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Mar. 1st, 2016 06:46 pmPLAYER INFORMATION
Name: Jas
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CHARACTER CANON INFORMATION
Character Name: Sakata, Gintoki
Canon: Gintama
Age: Late 20s-Early 30s
Gender: Male
Canon Point: Just before the Shogun Assassination Arc
History: Wiki Entry and a supplemental fan site detailing his character.
Powers/Abilities: Sakata Gintoki is a mere human, capable of dying just as well as the next main character of a popular Shounen series. Really, he can die. He's just as tenacious as a cockroach, so it might be a bit of an endeavor covered over a multiple-episode arc.
Gintoki possesses notable skill in swordsmanship, though his style if often described as 'wild' by other samurai who witness his techniques. He seems to possess more strength than the average human - though when he chooses to use this strength is during super 'important' instances - such as kicking a hole into a car because he was frustrated that he couldn't find an electric fan during a heat wave.
Gintoki is able to ingest obscene amount of sugars without suffering from an upset stomach, though his digestive system has weakened in his old age. His laziness is also a notable ability that would appear on any stats page.
Personality: ~Spoiler warnings abound beyond this point. Who would've thought that was possible with this show?~
The sort of man Sakata Gintoki is relies heavily on the context in which he is experienced. In fact, referring to Gintoki as an 'experience' himself would not miss the mark. When faced with a situation where his assistance or support is needed by another party, Gintoki proves to be a righteous and valuable ally who is ready to jump into the fray without hesitation. He is a man who will answer the call of another person when he or she is faced with insurmountable odds with little interest of being compensated. Though once the calamity of the week has passed, the airs of 'Sakata Gintoki, the hero' wither away to reveal his truth identity – Sakata Gintoki, the obstinate NEET who somehow continually reaffirms his position as poor choice in role models.
Gintoki lacks the proper motivation and focus required to branch out into work beyond offering himself to complete 'odd jobs' – and even then Gintoki may attempt to pawn off on one of the other members of the Yorozuya if he deems the job far too contrived to be worth the payout. He is a man who would rather waste away on his couch, snoozing with a WEEKLY JUMP open on his chest than commit himself to strenuous labor. He continually dodges his adult responsibilities such as making payments on his rent or paying his employees, and often participates in a variety of 'get rich quick' schemes in an attempt to make easy money, so that he can avoid doing actual work for a living.
Irresponsible and blunt – Gintoki makes no attempt to hide who he is behind formalities or facades and instead presents himself in his truest form, much to the chagrin of those who associate with him.
--Sorry, but I'm better at being a free agent.--
As the proprietor of Yorozuya Gin-chan, Sakata Gintoki is often referred to as Yorozuya himself as a nickname coined by other characters within the series. The term literally translates to “House of 10,000 Businesses,” which in colloquial terms simply means “Odd Jobs.” The business is a small outfit that was founded by Gintoki a few years after his stint in the Anti-Foreigner War. The aim of the business is to run errands or other chores as a free agent - for a price. Granted, the business doesn't bring much in the way of money. The member of the Yorozuya – Kagura and Shinpachi – often reference the absence of a regular wage from Gintoki, though these reminders are often outright ignored by Ginoki who will continue to flip through his issue of the WEEKLY JUMP or continue his conversation as if nothing happened.
One reason for their lack of funds comes from a tendency of Gintoki avoiding jobs that include (perceived) intense manual labor, repetitive action, or anything else that could fit the category of 'unappealing' at that particular moment. In Episode 9, Gintoki even attempts to cheat during Rock, Paper, Scissors against the other Yorozuya members so that he could avoid having to tile a roof for an old man. (Incidentally, his win backfires and he is forced to tile the roof as a result of winning – rather than being able to stay back as he had planned.) If it's not laziness that costs Yorozuya cash, then it's the sheer magnificence at which the Yorozuya are able to botch a job. Blunders arise among the Odd Jobs group due to their tendency to goof-off or bicker while at work. Gintoki and Kagura especially are susceptible to being carried away in the heat of the moment, which can ultimately lead to a crucial part of the job being undeniably screwed up (case in point: the retrieval of Prince Hata's beloved pet alien- octopus, Pesu, resulted in the pet nearly dying before it grew several stories tall and began to go on a violent rampage.)
Despite his tendency to be lazy and abrasive, Sakata Gintoki will not turn down someone who is in dire need of help. If he grows invested in the circumstances surrounding a job, he will devote himself to seeing it through to the end. Often, he gets swept up in the story of a client and begins to see what is precious to his client. Once he identifies things that are precious to another person, Gintoki becomes compelled to protect it. He reasons, “If I find something falling before me, I want to pick it up,” and will put his life on the life to ensure that he does what he can to protect what is within his grasp. Upon getting involved in these jobs, Gintoki often refuses payment for his services as he is focused on something that is far more important: the call to protect someone or something.
The freedom allowed by Yorozuya's outfit provides Gintoki with the ability to pick and choose just what he gets involved with and allows him to pave his own way. The versatility behind the business allows for him to comfortably drift in and out of people's lives and gives him the security of being an outsider in most situations. He has the ability to choose his level of involvement – an important feature for an independent man such a Gintoki. While the Yorozuya proves not to be the most financially lucrative business, it is the key to exactly the sort of simple life that Sakata Gintoki seeks out in his present day.
--From now on, you will swing that sword not to cut down your enemies, not to cut away your weaknesses and protect yourself. But to protect your very soul.--
Sakata Gintoki did not always prescribe to a simple life. Orphaned at a young age, Gintoki spent a notable period of his life scavenging battlefield to swipe food from the dead. He quickly adapted, becoming a bit of an opportunist in order to survive. The young boy was alone and looked out for solely himself for a long period of time. During this chapter of Gintoki's life, he was approached by Yoshida Shouyou – who had heard rumors of a 'corpse eating demon' only to find the small child. He refers to Gintoki as a 'rather cute demon' and pats him on the head. Gintoki responds by immediately going on the defensive, reeling back in fear before pulling a blade he had swiped off of a corpse. Shouyou immediately recognizes the child's defiance and incredible will to survive, though he also notices the fear and distrust that cloud the child from reaching his full potential. Shouyou calmly tells the boy that a sword weilded only in self defense should be cast aside, before throwing his own sword to the boy. He tells Gintoki that he will teach him how to weild a sword properly if he accompanies him, and Gintoki quickly accepts the man's offer. Shortly after being taken in by Yoshida Shouyou, Gintoki becomes the man's pupil and begins attending classes at his dojo. It is show several times that even as a child, Gintoki retains his lazy, apathetic personality as during Shouyou's lectures he can often be seen snoozing in the back of the classroom – drooling and snoring through the teachings while the other students are intently listening. Despite this seemingly flippant disregard for his school work, its shown several times that Yoshida Shouyou's words had a profound impact on Gintoki and were crucial to making him who he is in the present. Several times in the series, Gintoki echos the words of his mentor – saying that he will protect what is in front of him in order to protect his soul. This way of life is what Sakata Gintoki has adopted as his own personal bushido – which means that despite his laziness in class, he has deeply taken the teachings of his teacher to heart.
Unfortunately during the Kansei Purge – A period where the countrys government began to work with the invading Amanto to quell the fires of rebellion that had broken out between loyalists to the old Japan and the Amanta – Yoshida Shouyou was targeted due to the possibility that he could 'create dissenters.' He was arrested by the Tendoshu and taken away before Gintoki's eyes. As they parted, Shouyou entrusted everything in Gintoki's care – asking him to protect the lives of his fellow students until he returned. Gintoki followed through on his teacher's wish and took responsibility to take care of his fellow pupils, though he also joined in the Anti-Foreigner War along with Katsura Kotarou and Takasugi Shinsuke (two of Yoshida Shouyou's pupils and Gintoki's friends) in a desperate attempt to save their beloved teacher. During the war, Gintoki quickly made a name for himself due to his merciless swordplay and his white appearance and was coined as the “Shiroyasha” - A white demon that struck fear into the hearts of both his comrades and his enemies. This ruthless way of fighting comes about from the desperate need to protect what was in front of him, and is a stark contrast from the Gintoki of present day due to the viciousness the Shiroyasha displayed on the battlefield. Though in the face of this dire time, Gintoki still displays that he has not completely departed from his bushido. When he and Katsura are faced with insurmountable odds and Katsura suggests they commit seppuku so that they may die honorably – Gintoki responds, “If you have time to fantasize about your beautiful death, then why not use that to live beautifully until the end?” In essence, he believes their souls to be too valuable to simply cast away for honor on the battlefield. Near the end of the Anti-Foreigner War, Gintoki and his friends are captured by the enemy. In this time, Gintoki is given an ultimatum; he must either kill his teacher or allow for his friends to be killed. In the end, Gintoki decapitates Yoshida Shouyou in order to keep his promise to his mentor. Though the two share a final smile with one another, it is an action that haunts Gintoki to this very day. Shortly after, Sakata Gintoki abandons his friends and vanishes from the war without a trace.
Sometime after the war, Sakata Gintoki runs into Terada Ayano – known more commonly by her professional name Otose – while she is bringing food to her deceased husband's grave. He takes the food she had originally meant to give to her husband (though he has the decency to ask if he can scavenge food from the dead this time), before he vows to her husband that he will protect Otose for the remainder of her life. Following these events – he begins to rent the space above Otose's Snack House and establishes the Yorozuya.
Such is the tragic backstory that befits a shounen protagonist – now, to get back to the subject at hand: Sakata Gintoki, the shameful excuse of an adult.
--What am I doing, reading JUMP at my age? Well, a man remains a boy until his death...--
Several times throughout the series, numerous other characters note the astounding level of laziness that circulates through Gintoki's being. In episode 74, Gintoki is unaffected by an epidemic that caused the people of Edo to transform into useless old men, because he already is a worthless, sluggish oldster. Sakata Gintoki often complains when faced with menial labor and attempts to weasel himself out of doing jobs that seem unappealing to him. He lacks motivation and spends the majority of his time lounging around his office and reading the Weekly JUMP or dozing on and off throughout the day. The only commitment he regularly makes seems to be to move to switch his television on so he can gawk at the weather lady that he fawns over. During episodes 202-203 – when the show comes back on the air after taking a year break – the characters are affected by an outbreak of warts that feed on the ambitions of people so that they may grow and take their image. Gintoki is once again left out of the loop, given that he was not targeted due to his lack of ambition. This albino man is content leading a simple life and scraping by while performing odd jobs for others. He is consistently behind on making his rent and often dodges the issue when confronted by Otose. Instead he attempts to mooch off of the people around him, as he would rather fall into easy money and goods in lieu of working for them.
Beyond being an infamous mooch, Gintoki is quick to flush the money he does come across down the toilet. When yen passes his hands, he is quick to spend it on frivolous things such as sugar, the Weekly JUMP (The weekly JUMP you hear? Not the Akamaru JUMP. That's a mistake a mother would make!), or getting smashed instead of putting it towards something useful like, who knows, paying the rent or his employees for starters. If he still has some dough left over after buying his own luxuries – then he is quick to shove it into a pachinko machine or into the hands of casino employee and immediately lose it all. The amount of times that Gintoki has been stripped down to his boxers because he got a little too into throwing his money away is far too many to just excuse. This useless samurai absolutely attempts to strike it rich at any opportunity. In fact, money becomes so important that in more humorous situations – Gintoki is willing to dive into just about any job if the price is right (and it doesnt go against his own morale code, but that's to be hit on more later.) When Gintoki meets Hasegawa for the first time, he is disinterested in the idea of tracking down Prince Hata's pet for the government, as the job seemed like it was more hassle than it was worth, but Hasegawa mentions that they planned to compensate them handsomely. Needless to say, Gintoki was instantly won over by the prospects of receiving a suitcase full of money and took the job – quickly (and shamelessly) changing his tune from literal seconds before.
