The following contains spoilers for Gintama, available to stream on Crunchyroll and Hulu.
Gintama (or Gin Tama) was originally written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi from 2003 to 2018. The manga was soon adapted into an anime and premiered in 2006. Sakata Gintoki is the primary main protagonist of Gintama. He is a 'retired' samurai in his late 20s who prefers spending his days relaxing.
Gintoki is a freelancer who established Yorozuya, a place where clients can pay him to do odd jobs. This could include trivial jobs such as helping with a haunted house to more crucial requests like protecting someone. The story follows Gintoki as he takes two young teens (Kagura and Shinpachi) under his wing, eventually becoming a relatively dysfunctional family.
Personality
Sakata Gintoki is arguably one of the best protagonists of any anime series. He is relatable in most ways (apart from his samurai-wielding skills) as he is quite lazy and often digs his finger in his nose or ear at random times. In addition, Gintoki is broke and is known to be behind on his monthly rent payments. However, despite his blatant laziness, Gintoki tries his best to complete every job to the best of his ability. One of the best things about him is that he is a fully-rounded character who adapts to situations realistically. For example, during comedic episodes, he is lazy and sarcastic. On the other hand, when a serious problem arises, Gintoki is an excellent swordsman who is also exceptionally stubborn and protective of his friends and family.
His Early Life
Not much of Gintoki's childhood is revealed. However, from what the franchise reveals about him, Gintoki had spent his childhood roaming in search of food (and sometimes weapons in order to protect himself) alone, eventually becoming known as the Corpse Eating Demon. This was until he met Yoshida Shouyou, who ultimately took him into his academy, Shoka Sonjuku, where he educated young orphans in various subjects and the art of wielding a sword. This is where he met others like Takasugi Shinsuke and Katsura Kotarou.
The absence of a family during his early life influenced future Gintoki's perception of having a family: it is perhaps the most important thing to him. In some instances, Gintoki comes off as nonchalant about his brotherly feelings for Shinpachi and Kagura.
However, as the series progresses, it becomes clear that they are two of the most important people in his life. Things took a turn for the worst during the Kansei purge when the Naraku, a group of assassins employed by the government of Bakufu, arrested Yoshida Shouyou and burned down Shoka Sonjuku. Eventually, Gintoki, Takasugi, Katsura, and Sakamoto Tatsuma joined the Joui Wars, sparking a rebellion.
During this time, Gintoki was given the title 'Shiroyasha' (also known as a white demon) because of his hair, white clothes, and expert swordsmanship. Unfortunately, Gintoki, Takasugi, and Katsura were eventually captured by the Naraku, who forced Gintoki to choose between killing Shouyou and saving his friends or killing his friends and saving Shouyou. Ultimately, Gintoki decided to save the lives of his friends (which was a part of the promise he made to his teacher, Shouyou). However, Takasugi resented Gintoki for killing Shouyou, the primary figure in their lives who gave them hope and a family.
After the Joui War
After the Joui War, Gintoki and his friends split up, leaving Gintoki alone once again. At one point, Gintoki was arrested and tortured for an unknown period. Upon his release, however, there was a slight change in Gintoki and his perception of his future. Still injured, Gintoki wandered for days in the freezing snow, almost succumbing to his death against a tombstone, until a woman arrived at the cemetery to visit her late husband. This woman was Otose, who eventually allowed Gintoki to rent the space above her shop, the Otose Snack House. As time passed, Gintoki gave up the life of a samurai to pursue a more relaxed life, and eventually established the 'old Yorozuya.' At its initial inception, the Yorozuya's members comprised Gintoki, Kanemaru, Ikesawa, and Furuhashi. However, things didn't last very long, and following their split, Gintoki was left alone for the third time. It was not until he met Shinpachi and Kagura that he rediscovered hope and a family.
While his backstory is crucial to his present and future, Gintama doesn't frequently remind the audience about Gintoki's tragic past. His backstory does not overshadow his present storyline, which works quite well for the show because it reflects a sense of realism. Gintoki remains one of the best protagonists in anime due to these realistic elements.