Heisuke Toudou (Visual Novel)

Heisuke Tōdō (藤堂 平助 Toudou Heisuke) is one of the main protagonists in Hakuōki, as well as one of Chizuru's possible love interests. Heisuke is Captain of the Eighth Division in the Shinsengumi. Despite his youth and friendliness, he has earned his title, and his skill with a sword is not to be underestimated.
Tōdō is based on the historical Tōdō Heisuke.
== Personality ==
Heisuke is well-intentioned, cheerful, and somewhat childish. He is externally bright and optimistic, but tends to act tough and smile to hide his pain or turmoil. However, he is a terrible liar, so his true emotions are usually obvious. Additionally, though he tries not to be tactless, he can be unintentionally inconsiderate. According to Hijikata, he only acts selflessly if he is trying to hide something. He is earnest and innocent, especially in matters of the heart, and is eager to prove himself. Though he is not as preoccupied with keeping himself constantly amused as Okita or Shiranui, Heisuke still prefers to stay busy and preferably entertained.
Though he is not pacifistic, as he enjoys fighting and (in the anime) will actively seek out brawls, he dislikes having to hurt or kill people he perceives as innocent. No matter who his superiors are, he may disobey direct orders if they go too strongly against his conscience. Similarly, Heisuke usually prioritizes causes over politics. Despite the fact that his political views do not align with those of the Shinsengumi, he considers the conflict between the emperor and shogunate secondary to keeping the peace in Kyoto. However, after the Shinsengumi starts directly answering to the shogunate, Heisuke leaves to join the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb.
His habit of "leap[ing] first, ask[ing] questions never" sometimes gets him into trouble, and he often makes situations worse by talking himself into a corner or blaming others for his mistakes. However, once he chooses to leave the Shinsengumi, he begins taking the burden of his decision on his own shoulders more consistently. Heisuke is also vulnerable to depression and bouts of insecurity and self-loathing, especially if he blames himself for making a wrong decision. He can also be jealous, especially regarding others' attention towards Chizuru, but his attitude never crosses into possessiveness, as he is respectful of her personal boundaries.
== Past ==
As a bastard from the Toudou domain, Heisuke had been receiving a small sum of money from his father each month on the condition that he does not go looking for him. When one of his friends encountered financial problems, he confided in him, but his friend then spread a rumor that he had bought his way into his rank. This ruined his reputation and interfered with his concentration, so he quit and began seeking out challenges elsewhere.
At some point, Heisuke studied in Itou Kashitarou's dojo and was acquainted with him, but did not stay long. Shieikan eventually took him in after witnessing his talent with a sword, and he met his fellow Shinsengumi captains there. In the musicals, Nagakura is revealed to have dueled him first, encouraging him to stop holding back.
== In Hakuōki: Shinsengumi Kitan ==
See also: Toudou Heisuke/Route
===Chapter 1===
Heisuke is first encountered during Chizuru's introduction to the rest of the Shinsengumi officers, bickering with Harada and Nagakura. He is against killing her from the beginning, and believes her when she insists that she didn't see anything amiss. However, despite taking Chizuru's side, he also accidentally mentions even more sensitive information in front of her. Aware that he may have just sealed her fate, he apologizes just before Saitou escorts Chizuru back to her room.
If Chizuru stays and tries to explain the situation, Heisuke appears again alongside Nagakura, Harada, and Saitou. He appears to have steeled himself to the possibility of killing Chizuru, as he tells her that "a man should know when to accept his fate". However, he changes his mind again once he discovers Chizuru's true gender. If Chizuru prioritizes revealing that she is a girl, Heisuke argues with her briefly about their respective responsibilities as men until she explains that she is female.
Heisuke remarks that now that he knows Chizuru is female, he cannot see her as anything else. He does not interject throughout her explanation of her situation, but later teases Nagakura about how quickly he changed his mind once he found out she was a girl.
If Chizuru explores the compound, Heisuke arrives midway through her conversation with Nagakura and Harada. When she addresses him as 'Toudou[-san]', Heisuke requests that she call him by his given name. He then explains that he is not going to Shimabara for the girls, but to spend time with his friends. After Harada suggests that Chizuru start dressing as a girl again, Heisuke agrees, "almost literally [jumping] for joy" when she tentatively promises to do so. He then assures her that once Hijikata gives her permission to leave, they will take her anywhere she likes.
After Inoue arrives and asks where the captains are going, Heisuke provides the excuse that they are going out training. However, when Inoue offers to join them, he backtracks and instead claims that he promised to give Chizuru a tour of the headquarters. Once Chizuru agrees, he takes her hand and leads her away, accompanied by Harada.
Heisuke interrupts a brief conversation between Okita, Chizuru, and Saitou to inform them that dinner is ready. If Chizuru did not explore the compound with him earlier, he requests that she call him 'Heisuke'. Otherwise, he expresses disapproval at Saito's possible friendship with Chizuru. Saitou apologizes, reassuring Heisuke that he was only there on business, and the four of them go to the common area for dinner. Once they arrive and the meal begins, Nagakura steals Heisuke's food, which appears to be a regular occurrence. After Inoue brings them news of Saito's injury, Nagakura mentions "the Corps", causing Chizuru to question his meaning since they are already in a corps. Heisuke attempts to explain the difference, but Harada punches him to prevent him from endangering Chizuru by revealing their secrets.