--Here's the power balance in this house: me first, sweets second. Remember that!--
While Gintoki's sweet-tooth has been glossed over a few times, his devotion to sugar deserves its own section. While the samurai possesses a prickly, flippant personality – his love for sweets could be considered a 'softer' charm point within his character. Gintoki is often seen eating a variety of different sweets throughout the series and claims that he cannot make it through a day without some. Most commonly he is drinking from a carton of strawberry milk or enjoying a strawberry or chocolate parfait, though it seems as if he will shovel anything sweet into his mouth if given the chance. His former friends have even cited that his addiction for sweets has caused him 'soften' after the Anti-Foreigner War and took away his will to fight. Gintoki is rarely seen without something sugary within his reach and complains that doctors and dentists both attempt to chide him on his sugary diet (to which he usually decides that, “So what, then I'll live the remainder of my apparent short life happy.” Beyond simply ingesting sugar, he often references sweets in his long, drawn out arguments in order to prove a point. An infamous example would be the “truth about strawberry milk” spiel – in which Gintoki attempted to make a motivational speech meant to say something along the lines of “sometimes things are unavoidable and you'll have to do them even if they're a pain, and instead ended up using strawberry milk as the obscure focal point to deliver his message:
Listen up! Let's say you drink too much strawberry milk, and have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. But it's cold outside your bed. You don't want to get up, but the urge to urinate is just too strong! You make up your mind to go! You run to the bathroom, stand in front of the toilet, and let loose! You think that all your life has led to this moment! But then you realize! It isn't the bathroom! You're still in bed! That feeling of lukewarm wetness spreads like wildfire! But you don't stop! You can't stop! That's what I'm talking about! That's the truth of strawberry milk!
--The best way to live a full life is to be a child, no matter what your age.--
As seen above, Gintoki does not mince words when he's attempting to make a point. He does not hesitate to talk or make jokes involving poop, pee, or puke – and doesn't hold himself back from slipping innuendos within his speech or talking about his own genitals. His manner of speaking is often considered inappropriate and even gross by other people who speak to him for the first time, and he rarely attempts to 'clean it up' no matter the situation. Sakata Gintoki speaks how he does, simply because he can get away with it and ends up sounding a teenage boy in the process. Beyond using the vocabulary of a teenager, Gintoki also has the temperament of a boy rather than a man. He is argumentative and quick to jump into petty squabbles. Gintoki will go back and forth or offer little quips just to rile another party up for fun. Not above getting into shouting matches or results to physical violence if he gets annoyed, conversations with Sakata Gintoki often reveal that this is a boy who is masquerading as a child. When his immaturity is brought up by other characters, Gintoki is quick to defend it – saying that a man who lives as a boy lives a fulfilling, happy life. Gintoki just so happens to live as a stubborn, arrogant boy who would throw someone under the bus in an instant if it meant avoiding an inconvenient or annoying situation. His tendency for immaturity often puts him at odds with the other people that surround him – leading him to get involved in several arguments and create a poor reputation amongst the people who know him as a 'worthless man.'
--What kind of soul does this man have? It's really hard to tell, but I can definitely tell it's shining. I think I'll stand by his side and keep watching it.--
Despite his frequent displays of immaturity and inappropriate behaviors, Sakata Gintoki is a man with man connections. Frequently it is mentioned throughout the series that people are drawn to the former samurai even in the face of his less-than-stellar personality traits. Often, people are drawn to him simply because they see beyond the initial layers of a good-for-nothing man-child to see the magnetic (silver, you could say) soul that lies within.
By involving himself with his Yorozuya, Gintoki puts into motion his own idea of changing the world – though he works in small increments. He reaches out and involves himself in countless situations so that he can protect what his clients hold dear. His drive manifests not in the attempt to do right by others, but to do right for them so that can help to improve their quality of life. Often, he will begin to empathize with another so strongly that he would put his life on the line to protect what he deems needs protecting and shows no desire in accepting a reward for doing so. Instead, he takes this as his duty – a lesson from his teacher that he transformed into his own bushido to carry out. Gintoki lives his life and completes jobs all while taking care not to break from his code. Otose mentions in episode 192 that she believes Gintoki devotes himself to protecting what other people care about as a form of atonement for something from his past. The idea that Gintoki attempts to save what people hold dear so they would not have to experience the same sort of loss he did, and also as a way of 'making up' for failing to protect what he held close is not far off.
Beyond his need to protect those around him, Sakata Gintoki also has a soft-spot for the idea of a family structure. While he has not had experience with a conventional family structure – as he has mentioned several times that he never had a real mother or father – he has experienced the bond of family that goes beyond sharing blood. Yoshida Shouyou was not only his teacher, but also took him in when he was young and instilled several important values within him. Even though he was an ornery child, Shouyou still saw the potential in Sakata Gintoki and trusted the boy's potential. The tenderness and respect Yoshida Shouyou showed Sakata Gintoki was crucial to making the boy into the respectable man he is today. Losing Yoshida Shouyou caused a great deal of strain on Gintoki and he lives his life attempting to 'make-up” for what he had done. Later, after he meets Otose and vows to protect her – he also begins to view her as a maternal figure. Gintoki grows attached to those who are around him (Shinpachi and Kagura are notably examples of his 'family') and would do anything to insure that they have the best. He will go so far as to remove himself from situations (such as when Kagura's father was attempting to take Kagura home and Gintoki attempted to force her to leave) if he feels that the alternative is a better opportunity for the person's interests. He will often empathize with those who are stuck in familial struggles and attempt to fix the situation. Once he even mentions that, “I wish I had one, a family like yours. Ironic, ain't it? How the people who don't have things usually understand them better than the ones who do,” showing that he consciously knows his own desire for a family and its perceived importance.
--What's the use of fighting a futile fights? Do you really intend to lose more of your friends for something like that? I'll pass on that, as long as I'm alive I'll live by my own rules. I'll live how I see beautiful and protect those I hold dear.--
Sakata Gintoki is also known for being positive in dire situations. Even when forced to face impossible odds, Gintoki does not speak as if he will die. Instead, he continues to fight so that he may continue to live. He's mentioned several times that his life is worth more than dying an 'honorable' death, and that he would much rather continue to live even if it meant living in an 'ugly' way rather than given up and dying beautifully. His places a deep importance on the meaning of life and how people should aim to live it fully until the end instead of throwing it away in the moment. After the death of Yoshida Shouyou, he did not embody these traits – his anger and sadness leading him to be distant and constantly focused on the terrible things that had happened. Though as he met Otose and grew more accustomed to the Kabuki District – he also began to learn from them that fatalism would not make anyone happy. After taking that new lesson to heart – Gintoki began to live everyday in the way that he would want to and looked forward instead of dwelling on the past.
--You don't have the right to call yourself her master! You don't have the strength to shoulder a student and their pain!--
Though Sakata Gintoki is typically considered a positive force – he has revealed a darker side to himself a handful of times throughout the series. While the former samurai avoids talking about his past – as his past is mostly revealed through inner flashbacks or through the stories that his friends tell, he still carries a great deal of baggage from the time period. The feelings of rage he harbors begin to flare when he is faced with either someone attacking part of his family (as seen when Jirocho attacks Otose and Gintoki flies off the handle, becoming vicious and losing the ability to control his rage) or when he is faced with someone who sullies the name of being a true 'teacher' (as seen with Jiraia after he emotionally tortures his student Tsukiyo). During these instances in the series, Gintoki loses the normal control he has over himself – instead flying off the handle and becoming embroiled in a deadly rage that calls back to his time as the infamous Shiroyasha. He reveals in these times that he still harbors a darker side within himself that can be unleashed under the right circumstances – though these instances have been rare throughout the series thus far.
Sakata Gintoki is an interesting character because most of his character-development has already happened by the time the series has began. He is a man who has lived an eventful life and has been shaped by his past. Thus, he typically stands as a catalyst to help the people around him evolve and 'develop' as the series progresses. Sakata Gintoki does not like simply doing things for other people – and instead tries to set the people he cares about on the right path so they can properly blaze their own trail.
Character Relationships
--A samurai doesn’t need a reason to do what’s right. If you want to protect her, you must draw your sword.--
It is through Shinpachi that we are initially introduced to Gintoki within the series. Gintoki 'saves' Shinpachi from being bullied by some Amanto – before he leaves the scene of the crime and slips his wood sword into Shinpachi's belt as he makes his getaway so that he can frame poor Shinpachi. Later he admits that he got a “little carried away” with his intro scene and he wanted to look cool as his first impression. Despite this rocky start – Shinpachi becomes drawn to Gintoki after Gintoki helps him to retrieve his sister. After Tae is saved from the debt-collectors that had been after her and Shinpachi, he decides to join the Yorozuya as he is inexplicably drawn to Gintoki. Often times, Gintoki targets Shinpachi and makes him the butt of his jokes. He teases that Shinpachi is boring “Jimmy” of a character, and often drags Shinpachi through ten-kinds of hell. Despite the trouble he causes for Shinpachi, he deeply cares for him and will step up to protect him as he would to any member of his family. Shinpachi can be seen emulating a lot of Gintoki's more positive traits – such as protecting those around him without hesitation and quickly gets exasperated when he has to deal with the more useless side of the man-child.
--And she (Kagura) said she'd look after you! In the end, it's the mother who's supposed to look after the dog! Hey... So I'm the mother?--
Where Shinpachi emulates Gintoki's good behaviors – Kagura seems to pick up a lot of Gintoki's bad behaviors. After living in the Yorozuya office, Kagura begins to pick up Gintoki's flippant attitude and actions such as picking her nose and picking her ear while people talk. Gintoki gets into arguments with her often because they both have a tendency to be incredibly argumentative and are not afraid to throw around derogatory words at one another. They also tend to escalate situations by bouncing (terrible) ideas off of one another. Even though they get fired up around one another, there is a very strong bond between the two. Gintoki acts similar to a surrogate father to Kagura and will go out of his way to make her happy (seen in the episode where he buys Kagura a cute umbrella after he notices her staring at other girls' umbrellas in envy, or when he begins to wake up every morning for a period of several months so that he can run 'morning exercises' for Kagura so that she can keep a promise to one of her sickly friends.) This pseudo parent-child relationship is important between the two of them, and they deeply care for and believe in each other.
--Leave it at that. Even though she was raised by gorillas, she’s still a woman.--
Tae Shimura is a woman to be reckoned with and often is able to put Gintoki in his place with an iron fist. Her short-temper often causes Gintoki to straighten up or back away in cowardice in order to avoid getting clocked. Though if he's able to get in a quick quip at her expense, he will absolutely take the potshot – even if it means getting smacked upside the head for it. Despite their rather rowdy relationship, Gintoki cares a lot about her in part because she means so much to Shinpachi and in part because he has grown to respect her as well. He will intervene in a situation to protect her and has gone so far as to 'borrow' a cop car in order to save her from the hands of some debt-collecting Amanto.
--I wont forget this favor. This old lady probably doesn't have much time left. From now on, I'll protect her for you.--
Otose is Gintoki's landlady and has put up with his shit for a long time. He often dodges paying her rent and calls her an array of slurs while getting into intense arguments with her. Though he acts like an insufferable deadbeat son to her, he holds steadfast to the promise he made to her dead husband. He is committed to protecting her until the end of her days – and even loses his grip on reality when he believes when she is attacked by Jirocho and attempts to desperately kill him in revenge. Jirocho refers to Sakata Gintoki as her 'watch dog' – which is an also an apt description of his relationship with her. Whenever Otose is faced with danger, Gintoki will appear to save her so that he can repay her kindness for taking him in when he was dying of hunger and homeless after the Anti-Foreigner War.
Within Otose's snackhouse reside two employees as well. Catherine – a middle-aged cat girl – is often the target of Gintoki's immature jabs, as he teases about her looks and her personality. Upon initially meeting her, Gintoki mentions to Catherine that, “This area is like a garbage dump where the trash piles up. What I want to say is... the two of us are alike, we're bother trash. No trash isn't the right word. We're both boogers in the same nostril,” as he tries to connect with her after hearing that she is trying to save up money to send back to her family. He attempts to welcome her to the Kabuki District, though things quickly go awry when it is revealed that Catherine is responsible for a string of burglaries that have occurred within the district and she makes off with stolen goods from both Otose's Snack House and the Yorozuya. After tracking her down, he comes to Otose's rescue to prevent Catherine from running her over as she tries to make her getaway. When Catherine is being arrested, Otose says that she would take Catherine back in if she were to become a stray – and with Otose's blessing, Gintoki gives Catherine his blessing. Well, to an extent. He still gives her hell and makes derogatory comments about just about anything having to do with the woman – but when times get desperate it is shown that Gintoki will step in to save Catherine from dangerous situations. He has protected her from members of her old gang when they attempted to blackmail her and from a boyfriend that emptied her bank account – going out of his way to assist due to the fact that she is considered so dearly by Otose.
