Soyo Tokugawa

Soyo Tokugawa is the younger sister of Shigeshige Tokugawa, the 14th shogun of the Edo shogunate. She is a kind, gentle, and curious princess who dreams of freedom outside her castle walls. Soyo wants real friends and even sneaks out to explore the world, where she meets Kagura and finds joy in everyday life. Although she is seen as delicate and formal, Soyo is surprisingly strong, sometimes saying harsh things without noticing. She has played important roles in major story events, helping both the shogunate and her friends, especially Kagura. Her experiences push her to stand up for herself and for women, making her a meaningful character in the story.

Soyo Tokugawa is a beautiful teenage girl with long black hair styled with straight bangs, known as a princess cut.

She has soft features and usually wears elegant kimono with hair ornaments when in public.

When sneaking out, she removes her hair decorations and wears simpler clothing like other town girls.

Height: 156 cm
Weight: 40 kg
Birthday: July 16

Soyo is polite, graceful, and appears well-mannered as a princess.

However, deep down, she is an innocent, pure-hearted, and very curious girl.

She is quite naive about the real world because she grew up inside the castle.

Sometimes, she unknowingly says sharp or harsh things, which can hurt others unintentionally; Shinpachi calls her a "natural sadist."

But Soyo truly cares for her friends and tries hard to help them whenever she can.

Though she seems fragile, she sometimes shows great courage and surprising physical strength in funny situations.

Soyo Tokugawa is the younger sister of Shigeshige Tokugawa, the shogun.

From a young age, Soyo dreamed of freedom and fun outside the castle.

One day, she sneaked out and met Kagura in a town park. Kagura showed her many interesting things, including how tasty vinegar kelp can be.

Even when she had to return to the castle, she promised Kagura they would always be friends.

Soon after, Soyo started the vinegar kelp craze by eating it at a public poem contest on TV.

She then became an important link between Yorozuya (Odd Jobs trio) and the shogunate.

Soyo does not have special fighting skills, but she can surprise others with her accidental strength.

For example, she has broken watermelons with a bokken (wooden sword) while blindfolded and even kicked watermelons high in the air with an overhead kick.

Her fighting move is jokingly called "Begirama."

Mostly, though, she is a typical non-combatant princess.

Soyo is very close to her brother, Shigeshige Tokugawa, and worries about his health and busy days.

Kagura became her first true friend from outside the castle, and they still meet often.

Soyo used to call Kagura "Queen," but later calls her "Kagura-chan," speaking more like a real friend.

She trusts her caretaker Maizou Rotten, even though she complains about him and his "sour" smell.

She has a strong rivalry with the political enemy, Kiki Tokugawa, especially after the Shogun Assassination Arc.

She even keeps a pet monkey, whose child lives with Kyuubei Yagyuu.

"…If the castle was just for show, I wish it would fall apart.

Maybe then, I could finally be free too…"

Meeting Kagura and Starting a Friendship

Soyo first appears sneaking out of the castle and meeting Kagura, learning about the outside world and trying new things like vinegar kelp.

They have fun in the park, and promise to be friends forever, even after Soyo has to return to the castle.

Her time with Kagura teaches her to care for others and enjoy simple happiness.

The Courtesan of a Nation Arc

Soyo returns during this important arc.

She invites the Yorozuya and friends to the castle and helps them by allowing them into the shogun’s inner circle.

When Gintoki Sakata and his group are locked in jail, Soyo visits them with a big futon and shares a story she heard from Maizou, helping Yorozuya learn the truth about Maizou and Suzuran’s past.

Soyo bravely acts as a hostage, playing along in a plan to distract the enemy.

She realizes her protected life hurt Maizou, so she tries to help him but accidentally knocks herself out after tripping on stairs.

Shogun Assassination Arc

At the start, Soyo serves tea to her brother Shigeshige but almost poisons him without realizing it.

Sensing danger, she escapes with Shigeshige and Maizou by airship.

On the way, they are attacked by ninja and Kamui from the Harusame, but with Sougo Okita’s help, Soyo and Maizou barely escape in a lifeboat.

Later, Soyo decides to follow her brother to Kyoto, showing she wants to support him even in tough times.

She serves him tea and spends their last moments together as brother and sister before attending his sad funeral.

Silver Soul Arc

After her brother dies, Soyo’s situation is unknown for a while.

She comes back, seen eating dango with Maizou. As war begins in Edo, Soyo decides not to run away and wants to help others.

She sneaks into Edo Castle to get all the loyal samurai to escape, then guards the castle alone.

When the Liberation Army (led by Enshou) attacks, Soyo almost dies, but the shogunate army, led by Katakuriko Matsudaira, saves her.

After the war, Soyo becomes the second Prime Minister and works to improve rights for women.

Soyo’s actual age is not known, but she is thought to be a little older than Kagura.

Real historical Shogun Iemochi Tokugawa had sisters named Kiku-hime, Yasu-hime, and Iso-hime, but Soyo’s name is not based on any of them.

Some think her design is based on Kazunomiya, Iemochi’s wife, but this is not confirmed.

Though Soyo does not appear in the second movie: "The Final Chapter: Be Forever Yorozuya," the novel version says she and her brother escaped Earth after a virus disaster, five years in the future.