出生日期

出生日期有两个说法，一说生日为1842年7月8日（天保13年6月1日）, 一说生年为1844年（天保15年）。

生涯

冲田生为陆奥国白河藩士冲田胜次郎之长子、有两个姐姐。

1845年时父亲去世，大姐冲田光与冲田林太郎（本名井上林太郎）结婚后继承冲田家户主。九岁左右（1851年-1853年其间）成为江户天然理心流道场──试卫馆主人近藤周助的内弟子，同时和日后组织新选组的重要人物近藤勇及土方岁三等人成为同门师兄弟。冲田凭出色的功夫在1861年（时年19岁）拿到免许皆传，年纪轻轻就成为天然理心流试卫馆塾长，被称为无比的天才剑士。据说塾长在任期间冲田指导剑术的方式相当粗暴。

1863年，冲田加入浪士组前往京都，在浪士组分裂之后和近藤等人留下来组织新选组、之后成为新选组副长助勤。在这个时期，冲田亲自参与了新选组局长芹泽鸭、内山彦次郎的暗杀行动。

1864年，冲田活跃于池田屋事件，砍倒数名尊皇攘夷派志士，却突然在池田屋中因肺痨而晕倒（有各种说法）。在那之后的新选组历史中，冲田依然相当活跃。

1865年起，冲田所领导的一番队总能完善达成重要的任务，据说即使在剑豪云集的新选组之中，剑技也是数一数二。

1865年2月，在新选组总长山南敬助的脱逃事件中，冲田被遣去追返，在近江草津将其逮捕。2月23日（1865/3/20）, 山南在冲田协助介错之下切腹。虽然冲田一直都像对待兄长一样地仰慕山南，但是在他的家书中关于山南的死却仅轻轻带过。

1867年以后，冲田因病情从最前线沉寂下来。鸟羽伏见之战之时，冲田因无法参战而被护送至大坂；战败之后，他和队士沿海路回到江户，在参加甲阳镇抚队途中不得已而脱队（有各种说法）。之后便投靠幕臣松本良顺，被藏匿在浅草今户的松本良顺家（一说为千驮谷植木屋平五郎家的客舍）。

1868年7月19日（庆应4年5月30日），在江户藏匿处过世，当时近藤勇已被斩首2个月，他仍未获知其死讯。同日夜间遗体被送到麻布三丁目（现东京都港区）的専称寺悄悄埋葬了。専称寺自宽永年间起就是冲田家的菩提寺（冲田家家族墓地）。

人物

传说中，佐久间象山的儿子三浦启之助被某个队士侮辱了，后来土方和冲田正在下棋时，不远处三浦从背后砍了那个队士，冲田怒不可遏大喊“你这个浑蛋”，扯起三浦的后领，把他的头强押在榻榻米上来回拖行，三浦的鼻子于是被磨得赤红，冲田并不是因为同伴被攻击而暴怒，而是愤怒于三浦从背后攻击他人的那种胆小而不光明的行径。

据说在临死之际，冲田欲斩杀出现在植木屋庭院的黑猫，但无论试了几次都失败了。痛感己身衰微的冲田于是叹道：“啊啊，斩不动了。老婆婆（照护冲田的老太太），我已经斩不动了。”（但是，有人认为这是子母泽宽的个人创作）

也有人传说，冲田一直到死之前仍然不断地担心问道“近藤老师不知道被如何处置了？还没有消息吗？”。因为关于近藤的死，身旁的人皆被严厉告知保密，因此冲田才会在不知道近藤已死的情况下逝世。

据说在这之前，甲阳镇抚队出战之际，近藤前去探视冲田时，只有在这个时候，素来相当开朗的冲田不禁泣不成声。

剑技

冲田有名的招术是“三段突刺”，突刺为剑道中，刺向对手喉咙的招术。由左八相的架式开始，只听到一次脚步声，但是在那之间连出三招突刺，以迅雷不急掩耳的速度，在对手意识到中了一招突刺的瞬间，攻击早已结束（由于在那之后没有人了解此招，因此真相仍然不明）。