Tama is another employee within Otose's Snack House, who just so happens to be a robot. Gintoki came across her disembodied head in the trash one day and ended up taking her in out of curiousity. Though she freaked him out initially, he slowly became more intrigued with her story. He saved her from being tracked down by No. 502 and from being purged along with the other robot maids in Edo. Gintoki kept her head after the events of the Fuyo Arc so that Gengai could repair her due to how dear she had become to the Odd Jobs family. After her restoration, Gintoki is shown throughout the series to help assist her with her problems – such as attempting to teach her to relax and assisting when she became the victim of a terrible virus. Tama's image of Gintoki also seems to be very positive – as she created her Anti-Virus Immune System's program to resemble Gintoki's personality and visage.
--I have no intention of getting you a rope so you can hang yourself. But. If it's a rope to pull you out of hell, then I'll bring you as many as you want.--
After their initial meeting, Hasegawa quickly began to admire Gintoki's way of life. He found inspiration in how dedicated Gintoki was to his own morale code and wanted to live similarly. Unfortunately, this quickly costs Hasegawa his job and he ends up living as a bum for the rest of the series. Hasegawa and Gintoki appear to get along well, and both seem to share a variety of vices – namely alcoholism and respective gambling addictions. They hang out with one another often and Gintoki often attempts to impart his advice onto Hasegawa when he feels its necessary. Hasegawa, in turn, often goes along with many of the schemes or shenanigans that Gintoki makes throughout the series. Despite this friendly relationship, Gintoki still often makes fun of Hasegawa and is quick to throw him under a bus in humorous situations, such as when the two bet on horse racing and he tells Hasegawa he would never bet on the same horse as him because Hasegawa is a natural loser. He's also one of the reasons Hasegawa keeps losing every job he attempts to take. Though if Hasegawa is in true trouble – it has been shown that Gintoki will come to his rescue – as seen in the Hasegawa Prosecution Arc, where Gintoki posed as a prosecutor in order to save Hasegawa from being tried and executed for sexual harassment.
--What's the user of fighting a futile fight? Do you really intend to lose more of your friends for something like that? I'll pass on that, as long as I'm alive I'll live by my own rules. I'll live how I see and protect those I hold dear.--
Katsura Kotarou and Gintoki Sakata share a long history. They have known each other since childhood, having both studied under Yoshida Shouyou. The two fought in the Anti-Foreigner War together, and Gintoki advised Katsura to focus on living a beautiful life rather than worrying about dying a beautiful death. Katsura remembers and admires the hero of the Joui that Gintoki – or the Shiroyasha – had been and, to Gintoki's dismay, likes to bring it up often. Despite their long history, it would appear that Gintoki shares a love-hate relationship with Katsura. He is quick to become irritated by the very sight of Katsura and tries to avoid him at all costs – saying that he must be about 90% idiot. The years of putting up with Katsura's numerous quirks have seemed to wear on Gintoki's patience. Gintoki has little interest in Katsura's efforts as a terrorist and lacks the ambition to continue to fight against the Bafuku. He often blows Katsura off and refers to him affectionately as “Zura” despite Katsura's constant irritation – though probably he continues to do it because it grates on Katsura. Even though the two are often annoying or irritating one another, they are still friends and Gintoki is willing to fight by Katsura's side when situations turn serious. He makes a vow with Katsura to cut him down if he were to change, and that he would do the same for Katsura, after they come face to face with what their childhood friend, Takasugi Shinsuke has become.
--Even if I have to use my master's corpse as a stepping stone. Takasugi, even if I have to use your corpse as a stepping stone, I will protect the soul of his disciple, our comrade, Takasugi Shinsuke of Shouka Sonjuku.--
Takasugi Shinsuke is another connection from Gintoki's past, and another one of Yoshida Shouyou's students. Takasugi often challenged Gintoki to fights, though Gintoki managed to win all but one. After defeating him in a match, Gintoki notes that Takasugi may as well be a student at Shouyou's school and soon after Takasugi joins. In their youth, it would seem they had a healthy rivalry between them – though they both clearly valued Sensei's teachings. They fought together during the Anti-Foreigner war, though their relationship fell apart after Gintoki executed Yoshida Shouyou while they watched. Gintoki's move – though it was made to fulfill Sensei's wish of protecting what he had held dear – was one that made Takasugi resent him. Gintoki doesn't seem to question the resentment, given his own feelings on having killed Yoshida Shouyou – though Gintoki clearly can't stand to see the path Takasugi has begun to take. While Takasugi claims that he has never changed, Gintoki and Katsura both recognize that Takasugi has twisted into something much more dangerous. While Gintoki seeks to protect everything that Yoshida Shouyou left behind – Takasugi seeks to destroy it in his rage against the world. This destructive cruelty has led Gintoki to vow that he will cut Takasugi down the next time their paths cross.
--Go off to space or anywhere you want and stir things up. Fishing for small fries doesn't suit you. Get a humongous net, cast it into space, and snag a whole planet.--
Sakamoto Tatsuma is a comrade and fellow veteran of the Anti-Foreigner War. Gintoki recognizes that Sakamoto was a skilled swordsman and a great ally on the battlefield, but he also points out that Sakamoto is what could be considered a “true idiot.” Often exasperated by Sakamoto's simplistic approach to life, Gintoki is finally forced to deal with someone who is seemingly more irresponsible than he is. He has little patience for Sakamoto's energy and Sakamoto's laugh grates on his nerves more than anything. Yet despite his frustrations with Sakamoto, he fully realizes the potential brilliance that seems to be hiding away in that skull. Really hiding.
--Thank You--
Yoshida Shouyou was the man who changed the course of Sakata Gintoki's life. After taking him in, Shouyou approached Gintoki with kindness and tenderness as he taught him the way of the sword. His teachings resound in Gintoki's soul and have made him the man that he is today. Gintoki loved Yoshida Shouyou as one would love a father, and gets very protective over his memory of his teacher and what it means to be a suitable teacher. Being forced to execute his teacher has left a deep mark in Gintoki's psyche, as he often remembers that he was unable to shoulder the burden of his Sensei and save him. Instead, he attempts to live his life by a code that his Sensei would be proud of and lives up to the pinky promise he made with Yoshida Shouyou before they were separated: that he would protect everything Yoshida Shouyou held dear.
--One fights to protect something, like you fought me to protect the Shinsengumi.--
Sparks fly whenever Hijikata Toshirou and Sakata Gintoki are forced to be within the same vicinity of one another. They two have a healthy rivalry – though often times they claim to hate each other's guts – that causes them to bicker about nearly anything. The two are quick to turn mundane things into competitions so that they can outshine one another, in a way that often becomes painful once someone realizes that they are essentially fighting against themselves. The two hold a lot of similarities, which is part of the reason they seem to clash so vehemently. They both fear the dentist and the supernatural, though they quickly attempt to prove that they aren't afraid so that they don't lose face in front of the other person. Amongst their arguments – the two seem to hold a certain respect for one another. Gintoki sees a lot of himself in Hijikata and empathizes with his situation. He recognizes that the Shinsengumi are Hijikata's family and that Hijikata is devoted to protecting this cherished family. He will swoop in and assist Hijikata so that he can help protect the things that Hijikata finds dear.
--After all, I lied to your sister about how we were friends and all. I'll be with you until the end, Soichiro-kun.--
Sakata Gintoki shares a lot of similarities with Okita Sougo – the first and foremost being an intense satisfaction in putting Hijikata under mental duress. Gintoki is often teased by Okita – who seems to have the perfect formula for getting Gintoki worked up. Though Okita refers to him as Boss and seems to admire him to some extent – given that he had Gintoki pose as his friend when his older sister Mitsuba came into town. Though Gintoki seems to have a fondness for Okita, he refers to him often as one would refer a child and never seems to get Sougo's name right.
--Why change it? This is a life that you chose for yourself, and nothing will change that. You don't need to fret, nor do you need to be embarrassed. No one else can or should choose the path that you walk upon. Just puff out your chest and walk proudly. There's nothing wrong with your face. As long as your soul doesn't get scarred, your face will remain beautiful.--
Tsukuyo stands as the intimidating head of the Hyakka, and is also referred to by Gintoki as the drunk terminator. A victim of Tsukuyo's drunken rampages, Gintoki has become flippant in his regard for her so that he can avoid a (karmatic) beat down. Despite this behavior, Gintoki has admitted that he's attracted to Tsukuyo physically and has assisted her in her desire to protect Yoshiwaru several times. He becomes protective of her during the Red Spider arc, when he finds that her former sensei has manipulated her and attempted to break her down so that she can be exactly the way he wished. He admires Tsukuyo for her ability to shoulder the weight of her sensei's burdens and wishes that he could have been as strong. The two work well together and maintain a flow with one another as they move through situations.
--Here you go. I got your glasses fixed. Just throw away that filthy pair.--
Sarutobi Ayame is often a thorn in Gintoki's side. She stalks him mercilessly, attempting to get close to him at any opportunity. Gintoki often locks up and quickly grows agitated by her constant advances, resorting to physically throwing her away in order to get rid of her. Despite his apparent sadistic tendencies, the idea of having a woman throw herself at him and begging for his dominance causes him to freeze up and attempt to leave the situation. Ayame is often treated as a joke throughout the series, though later when Gintoki breaks her glasses he's finally forced to see just how deep her devotion to him is. He finally begins to become a little more empathetic towards her feelings after seeing just how much she treasured the glasses he gave her because they were the “first gift” she received from her beloved (despite the fact that Gintoki literally plucked the glasses off of an old man's face in an attempt to get her off his case.)
--"Friendship, Struggle, and Victory?” You think you can master those just by reading JUMP?--
Zenzou Hattori is another avid JUMP fan and seems to share several similarities with Sakata Gintoki. Gintoki and Zenzou nearly fight to the death over the Double Issue Christmas Akamaru JUMP in episode 37, both attempting to one-up one another in who is the 'better' Weekly JUMP fan. As Zenzou makes other scattered appearances throughout the series, he often is the victim of Gintoki's antics. Often, Gintoki even becomes a literal pain in Zenzou's ass by either accidentally or intentionally striking the ninja on his hemorrhoid-ridden bum. Later in the series, Zenzou goes so far as to save Gintoki's life after his initial battle with Jiraia – showing that the two have formed a sense of comradery through the series.
--Even if you lose all memory in your head, the ones engraved in your heart and the ones that exist in your soul will never disappear, no matter what happens.--
Throughout the series, Gintoki proves time and time again to be a magnetic personality. He easily empathizes with other characters and will devote himself to helping protect what they find precious. The former samurai holds a special weak spot for families and children, despite his rather immature disposition. The possession of his well-intentioned soul helps for other characters to trust in him and look to him in their times of need, even if they have to suffer through dealing with an unapologetic man-child.
CHARACTER AU INFORMATION
Student Name: Sakata, Gintoki
Date of Birth: 10.10.XX
Typical Appearance:
Typical Inventory: Box of Apollo strawberry chocolates, latest issue of The Weekly Shounen JUMP, shinai (kendo sword), polaroid camera, 300 yen.
Strengths/Abilities:
Weaknesses:
Personality Translation:
AU Backstory:
Character Summary:
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CHARACTER CANON INFORMATION
Character Name: Sakata, Gintoki
Canon: Gintama
Age: Late 20s-Early 30s
Gender: Male
Canon Point: Just before the Shogun Assassination Arc
History: Wiki Entry and a supplemental fan site detailing his character.
Powers/Abilities: Sakata Gintoki is a mere human, capable of dying just as well as the next main character of a popular Shounen series. Really, he can die. He's just as tenacious as a cockroach, so it might be a bit of an endeavor covered over a multiple-episode arc.
