Umibouzu is the father of Kamui and Kagura, known throughout the universe as the greatest cleaner, specializing in hunting dangerous alien creatures. He is part of the Yato Tribe, one of the three largest mercenary groups in space, and is considered as powerful as even the legendary Housen. Umibouzu has a deep love for his family, though his past is full of hardship and regret. He lost his wife early, became distant from his children due to his own uncontrollable nature, and even lost an arm fighting his son, Kamui. His appearance includes a mix of iconic baldness and combed-over hair, often played for humor. Though he has great strength, his quirky personality and struggles with hair loss have made him a memorable and unique character in Gintama.
Umibouzu is a man in his forties, about 168 cm tall and weighs 65 kg.
Early on, he had a combed-over hairstyle with a small mustache and glasses.
After a series of mishaps—like having his hair ripped out by Kagura, who mistook it for preserved kelp, and being scorched by a cannon blast—he became completely bald.
He sometimes appears again with one or a few hairs, thanks to using "Atlas NEO" hair regrowth products, or returns to his old look, as if wearing a wig.
In his youth, Umibouzu had thick, wild hair and looked quite handsome, but after turning thirty, he began to lose his hair.
His rapid baldness is a running joke, and he is very sensitive about being called "bald."
He now uses a prosthetic right arm, having lost his original arm in a fight with Kamui.
Umibouzu deeply cares about his family, even if he sometimes acts awkward or distant.
He is cautious, and after moving to Earth, was slow to trust people because he saw many humans exploit the Yato.
Previously, he thought Gintoki Sakata and Shinpachi Shimura were trying to use Kagura, which caused tension between them.
Although Umibouzu used to believe that Kagura shouldn't live on Earth, he gradually softened his views after seeing the kindness of her friends.
He is quick to react negatively if anyone mentions hair or baldness.
His love for his daughter, Kagura, is sincere but not always easy for him to show.
He has difficulty expressing affection and often only watches his children from afar.
Despite his serious looks, he is often involved in silly moments, mostly about his baldness.
Umibouzu is one of the Yato Tribe, a group known as elite space mercenaries.
He earned the legendary nickname "Umibouzu" (which means "Sea Monk") while working as a so-called alien buster, fighting dangerous space monsters.
His real name is Kankou.
He married Kagura's mother, Eika, in a "shotgun wedding," but she died when Kagura was young.
Umibouzu was rich from his work, but most money went to Eika’s medical bills and damages caused by monster fights, leaving his family poor.
After nearly killing Kamui (in the outdated Yato tradition of "parent killing") and realizing even he could hurt his family, Umibouzu began keeping his distance.
He is old friends with Mutsu’s father, and knows Mutsu as well.
In the school spin-off, he appears as a teacher at Yato Technical High.
Umibouzu is considered one of the strongest characters in the series.
He can destroy warships by himself and is called the "Living Legend of the Yato."
He has survived severe injuries, like losing his right arm, having his torso sliced, and enduring direct attacks from cannons and monsters.
His combat skills put him on the same level as Housen, and he proves to be smart and adaptive in battles with intelligent enemies.
He is hard to kill due to the strong life force typical of the Yato Tribe.
He also uses gadgets, such as umbrellas as weapons and an artificial arm.
- Kagura: His daughter, whom he loves deeply and tries to protect, even from himself.
- Kamui: His son, who turned on him in an attempt to follow the Yato tradition. Umibouzu nearly killed Kamui in self-defense.
- Eika: His late wife, who died from illness.
- Mutsu: Daughter of an old friend. Umibouzu once was asked to take Mutsu as a student, but she refused.
- Gintoki Sakata and Shinpachi Shimura: He had a rocky start with them but grew to appreciate their care for Kagura.
- Housen: He once fought Housen for three days and nights.
- Abuto and other Yato: He has fought both with and against other Yato members.
"Family is like a bird’s nest."
"Men, do not give up! No matter how barren, hair can always grow back!!"
Early Encounters on Earth
When Umibouzu first came to Earth, he believed many humans were using Yato people, so he did not trust Gintoki Sakata or Shinpachi Shimura.
He assumed they wanted to use Kagura, which made Gintoki angry.
Later, he decided Kagura was not suited for life on Earth and tried to take her home by force.
This led to an argument, but he changed his mind after seeing Gintoki and Shinpachi put themselves at risk to save a child.
He realized not all humans are bad, and started to respect Kagura’s friends and her wishes.
Past with Kamui
In the past, Kamui followed the "parent-killing" custom of the Yato and attacked Umibouzu, leading to a fight where Umibouzu lost his right arm.
He nearly killed Kamui but chose not to.
After this event, he noticed the violent Yato nature inside himself, which made him pull away from his family.
Rakuyou Decisive Battle Arc
Umibouzu returns after some time, working with the Harusame, because he is asked to kill his own son Kamui.
He destroys the remaining Yato of the Seventh Division (Kamui’s squad), though most had died before he arrived.
After a fight, an explosion caused by Utsuro sends Kamui flying into space.
Later, Umibouzu issues a warning to Utsuro (the true enemy), as Utsuro attacks survivors hiding on the planet Rakuyou.
Despite wanting to face Kamui alone, Umibouzu teams up with the rebels to fight off the Harusame fleet and shows his fantastic strength by taking down warships single-handedly.
He even helps the Kaientai by leaking information from the enemy.
Battle with Utsuro
When Utsuro appears, Umibouzu quickly figures out Utsuro’s immortality secret and manages to kill him temporarily using his knowledge and field skills.
Utsuro then slices Umibouzu through the torso and right arm, nearly killing him.
Because Utsuro is out of energy, he does not finish Umibouzu, who survives thanks to the Yato’s endurance and quick help from the Kaientai.
After healing, Umibouzu visits Eika’s grave with Kagura and tells her and her friends that there may be a way to defeat Utsuro for good.
- Umibouzu’s character is based on Bardock from Dragon Ball.
- He is often mistaken for "Seabouzu," but his real nickname is "Umibouzu."
- He once starred in a commercial for hair tonics.
- He is very touchy about jokes involving baldness or hair loss.
- His birthday is July 20.
- His first-person pronoun is "ore."
- In the spin-off "3-Z," he works as a teacher at Yato Technical High and cannot wear hats because of his baldness.
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