Isao Kondou
Isao Kondou is a core character in Hideaki Sorachi's manga and anime series Gintama. He is the founder and commander of the Shinsengumi, Edo's special police force, and is loosely based on the historical Shinsengumi leader Kondou Isami. Widely mocked by others with the nickname Gorilla, Kondou frequently features in comedic storylines involving his obsessive stalking of Shimura Tae and his shameless public exposure. Despite his foolish antics, he is a formidable swordsman and a deeply respected, charismatic leader who serves as the moral center of the Shinsengumi.
Overview
Isao Kondou is a core character in Hideaki Sorachi's manga and anime series Gintama. He is the founder and commander of the Shinsengumi, Edo's special police force, and is loosely based on the historical Shinsengumi leader Kondou Isami. Widely mocked by others with the nickname Gorilla, Kondou frequently features in comedic storylines involving his obsessive stalking of Shimura Tae and his shameless public exposure. Despite his foolish antics, he is a formidable swordsman and a deeply respected, charismatic leader who serves as the moral center of the Shinsengumi.
Appearance
Isao Kondou possesses short brown hair, brown eyes, facial hair, and a tall, heavily muscular build. He typically wears the dark official Shinsengumi outfit featuring a black jacket and a white ascot, though he frequently appears entirely unclad. Later in the story, he acquires a prominent scar running diagonally across his face. During a brief gender-swapping arc, his appearance transforms into a tall woman with long golden hair.
Personality
Isao Kondou is a deeply compassionate, honorable, and broad-minded leader whose immense personal charisma earns him total loyalty from his men. Despite his noble nature, he harbors eccentric and perverted habits, most notably his persistent, single-minded obsession with stalking Shimura Tae, enduring her brutal physical retaliation without losing heart. Though often relegated to comedic roles involving public nudity and absurdity, he possesses a grounded moral compass, occasionally acting as a voice of reason against his volatile officers, and displays unshakeable bravery during severe crises.
Abilities
Isao Kondou is a highly skilled swordsman whose style emphasizes decisive, heavy strikes capable of shattering enemy blades and cleaving through armor. He possesses exceptional physical strength, durability, and raw power, allowing him to restrain a member of the Yato clan with a single arm and withstand blows from giant gorilla-like aliens. Outside of combat, he is an accomplished cook and exhibits high proficiency at romantic adventure video games.
Background
Hailing from Musashi Province, Isao Kondou studied at a local temple school during his youth before trouble forced him to leave. Years later, he established his own dojo, where he met Hijikata Toushirou, Okita Sougo, and Yamazaki Sagaru, laying the foundation for their close bond. Following the alien invasion and the Edict Ban on Swords, he moved his group to Edo under the recommendation of Matsudaira Katakuriko to form the Shinsengumi police unit. Serving as commander, he led the group through political turmoil, internal mutinies, and the fall of Shogun Tokugawa Shigeshige, eventually escaping imprisonment on Kokujo Island to unite resistance forces outside Edo.
Relationships
Isao Kondou harbours an unwavering passion for Shimura Tae, persistently pursuing her despite constant rejection. His subordinates, particularly Vice-Commander Hijikata Toushirou and First Division Captain Okita Sougo, revere him as their true leader and the spirit of the Shinsengumi. He maintains complex dynamics with high-ranking officials like Matsudaira Katakuriko and Mimawarigumi commander Sasaki Isaburo. Additionally, Sakata Gintoki respects Kondou's noble character, while rebel leader Katsura Kotarou shares an odd camaraderie with him, eventually allying during their escape from Kokujo Island.
Trivia
The character is modeled after the historical Shinsengumi commander Kondou Isami, though unlike his historical namesake who reportedly had multiple concubines, Isao Kondou is depicted as fiercely devoted to a single woman. In the spin-off series Class 3-Z Ginpachi-sensei, he appears as the head of the student disciplinary committee. For the live-action film adaptations, actor Kankuro Nakamura notably insisted on filming Kondou's infamous fully nude scenes without using modesty pouches.