Gintoki possesses notable skill in swordsmanship, though his style if often described as 'wild' by other samurai who witness his techniques. He seems to possess more strength than the average human - though when he chooses to use this strength is during super 'important' instances - such as kicking a hole into a car because he was frustrated that he couldn't find an electric fan during a heat wave.
Gintoki is able to ingest obscene amount of sugars without suffering from an upset stomach, though his digestive system has weakened in his old age. His laziness is also a notable ability that would appear on any stats page.
Personality: ~Spoiler warnings abound beyond this point. Who would've thought that was possible with this show?~
The sort of man Sakata Gintoki is relies heavily on the context in which he is experienced. In fact, referring to Gintoki as an 'experience' himself would not miss the mark. When faced with a situation where his assistance or support is needed by another party, Gintoki proves to be a righteous and valuable ally who is ready to jump into the fray without hesitation. He is a man who will answer the call of another person when he or she is faced with insurmountable odds with little interest of being compensated. Though once the calamity of the week has passed, the airs of 'Sakata Gintoki, the hero' wither away to reveal his truth identity – Sakata Gintoki, the obstinate NEET who somehow continually reaffirms his position as poor choice in role models.
Gintoki lacks the proper motivation and focus required to branch out into work beyond offering himself to complete 'odd jobs' – and even then Gintoki may attempt to pawn off on one of the other members of the Yorozuya if he deems the job far too contrived to be worth the payout. He is a man who would rather waste away on his couch, snoozing with a WEEKLY JUMP open on his chest than commit himself to strenuous labor. He continually dodges his adult responsibilities such as making payments on his rent or paying his employees, and often participates in a variety of 'get rich quick' schemes in an attempt to make easy money, so that he can avoid doing actual work for a living.
Irresponsible and blunt – Gintoki makes no attempt to hide who he is behind formalities or facades and instead presents himself in his truest form, much to the chagrin of those who associate with him.
--Sorry, but I'm better at being a free agent.--
As the proprietor of Yorozuya Gin-chan, Sakata Gintoki is often referred to as Yorozuya himself as a nickname coined by other characters within the series. The term literally translates to “House of 10,000 Businesses,” which in colloquial terms simply means “Odd Jobs.” The business is a small outfit that was founded by Gintoki a few years after his stint in the Anti-Foreigner War. The aim of the business is to run errands or other chores as a free agent - for a price. Granted, the business doesn't bring much in the way of money. The member of the Yorozuya – Kagura and Shinpachi – often reference the absence of a regular wage from Gintoki, though these reminders are often outright ignored by Ginoki who will continue to flip through his issue of the WEEKLY JUMP or continue his conversation as if nothing happened.
One reason for their lack of funds comes from a tendency of Gintoki avoiding jobs that include (perceived) intense manual labor, repetitive action, or anything else that could fit the category of 'unappealing' at that particular moment. In Episode 9, Gintoki even attempts to cheat during Rock, Paper, Scissors against the other Yorozuya members so that he could avoid having to tile a roof for an old man. (Incidentally, his win backfires and he is forced to tile the roof as a result of winning – rather than being able to stay back as he had planned.) If it's not laziness that costs Yorozuya cash, then it's the sheer magnificence at which the Yorozuya are able to botch a job. Blunders arise among the Odd Jobs group due to their tendency to goof-off or bicker while at work. Gintoki and Kagura especially are susceptible to being carried away in the heat of the moment, which can ultimately lead to a crucial part of the job being undeniably screwed up (case in point: the retrieval of Prince Hata's beloved pet alien- octopus, Pesu, resulted in the pet nearly dying before it grew several stories tall and began to go on a violent rampage.)
Despite his tendency to be lazy and abrasive, Sakata Gintoki will not turn down someone who is in dire need of help. If he grows invested in the circumstances surrounding a job, he will devote himself to seeing it through to the end. Often, he gets swept up in the story of a client and begins to see what is precious to his client. Once he identifies things that are precious to another person, Gintoki becomes compelled to protect it. He reasons, “If I find something falling before me, I want to pick it up,” and will put his life on the life to ensure that he does what he can to protect what is within his grasp. Upon getting involved in these jobs, Gintoki often refuses payment for his services as he is focused on something that is far more important: the call to protect someone or something.
The freedom allowed by Yorozuya's outfit provides Gintoki with the ability to pick and choose just what he gets involved with and allows him to pave his own way. The versatility behind the business allows for him to comfortably drift in and out of people's lives and gives him the security of being an outsider in most situations. He has the ability to choose his level of involvement – an important feature for an independent man such a Gintoki. While the Yorozuya proves not to be the most financially lucrative business, it is the key to exactly the sort of simple life that Sakata Gintoki seeks out in his present day.
--From now on, you will swing that sword not to cut down your enemies, not to cut away your weaknesses and protect yourself. But to protect your very soul.--
Sakata Gintoki did not always prescribe to a simple life. Orphaned at a young age, Gintoki spent a notable period of his life scavenging battlefield to swipe food from the dead. He quickly adapted, becoming a bit of an opportunist in order to survive. The young boy was alone and looked out for solely himself for a long period of time. During this chapter of Gintoki's life, he was approached by Yoshida Shouyou – who had heard rumors of a 'corpse eating demon' only to find the small child. He refers to Gintoki as a 'rather cute demon' and pats him on the head. Gintoki responds by immediately going on the defensive, reeling back in fear before pulling a blade he had swiped off of a corpse. Shouyou immediately recognizes the child's defiance and incredible will to survive, though he also notices the fear and distrust that cloud the child from reaching his full potential. Shouyou calmly tells the boy that a sword weilded only in self defense should be cast aside, before throwing his own sword to the boy. He tells Gintoki that he will teach him how to weild a sword properly if he accompanies him, and Gintoki quickly accepts the man's offer. Shortly after being taken in by Yoshida Shouyou, Gintoki becomes the man's pupil and begins attending classes at his dojo. It is show several times that even as a child, Gintoki retains his lazy, apathetic personality as during Shouyou's lectures he can often be seen snoozing in the back of the classroom – drooling and snoring through the teachings while the other students are intently listening. Despite this seemingly flippant disregard for his school work, its shown several times that Yoshida Shouyou's words had a profound impact on Gintoki and were crucial to making him who he is in the present. Several times in the series, Gintoki echos the words of his mentor – saying that he will protect what is in front of him in order to protect his soul. This way of life is what Sakata Gintoki has adopted as his own personal bushido – which means that despite his laziness in class, he has deeply taken the teachings of his teacher to heart.
Unfortunately during the Kansei Purge – A period where the countrys government began to work with the invading Amanto to quell the fires of rebellion that had broken out between loyalists to the old Japan and the Amanta – Yoshida Shouyou was targeted due to the possibility that he could 'create dissenters.' He was arrested by the Tendoshu and taken away before Gintoki's eyes. As they parted, Shouyou entrusted everything in Gintoki's care – asking him to protect the lives of his fellow students until he returned. Gintoki followed through on his teacher's wish and took responsibility to take care of his fellow pupils, though he also joined in the Anti-Foreigner War along with Katsura Kotarou and Takasugi Shinsuke (two of Yoshida Shouyou's pupils and Gintoki's friends) in a desperate attempt to save their beloved teacher. During the war, Gintoki quickly made a name for himself due to his merciless swordplay and his white appearance and was coined as the “Shiroyasha” - A white demon that struck fear into the hearts of both his comrades and his enemies. This ruthless way of fighting comes about from the desperate need to protect what was in front of him, and is a stark contrast from the Gintoki of present day due to the viciousness the Shiroyasha displayed on the battlefield. Though in the face of this dire time, Gintoki still displays that he has not completely departed from his bushido. When he and Katsura are faced with insurmountable odds and Katsura suggests they commit seppuku so that they may die honorably – Gintoki responds, “If you have time to fantasize about your beautiful death, then why not use that to live beautifully until the end?” In essence, he believes their souls to be too valuable to simply cast away for honor on the battlefield. Near the end of the Anti-Foreigner War, Gintoki and his friends are captured by the enemy. In this time, Gintoki is given an ultimatum; he must either kill his teacher or allow for his friends to be killed. In the end, Gintoki decapitates Yoshida Shouyou in order to keep his promise to his mentor. Though the two share a final smile with one another, it is an action that haunts Gintoki to this very day. Shortly after, Sakata Gintoki abandons his friends and vanishes from the war without a trace.
Sometime after the war, Sakata Gintoki runs into Terada Ayano – known more commonly by her professional name Otose – while she is bringing food to her deceased husband's grave. He takes the food she had originally meant to give to her husband (though he has the decency to ask if he can scavenge food from the dead this time), before he vows to her husband that he will protect Otose for the remainder of her life. Following these events – he begins to rent the space above Otose's Snack House and establishes the Yorozuya.
Such is the tragic backstory that befits a shounen protagonist – now, to get back to the subject at hand: Sakata Gintoki, the shameful excuse of an adult.
--What am I doing, reading JUMP at my age? Well, a man remains a boy until his death...--
Several times throughout the series, numerous other characters note the astounding level of laziness that circulates through Gintoki's being. In episode 74, Gintoki is unaffected by an epidemic that caused the people of Edo to transform into useless old men, because he already is a worthless, sluggish oldster. Sakata Gintoki often complains when faced with menial labor and attempts to weasel himself out of doing jobs that seem unappealing to him. He lacks motivation and spends the majority of his time lounging around his office and reading the Weekly JUMP or dozing on and off throughout the day. The only commitment he regularly makes seems to be to move to switch his television on so he can gawk at the weather lady that he fawns over. During episodes 202-203 – when the show comes back on the air after taking a year break – the characters are affected by an outbreak of warts that feed on the ambitions of people so that they may grow and take their image. Gintoki is once again left out of the loop, given that he was not targeted due to his lack of ambition. This albino man is content leading a simple life and scraping by while performing odd jobs for others. He is consistently behind on making his rent and often dodges the issue when confronted by Otose. Instead he attempts to mooch off of the people around him, as he would rather fall into easy money and goods in lieu of working for them.
Beyond being an infamous mooch, Gintoki is quick to flush the money he does come across down the toilet. When yen passes his hands, he is quick to spend it on frivolous things such as sugar, the Weekly JUMP (The weekly JUMP you hear? Not the Akamaru JUMP. That's a mistake a mother would make!), or getting smashed instead of putting it towards something useful like, who knows, paying the rent or his employees for starters. If he still has some dough left over after buying his own luxuries – then he is quick to shove it into a pachinko machine or into the hands of casino employee and immediately lose it all. The amount of times that Gintoki has been stripped down to his boxers because he got a little too into throwing his money away is far too many to just excuse. This useless samurai absolutely attempts to strike it rich at any opportunity. In fact, money becomes so important that in more humorous situations – Gintoki is willing to dive into just about any job if the price is right (and it doesnt go against his own morale code, but that's to be hit on more later.) When Gintoki meets Hasegawa for the first time, he is disinterested in the idea of tracking down Prince Hata's pet for the government, as the job seemed like it was more hassle than it was worth, but Hasegawa mentions that they planned to compensate them handsomely. Needless to say, Gintoki was instantly won over by the prospects of receiving a suitcase full of money and took the job – quickly (and shamelessly) changing his tune from literal seconds before.
--Here's the power balance in this house: me first, sweets second. Remember that!--
While Gintoki's sweet-tooth has been glossed over a few times, his devotion to sugar deserves its own section. While the samurai possesses a prickly, flippant personality – his love for sweets could be considered a 'softer' charm point within his character. Gintoki is often seen eating a variety of different sweets throughout the series and claims that he cannot make it through a day without some. Most commonly he is drinking from a carton of strawberry milk or enjoying a strawberry or chocolate parfait, though it seems as if he will shovel anything sweet into his mouth if given the chance. His former friends have even cited that his addiction for sweets has caused him 'soften' after the Anti-Foreigner War and took away his will to fight. Gintoki is rarely seen without something sugary within his reach and complains that doctors and dentists both attempt to chide him on his sugary diet (to which he usually decides that, “So what, then I'll live the remainder of my apparent short life happy.” Beyond simply ingesting sugar, he often references sweets in his long, drawn out arguments in order to prove a point. An infamous example would be the “truth about strawberry milk” spiel – in which Gintoki attempted to make a motivational speech meant to say something along the lines of “sometimes things are unavoidable and you'll have to do them even if they're a pain, and instead ended up using strawberry milk as the obscure focal point to deliver his message:
Listen up! Let's say you drink too much strawberry milk, and have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. But it's cold outside your bed. You don't want to get up, but the urge to urinate is just too strong! You make up your mind to go! You run to the bathroom, stand in front of the toilet, and let loose! You think that all your life has led to this moment! But then you realize! It isn't the bathroom! You're still in bed! That feeling of lukewarm wetness spreads like wildfire! But you don't stop! You can't stop! That's what I'm talking about! That's the truth of strawberry milk!
