出生日期

出生日期有兩個說法，一說生日為1842年7月8日（天保13年6月1日）, 一說生年為1844年（天保15年）。

生涯

衝田生為陸奧國白河藩士衝田勝次郎之長子、有兩個姐姐。

1845年時父親去世，大姐衝田光與衝田林太郎（本名井上林太郎）結婚後繼承衝田傢戶主。九歲左右（1851年-1853年其間）成為江戶天然理心流道場──試衛館主人近藤周助的內弟子，同時和日後組織新選組的重要人物近藤勇及土方歲三等人成為同門師兄弟。衝田憑出色的功夫在1861年（時年19歲）拿到免許皆傳，年紀輕輕就成為天然理心流試衛館塾長，被稱為無比的天才劍士。據說塾長在任期間衝田指導劍術的方式相當粗暴。

1863年，衝田加入浪士組前往京都，在浪士組分裂之後和近藤等人留下來組織新選組、之後成為新選組副長助勤。在這個時期，衝田親自參與了新選組局長芹澤鴨、內山彥次郎的暗殺行動。

1864年，衝田活躍於池田屋事件，砍倒數名尊皇攘夷派志士，卻突然在池田屋中因肺癆而暈倒（有各種說法）。在那之後的新選組歷史中，衝田依然相當活躍。

1865年起，衝田所領導的一番隊總能完善達成重要的任務，據說即使在劍豪雲集的新選組之中，劍技也是數一數二。

1865年2月，在新選組總長山南敬助的脫逃事件中，衝田被遣去追返，在近江草津將其逮捕。2月23日（1865/3/20）, 山南在衝田協助介錯之下切腹。雖然衝田一直都像對待兄長一樣地仰慕山南，但是在他的傢書中關於山南的死卻僅輕輕帶過。

1867年以後，衝田因病情從最前綫沉寂下來。鳥羽伏見之戰之時，衝田因無法參戰而被護送至大坂；戰敗之後，他和隊士沿海路回到江戶，在參加甲陽鎮撫隊途中不得已而脫隊（有各種說法）。之後便投靠幕臣鬆本良順，被藏匿在淺草今戶的鬆本良順傢（一說為千馱𠔌植木屋平五郎傢的客捨）。

1868年7月19日（慶應4年5月30日），在江戶藏匿處過世，當時近藤勇已被斬首2個月，他仍未獲知其死訊。同日夜間遺體被送到麻布三丁目（現東京都港區）的專稱寺悄悄埋葬了。專稱寺自寬永年間起就是衝田傢的菩提寺（衝田傢傢族墓地）。

人物

傳說中，佐久間象山的兒子三浦啓之助被某個隊士侮辱了，後來土方和衝田正在下棋時，不遠處三浦從背後砍了那個隊士，衝田怒不可遏大喊“你這個渾蛋”，扯起三浦的後領，把他的頭強押在榻榻米上來回拖行，三浦的鼻子於是被磨得赤紅，衝田並不是因為同伴被攻擊而暴怒，而是憤怒於三浦從背後攻擊他人的那種膽小而不光明的行徑。

據說在臨死之際，衝田欲斬殺出現在植木屋庭院的黑貓，但無論試了幾次都失敗了。痛感己身衰微的衝田於是嘆道：“啊啊，斬不動了。老婆婆（照護衝田的老太太），我已經斬不動了。”（但是，有人認為這是子母澤寬的個人創作）

也有人傳說，衝田一直到死之前仍然不斷地擔心問道“近藤老師不知道被如何處置了？還沒有消息嗎？”。因為關於近藤的死，身旁的人皆被嚴厲告知保密，因此衝田纔會在不知道近藤已死的情況下逝世。

據說在這之前，甲陽鎮撫隊出戰之際，近藤前去探視衝田時，衹有在這個時候，素來相當開朗的衝田不禁泣不成聲。

劍技

衝田有名的招術是“三段突刺”，突刺為劍道中，刺嚮對手喉嚨的招術。由左八相的架式開始，衹聽到一次腳步聲，但是在那之間連出三招突刺，以迅雷不急掩耳的速度，在對手意識到中了一招突刺的瞬間，攻擊早已結束（由於在那之後沒有人瞭解此招，因此真相仍然不明）。