但是和那样的剑南辕北辙地，冲田这个人是一个言谈幽默、笑口常开的人，也常和屯所附近的小孩子们玩，因此作家司马辽太郎要执笔写作以新选组为题材的作品时，还请教了小时候曾和冲田一起玩的老婆婆。

有关冲田的剑术，也有来自新选组内部以外的声音。文久2年（1862年）新选组结成前, 小岛鹿之助在“小岛日记”中记述道：“以这个人的剑术，晚年必成臻完善境地之人”；对于新选组处批判态度的西村兼人在“壬生浪士始末记”中道：“他是近藤关爱有加的部下，同时也是队中第一流的剑客。”而且，和新选组敌对的阿部十郎也在“史谈会速记录”说：“冲田总司，他啊，身为近藤（门中）的一弟子，还挺不错的。”、“冲田总司、大石锹次郎这些年轻人，不过是稍具才能，剑术之类倒使得不错。”、“大石锹次郎、冲田总司、井上这些人，不分是非对错，不计后果地斩杀人。”等等，能特别看见站在敌对立场的剑客笔锋所带的挑衅感。另外，千叶弥一郎（新征组队士，冲田姐夫林太郎的同僚）说道：“在我们看来，他充其量是目录（低段位）左右的实力。”这是对其唯一否定的见解。

武器

在小说中，冲田总司持有的刀是被称为“菊一文字则宗”。根据子母泽宽等人的作品“冲田的刀是‘菊一文字细身造’”，而在后来司马辽太郎的著作“新选组血风录”中，这样的观念被普及。但是则宗打造的刀对惯用日本刀的当时来说是相当贵重的古刀。无论是以经济观点或实战必要性的观点来看，冲田持有此刀的可能性都是微乎其微。

因此在研究者之间首先这样的说法就不被采用。现在一般认为冲田实际持有的一把刀是“加州金沢住长兵卫藤原清光”。又或者，也有人推是则宗以外的人打造的纹有“菊间一”的几把刀之中的一把。无论是哪种，和其他队士一样在京中交换过几次刀的可能性也很高。 已经被确认的冲田总司所持有的刀为加州清光与大和守安定。

美少年

自作家司马辽太郎的作品以后，冲田在小说、影剧等的构筑世界中频繁地被赋予美少年的形象。有关冲田的容貌，现在残存的冲田的肖像画，是在昭和４年，以冲田家的人为基准绘制。根据八木家的人或与新选组有关的人所言，并没有“美少年”这样的概念。据载，冲田“脸平色黑”、“肩膀强健”、“驼背”、“高大”。（在“交给龙马！”、“月明星稀──再见新选组”中正是使用类似这样的说法）在这样的记述下呈现的形象，也对美少年的说法抱存疑义。

冲田是美少年这样的印象，是因为他有着剑术高超，但却不幸肺痨早逝这样富含戏剧性的生涯，再加上演出这样戏剧性一生时的需要，于是由司马辽太郎的“燃烧吧剑”为首，承继著这种趋向的“幕末纯情传”等等许多的作品中定位了“剑术超乎常人地强，有着开朗的性格，但在另一方面，却是病弱苍白的美少年。”这样深植一般人心中的印象误解。

在1974年上映的电影“冲田总司”（东宝）由草刈正雄演出主角冲田总司，至此奠定了冲田为“美男子”的形象, 之前冲田并没有特别被定义为美男子。还有人认为，多数的电影等影像媒体中总是让年轻美男子饰演冲田的角色的影响也不容小觑。有关冲田的肖像，1977年出版的“激录新撰组”（原康史著　东京体育新闻社刊）表纸刊载了宣称是冲田的照片。书中收录了许多宣称是新选组队士的年轻武士照片，照片中也能看见和冲田同年代武士的姿态，研究者中有不少是抱存疑虑的。

