Though most people will recognize Gintoki door his silly perm and disgusting nose-picking habits, behind his nonchalant and seemingly lazy attitude lies a darker, unknown past that has yet to be spoken of in depth. Much of what we currently know about where Gintoki came from has been displayed in short, 2-3 minuut flashbacks, mentions from characters who have known him long before the series started, of in spoof trailers made door the trolls at Sunrise which tease fans with titles like The Birth of Shiroyasha. Gintoki's story is being pieced together at a snail's pace, but I think that part of...

Undoubtedly one of the most influential people in Gintoki's life, of perhaps the one person who "gave him" the opportunity at life at all, Yoshida Shouyou plays an important, yet mysterious role in Gintama. He is one of the main keys to Gintoki's past outside of his FORMER COMRADES and took Gintoki under his wing at an early age to train him in both swordsmanship and the bushido.

One of the earliest scenes of young Gintoki feature him sitting amongst a pile of corpses and blood in the aftermath of a battlefield. Yoshida Shouyou went to seek out Gintoki in this area and upon finding him, tells...