但是和那樣的劍南轅北轍地，衝田這個人是一個言談幽默、笑口常開的人，也常和屯所附近的小孩子們玩，因此作傢司馬遼太郎要執筆寫作以新選組為題材的作品時，還請教了小時候曾和衝田一起玩的老婆婆。

有關衝田的劍術，也有來自新選組內部以外的聲音。文久2年（1862年）新選組結成前, 小島鹿之助在“小島日記”中記述道：“以這個人的劍術，晚年必成臻完善境地之人”；對於新選組處批判態度的西村兼人在“壬生浪士始末記”中道：“他是近藤關愛有加的部下，同時也是隊中第一流的劍客。”而且，和新選組敵對的阿部十郎也在“史談會速記錄”說：“衝田總司，他啊，身為近藤（門中）的一弟子，還挺不錯的。”、“衝田總司、大石鍬次郎這些年輕人，不過是稍具才能，劍術之類倒使得不錯。”、“大石鍬次郎、衝田總司、井上這些人，不分是非對錯，不計後果地斬殺人。”等等，能特別看見站在敵對立場的劍客筆鋒所帶的挑釁感。另外，千葉彌一郎（新徵組隊士，衝田姐夫林太郎的同僚）說道：“在我們看來，他充其量是目錄（低段位）左右的實力。”這是對其唯一否定的見解。

武器

在小說中，衝田總司持有的刀是被稱為“菊一文字則宗”。根據子母澤寬等人的作品“衝田的刀是‘菊一文字細身造’”，而在後來司馬遼太郎的著作“新選組血風錄”中，這樣的觀念被普及。但是則宗打造的刀對慣用日本刀的當時來說是相當貴重的古刀。無論是以經濟觀點或實戰必要性的觀點來看，衝田持有此刀的可能性都是微乎其微。

因此在研究者之間首先這樣的說法就不被采用。現在一般認為衝田實際持有的一把刀是“加州金澤住長兵衛藤原清光”。又或者，也有人推是則宗以外的人打造的紋有“菊間一”的幾把刀之中的一把。無論是哪種，和其他隊士一樣在京中交換過幾次刀的可能性也很高。 已經被確認的衝田總司所持有的刀為加州清光與大和守安定。

美少年

自作傢司馬遼太郎的作品以後，衝田在小說、影劇等的構築世界中頻繁地被賦予美少年的形象。有關衝田的容貌，現在殘存的衝田的肖像畫，是在昭和４年，以衝田傢的人為基準繪製。根據八木傢的人或與新選組有關的人所言，並沒有“美少年”這樣的概念。據載，衝田“臉平色黑”、“肩膀強健”、“駝背”、“高大”。（在“交給竜馬！”、“月明星稀──再見新選組”中正是使用類似這樣的說法）在這樣的記述下呈現的形象，也對美少年的說法抱存疑義。

衝田是美少年這樣的印象，是因為他有着劍術高超，但卻不幸肺癆早逝這樣富含戲劇性的生涯，再加上演出這樣戲劇性一生時的需要，於是由司馬遼太郎的“燃燒吧劍”為首，承繼著這種趨嚮的“幕末純情傳”等等許多的作品中定位了“劍術超乎常人地強，有着開朗的性格，但在另一方面，卻是病弱蒼白的美少年。”這樣深植一般人心中的印象誤解。

在1974年上映的電影“衝田總司”（東寶）由草刈正雄演出主角衝田總司，至此奠定了衝田為“美男子”的形象, 之前衝田並沒有特別被定義為美男子。還有人認為，多數的電影等影像媒體中總是讓年輕美男子飾演衝田的角色的影響也不容小覷。有關衝田的肖像，1977年出版的“激錄新撰組”（原康史著　東京體育新聞社刊）表紙刊載了宣稱是衝田的照片。書中收錄了許多宣稱是新選組隊士的年輕武士照片，照片中也能看見和衝田同年代武士的姿態，研究者中有不少是抱存疑慮的。