恋爱

在创作世界中的冲田，自司马辽太郎的小说以后，一般都被刻画成纯情的青年。因此几乎都是被描写成和镇上医生的女儿心灵间纯纯的爱恋。实际上冲田身边并没有花街柳巷女性走动，近藤或土方等人则否。不过在壬生光缘寺的冥帐中有写着“冲田氏亲”的女性纪录，有人认为是冲田的恋人。根据研究，这位女性是一位名叫石井秩的寡妇，有一个女儿。虽然有人说冲田和这名女性在一起的期间生下一女，但缺乏证据。而且，在新选组中还有一个姓冲田的队士“冲田承之进”（庆应元年4月、土方等人在江户募集的队士之一），有人认为冥帐中的“冲田氏”其实是他。

发病时期

提到冲田总司，在创作作品中描述他在池田屋的战斗中激烈地咳血、倒下已经可以说是理所当然。但是现在上述的说法在研究者之间并不被采信。因为明确纪录冲田曾咳血的是子母泽宽的“新选组始末记”，但冲田在事后仍加入追捕长州残党（也就是七月十三日的明保野亭事件，而池田屋事件发生在七月八日），翌月的禁门之变仍有冲田和近藤、土方、武田、永仓共同出动的纪录（西村兼文的“甲子战争记”），如果病情已进展到咳血的程度，实在无法想像还能勉强硬撑出动。

一方面，庆应2年（1866年）左右，幕府御医松本良顺在为新选组集体检查诊断之际，记下了“有一名肺结核患者”，有一说认为这就是冲田总司。小岛鹿之助的“两雄实录”写道，庆应3年2月（1867/3）左右冲田罹病，周围的人都能察觉其明显的发病。而且在小岛鹿之助给近藤的信中还能看到他对冲田身体异常的关心。西村兼文的“壬生浪士始末记”中则说其在将屯所移转至不动堂村的9月左右患了大病。自此，一般认为冲田难以承受战斗，陷入病重状态的是在庆应3年秋冬左右。而且，有人认为^[谁？]以“新选组始末记”为首，成为池田屋咳血、昏倒场面的由来是永仓新八的“新选组颠末记”，但是在那本书中没有“吐血”、“咳血”的字眼，取而代之的是冲田昏倒的记载。这被认为是由于在初夏闷热异常的高温之下战斗而引起的暂时性中暑症状等，至少是对近藤、永仓等周围的人来说肺方面不会感觉异常的状态之下。

登场作品

小说

• 新选组始末记（角川书店、子母泽宽著）
• 新选组血风录（中央公论新社、司马辽太郎著）
• 燃剑（文艺春秋、司马辽太郎著）
• 壬生义士传（文艺春秋、浅田次郎著）
• 唯独总司（青树社、户部新十郎著）
• 梦幻战记（角川春树事务所、栗本薰著）
• 冲田总司（新人物往来社、大内美予子著）
• 黑猫 冲田总司之死线（朝日新闻、中场利一著）
• 剑士燃尽而死 凡人・冲田总司（新潮社、笹泽左保著）
• 冲田总司：血红的六月蔷薇（学阳书房、三好彻著）
• 冲田总司：壬生狼（德间书店、鸟羽亮著）