Heisuke happens upon Chizuru doing chores, asking if she is allowed out of her room now. He expresses surprise that she volunteered to clean, telling her that it will not encourage them to trust her. Chizuru says that she prefers to keep busy to avoid thinking of worst-case scenarios, so Heisuke apologizes for his comment and offers her a bottle of sake to cheer her up. Chizuru politely refuses, so Heisuke says he will drink it himself.
Chizuru asks if Heisuke should be drinking in the middle of the day, so he assures her that he will not get drunk. Chizuru tries to ask whether there are rules against it, but Sannan interrupts, telling Heisuke that Hijikata is looking for him and advises him to "get it over with". Heisuke reluctantly does so, and Sannan explains to Chizuru that Heisuke was most likely worried about her. Chizuru later surmises that he stayed home to keep her company out of concern for her well-being.
Hijikata sentences Heisuke to house arrest and restricted rations, but Chizuru sneaks out that night to make him a rice ball and deliver it to his room in gratitude for his visit. Though Heisuke disapproves of her recklessness, he is grateful that she was worried.
If Chizuru does not leave the compound, she is confused by the commotion as night falls, so Heisuke explains that the Shinsengumi is preparing for a raid on a Chōshū meeting.
===In other routes===
====Kazama's route====
Following Chizuru's separation from the rest of the Shinsengumi, Heisuke is not seen again.
== In Hakuōki: Edo Blossoms ==
Heisuke's involvement in the plot is largely the same as in the second half of Hakuōki: Shinsengumi Kitan, with the following exceptions.
===In other routes===
====Hijikata's route====
He dies and turns into ashes along with Sannan after reaching his limit in a fight against Koudou and his Rasetsu. 
====Kazama's route====
Heisuke does not make an appearance but Amagiri announces his death along with Okita, Saitou, assumingly Nagakura, and Sannan. 
==In Hakuōki: Ginsei no Shou==
3 years after the war ended, Chizuru and Heisuke live in the abandoned Yukimura village because of the magical water that suppresses the Rasetsu corruption. Chizuru dreams of her father still wondering what made him start researching Ochimizu but he never tells her even in her dreams. When Heisuke learns that Chizuru is having nightmares, he apologizes for never finding her father and expresses a wish to go look for him, however, due to his body's weakness, he cannot leave. Despite the condition, he does not regret taking Ochimizu in the past as otherwise he would have died. Chizuru still does not know of her father's fate but hopes that he is alive, and Heisuke supports her despite the role Koudou played in his own life.
Heisuke's cheerful and adventurous personality does not change as he challenges himself to catch the biggest fish in a stream and make Chizuru fall in love with him all over again. Sen and Kimigiku visit them with the news of the Shinsengumi and their allies being pardoned by the new government and no longer treated as rebels. Additionally, Kimigiku informs them that Nagakura and Saitou are still alive. As for the bad news, Sen reveals that Kazama sent her a letter claiming to have found Koudou and then she gives the letter to Chizuru to read for herself. In the letter, Kazama says that he killed Koudou with his own hands, and Chizuru would never see him again. When the demons leave, Heisuke confesses that he is conflicted about Koudou because he made him a Rasetsu but at the same time granted him a future with Chizuru. Heisuke feels connected to everyone else because of Koudou and eventually proposes to Chizuru.
== In the musicals ==
Main article: Toudou Heisuke/HakuMyuHeisuke is portrayed by Ikeda Junya in HakuMyu Saito-hen through Toudou-hen; by Ozawa Ren in HakuMyu Reimeiroku and HakuMyu Shinsengumi Kitan; by Kizu Tsubasa in HakuMyu LIVE 2 and Harada-hen; and by Higuchi Yuuta in HakuMyu Hijikata-hen 2.
== Quotes ==
* "Leave off, you grumpy old bastards." (Chapter 1, to Harada and Nagakura)
* "Just call me Heisuke. Everybody else does. After all, we're gonna be living together for quite a while." (Chapter 1, to Chizuru)
* "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's going on here, Hajime? You and her buddies now?" (Chapter 1, regarding Chizuru)
* "If I don't get up, Hijikata'll come running in here nagging at me like he's my mom." (Shinsengumi Adventures 1, to Chizuru)
* "Hijikata's gonna go full Demon on us. He might string us up by our thumbs, or make us sit and listen to him lecture about wasted food for hours." (Shinsengumi Adventures 1)
* "W-wait, are you telling me you risked your life to bring me a rice ball?!" (Toudou Memories of Love 1, to Chizuru)
== Trivia ==
* In a couple unlockable Ephemera scenes in Hakuōki: Shinsengumi Kitan, it is revealed that Heisuke does not get along well with Itou, despite having been the one to recruit him. One of the reasons he left with the Guardians of the Imperial Tomb was that he felt guilty for having brought him to the Shinsengumi.
Category:Characters
Category:Main
Category:Shinsengumi
Category:Rasetsu
Category:Visual Novel