戀愛

在創作世界中的衝田，自司馬遼太郎的小說以後，一般都被刻畫成純情的青年。因此幾乎都是被描寫成和鎮上醫生的女兒心靈間純純的愛戀。實際上衝田身邊並沒有花街柳巷女性走動，近藤或土方等人則否。不過在壬生光緣寺的冥帳中有寫着“衝田氏親”的女性紀錄，有人認為是衝田的戀人。根據研究，這位女性是一位名叫石井秩的寡婦，有一個女兒。雖然有人說衝田和這名女性在一起的期間生下一女，但缺乏證據。而且，在新選組中還有一個姓衝田的隊士“衝田承之進”（慶應元年4月、土方等人在江戶募集的隊士之一），有人認為冥帳中的“衝田氏”其實是他。

發病時期

提到衝田總司，在創作作品中描述他在池田屋的戰鬥中激烈地咳血、倒下已經可以說是理所當然。但是現在上述的說法在研究者之間並不被采信。因為明確紀錄衝田曾咳血的是子母澤寬的“新選組始末記”，但衝田在事後仍加入追捕長州殘黨（也就是七月十三日的明保野亭事件，而池田屋事件發生在七月八日），翌月的禁門之變仍有衝田和近藤、土方、武田、永倉共同出動的紀錄（西村兼文的“甲子戰爭記”），如果病情已進展到咳血的程度，實在無法想像還能勉強硬撐出動。

一方面，慶應2年（1866年）左右，幕府禦醫鬆本良順在為新選組集體檢查診斷之際，記下了“有一名肺結核患者”，有一說認為這就是衝田總司。小島鹿之助的“兩雄實錄”寫道，慶應3年2月（1867/3）左右衝田罹病，周圍的人都能察覺其明顯的發病。而且在小島鹿之助給近藤的信中還能看到他對衝田身體異常的關心。西村兼文的“壬生浪士始末記”中則說其在將屯所移轉至不動堂村的9月左右患了大病。自此，一般認為衝田難以承受戰鬥，陷入病重狀態的是在慶應3年秋鼕左右。而且，有人認為^[誰？]以“新選組始末記”為首，成為池田屋咳血、昏倒場面的由來是永倉新八的“新選組顛末記”，但是在那本書中沒有“吐血”、“咳血”的字眼，取而代之的是衝田昏倒的記載。這被認為是由於在初夏悶熱異常的高溫之下戰鬥而引起的暫時性中暑癥狀等，至少是對近藤、永倉等周圍的人來說肺方面不會感覺異常的狀態之下。

登場作品

小說

• 新選組始末記（角川書店、子母澤寬著）
• 新選組血風錄（中央公論新社、司馬遼太郎著）
• 燃劍（文藝春秋、司馬遼太郎著）
• 壬生義士傳（文藝春秋、淺田次郎著）
• 唯獨總司（青樹社、戶部新十郎著）
• 夢幻戰記（角川春樹事務所、慄本薫著）
• 衝田總司（新人物往來社、大內美予子著）
• 黑貓 衝田總司之死綫（朝日新聞、中場利一著）
• 劍士燃盡而死 凡人・衝田總司（新潮社、笹澤左保著）
• 衝田總司：血紅的六月薔薇（學陽書房、三好徹著）
• 衝田總司：壬生狼（德間書店、鳥羽亮著）