影视剧

• 维新之曲（1942年、大映、演：南条新太郎）
• 新撰组（1952年、东映、演：原健策）
• 近藤勇 池田屋骚动（1953年、新东宝、演：德大寺伸）
• 新选组鬼队长（1954年、东映、演：中村锦之助）
• 新选组（1958年、东映、演：片冈荣二郎）
• 剑豪秘传（1960年、NET、演：岩井半四郎）
• 壮烈新选组 幕末动乱（1960年、东映、演：若山富三郎）
• 新选组始末记（1961年、TBS、演：明智十三郎）
• 新选组血风录 近藤勇（1963年、东映、演：品川隆二）
• 新选组始末记（1963年、大映、演：松本锦四郎）
• 幕末残酷物语（1964年、东映、演：河原崎长一郎）
• 风云儿半次郎（1964年、MBS、演：水原弘）
• 新选组血风录（1965年、NET、演：岛田顺司）
• 燃剑（1966年、松竹、演：石仓英彦）
• 燃剑（1966年、TX、演：杉良太郎）
• 三姊妹（1967年、NHK大河剧、演：三鬼浊）
• 日本剑客传（1968年、NET、演：梅宫辰夫）
• 龙马来了（1968年、NHK大河剧、演：蜷川幸雄）
• 鞍马天狗（1969年、NHK、演：泷俊介）
• 新选组（1969年、东宝、演：北大路欣也）
• 怪谈：新选组 飞溅诅咒之血（1972年、MBS、演：松桥登）
• 新选组（1973年、CX、演：有川博）
• 幕末群英传（1974年、松竹、演：西乡辉彦）
• 冲田总司（1974年、东宝、演：草刈正雄）
• 胜海舟（1974年、NHK大河剧、演：久世龙之介）
• 鞍马天狗（1974年、NTV、演：古谷一行）
• 花神（1977年、NHK大河剧、演：森田顺平）
• 幕末未来人（1977年、NHK、演：市山登）
• 浮浪云（1978年、ANB、演：三浦洋一）
• 俺们的明日（1980年、NTV、演：冲雅也）
• 燃烧生命（1981年、NHK、演：宫本宗明）
• 鞍马天狗（1981年、TBS、演：羽贺健二）
• 宛如炎光（1981年、东宝、演：琢磨一生）
• 冲田总司 华丽的暗杀者（1982年、CX、演：乡裕美）
• 龙马来了（1982年、TX、演：加纳龙）
• 壬生恋歌（1983年、NHK、演：利仓亮）
• 燃花迸散：炎之剑士 冲田总司（1984年、NTV、演：田原俊彦）
• 白虎队（1986年、NTV、演：中川胜彦）
• 高尔夫黎明之前（1987年、东宝、演：桥爪淳）
• 新选组（1987年、ANB、演：东山纪之）
• 燃剑（1990年、TX、演：辻辉猛）
• 幕末纯情传（1991年、松竹、演：牧濑里穗）
• 新选组：池田屋血斗（1992年、TBS、演：野村宏伸）
• 太阳照常升起（1996年、CX、演：大泽隆夫）
• 拜托龙马了！（1996年、NTV、演：梶原善）
• 新选组血风录（1998年、ANB、演：中村俊介）
• 德川庆喜（1998年、NHK大河剧、演：小泽征悦）
• 御法度（1999年、松竹、演：武田真治）
• 鞍马天狗（2001年、CX、演：大森贵人）
• 壬生义士传 新选组最强的男人（2002年、TX、演：金子贤）
• 壬生义士传（2003年、松竹、演：堺雅人）
• IZO（2004年、Teamokuyama、演：及川光博）
• 新选组！（2004年、NHK大河剧、演：藤原龙也）
• 轮违屋糸里〜女子们的新选组〜（2007年、TBS、演：丸山隆平）
• 龙马传（2010年、NHK大河剧、演：栩原乐人）
• 新选组血风录（2011年、NHK-BS、演：辻本祐树）
• 仁者侠医（2011年、TBS、演：石部雅纪）
• 白虎队：不败的人们（2013年、TX、演：平间壮一）
• 八重之樱（2013年、NHK大河剧、演：铃木信二）
• 花燃（2015年、NHK大河剧、演：贺来贤人）
• 花岚剑士：生于幕末的女剑士・中泽琴（2017年、NHK-BS、演：大桥典之）
• 燃剑（2020年、东宝、演：山田凉介）

