Toshizou Hijikata

"Shinpachi: If a man does not die when he is meant to, what awaits him is a shame worse than death. At your age, your life drawing to an end...You want to start a war? Is that the act of a sane man? Hijikata, could it be that what you really seek is just a place to die? Hijikata: Hah! I plan to live another hundred years."

"Ushiyama: Are you seriously planning to re-create the Shinsengumi? Sorry, but I don't give a damn about anything except the gold. What kind of crazy idiot would dream of taking over Hokkaido? Hijikata: There are a great multitude of people that want to liberate this land of Ezo. Ushiyama: Oh, yeah? And where might they be? Hijikata: Why, right here, of course. They've been living here for a long, long time."

Toshizou Hijitaka is one of the antagonists in Golden Kamuy, serving as one of the Big Bads together with Tokushirou Tsurumi. He's the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi and leader of his group. Assumed to have been dead for decades, he was held in secret as a political prisoner before escaping alongside the tattooed convicts.

In the anime, he is voiced by. In the English Dub, he is voiced by.

Appearance
As a young man, Hijikata had no wrinkles nor a beard and his eyebrows were dark and smaller. His dark hair was swept to the back off his head similar to his current hairstyle but shorter. He also somewhat resembled Sugimoto. During the Bakumatsu period, Hijkata sported long dark hair that he kept tied in a ponytail and wore a kimono with the Shinsengumi haori over it.

In the present, he's now rather a frail old man but looks energetic. He has long white hair and a chin tuft. His upper body is covered in the tatttooed map.

Hijikata wears a black suit to blend in with a green coat to protect himself from the cold. He is usually seen with his sword Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada and his Winchester rifle.

Personality
Despite being an old man who was emprisoned for decades, Hijikata is quite energetic and optimistic. He is very ambitious despite his old age and plans to take over Hokkaido and create his own country in defiance of Japan. To do so, he takes swift and decisive action to search for the gold. Due to him being a former Shinsengumi, Hijikata is ruthless and doesn't hesitate to kill his opponents. Almost always smiling, Hijikata is flamboyant and regularly boasts about his ambitions and prowess despite his age. He is civil toward people but merciless against his enemies, always shouting to his men to kill every opponent. Despite ruthless against enemies, Hijikata avoids futile murder against others when there is no need to. Hijikata considers that in battle, the best soldiers are those who are ready to die fighting.

Trivia

 * Hijikata, is based on the real life figure of, the vice commander of the Shinsengumi who lived during the Bakumatsu period and opposed the Meiji Restoration.
 * Hijikata likes ochazuke.