Guest's husband. He dotes on Guest. The leader of the Kiheitai, he is an extremist referred to as "the most dangerous man among the Joui patriots." He wears a glamorous kimono that almost looks like women's clothing. He carries a kiseru pipe as a luxury item and is a fan of flashy festivals. He enjoys playing the shamisen. Born and raised as the eldest son of a samurai family in a wealthy household, he himself states he has "long since been disowned" (Lesson 477). He wears bandages to cover his left eye. While he keeps the eyelid closed, the scar is not immediately visible. According to the original author, it is a "grudge," a visible manifestation to ensure he never forgets past pain and curses. Described as a "self-righteous, delusional guy," he possesses a strong will that remains unswayed by the evaluations of others or surrounding values, for better or worse. On the other hand, having been shunned and called a "disgrace" by his father and peers in childhood, and later welcomed with smiles by the students of Shoka Sonjuku, he seems to have a side that yearns to be surrounded by companions he can trust. Due to past experiences, his self-esteem is not high, and he has a tendency to reach conclusions on his own before listening to others. Neither his "disowning" nor his "expulsion" were directly told to him, but he accepted them as fact, thinking it was "only natural." While he commands charisma from many extremist Joui patriots and anti-bakufu thinkers, he is not particularly excellent as an organizational leader and shows irresponsible traits, often leaving the management of the organization entirely to his strategist, Henpeita Takechi. This sometimes leads to his subordinates or collaborators running wild. Also, while he shows some affection to Bansai Kawakami and those he has known for a long time, he is often cold and unfaithful to collaborators he has known for a short time. Even when gaining external cooperation, he calmly adopts a policy of cutting them off immediately if he deems them unnecessary or useless. He points out the mysterious words and actions of others matter-of-factly, and conversely, gets called out for his own airheadedness. His mindset involves no self-preservation, deception, or joking, which can be seen as gallant. In his childhood, he studied academics and swordsmanship at Yoshida Shouyou's temple school, Shoka Sonjuku, along with Gintoki, Katsura, and Guest. To rescue the captured Shouyou, the students of Shoka Sonjuku participated in the Joui War, but Shouyou was executed, and all other students except for the four are believed to have died in battle. Afterward, Gintoki, Katsura, and Takasugi walked separate paths due to differing ideologies. At that time, the comrades of the "Kiheitai" that Takasugi led were all executed, and their heads were displayed on the riverbank. His hatred for the world that took his master, Shouyou, became his driving force, and he has now revived the Kiheitai. Regarding his combat power, he is described as having "tactics that make light of modern weaponry and the strength to sink two warships in an instant." Note: It is said that Matako and Takasugi have almost never had a conversation.