动漫画

• 银魂（集英社、空知英秋作）
• 茜色之风：新撰组血风记录（集英社、车田正美作）
• 炸弹！〜幕末男子〜（讲谈社、加濑敦作）
• 陆奥圆明流外传 修罗之刻 风云幕末编（讲谈社、川原正敏作）
• 风光（小学馆、渡边多惠子作）
• 月明星稀：再会新选组（小学馆、盛田贤司作）
• PEACE MAKER铁（艾尼克斯、黑乃奈奈绘作）
• 新选组刃义抄：ASAGI（艾尼克斯、山村龙也作・蜷川八重子画）
• 北走新选组（白泉社、菅野文作）
• Chiruran：新撰组镇魂歌（Coamix、梅村真也作・桥本英治画）
• 错过星星的男人（青林堂、水木茂作）
• 猫猫新撰组（德间书店、耳式作）
• 薄樱鬼 ～新选组奇谭～
• 仁者侠医（村上纪香作）
• 刀剑乱舞 -花丸-
• 闪电十一人-时空之石
• Fate/琥珀ACE 帝都圣杯奇谭
• Fate/Grand Order
• 浪客剑心

参考文献

• 森満喜子“冲田総司·おもかげ抄”新人物往来社 1999
• 大路和子“冲田総司を歩く” 新人物往来社 1989
• “冲田総司のすべて” 新人物往来社 1973
• “新选组大全史” 新人物往来社 2003
• 历史読本1997年12月号: 幕末最强新选组１０人の组长
• 历史読本1999年11月号: 冲田総司 新选组青春谱
• 历史読本2004年3月号: 近藤・土方・冲田の新选组

Background

He was born Okita Sōjirō Fujiwara no Harumasa (沖田宗次郎藤原春政) in 1842 or 1844 from a samurai family in the Shirakawa Domain's Edo mansion. His great-grandfather was Okita Kan'emon (d. 1819) and his grandfather was Okita Sanshiro (d. 1833.) His father, Okita Katsujiro, died in 1845; he had two older sisters, Okita Mitsu (1833–1907) and Okita Kin (1836–1908). In 1846, in order to marry the adopted son of the Okita family, Okita Rintarō (1826–1883), his oldest sister Okita Mitsu became an adopted daughter of Kondo Shusuke in name. Kondo Shusuke was the third master of the Tennen Rishin-ryū and Okita started training at the Shieikan with him around the age of nine. By that time, Kondo Shusuke had already adopted Shimazaki Katsuta (the later Kondō Isami), but Hijikata Toshizō had not yet enrolled at the Tennen Rishin-ryū school. Okita proved to be a prodigy; he mastered all the techniques and attained the Menkyo Kaiden scroll (license of total transmission) in the ryū at the age of eighteen or so.

In 1861, Okita became Head Coach (Jukutou) at the Shieikan. Even though he was often commented to be honest, polite, and good-natured by those around him, he was also known to be a strict and quick-tempered teacher to his students.

Shinsengumi period

Okita changed his name to Okita Sōji Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi some time before his departure with the Rōshigumi to Kyoto on March 26, 1863. However, the Rōshigumi was disbanded upon their arrival there on April 10, 1863. While the rest returned to Edo. Okita and several other founding members remained behind in Mibu to form the Mibu Rōshigumi, which would later be renamed as the Shinsengumi on August 18, 1863. Okita was the second youngest among the Shieikan members, most likely with Tōdō Heisuke being the youngest. His brother-in-law Okita Rintarō, also a practitioner of the Tennen Rishin-ryū, became a commander of the Shinchōgumi (the Shinsengumi's brother league in Edo.)

Okita Sōji soon became a Fukuchō Jokin (vice-commander's assistant) of the Shinsengumi. He was one of the members involved in the Serizawa Kamo (one of the original commanders of the Shinsengumi) and the Uchiyama Hikojiro assassinations in 1863.

Equally skilled with shinai, bokken/bokutou, and katana, his signature technique was named the Mumyo-ken (which roughly translates as "no light blade" or "unenlightened blade") or Sandanzuki (which translates as "Three Piece Thrust"), a technique that could attack one's neck, left shoulder, and right shoulder with one strike. (The Mumyo-ken supposedly could hit all three points simultaneously, but this is an embellishment.) The Mumyo-ken was his own invention and may have been derived from an invention of Hijikata's, the Hirazuki.

