Gintoki Sakata is the main protagonist of the Gintama series. He is the founder and president of the Yorozuya, as well as a highly-skilled samurai, having fought in the Joui War in the past. During the war, he became known as the Shiroyasha (literally meaning “White Yaksha”, a kind of demon in Buddhism and Hinduism) due to his powerful swordsmanship, demonic appearance, white clothing, and silver hair.

It is unknown where he was born, what happened to his parents, and what he was doing before becoming a child scavenger. It is also unknown how long he was doing this. He gained the nickname “Corpse Eating Demon” from the nearby villagers due to being commonly seen wandering in deserted battlefields searching corpses for food and weapons to survive. During one search, Gintoki encounters Yoshida Shouyou who had heard the rumors about the child and came to investigate. Taking a liking to Gintoki and seeing himself in the child, Shouyou gave Gintoki his sword and asked him to follow him.