--The best way to live a full life is to be a child, no matter what your age.--
As seen above, Gintoki does not mince words when he's attempting to make a point. He does not hesitate to talk or make jokes involving poop, pee, or puke – and doesn't hold himself back from slipping innuendos within his speech or talking about his own genitals. His manner of speaking is often considered inappropriate and even gross by other people who speak to him for the first time, and he rarely attempts to 'clean it up' no matter the situation. Sakata Gintoki speaks how he does, simply because he can get away with it and ends up sounding a teenage boy in the process. Beyond using the vocabulary of a teenager, Gintoki also has the temperament of a boy rather than a man. He is argumentative and quick to jump into petty squabbles. Gintoki will go back and forth or offer little quips just to rile another party up for fun. Not above getting into shouting matches or results to physical violence if he gets annoyed, conversations with Sakata Gintoki often reveal that this is a boy who is masquerading as a child. When his immaturity is brought up by other characters, Gintoki is quick to defend it – saying that a man who lives as a boy lives a fulfilling, happy life. Gintoki just so happens to live as a stubborn, arrogant boy who would throw someone under the bus in an instant if it meant avoiding an inconvenient or annoying situation. His tendency for immaturity often puts him at odds with the other people that surround him – leading him to get involved in several arguments and create a poor reputation amongst the people who know him as a 'worthless man.'
--What kind of soul does this man have? It's really hard to tell, but I can definitely tell it's shining. I think I'll stand by his side and keep watching it.--
Despite his frequent displays of immaturity and inappropriate behaviors, Sakata Gintoki is a man with man connections. Frequently it is mentioned throughout the series that people are drawn to the former samurai even in the face of his less-than-stellar personality traits. Often, people are drawn to him simply because they see beyond the initial layers of a good-for-nothing man-child to see the magnetic (silver, you could say) soul that lies within.
By involving himself with his Yorozuya, Gintoki puts into motion his own idea of changing the world – though he works in small increments. He reaches out and involves himself in countless situations so that he can protect what his clients hold dear. His drive manifests not in the attempt to do right by others, but to do right for them so that can help to improve their quality of life. Often, he will begin to empathize with another so strongly that he would put his life on the line to protect what he deems needs protecting and shows no desire in accepting a reward for doing so. Instead, he takes this as his duty – a lesson from his teacher that he transformed into his own bushido to carry out. Gintoki lives his life and completes jobs all while taking care not to break from his code. Otose mentions in episode 192 that she believes Gintoki devotes himself to protecting what other people care about as a form of atonement for something from his past. The idea that Gintoki attempts to save what people hold dear so they would not have to experience the same sort of loss he did, and also as a way of 'making up' for failing to protect what he held close is not far off.
Beyond his need to protect those around him, Sakata Gintoki also has a soft-spot for the idea of a family structure. While he has not had experience with a conventional family structure – as he has mentioned several times that he never had a real mother or father – he has experienced the bond of family that goes beyond sharing blood. Yoshida Shouyou was not only his teacher, but also took him in when he was young and instilled several important values within him. Even though he was an ornery child, Shouyou still saw the potential in Sakata Gintoki and trusted the boy's potential. The tenderness and respect Yoshida Shouyou showed Sakata Gintoki was crucial to making the boy into the respectable man he is today. Losing Yoshida Shouyou caused a great deal of strain on Gintoki and he lives his life attempting to 'make-up” for what he had done. Later, after he meets Otose and vows to protect her – he also begins to view her as a maternal figure. Gintoki grows attached to those who are around him (Shinpachi and Kagura are notably examples of his 'family') and would do anything to insure that they have the best. He will go so far as to remove himself from situations (such as when Kagura's father was attempting to take Kagura home and Gintoki attempted to force her to leave) if he feels that the alternative is a better opportunity for the person's interests. He will often empathize with those who are stuck in familial struggles and attempt to fix the situation. Once he even mentions that, “I wish I had one, a family like yours. Ironic, ain't it? How the people who don't have things usually understand them better than the ones who do,” showing that he consciously knows his own desire for a family and its perceived importance.
--What's the use of fighting a futile fights? Do you really intend to lose more of your friends for something like that? I'll pass on that, as long as I'm alive I'll live by my own rules. I'll live how I see beautiful and protect those I hold dear.--
Sakata Gintoki is also known for being positive in dire situations. Even when forced to face impossible odds, Gintoki does not speak as if he will die. Instead, he continues to fight so that he may continue to live. He's mentioned several times that his life is worth more than dying an 'honorable' death, and that he would much rather continue to live even if it meant living in an 'ugly' way rather than given up and dying beautifully. His places a deep importance on the meaning of life and how people should aim to live it fully until the end instead of throwing it away in the moment. After the death of Yoshida Shouyou, he did not embody these traits – his anger and sadness leading him to be distant and constantly focused on the terrible things that had happened. Though as he met Otose and grew more accustomed to the Kabuki District – he also began to learn from them that fatalism would not make anyone happy. After taking that new lesson to heart – Gintoki began to live everyday in the way that he would want to and looked forward instead of dwelling on the past.
--You don't have the right to call yourself her master! You don't have the strength to shoulder a student and their pain!--
Though Sakata Gintoki is typically considered a positive force – he has revealed a darker side to himself a handful of times throughout the series. While the former samurai avoids talking about his past – as his past is mostly revealed through inner flashbacks or through the stories that his friends tell, he still carries a great deal of baggage from the time period. The feelings of rage he harbors begin to flare when he is faced with either someone attacking part of his family (as seen when Jirocho attacks Otose and Gintoki flies off the handle, becoming vicious and losing the ability to control his rage) or when he is faced with someone who sullies the name of being a true 'teacher' (as seen with Jiraia after he emotionally tortures his student Tsukiyo). During these instances in the series, Gintoki loses the normal control he has over himself – instead flying off the handle and becoming embroiled in a deadly rage that calls back to his time as the infamous Shiroyasha. He reveals in these times that he still harbors a darker side within himself that can be unleashed under the right circumstances – though these instances have been rare throughout the series thus far.
Sakata Gintoki is an interesting character because most of his character-development has already happened by the time the series has began. He is a man who has lived an eventful life and has been shaped by his past. Thus, he typically stands as a catalyst to help the people around him evolve and 'develop' as the series progresses. Sakata Gintoki does not like simply doing things for other people – and instead tries to set the people he cares about on the right path so they can properly blaze their own trail.
Character Relationships
--A samurai doesn’t need a reason to do what’s right. If you want to protect her, you must draw your sword.--
It is through Shinpachi that we are initially introduced to Gintoki within the series. Gintoki 'saves' Shinpachi from being bullied by some Amanto – before he leaves the scene of the crime and slips his wood sword into Shinpachi's belt as he makes his getaway so that he can frame poor Shinpachi. Later he admits that he got a “little carried away” with his intro scene and he wanted to look cool as his first impression. Despite this rocky start – Shinpachi becomes drawn to Gintoki after Gintoki helps him to retrieve his sister. After Tae is saved from the debt-collectors that had been after her and Shinpachi, he decides to join the Yorozuya as he is inexplicably drawn to Gintoki. Often times, Gintoki targets Shinpachi and makes him the butt of his jokes. He teases that Shinpachi is boring “Jimmy” of a character, and often drags Shinpachi through ten-kinds of hell. Despite the trouble he causes for Shinpachi, he deeply cares for him and will step up to protect him as he would to any member of his family. Shinpachi can be seen emulating a lot of Gintoki's more positive traits – such as protecting those around him without hesitation and quickly gets exasperated when he has to deal with the more useless side of the man-child.
--And she (Kagura) said she'd look after you! In the end, it's the mother who's supposed to look after the dog! Hey... So I'm the mother?--
Where Shinpachi emulates Gintoki's good behaviors – Kagura seems to pick up a lot of Gintoki's bad behaviors. After living in the Yorozuya office, Kagura begins to pick up Gintoki's flippant attitude and actions such as picking her nose and picking her ear while people talk. Gintoki gets into arguments with her often because they both have a tendency to be incredibly argumentative and are not afraid to throw around derogatory words at one another. They also tend to escalate situations by bouncing (terrible) ideas off of one another. Even though they get fired up around one another, there is a very strong bond between the two. Gintoki acts similar to a surrogate father to Kagura and will go out of his way to make her happy (seen in the episode where he buys Kagura a cute umbrella after he notices her staring at other girls' umbrellas in envy, or when he begins to wake up every morning for a period of several months so that he can run 'morning exercises' for Kagura so that she can keep a promise to one of her sickly friends.) This pseudo parent-child relationship is important between the two of them, and they deeply care for and believe in each other.
--Leave it at that. Even though she was raised by gorillas, she’s still a woman.--
Tae Shimura is a woman to be reckoned with and often is able to put Gintoki in his place with an iron fist. Her short-temper often causes Gintoki to straighten up or back away in cowardice in order to avoid getting clocked. Though if he's able to get in a quick quip at her expense, he will absolutely take the potshot – even if it means getting smacked upside the head for it. Despite their rather rowdy relationship, Gintoki cares a lot about her in part because she means so much to Shinpachi and in part because he has grown to respect her as well. He will intervene in a situation to protect her and has gone so far as to 'borrow' a cop car in order to save her from the hands of some debt-collecting Amanto.
--I wont forget this favor. This old lady probably doesn't have much time left. From now on, I'll protect her for you.--
Otose is Gintoki's landlady and has put up with his shit for a long time. He often dodges paying her rent and calls her an array of slurs while getting into intense arguments with her. Though he acts like an insufferable deadbeat son to her, he holds steadfast to the promise he made to her dead husband. He is committed to protecting her until the end of her days – and even loses his grip on reality when he believes when she is attacked by Jirocho and attempts to desperately kill him in revenge. Jirocho refers to Sakata Gintoki as her 'watch dog' – which is an also an apt description of his relationship with her. Whenever Otose is faced with danger, Gintoki will appear to save her so that he can repay her kindness for taking him in when he was dying of hunger and homeless after the Anti-Foreigner War.
Within Otose's snackhouse reside two employees as well. Catherine – a middle-aged cat girl – is often the target of Gintoki's immature jabs, as he teases about her looks and her personality. Upon initially meeting her, Gintoki mentions to Catherine that, “This area is like a garbage dump where the trash piles up. What I want to say is... the two of us are alike, we're bother trash. No trash isn't the right word. We're both boogers in the same nostril,” as he tries to connect with her after hearing that she is trying to save up money to send back to her family. He attempts to welcome her to the Kabuki District, though things quickly go awry when it is revealed that Catherine is responsible for a string of burglaries that have occurred within the district and she makes off with stolen goods from both Otose's Snack House and the Yorozuya. After tracking her down, he comes to Otose's rescue to prevent Catherine from running her over as she tries to make her getaway. When Catherine is being arrested, Otose says that she would take Catherine back in if she were to become a stray – and with Otose's blessing, Gintoki gives Catherine his blessing. Well, to an extent. He still gives her hell and makes derogatory comments about just about anything having to do with the woman – but when times get desperate it is shown that Gintoki will step in to save Catherine from dangerous situations. He has protected her from members of her old gang when they attempted to blackmail her and from a boyfriend that emptied her bank account – going out of his way to assist due to the fact that she is considered so dearly by Otose.