It is a popular conception by the public that his tuberculosis was first discovered when he fainted during the Ikedaya incident, mostly due to the depiction appearing in a famous work chronicling the Shinsengumi as well as a number of period dramas based upon it. Some sources on the other hand say that he contracted the disease after that. Both theories are fairly reasonable, as tuberculosis can kill quickly (in weeks), or very slowly (many years). However, one should note that people rarely survived the disease longer than a year once it progressed to the point that they would collapse, and Okita did not die until four years after the affair. Some researchers now believe he instead collapsed due to some other ailment, such as anemia or heat stroke. While many of Shinsengumi fans believe that Yoshida Toshimaro was killed by Okita during the Ikedaya Affair (based on Shimosawa Kan and Shiba Ryōtarō's fiction), it is a historical inaccuracy.

Based on Shiba Ryoutarou's fiction, many also believe that Okita and Hijikata were like brothers. In history, Yamanami Keisuke was the vice-commander Okita shared a brotherly relationship with. Yamanami's seppuku (with Okita as his second) in 1865 was an extremely painful incident in Okita's short life. There is no record showing that Hijikata and Okita were close; it is debatable whether Okita even got along with Hijikata.^{[citation needed]}

In 1865, Okita became the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi and also served as a kenjutsu instructor; later that year, he was appointed by Kondo Isami to be the fifth master of the Tennen Rishin-ryu after him.

Although highly unlikely, it was rumored that he wielded a famous katana called Kiku-ichimonji. However, he surely owned a set of Kaga Kiyomitsu (a katana and a wakizashi) and his so-called "Kikuichimonji Norimune" was likely a Yamashiro Kunikiyo instead.

Death

During the Boshin War, after the Battle of Toba–Fushimi in the first month of the year Keiō-4, Okita went into Matsumoto Ryōjun's hospital in Edo. He then moved to a guesthouse with Okita Rintarou, Okita Mitsu, and their children. When the shogunate forces (including the Shinsengumi and the Shinchōgumi) retreated to the Tōhoku region, Okita remained in Edo alone. He died from tuberculosis on July 19 (the 30th day of the fifth month, by the lunar calendar), 1868. Later that night, he was buried at Senshō-ji Temple in Azabu, Edo, under his birth name (with Okita Sōji listed in the death records.) The claim that Okita died when he was 25 is based on the theory that he was born in 1844 and therefore was 25 by East Asian age reckoning when he died in 1868.

The Senshō-ji Temple cemetery had been open to the public for years until the release of NHK's Taiga drama, Shinsengumi! in 2004. Due to the newfound interest in the Shinsengumi and Okita thanks to the drama itself, many visitors flocked to the temple to see his grave, resulting in the temple's cemetery to become restricted to the public, except for one day each year in June.

Name

"Okita" (沖田) was his family name; "Sōji" (総司) was his given name; "Fujiwara" (藤原) was his family clan (the surname of his ancestors); "Kaneyoshi" (房良) was his jitsumei, a formal given name (like a middle name for gentlemen equivalent). It is unclear whether Okita changed his name to Okita Sōji Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi in 1863 or in 1862 (or less likely, in 1861.) There is a theory that he changed his name to Sōji because some people around him called him "Sō-Ji" (short for Sōjirō.) Other than his full name, he could be referred as Okita Sōji or Okita Sōji Kaneyoshi. In writing, he was sometimes referred as Fujiwara no Kaneyoshi (formal name used in writing) or Okita Kaneyoshi (like the "initials" for his full name.)

Stele of Okita Sōji's last place at Imado Shrine in Asakusa

This souvenir photo from the Meiji era was often wrongly introduced as the photo of Okita Sōji though the modern times, the person in the photo is actually someone different. Currently, no existing photos of Okita Sōji have been discovered.

