains one of the goofiest characters inGintama. While he is highly motivated and passionate, his airheadedness and absent-mindedness are just as high, causing him to get into all kinds of ridiculous trouble.
Shinsuke Takasugi
Leader Of The Kiheitai
Just like Katsura, Takasugi’s age is never specified within the series. However, since he is childhood friends with Gintoki, it can generally be assumed that he is alsoin his mid-twenties. Of the three childhood friends, he is the shortest at5'7 (170 cm). His birthday is on the10th of August.
The extremist leader of the Kiheitai, Takasugi serves as one of the major antagonists of the series. Despite this, he mostly moves in the background, and as a result, he does not show up very often in the series. However, his importance to the plot ofGintamaas a whole cannot be overstated,especially during its more serious arcs.