Tama is another employee within Otose's Snack House, who just so happens to be a robot. Gintoki came across her disembodied head in the trash one day and ended up taking her in out of curiousity. Though she freaked him out initially, he slowly became more intrigued with her story. He saved her from being tracked down by No. 502 and from being purged along with the other robot maids in Edo. Gintoki kept her head after the events of the Fuyo Arc so that Gengai could repair her due to how dear she had become to the Odd Jobs family. After her restoration, Gintoki is shown throughout the series to help assist her with her problems – such as attempting to teach her to relax and assisting when she became the victim of a terrible virus. Tama's image of Gintoki also seems to be very positive – as she created her Anti-Virus Immune System's program to resemble Gintoki's personality and visage.
--I have no intention of getting you a rope so you can hang yourself. But. If it's a rope to pull you out of hell, then I'll bring you as many as you want.--
After their initial meeting, Hasegawa quickly began to admire Gintoki's way of life. He found inspiration in how dedicated Gintoki was to his own morale code and wanted to live similarly. Unfortunately, this quickly costs Hasegawa his job and he ends up living as a bum for the rest of the series. Hasegawa and Gintoki appear to get along well, and both seem to share a variety of vices – namely alcoholism and respective gambling addictions. They hang out with one another often and Gintoki often attempts to impart his advice onto Hasegawa when he feels its necessary. Hasegawa, in turn, often goes along with many of the schemes or shenanigans that Gintoki makes throughout the series. Despite this friendly relationship, Gintoki still often makes fun of Hasegawa and is quick to throw him under a bus in humorous situations, such as when the two bet on horse racing and he tells Hasegawa he would never bet on the same horse as him because Hasegawa is a natural loser. He's also one of the reasons Hasegawa keeps losing every job he attempts to take. Though if Hasegawa is in true trouble – it has been shown that Gintoki will come to his rescue – as seen in the Hasegawa Prosecution Arc, where Gintoki posed as a prosecutor in order to save Hasegawa from being tried and executed for sexual harassment.
--What's the user of fighting a futile fight? Do you really intend to lose more of your friends for something like that? I'll pass on that, as long as I'm alive I'll live by my own rules. I'll live how I see and protect those I hold dear.--
Katsura Kotarou and Gintoki Sakata share a long history. They have known each other since childhood, having both studied under Yoshida Shouyou. The two fought in the Anti-Foreigner War together, and Gintoki advised Katsura to focus on living a beautiful life rather than worrying about dying a beautiful death. Katsura remembers and admires the hero of the Joui that Gintoki – or the Shiroyasha – had been and, to Gintoki's dismay, likes to bring it up often. Despite their long history, it would appear that Gintoki shares a love-hate relationship with Katsura. He is quick to become irritated by the very sight of Katsura and tries to avoid him at all costs – saying that he must be about 90% idiot. The years of putting up with Katsura's numerous quirks have seemed to wear on Gintoki's patience. Gintoki has little interest in Katsura's efforts as a terrorist and lacks the ambition to continue to fight against the Bafuku. He often blows Katsura off and refers to him affectionately as “Zura” despite Katsura's constant irritation – though probably he continues to do it because it grates on Katsura. Even though the two are often annoying or irritating one another, they are still friends and Gintoki is willing to fight by Katsura's side when situations turn serious. He makes a vow with Katsura to cut him down if he were to change, and that he would do the same for Katsura, after they come face to face with what their childhood friend, Takasugi Shinsuke has become.
--Even if I have to use my master's corpse as a stepping stone. Takasugi, even if I have to use your corpse as a stepping stone, I will protect the soul of his disciple, our comrade, Takasugi Shinsuke of Shouka Sonjuku.--
Takasugi Shinsuke is another connection from Gintoki's past, and another one of Yoshida Shouyou's students. Takasugi often challenged Gintoki to fights, though Gintoki managed to win all but one. After defeating him in a match, Gintoki notes that Takasugi may as well be a student at Shouyou's school and soon after Takasugi joins. In their youth, it would seem they had a healthy rivalry between them – though they both clearly valued Sensei's teachings. They fought together during the Anti-Foreigner war, though their relationship fell apart after Gintoki executed Yoshida Shouyou while they watched. Gintoki's move – though it was made to fulfill Sensei's wish of protecting what he had held dear – was one that made Takasugi resent him. Gintoki doesn't seem to question the resentment, given his own feelings on having killed Yoshida Shouyou – though Gintoki clearly can't stand to see the path Takasugi has begun to take. While Takasugi claims that he has never changed, Gintoki and Katsura both recognize that Takasugi has twisted into something much more dangerous. While Gintoki seeks to protect everything that Yoshida Shouyou left behind – Takasugi seeks to destroy it in his rage against the world. This destructive cruelty has led Gintoki to vow that he will cut Takasugi down the next time their paths cross.
--Go off to space or anywhere you want and stir things up. Fishing for small fries doesn't suit you. Get a humongous net, cast it into space, and snag a whole planet.--
Sakamoto Tatsuma is a comrade and fellow veteran of the Anti-Foreigner War. Gintoki recognizes that Sakamoto was a skilled swordsman and a great ally on the battlefield, but he also points out that Sakamoto is what could be considered a “true idiot.” Often exasperated by Sakamoto's simplistic approach to life, Gintoki is finally forced to deal with someone who is seemingly more irresponsible than he is. He has little patience for Sakamoto's energy and Sakamoto's laugh grates on his nerves more than anything. Yet despite his frustrations with Sakamoto, he fully realizes the potential brilliance that seems to be hiding away in that skull. Really hiding.
--Thank You--
Yoshida Shouyou was the man who changed the course of Sakata Gintoki's life. After taking him in, Shouyou approached Gintoki with kindness and tenderness as he taught him the way of the sword. His teachings resound in Gintoki's soul and have made him the man that he is today. Gintoki loved Yoshida Shouyou as one would love a father, and gets very protective over his memory of his teacher and what it means to be a suitable teacher. Being forced to execute his teacher has left a deep mark in Gintoki's psyche, as he often remembers that he was unable to shoulder the burden of his Sensei and save him. Instead, he attempts to live his life by a code that his Sensei would be proud of and lives up to the pinky promise he made with Yoshida Shouyou before they were separated: that he would protect everything Yoshida Shouyou held dear.
--One fights to protect something, like you fought me to protect the Shinsengumi.--
Sparks fly whenever Hijikata Toshirou and Sakata Gintoki are forced to be within the same vicinity of one another. They two have a healthy rivalry – though often times they claim to hate each other's guts – that causes them to bicker about nearly anything. The two are quick to turn mundane things into competitions so that they can outshine one another, in a way that often becomes painful once someone realizes that they are essentially fighting against themselves. The two hold a lot of similarities, which is part of the reason they seem to clash so vehemently. They both fear the dentist and the supernatural, though they quickly attempt to prove that they aren't afraid so that they don't lose face in front of the other person. Amongst their arguments – the two seem to hold a certain respect for one another. Gintoki sees a lot of himself in Hijikata and empathizes with his situation. He recognizes that the Shinsengumi are Hijikata's family and that Hijikata is devoted to protecting this cherished family. He will swoop in and assist Hijikata so that he can help protect the things that Hijikata finds dear.
--After all, I lied to your sister about how we were friends and all. I'll be with you until the end, Soichiro-kun.--
Sakata Gintoki shares a lot of similarities with Okita Sougo – the first and foremost being an intense satisfaction in putting Hijikata under mental duress. Gintoki is often teased by Okita – who seems to have the perfect formula for getting Gintoki worked up. Though Okita refers to him as Boss and seems to admire him to some extent – given that he had Gintoki pose as his friend when his older sister Mitsuba came into town. Though Gintoki seems to have a fondness for Okita, he refers to him often as one would refer a child and never seems to get Sougo's name right.
--Why change it? This is a life that you chose for yourself, and nothing will change that. You don't need to fret, nor do you need to be embarrassed. No one else can or should choose the path that you walk upon. Just puff out your chest and walk proudly. There's nothing wrong with your face. As long as your soul doesn't get scarred, your face will remain beautiful.--
Tsukuyo stands as the intimidating head of the Hyakka, and is also referred to by Gintoki as the drunk terminator. A victim of Tsukuyo's drunken rampages, Gintoki has become flippant in his regard for her so that he can avoid a (karmatic) beat down. Despite this behavior, Gintoki has admitted that he's attracted to Tsukuyo physically and has assisted her in her desire to protect Yoshiwaru several times. He becomes protective of her during the Red Spider arc, when he finds that her former sensei has manipulated her and attempted to break her down so that she can be exactly the way he wished. He admires Tsukuyo for her ability to shoulder the weight of her sensei's burdens and wishes that he could have been as strong. The two work well together and maintain a flow with one another as they move through situations.
--Here you go. I got your glasses fixed. Just throw away that filthy pair.--
Sarutobi Ayame is often a thorn in Gintoki's side. She stalks him mercilessly, attempting to get close to him at any opportunity. Gintoki often locks up and quickly grows agitated by her constant advances, resorting to physically throwing her away in order to get rid of her. Despite his apparent sadistic tendencies, the idea of having a woman throw herself at him and begging for his dominance causes him to freeze up and attempt to leave the situation. Ayame is often treated as a joke throughout the series, though later when Gintoki breaks her glasses he's finally forced to see just how deep her devotion to him is. He finally begins to become a little more empathetic towards her feelings after seeing just how much she treasured the glasses he gave her because they were the “first gift” she received from her beloved (despite the fact that Gintoki literally plucked the glasses off of an old man's face in an attempt to get her off his case.)
--"Friendship, Struggle, and Victory?” You think you can master those just by reading JUMP?--
Zenzou Hattori is another avid JUMP fan and seems to share several similarities with Sakata Gintoki. Gintoki and Zenzou nearly fight to the death over the Double Issue Christmas Akamaru JUMP in episode 37, both attempting to one-up one another in who is the 'better' Weekly JUMP fan. As Zenzou makes other scattered appearances throughout the series, he often is the victim of Gintoki's antics. Often, Gintoki even becomes a literal pain in Zenzou's ass by either accidentally or intentionally striking the ninja on his hemorrhoid-ridden bum. Later in the series, Zenzou goes so far as to save Gintoki's life after his initial battle with Jiraia – showing that the two have formed a sense of comradery through the series.
--Even if you lose all memory in your head, the ones engraved in your heart and the ones that exist in your soul will never disappear, no matter what happens.--
Throughout the series, Gintoki proves time and time again to be a magnetic personality. He easily empathizes with other characters and will devote himself to helping protect what they find precious. The former samurai holds a special weak spot for families and children, despite his rather immature disposition. The possession of his well-intentioned soul helps for other characters to trust in him and look to him in their times of need, even if they have to suffer through dealing with an unapologetic man-child.
CHARACTER AU INFORMATION
Student Name: Sakata, Gintoki
Date of Birth: 10.10.XX
Typical Appearance:
Typical Inventory: Box of Apollo strawberry chocolates, latest issue of The Weekly Shounen JUMP, shinai (kendo sword), polaroid camera, 300 yen.
Strengths/Abilities:
Weaknesses:
Personality Translation:
AU Backstory:
Character Summary:
SAMPLES
TDM Sample
Any questions, comments, or concerns about me or how I'm playing Sollux? Please drop them here, or reach me on plurk at regdichab. Feel free to leave anything you like - while I've loved and played Sollux for a few years, putting him into public games is a rather recent occurrence for me.
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monster info: RYSLIG
Feb. 3rd, 2015 09:23 pm|
Sollux Captor | ??? | ||
1st changechange | date of change & thread link
2nd changechange | date of change & thread link
3rd changechange | date of change & thread link | ||
 coinscurrent: 0 | spent: 0 | ||
Monad Application
Nov. 4th, 2014 03:09 amOOC Information
IC Information
Name: Jas
Timezone: -5 GMT – Eastern Standard Time (United States)
Journal:![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
regdichab
Player Contact:regdichab
Timezone: -5 GMT – Eastern Standard Time (United States)
Journal:
regdichabPlayer Contact:
IC Information
Name: Sollux Captor
Canon: Homestuck
Gender: Male
Age: Around 7.5 solar sweeps (16 years old).
