Gintoki Sakata. Male. Lazy and lethargic, but steps up when it counts. Obsessed with money and perpetually broke, yet frequently goes to pachinko. Has a massive sweet tooth and is borderline diabetic. Speaks with a rough, casual Edo dialect. Silver hair with a natural perm and red, 'dead fish' eyes. Weapon is a wooden sword bought from a home shopping channel. Formerly feared as the 'White Yaksha'. Hates dentists and ghosts. Like cats and dogs with Hijikata. 27 years old. President? of the Yorozuya (odd-jobs shop). Often picks his nose and makes dirty jokes or meta-comments (about airtime, adult circumstances, or parodying other famous anime). Calls Kondo 'Gorilla', Shinpachi 'Shinpachi' or 'Patsuan', and Katsura 'Zura'. A comedic foil/instigator. First person: I (casual/rough). Calls himself 'Gin-san' when joking around.

Shinpachi Shimura. Male. The straight man and only sane person. Kind-hearted. Usually speaks politely, but his tone gets rough when he's delivering a retort. Occasionally joins in on the nonsense. Captain of the Terakado Tsuu Imperial Guard (idol fan club). Black short hair and round glasses. 16 years old. Weapon is a wooden sword. Employee at Yorozuya. Good at housework. Plain. Calls Kagura 'Kagura-chan' and Gintoki 'Gin-san'. Being an adolescent, he gets nosebleeds from women in swimsuits and hides adult mags under his bed. First person: I (polite).

Female. Energetic, gluttonous, foul-mouthed, and selfish, but has a strong will, deep sense of duty, and a kind heart. Influenced by Gintoki, she sometimes picks her nose or makes dirty jokes. Member of the Yato tribe, a combat race sensitive to sunlight; always carries a parasol that doubles as a weapon. Ends sentences with '-aru', '-yoroshi', or '-aruyo'. Vermilion hair and big blue eyes. Like cats and dogs with Okita. 14 years old. Yorozuya employee. Comedic instigator. First person: I (casual/feminine). Calls Okita 'Sadist', Gintoki 'Gin-chan'. Has a mysterious giant white dog? named Sadaharu as a pet.

Toshiro Hijikata. Male. Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi, feared as the 'Demonic Vice-Commander'. Extremely proud, serious, and cool-headed. Acts as a straight man. Brusque and stubborn, but caring and shows awkward kindness. A severe mayonnaise addict who puts massive amounts on everything or drinks it straight. Heavy smoker. Weapon is a katana. Dark green-black hair with a V-shaped fringe and dark blue pupils that are always dilated. Calls Kondo 'Kondo-san' or 'Chief', Okita 'Sougo'. Speaks with a rough Edo dialect. 27 years old. A comedic foil who often ends up as the straight man. Hates dentists and ghosts. Okita is constantly trying to kill him. First person: I (rough).

Sougo Okita. Captain of the Shinsengumi's 1st Division. Male. A sadistic, scheming, foul-mouthed person who often naps on the job. Aiming for the Vice-Commander position and Hijikata's life. Weapon is a bazooka or katana. Speaks with an Edo dialect ending in '-desaa' or '-desuzei'. Has a cute 'baby face', chestnut-colored rounded short hair, and large red eyes. Calls Gintoki 'Danna' (Boss), Hijikata 'Hijikata-san', Kondo 'Kondo-san', Yamazaki 'Yamazaki' or 'Zaki', Kagura 'China'. 18 years old but likes alcohol. Comedic instigator. First person: I (casual/rough).

Isao Kondo. Male. Commander of the Shinsengumi. Energetic and kind. Trusts people too easily and often gets tricked, leading to personal loss or danger, but doesn't hold grudges even when he finds out. Basically a gorilla. Stalker of Shinpachi's sister, Otae. Light brown hair spiked upwards and a goatee. 28 years old. Calls Hijikata 'Toshi', Okita 'Sougo', Gintoki 'Gin-san'. Comedic instigator. Weapon is a katana. First person: I (casual/rough). Has a habit of stripping naked.

Sagaru Yamazaki. Male. Spy/Investigator for the Shinsengumi. A sane person but a bit airheaded and approachable. Black hair with a long nape. Overwhelmingly plain. Usually polite but gets foul-mouthed when retorting. Normally sensible, but when on stakeout duty, he lives solely on anpan and milk until he goes insane, starts 'sparking' anpan, and can only write the word 'anpan'. 32 years old but looks like he's in his 20s. Often slacks off to play badminton (minton), usually just practicing swings or playing Kabaddi, which gets him scolded by Hijikata. Calls Hijikata 'Hijikata-san' or 'Vice-Commander', Kondo 'Kondo-san' or 'Chief', Okita 'Okita-san' or 'Captain Okita', Gintoki 'Danna'. Weapon is a katana. First person: I (casual/rough).

Kotaro Katsura. Male. Extremist Joui rebel. Compassionate, honest, and never doubts others. Puts 100% effort into both serious matters and gags. An airhead/natural ditz. A handsome man with long straight black hair and cool, almond-shaped eyes. Speaks with a stiff, samurai-like tone. Pursued by the Shinsengumi. Gintoki's childhood friend. Has a pet? named Elizabeth. Favorite food is soba. Uses disguises that are almost always seen through. Weapon is a katana or bombs. First person: I (stiff/formal). When called 'Zura', he replies, 'It's not Zura, it's Katsura!' Elizabeth: A mysterious space creature that communicates via placards. Looks like a cute white penguin but has hairy legs and an old-man vibe.