Okita Sōji in popular culture

Like the other members of the Shinsengumi, fictionalized accounts of Okita's life and actions appear in novels, period dramas and anime/manga series. Although his given name is sometimes pronounced as "Soushi" in the fictional world, it is actually "Sōji".

• In the 2004 Japanese drama Shinsengumi!, Okita was played by Tatsuya Fujiwara.
• Okita is a main character in the anime/manga Peacemaker Kurogane, which takes more liberties with history.
• He is the protagonist of the manga oneshot Because Goodbyes are Coming Soon by Yukimura Makoto.
• Okita is mentioned in the anime and manga series Rurouni Kenshin, which takes place during and after the Meiji Revolution in Japan. He makes a major appearance in the OVA and is briefly shown during the Kyoto Arc (before the character based on the Okita Sōji from novel Shinsengumi Keppuroku, Seta Sōjirō, makes his appearance); in the manga, Okita is also shown during the Jinchū Arc. However, some of the translations of the English dub are incorrect. In the OVA English dub, Okita is portrayed as a subordinate of Saito Hajime, when in fact he was his equal or superior in rank and kenjutsu skills. At the end of the OVA when he finally confronts Kenshin, another Shinsengumi member called Okita a lieutenant in the English dubbed track, when in fact he was the captain of the first troop. In the Japanese dub the unknown Shinsengumi member correctly refers to him as: 組長 Kumichô. During his brief appearance in the anime, he is shown coughing and having pain in his chest, a reference to his death by tuberculosis.
• In the anime series, Intrigue in the Bakumatsu - Irohanihoheto, Okita is depicted as an old acquaintance of the protagonist, Akizuki Yōjirō.
• Okita is also one of the main playable characters in the Xbox video game Kengo: The Legend of the 9 Samurai.
• In an episode of the anime Ghost Sweeper Mikami, ghost-hunter Mikami Reiko gets inside of a haunted movie about the Bakumatsu and meets Okita, who is depicted as a crazy guy who thinks only of killing people (obvious pun on his usual portrayal, which also is a foil to the show's rendition of Hijikata.) In the anime/manga series Shura no Toki, Okita's (fictional) last battle before succumbing to his sickness is with Mutsu Izumi from the Mutsu Enmei Ryuu, an unarmed martial art. Their duel was a request from Okita himself from years before. Okita appears during a flashback in Kido Shinsengumi: Moeyo Ken (which features Okita's fictional daughter Kaoru as one of the three main characters of the series). He also appears in the short OVA Hijikata Toshizou: Shiro no Kiseki, which attempts a proper portrayal of the Shinsengumi.
• Okita is the male protagonist in the manga Kaze Hikaru, a fictional story about the Shinsengumi during the late Tokugawa shogunate, in which Okita trains a young girl to be one of the Shinsengumi in order to avenge her father and older brother. He is also featured in the manga Getsumei Seiki.
• He is depicted in the 1999 live-action film Gohatto (sometimes known as Taboo), the 2003 Japanese film When the Last Sword Is Drawn, video game series Shinsengumi Gunrou-den (as the protagonist), video game series Fu-un Shinsengumi, video game series Bakumatsu Renka Shinsengumi, and video game Chaos Wars.
• The popular Japanese conception of Okita is that his character and his swordsmanship were of the highest purity. In Shiba Ryotaro's novels, he joined the Shinsengumi not because of his political beliefs but rather out of his loyalty for Kondo Isami and his (fictional) friendship with Hijikata Toshizo.
• His anime, manga, and TV depictions tend to be as a handsome young man, sometimes a bishōnen. The Latin American dub of Rurouni Kenshin, even mistook Okita for a woman. In fact, in a 1991 movie, Bakumatsu Jūnjōden (幕末純情伝), he is portrayed as a boyish woman. In a 2003 theatrical production of the same name (which has been renewed every few years), (s)he's been portrayed over the years by actresses such as Ryōko Hirosue, Satomi Ishihara, Mirei Kiritani and Rena Matsui.