History: LINK
Personality: In Alternian society, Sollux was born to a bloodcaste that was often exploited for their inherent telekinetic/psychic abilities. He lamented often over his “mutated” genetics for the various gifts they had bestowed upon him; from hearing the screams of the doomed to having visions of a bleak future. He saw these abilities as more trouble than they were worth, and was convinced that he would suffer the worst fate out of any of his friends because of them. Beyond the prophetic visions, his powers also included employing his psiioniics to move, hold, and throw objects with relative ease – depending on the size of the object. His powers also manifested in his pair of bicolored eyes, which could produce massive beams of destructive energy. Despite his apparent disdain for his abilities, they set the stage for him to rely on them more than his own physical strength in daily situations.
With the concept of prophetic doom ingrained deeply in his psyche, Sollux often sounded melodramatic when speaking to his friends about his visions or opinions. He was blunt when describing his visions of absolutely hell that was in their future, but then grew frustrated when his friends tended to blow him off. Sollux became begrudged and withdrew in response to not being taken seriously – though later he was quick to point out that he thought it was funny that they all started to believe him and wanted to listen to what he had to say after it was far too late.
Pessimism was one of Sollux’s strongest suits. Frequently, he would get preoccupied with his own assertions of just how things were “going downhill,” and then how things would “especially go downhill” for him in particular. It got to a point in canon where Terezi went so far as to ask Sollux if his visions may have been skewed so negatively because of his own cynical outlook. Part of his rampant negativity was brought on by his severe mood swings, a result of his bipolar disorder.
Sollux’s mood swings were apparent early in canon. For example, he halted his own introduction and sent the reader away, only to call the reader back pages later and resume. He then apologized profusely for “losing his cool.” His moods often changed without a clear trigger. One moment Sollux would be engaged in a light-hearted joke and the next he would become defensive and withdraw from the conversation completely. His ever-changing emotional atmosphere made him hard to understand for some and a challenge to communicate with for others. He adopted coping mechanisms to undermine his mood swings such as dropping the subject matter completely and attempting to move on so that his transgression could be disregarded by both parties.
In fact, Sollux hated his emotions being put on display, as he usually assumed people would judge him as a result. He was quick to become defensive, and sometimes even angered, if his friends would gawk or focus on his downswings. As he developed closer relations with other trolls, he became more open to the idea of talking through his issues if the other suggested it. His own inability to control his emotions was seen as a huge vulnerability to himself, and so even his talks addressing his emotions were punctuated with Sollux becoming flustered and backpedallng if something he said sounded too stupid. This was then usually accompanied by a string of exasperated, self-depreciative mutters until his embarrassment subsided.
His feelings of stupidity and awkwardness fed off of his inherent low self-esteem. He would nonchalantly ream himself a new asshole to whomever he was engaging if a mood-swing began to bubble up. His self-depreciating sense of humor was a something that only seemed “natural” to him, so he couldn’t understand how it could make other people uncomfortable if he was just listing a fact. He would also hit downward spirals where he did not think he was nearly as talented as his friends thought he was – even if the facts that stated otherwise were staring him dead in the eye. Unafraid to vocalize his own thoughts, he was quick to beat himself up over his own failures. At one point, he even revealed that he had no idea what blood caste was lower than his – as he always had assumed that he must have just been part of the worst.
Despite thinking that he was the worst, he still become defensive if someone else were to point out his flaws. Such actions would cause him to freeze up and sorely point out that he was “trying to work on that” or that they “shouldn’t throw that in his face” because he was well aware of it. He took criticism from another party as if they were consciously attempting to attack him. So while Sollux was self-depreciating, he could not stomach other trolls putting him down and would switch to a more aggressive means of communicating to negate it.
In addition to his self-negativity – Sollux harbored the incredible talent of saying just the right thing to set off one of his friends. He was painfully blunt, showing a lack of social aptitude in situations where it would be wiser to “hold one’s tongue.” Instead, he was unafraid to call out his friends for “being stupid” or “being too weird.” His harsh commentary launched him into arguments that would quickly get out of hand (to a point where he and karkat both got so embarrassed that they agreed to erase the conversation out of the chatlog and pretend like it never happened.) His blunt responses were a knee-jerk reaction and were not usually the result of malice or ill-will, as he would usually continue the conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. Sollux wanted to be able to approach people or situations with a level of apathy (which was more to prevent the embarrassing aftermath of a mood swing than anything else.) His bluntness was nothing more than a show of opinion, and often he did not expect it to sway the other person. Though if he grew enough distaste for another, such as in Eridan’s case, he was quick to resort to snide insults and would jump to accept a duel just to get the inconvenience of the other people out of his hair.
Despite his natural state of being an asshole, Sollux typically tried to “do the right thing.” He continually tried to warn his friend of his visions went so far as to code SGRUB so that they could save their world. As the events unfolded, he became more exasperated that his efforts didn’t change the trajectory of their doomed path. Even through his struggles with emotional stability and his own introverted nature, Sollux cared deeply for his friends. He wanted to set them on a path that would give them a chance to better survive, to a point where he sacrificed himself on two different occasions. He died as a result of the Vast Glub as he tried to ensure that Feferi could connect to the game safely. He later died once again as a result of overexerting his powers so that he could launch their meteor in motion, so that his friends would have the chance to continue on and get out of the hopeless situation they’d found themselves in. Sollux looked at the sacrifices merely as “a thing someone does.” He did not want to make a show of his heroics. In the end, he was only concerned with hoping that his actions could buy his friends a better outcome.
Powers/Abilities: The mustard-colored blood that runs through Sollux's veins has gifted him with several psychic powers. He has the ability of telekinesis and can move, hold, and throw objects with his powers. He can also gather up his energy and fire beams of pure energy from his eyes. He has prophetic visions of doom, and is plagued by the voices and screams of the soon-to-be deceased.
On top of his psychic abilities, he is also known for being an incredibly talented hacker and coder. To a point that he created the Apiiculture networking system that ran off of beenary code to run his computer network.
Keepsakes/Mementos: -Collection of stupid ninja stars
-his laptop
-his apiculture technology mainframes (complete with bees?)
-a jar of mind honey
-a two-sided recupuracoon
- blackboard complete with red and blue chalk.
Sample: Sollux floated in a vacuum of desolation that had once been space. It had once housed dreambubbles and player-planets alike. It had been the keeper of life itself. It had housed the hard work of billions. But now? Now it must have only held the shitty remains of such things. Broken buildings, shards of glass, living flesh and tissue . . . he could only imagine what made the debris that surrounded him.
The debris that floated in a vastness that Sollux could not comprehend.
He attempted. He pictured his shoddy excuse for a body floating in a void of stars and ink. How his shitty little self must have looked like a mere speck in comparison to the remains of civilization, how he was a part of these remains. Or so he assumed that is what filled the space around him.
He wasn’t sure if his blindness was a blessing or a curse at this point.
Was anyone alive? He probably wouldn’t know. He had barely understood the new shift the game had taken. New players from the far reaches of the multiverse had converged onto a singular playing field to clash in a power struggle over something he couldn’t even bother to name.
And if he didn’t know what they were fighting for, then he surely didn’t know if anyone left the victor.
Figured, really.
His fingertips twitched as he focused on the weightlessness around him. How his limbs could stretch and sway in the air, as if he once again could levitate with his psiioniic powers. For a moment, he recalled how he floated effortlessly above the roof of his Communal Hive Stem. He’d done it after a particularly frustrating Trollian exchange that left him churning in self-hatred and the burning desire to be alone, if he remembered correctly. Unfortunately that was the extent of his memory. He could barely remember the other hives with their radiating red windows, let alone how the night air had felt. Had his idiotic lusus been bellowing to him from bellow? What had the sky even looked like above his home in Alternia? What colors were the Communal Hive Stems again? He couldn’t remember a goddamn thing. Fuck had his younger self been a bigger nooksludge than he’d ever imagined. He’d been so caught up in feeling sorry for himself that now he couldn’t even recall what the surroundings of his hive had been.
Another thing to add to the list of losses.
He tilted his head back in the void. Sollux waited for anger to flare up. He expected the familiar pressure to well in his chest, but instead he remained hollow. The idea of what had been lost over the course of this entire forsaken adventure drained him.
The troll couldn’t even be upset about it anymore. The loss of their planet, of their game, of their friends, of his life (on numerous occasions); it had been a marathon of tragedy, so why should he have expected the end to be any different? Why had they all wasted so much energy? Wouldn’t it have just been easier to perish with Alternia?
At least then they would’ve cut out sweeps worth of drama and strain.
Then they would’ve all only died once.
If he hadn’t been such an obnoxious prick, thinking that he could somehow negate the course of Impending Doom itself, and drawn out the whole process – launching the game, ensuring Feferi’s entrance into the game, getting caught up with that caped douchebag, launching the meteor . . .
If he’d stopped at any of those and just accepted the facts, it could’ve stopped snowballing into the festering proteinchunk their situation had become. It would’ve sucked, but at least it would have fucking stopped.
He craned his neck to the side, face screwing into a tight grimace.
Instead they had all pushed on and on, only to be rewarded with another kick in the ass. Dished one humiliation after another, as if they had been served by a cold-hearted bondage maid on subisland who didn’t believe in a safeword.
It was fucked up.
It was almost as cruel as the situation at hand. He’d narrowly avoided death, or so he imagined, as his body had been flung away by the force of an impact. Not that he knew what two objects had collided. Hell, the Horrorterror could’ve sent down a thousand punishments and he’d believe it at this point. He couldn’t really care WHAT had happened. It was probably a show of force that had managed to kill anyone around, except him. Feferi and Nepeta could have probably used his help – and instead he was twirling through space with absolutely no regard for what was up and what was dow.
His hands ached, remembering the cool touch of the female trolls as they’d grabbed his hands and floated away with him. How they guided him and offered their gentle, yet silent company. It had been pretty peaceful, up until an impact left his ears ringing and his mind disjointed. His hands ripped away from the grasp of the girls’ – and he swore that maybe Feferi had finally made a noise.
Or perhaps, he’d dreamed that up.
He had awoken to silence. He was even nearly convinced that he’d actually died this time – if not for the stone structure that collided with his head and distracted him from his thoughts. It would not be the last piece his body would collide with, and it had only fueled the ideas that it had all been over.
And now here he was. Floating in a void and waiting. Waiting for something to come by and end it. The tiniest hope flared up that Feferi or Aradia would reach out and grab him. That one of them would laugh at him for being a whining wiggler, and convince him that there was a point to pushing on. They drag him to where “life” was, and he would see that space wasn’t reduced to the desolation he had assumed. The corners of his mouth twitched at the thought.
He could hope, and he would hope for a full 30 seconds before his body was vaporized by the second wave of force.
Mindset: Sollux is, for the most part, unimpressed. He’s died and come back countless times in his own canon – to a point where he doesn’t even want to explain the circumstances of his mortality anymore – so that waking up in Monad seems like more of the same. At first, he is relieved that perhaps he can go back to having a normal existence – but as the system’s glitches begin to show up, Sollux will become agitated at the idea that he can’t seem to catch a break.
G̶̶l̨͡i̵͢t̷c͝͠h̕é͠s̷̷͡: Sollux suffers from bipolar disorder, and his mood swings are something that could be easily tapped into by the environment’s glitches. He seems to retain no memory of killing Aradia while he was under the influence of mind honey in canon, which could prove an interesting point to pick for glitching. Use of the surroundings such as Alternia, the Land of Brains and Fire, or the Meteor could also inspire confusion and intense emotional responses depending on the situation.
Canon: Homestuck
Gender: Male
Age: Around 7.5 solar sweeps (16 years old).
History: LINK
Personality: In Alternian society, Sollux was born to a bloodcaste that was often exploited for their inherent telekinetic/psychic abilities. He lamented often over his “mutated” genetics for the various gifts they had bestowed upon him; from hearing the screams of the doomed to having visions of a bleak future. He saw these abilities as more trouble than they were worth, and was convinced that he would suffer the worst fate out of any of his friends because of them. Beyond the prophetic visions, his powers also included employing his psiioniics to move, hold, and throw objects with relative ease – depending on the size of the object. His powers also manifested in his pair of bicolored eyes, which could produce massive beams of destructive energy. Despite his apparent disdain for his abilities, they set the stage for him to rely on them more than his own physical strength in daily situations.
