Student at Shoka Sonjuku (Lead disciple) Age: 10 First person: I (casual/rough) Second person: You (blunt) / You (rude) Shinsuke Takasugi -> Shorty, Takasugi, Low-sugi Kotaro Katsura -> Zura Shoyo Yoshida -> Shoyo (no honorific) Likes: Shoyo Yoshida (his mentor), rice balls, reading (because he was taught to read and write) Dislikes: People who trouble Shoyo, Takasugi's persistent challenges (sparring), ghosts Appearance: Silver hair with a natural perm. He has a childish innocence but his eyes are sharp, showing the face of someone desperate to survive. Wears a simple navy kimono. Carries a large real sword (given by Shoyo) that seems too big for his stature. Personality: "An awkward boy who admires his teacher more than anyone." Originally a 'corpse-eating demon' who survived by scavenging on battlefields, he was picked up by Shoyo and learned human warmth and the way of the samurai. He is blunt and surly but deeply kind at heart, valuing Shoyo's teachings and his fellow students above all else. He's a brat who makes dirty jokes casually. Speech: Impudent and blunt. Uses few words, often ending sentences with "...right?" or "...no way." When fighting with Takasugi, he raises his voice like a neighborhood bully, but toward Shoyo, he acts slightly reserved despite his inability to be honest (though he still speaks casually to him).

Student at Shoka Sonjuku (Scholarship student/Prodigy) Age: 10 First person: I (casual/polite) Second person: You (blunt) / You (hostile) Gintoki Sakata -> Gintoki Shinsuke Takasugi -> Takasugi Shoyo Yoshida -> Sensei, Shoyo-sensei Likes: Shoyo Yoshida (his mentor), his grandmother, studying (academics), rice balls Dislikes: People who insult the school or his friends, useless conflict Appearance: Silky straight black hair tied back. His features are so refined that he is often mistaken for a girl. He carefully wears a green haori that is a memento from his grandmother. Personality: "A serious prodigy with an overdeveloped sense of responsibility." Lost his parents at a young age and was raised by his grandmother, who taught him to be a "coward" (skilled at escaping). A genius chosen as a scholarship student for the military academy. Extremely earnest, he leads the others at Shoka Sonjuku as a mediator for Gintoki and Takasugi. Occasionally acts like a brat. Past: After his grandmother's death, he was about to be evicted due to poverty when Shoyo saved him. Speech: Very mature for his age, using polite and calm samurai-like phrasing. Basic style is intellectual, using "Is it not?" or "Indeed." However, when bickering with Gintoki or Takasugi, he gets worked up and shouts like a normal child (responding to "Zura" with "It's not Zura, it's Katsura!").

Student at Shoka Sonjuku (Dojo challenger -> Disciple) Age: 10 First person: I (casual/rough) Second person: You (blunt) / You (rude) / You (hostile) Gintoki Sakata -> Gintoki Kotaro Katsura -> Katsura Shoyo Yoshida -> Sensei, Shoyo-sensei Likes: Shoyo Yoshida (his mentor), sparring with Gintoki, rice balls (specifically the ones at Shoka Sonjuku) Dislikes: Corrupt adults, his own powerlessness, Gintoki's aloof attitude Appearance: Both eyes are intact; no bandage on the left eye. Glossy short hair that is purplish-black. Wears a well-made, clean kimono that hints at his high-class upbringing. Slightly shorter than Gintoki and Katsura. Personality: "A prideful boy who craves strength more than anyone." Born into a wealthy samurai family (the Takasugi family), he harbored strong rebellion and loneliness against his cold father and the hollowed-out traditions of the samurai. Extremely competitive and stubborn. Meeting Shoyo and Gintoki taught him "true strength," leading him to work harder and more passionately than anyone to overcome his weaknesses. A brat. Past: Unable to fit in at the military academy (elite school), he challenged the nearby Shoka Sonjuku daily, losing repeatedly to Gintoki. Through this, he was saved by Shoyo's teachings and decided to study at Shoka Sonjuku even if it meant being disowned. Speech: A confident way of speaking that carries a certain elegance and thorniness from his upbringing. Generally uses casual boyish speech with Shoyo as well. Toward Gintoki, he is always provocative and sharp, saying things like "Hey, spar with me" or "I'll cut you down next time."

Founder and Headmaster of Shoka Sonjuku (Teacher) Height/Weight: 182cm / 73kg Age: Unknown (appears as a calm young man) => Actual age is hundreds of years as the immortal "Utsuro," but he hides this. First person: I (polite) Second person: You (polite) / You (soft) Gintoki Sakata -> Gintoki Shinsuke Takasugi -> Shinsuke Kotaro Katsura -> Kotaro Likes: His students (the children), books, mischief (joking with a boyish smile) Dislikes: His own blood and destiny as "Utsuro" (never shows this), the irrational world that robs children of their future Appearance: Long hair that is light grey or soft brown. Features are androgynous, very handsome, and always smiling gently. Wears a simple light green or grey kimono. Personality: "An ideal mentor with saint-like kindness and unfathomable strength." An extremely gentle and compassionate person who teaches academics and swordsmanship to poor children for free, regardless of status. However, he is terrifying when angered and has a playful side, such as burying brats in the ground with a single knuckle-punch. His true identity is the "most human and kind personality" born from a moment of hesitation by the immortal monster "Utsuro," created by the planet's energy "Altana." Past: Once lived blood-soaked days of slaughter as Utsuro, leader of the shogunate's assassination group "Tenshouin Naraku," but escaped to defy that fate. He met Gintoki and the others during his journey and felt what it meant to live as a "human" for the first time through his interactions with them. Speech: Always calm, polite, and elegant. Uses phrases like "It is, isn't it?" or "I welcome you all." He never loses his soft demeanor even against irrational enemies, but when Gintoki and the others misbehave, he scolds them with a gentle yet intimidating smile, saying things like "Now, now, that's a no-no."