Gedomaru

Overview

Gedomaru is a character from the manga and anime series Gintama. Originally a malevolent demon that terrorized Mt. Oe during the Heian period, she was subdued by the Ketsuno clan of onmyouji and bound to serve as a shikigami for Ketsuno Crystel. Despite her cute and petite girlish appearance, she harbors a dark and merciless nature true to her name. During the Onmyouji Arc, she meets Sakata Gintoki and, inspired by his unselfish determination to protect Crystel's smile, accepts him as her second master.

Appearance

Gedomaru appears as a petite young girl with short black hair, bright red eyes, and two small horns protruding from her head. She typically wears a dark black kimono, though her surprisingly large bust is emphasized whenever she wears a T-shirt. On her back, she carries an enormous, heavy spiked iron club that towers over her own body height.

Personality

In stark contrast to her adorable appearance, Gedomaru is cunning, deceitful, and thoroughly ruthless. In combat, she routinely fakes grief over a fictitious mother's death to lower her opponents' guard before crushing them with her weapon. She speaks with a distinctive speech pattern, referring to herself as "asshi" and ending her sentences with "-gozansu". While completely indifferent to the survival of the Ketsuno clan that bound her, she displays fierce devotion to Ketsuno Crystel, who treated her as a true friend. Although she respects Sakata Gintoki, she frequently inflicts severe, agonizing physical trauma upon his crotch without any malice.

Abilities

As a legendary demon who once laid waste to Mt. Oe, Gedomaru wields vast martial power, with foreign demons describing her strength as being on par with a demon lord. She possesses extraordinary physical strength, casually swinging a colossal spiked iron club larger than her own frame to obliterate multiple demon spirits in a single blow. Beyond raw power, she excels in stealth and trickery, once successfully deceiving opponent shikigami by impersonating three different individuals to execute a surprise attack.

Background

Once a violent demon raging in Mt. Oe during the Heian era, Gedomaru was defeated and subdued by the Ketsuno clan of onmyouji, forcing her into centuries of servitude as a shikigami. She eventually became bound to Ketsuno Crystel, developing a close bond with her. When conflict erupted between the Ketsuno and Shirino families, Crystel assigned Gedomaru to protect Sakata Gintoki. After battling alongside the Yorozuya to defeat Shirino Douman, Gedomaru acknowledged Gintoki as a treasured second master. She later assisted the Yorozuya in shopping for Crystel's Christmas present and joined the onmyouji forces during the final battle against the Liberation Army in the Silver Soul arc.

Relationships

Gedomaru is passionately loyal to Ketsuno Crystel, putting Crystel's happiness above all else because Crystel treated her as a friend rather than a tool. She initially looked down on Sakata Gintoki, but grew to deeply respect him after witnessing his dedication to protecting Crystel, officially acknowledging him as her second master. Nevertheless, she routinely pulverizes his crotch without hesitation. Conversely, she feels zero affection toward the Ketsuno clan as a whole, remaining totally indifferent even if the entire lineage were to be destroyed.

Trivia

Her name originates from the childhood name of Shuten-douji, the famous demon king of Mt. Oe legend. In the series, she explicitly identifies Mt. Oe as her homeland. This creates a clever mythological dynamic with Sakata Gintoki, whose character model is Sakata no Kintoki (Kintaro), the legendary hero famous for slaying Shuten-douji.