With the concept of prophetic doom ingrained deeply in his psyche, Sollux often sounded melodramatic when speaking to his friends about his visions or opinions. He was blunt when describing his visions of absolutely hell that was in their future, but then grew frustrated when his friends tended to blow him off. Sollux became begrudged and withdrew in response to not being taken seriously – though later he was quick to point out that he thought it was funny that they all started to believe him and wanted to listen to what he had to say after it was far too late.
Pessimism was one of Sollux’s strongest suits. Frequently, he would get preoccupied with his own assertions of just how things were “going downhill,” and then how things would “especially go downhill” for him in particular. It got to a point in canon where Terezi went so far as to ask Sollux if his visions may have been skewed so negatively because of his own cynical outlook. Part of his rampant negativity was brought on by his severe mood swings, a result of his bipolar disorder.
Sollux’s mood swings were apparent early in canon. For example, he halted his own introduction and sent the reader away, only to call the reader back pages later and resume. He then apologized profusely for “losing his cool.” His moods often changed without a clear trigger. One moment Sollux would be engaged in a light-hearted joke and the next he would become defensive and withdraw from the conversation completely. His ever-changing emotional atmosphere made him hard to understand for some and a challenge to communicate with for others. He adopted coping mechanisms to undermine his mood swings such as dropping the subject matter completely and attempting to move on so that his transgression could be disregarded by both parties.
In fact, Sollux hated his emotions being put on display, as he usually assumed people would judge him as a result. He was quick to become defensive, and sometimes even angered, if his friends would gawk or focus on his downswings. As he developed closer relations with other trolls, he became more open to the idea of talking through his issues if the other suggested it. His own inability to control his emotions was seen as a huge vulnerability to himself, and so even his talks addressing his emotions were punctuated with Sollux becoming flustered and backpedallng if something he said sounded too stupid. This was then usually accompanied by a string of exasperated, self-depreciative mutters until his embarrassment subsided.
His feelings of stupidity and awkwardness fed off of his inherent low self-esteem. He would nonchalantly ream himself a new asshole to whomever he was engaging if a mood-swing began to bubble up. His self-depreciating sense of humor was a something that only seemed “natural” to him, so he couldn’t understand how it could make other people uncomfortable if he was just listing a fact. He would also hit downward spirals where he did not think he was nearly as talented as his friends thought he was – even if the facts that stated otherwise were staring him dead in the eye. Unafraid to vocalize his own thoughts, he was quick to beat himself up over his own failures. At one point, he even revealed that he had no idea what blood caste was lower than his – as he always had assumed that he must have just been part of the worst.
Despite thinking that he was the worst, he still become defensive if someone else were to point out his flaws. Such actions would cause him to freeze up and sorely point out that he was “trying to work on that” or that they “shouldn’t throw that in his face” because he was well aware of it. He took criticism from another party as if they were consciously attempting to attack him. So while Sollux was self-depreciating, he could not stomach other trolls putting him down and would switch to a more aggressive means of communicating to negate it.
In addition to his self-negativity – Sollux harbored the incredible talent of saying just the right thing to set off one of his friends. He was painfully blunt, showing a lack of social aptitude in situations where it would be wiser to “hold one’s tongue.” Instead, he was unafraid to call out his friends for “being stupid” or “being too weird.” His harsh commentary launched him into arguments that would quickly get out of hand (to a point where he and karkat both got so embarrassed that they agreed to erase the conversation out of the chatlog and pretend like it never happened.) His blunt responses were a knee-jerk reaction and were not usually the result of malice or ill-will, as he would usually continue the conversation as if nothing out of the ordinary happened. Sollux wanted to be able to approach people or situations with a level of apathy (which was more to prevent the embarrassing aftermath of a mood swing than anything else.) His bluntness was nothing more than a show of opinion, and often he did not expect it to sway the other person. Though if he grew enough distaste for another, such as in Eridan’s case, he was quick to resort to snide insults and would jump to accept a duel just to get the inconvenience of the other people out of his hair.
Despite his natural state of being an asshole, Sollux typically tried to “do the right thing.” He continually tried to warn his friend of his visions went so far as to code SGRUB so that they could save their world. As the events unfolded, he became more exasperated that his efforts didn’t change the trajectory of their doomed path. Even through his struggles with emotional stability and his own introverted nature, Sollux cared deeply for his friends. He wanted to set them on a path that would give them a chance to better survive, to a point where he sacrificed himself on two different occasions. He died as a result of the Vast Glub as he tried to ensure that Feferi could connect to the game safely. He later died once again as a result of overexerting his powers so that he could launch their meteor in motion, so that his friends would have the chance to continue on and get out of the hopeless situation they’d found themselves in. Sollux looked at the sacrifices merely as “a thing someone does.” He did not want to make a show of his heroics. In the end, he was only concerned with hoping that his actions could buy his friends a better outcome.
Powers/Abilities: The mustard-colored blood that runs through Sollux's veins has gifted him with several psychic powers. He has the ability of telekinesis and can move, hold, and throw objects with his powers. He can also gather up his energy and fire beams of pure energy from his eyes. He has prophetic visions of doom, and is plagued by the voices and screams of the soon-to-be deceased.
On top of his psychic abilities, he is also known for being an incredibly talented hacker and coder. To a point that he created the Apiiculture networking system that ran off of beenary code to run his computer network.
Keepsakes/Mementos: -Collection of stupid ninja stars
-his laptop
-his apiculture technology mainframes (complete with bees?)
-a jar of mind honey
-a two-sided recupuracoon
- blackboard complete with red and blue chalk.
Sample: Sollux floated in a vacuum of desolation that had once been space. It had once housed dreambubbles and player-planets alike. It had been the keeper of life itself. It had housed the hard work of billions. But now? Now it must have only held the shitty remains of such things. Broken buildings, shards of glass, living flesh and tissue . . . he could only imagine what made the debris that surrounded him.
The debris that floated in a vastness that Sollux could not comprehend.
He attempted. He pictured his shoddy excuse for a body floating in a void of stars and ink. How his shitty little self must have looked like a mere speck in comparison to the remains of civilization, how he was a part of these remains. Or so he assumed that is what filled the space around him.
He wasn’t sure if his blindness was a blessing or a curse at this point.
Was anyone alive? He probably wouldn’t know. He had barely understood the new shift the game had taken. New players from the far reaches of the multiverse had converged onto a singular playing field to clash in a power struggle over something he couldn’t even bother to name.
And if he didn’t know what they were fighting for, then he surely didn’t know if anyone left the victor.
Figured, really.
His fingertips twitched as he focused on the weightlessness around him. How his limbs could stretch and sway in the air, as if he once again could levitate with his psiioniic powers. For a moment, he recalled how he floated effortlessly above the roof of his Communal Hive Stem. He’d done it after a particularly frustrating Trollian exchange that left him churning in self-hatred and the burning desire to be alone, if he remembered correctly. Unfortunately that was the extent of his memory. He could barely remember the other hives with their radiating red windows, let alone how the night air had felt. Had his idiotic lusus been bellowing to him from bellow? What had the sky even looked like above his home in Alternia? What colors were the Communal Hive Stems again? He couldn’t remember a goddamn thing. Fuck had his younger self been a bigger nooksludge than he’d ever imagined. He’d been so caught up in feeling sorry for himself that now he couldn’t even recall what the surroundings of his hive had been.
Another thing to add to the list of losses.
He tilted his head back in the void. Sollux waited for anger to flare up. He expected the familiar pressure to well in his chest, but instead he remained hollow. The idea of what had been lost over the course of this entire forsaken adventure drained him.
The troll couldn’t even be upset about it anymore. The loss of their planet, of their game, of their friends, of his life (on numerous occasions); it had been a marathon of tragedy, so why should he have expected the end to be any different? Why had they all wasted so much energy? Wouldn’t it have just been easier to perish with Alternia?
At least then they would’ve cut out sweeps worth of drama and strain.
Then they would’ve all only died once.
If he hadn’t been such an obnoxious prick, thinking that he could somehow negate the course of Impending Doom itself, and drawn out the whole process – launching the game, ensuring Feferi’s entrance into the game, getting caught up with that caped douchebag, launching the meteor . . .
If he’d stopped at any of those and just accepted the facts, it could’ve stopped snowballing into the festering proteinchunk their situation had become. It would’ve sucked, but at least it would have fucking stopped.
He craned his neck to the side, face screwing into a tight grimace.
Instead they had all pushed on and on, only to be rewarded with another kick in the ass. Dished one humiliation after another, as if they had been served by a cold-hearted bondage maid on subisland who didn’t believe in a safeword.
It was fucked up.
It was almost as cruel as the situation at hand. He’d narrowly avoided death, or so he imagined, as his body had been flung away by the force of an impact. Not that he knew what two objects had collided. Hell, the Horrorterror could’ve sent down a thousand punishments and he’d believe it at this point. He couldn’t really care WHAT had happened. It was probably a show of force that had managed to kill anyone around, except him. Feferi and Nepeta could have probably used his help – and instead he was twirling through space with absolutely no regard for what was up and what was dow.
His hands ached, remembering the cool touch of the female trolls as they’d grabbed his hands and floated away with him. How they guided him and offered their gentle, yet silent company. It had been pretty peaceful, up until an impact left his ears ringing and his mind disjointed. His hands ripped away from the grasp of the girls’ – and he swore that maybe Feferi had finally made a noise.
Or perhaps, he’d dreamed that up.
He had awoken to silence. He was even nearly convinced that he’d actually died this time – if not for the stone structure that collided with his head and distracted him from his thoughts. It would not be the last piece his body would collide with, and it had only fueled the ideas that it had all been over.
And now here he was. Floating in a void and waiting. Waiting for something to come by and end it. The tiniest hope flared up that Feferi or Aradia would reach out and grab him. That one of them would laugh at him for being a whining wiggler, and convince him that there was a point to pushing on. They drag him to where “life” was, and he would see that space wasn’t reduced to the desolation he had assumed. The corners of his mouth twitched at the thought.
He could hope, and he would hope for a full 30 seconds before his body was vaporized by the second wave of force.
Mindset: Sollux is, for the most part, unimpressed. He’s died and come back countless times in his own canon – to a point where he doesn’t even want to explain the circumstances of his mortality anymore – so that waking up in Monad seems like more of the same. At first, he is relieved that perhaps he can go back to having a normal existence – but as the system’s glitches begin to show up, Sollux will become agitated at the idea that he can’t seem to catch a break.
G̶̶l̨͡i̵͢t̷c͝͠h̕é͠s̷̷͡: Sollux suffers from bipolar disorder, and his mood swings are something that could be easily tapped into by the environment’s glitches. He seems to retain no memory of killing Aradia while he was under the influence of mind honey in canon, which could prove an interesting point to pick for glitching. Use of the surroundings such as Alternia, the Land of Brains and Fire, or the Meteor could also inspire confusion and intense emotional responses depending on the situation.
OOC/IC Permissions
Feb. 24th, 2014 03:35 am[OOC]
Backtagging: A-okay!
Threadhopping: Probably okay? Just contact me.
Fourthwalling: Contact me please!
Offensive subjects: Good luck trying to offend me, buddy. Seriously. Gore, vulgarities - whatever. You'd really have to try.
[IC]
Hugging this character: do we have two touch?
Kissing this character: iif you really want two?
Flirting with this character: 2ure but you'll probably regret that.
Fighting with this character: w/e not iintere2ted. [he'll do it]
Injuring this character: do you want two try? [Send me a message!]
Killing this character: a2 iif you could. [Let's talk that out?]
Using telepathy/mind reading abilities on this character: lmao that'd maybe work half the tiime.
Kink list: Here you go
Backtagging: A-okay!
Threadhopping: Probably okay? Just contact me.
Fourthwalling: Contact me please!
Offensive subjects: Good luck trying to offend me, buddy. Seriously. Gore, vulgarities - whatever. You'd really have to try.
[IC]
Hugging this character: do we have two touch?
Kissing this character: iif you really want two?
Flirting with this character: 2ure but you'll probably regret that.
Fighting with this character: w/e not iintere2ted. [he'll do it]
Injuring this character: do you want two try? [Send me a message!]
Killing this character: a2 iif you could. [Let's talk that out?]
Using telepathy/mind reading abilities on this character: lmao that'd maybe work half the tiime.
Kink list: Here you go