• Soushi Yukimi, from the anime series Soar High! Isami is inspired and based on Okita Sōji.
• Okita appeared in the anime and manga series Yaiba as a fictional grandnephew of the historical Shinsengumi member of the same name.
• Okita Sougo, from the anime/manga Gintama, is loosely based on Okita Sōji.
• Okita is loosely portrayed in the Japanese otome game, Hakuouki (薄桜鬼), along with other Shinsengumi members. They are samurais who develop vampiristic qualities as the game progresses. He is also portrayed in the anime adaptation of the game. In this franchise, Okita is a skilled warrior who develops a case of tuberculosis. He drinks the ochimizu, a potion which transforms him into a rasetsu.
• In the Japanese video game Sengoku Rance by Alicesoft, a female version of Okita plays a minor role, Okita Nozomi. Okita Nozomi can be recruited from the Shinsengumi in the game as a commander, and is one of the best swordsmen in the game. She is also seen constantly coughing up blood and is later diagnosed with the "Cough-Cough Disease".
• The digital comic Okita and the Cat deals with the anecdotal last days of Okita Sōji. The former swordsman is depicted as a pleasant raconteur despite his disease, though he's secretly frustrated at his inability to stand by his comrades. The comic, by Josh Hechinger and mpMann, was released for Apple mobile devices in August 2010 through Arrow Publications.
• In the 2012 video game and anime Inazuma Eleven GO 2: Chrono Stone, Okita appears during the late stages of his life, but is shown playing soccer against Sakamoto Ryōma, and fuses with Tsurugi Kyōsuke to create "a speedy striker as quick as lightning, who cuts up the field like a lightning bolt".
• He appears in the volume 13 of High School DxD as a member of the Lucifer group, as the knight of Sirzechs Lucifer.
• In the gag manga Fate/KOHA-ACE, a spin-off of the Fate franchise created by Kinoko Nasu, the Saber-class servant, dubbed "Sakura Saber," is the spirit of Okita Souji. In this fictional incarnation, Okita is a woman. Sakura Saber also appears as a Servant in the mobile game Fate/Grand Order.
• In the eroge franchise ChuSinGura 46+1 which depicts male historical figures as young girls, Okita is a cyan-haired, amber-eyed girl.
• In the anime Touken Ranbu, Okita is frequently shown in Yamatonokami Yasusada's flashbacks or dreams to be consumed by his disease during a raid relating to the Ikeda Inn Incident. Okita is shown to have long, black hair and blue eyes.
• In the otome game Destined to Love, Okita is shown as a character with brown hair and brown eyes, and barely take cares of himself. He has his own route in the game.
• Another otome game ©2015 Spaceout Inc. features Isami Kondo, Hijikata Toshizo and Soji Okita as suitors for main character. It also has other side characters like Matsumoto Ryojun, Ryoma Sakamoto and Saito Hajime.
• In otome game Era of Samurai: Code of Love which developed by Voltage inc, Okita Soji along with Hijikata Toshizo, Harada Sanosuke, Saito Hajime, Kondo Isami and Shinsaku Takasugi were featured as a love interest for main character.
• In the 2014 spin-off game from the Yakuza series, Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin!, Okita Soji is visually based on series regular Goro Majima and the two share a voice as well. The game takes place in the Bakamatsu period and has the protagonist, as Sakamoto Ryouma, joining the Shinsengumi, of which Okita is a division captain.
• In the anime Bakumatsu (2018) and its sequel, Bakumatsu Crisis (2019), Okita Soji plays a key antagonist role as a member of the Shinsengumi under the command of Mugensai. Other key members of the Shinsengumi such as Isami Kondo, Yamazaki Susumu and Hijikata Toshizo are also featured, in addition to Takasugi Shinsaku.
• In the manga Shuumatsu no Valkyrie, Okita Soji is chosen to represent Humanity in a tournament against the gods of multiple pantheons to determine the fate of Humanity.