影視劇

• 維新之麯（1942年、大映、演：南條新太郎）
• 新撰組（1952年、東映、演：原健策）
• 近藤勇 池田屋騷動（1953年、新東寶、演：德大寺伸）
• 新選組鬼隊長（1954年、東映、演：中村錦之助）
• 新選組（1958年、東映、演：片岡榮二郎）
• 劍豪秘傳（1960年、NET、演：岩井半四郎）
• 壯烈新選組 幕末動亂（1960年、東映、演：若山富三郎）
• 新選組始末記（1961年、TBS、演：明智十三郎）
• 新選組血風錄 近藤勇（1963年、東映、演：品川隆二）
• 新選組始末記（1963年、大映、演：鬆本錦四郎）
• 幕末殘酷物語（1964年、東映、演：河原崎長一郎）
• 風雲兒半次郎（1964年、MBS、演：水原弘）
• 新選組血風錄（1965年、NET、演：島田順司）
• 燃劍（1966年、鬆竹、演：石倉英彥）
• 燃劍（1966年、TX、演：杉良太郎）
• 三姊妹（1967年、NHK大河劇、演：三鬼濁）
• 日本劍客傳（1968年、NET、演：梅宮辰夫）
• 竜馬來了（1968年、NHK大河劇、演：蜷川幸雄）
• 鞍馬天狗（1969年、NHK、演：瀧俊介）
• 新選組（1969年、東寶、演：北大路欣也）
• 怪談：新選組 飛濺詛咒之血（1972年、MBS、演：鬆橋登）
• 新選組（1973年、CX、演：有川博）
• 幕末群英傳（1974年、鬆竹、演：西鄉輝彥）
• 衝田總司（1974年、東寶、演：草刈正雄）
• 勝海舟（1974年、NHK大河劇、演：久世竜之介）
• 鞍馬天狗（1974年、NTV、演：古𠔌一行）
• 花神（1977年、NHK大河劇、演：森田順平）
• 幕末未來人（1977年、NHK、演：市山登）
• 浮浪雲（1978年、ANB、演：三浦洋一）
• 俺們的明日（1980年、NTV、演：衝雅也）
• 燃燒生命（1981年、NHK、演：宮本宗明）
• 鞍馬天狗（1981年、TBS、演：羽賀健二）
• 宛如炎光（1981年、東寶、演：琢磨一生）
• 衝田總司 華麗的暗殺者（1982年、CX、演：鄉裕美）
• 竜馬來了（1982年、TX、演：加納竜）
• 壬生戀歌（1983年、NHK、演：利倉亮）
• 燃花迸散：炎之劍士 衝田總司（1984年、NTV、演：田原俊彥）
• 白虎隊（1986年、NTV、演：中川勝彥）
• 高爾夫黎明之前（1987年、東寶、演：橋爪淳）
• 新選組（1987年、ANB、演：東山紀之）
• 燃劍（1990年、TX、演：辻輝猛）
• 幕末純情傳（1991年、鬆竹、演：牧瀨裏穗）
• 新選組：池田屋血鬥（1992年、TBS、演：野村宏伸）
• 太陽照常升起（1996年、CX、演：大澤隆夫）
• 拜托竜馬了！（1996年、NTV、演：梶原善）
• 新選組血風錄（1998年、ANB、演：中村俊介）
• 德川慶喜（1998年、NHK大河劇、演：小澤徵悅）
• 禦法度（1999年、鬆竹、演：武田真治）
• 鞍馬天狗（2001年、CX、演：大森貴人）
• 壬生義士傳 新選組最強的男人（2002年、TX、演：金子賢）
• 壬生義士傳（2003年、鬆竹、演：堺雅人）
• IZO（2004年、Teamokuyama、演：及川光博）
• 新選組！（2004年、NHK大河劇、演：藤原竜也）
• 輪違屋糸裏〜女子們的新選組〜（2007年、TBS、演：丸山隆平）
• 竜馬傳（2010年、NHK大河劇、演：栩原樂人）
• 新選組血風錄（2011年、NHK-BS、演：辻本祐樹）
• 仁者俠醫（2011年、TBS、演：石部雅紀）
• 白虎隊：不敗的人們（2013年、TX、演：平間壯一）
• 八重之櫻（2013年、NHK大河劇、演：鈴木信二）
• 花燃（2015年、NHK大河劇、演：賀來賢人）
• 花嵐劍士：生於幕末的女劍士・中澤琴（2017年、NHK-BS、演：大橋典之）
• 燃劍（2020年、東寶、演：山田涼介）

動漫畫

• 銀魂（集英社、空知英秋作）
• 茜色之風：新撰組血風記錄（集英社、車田正美作）
• 炸彈！〜幕末男子〜（講談社、加瀨敦作）
• 陸奧圓明流外傳 修羅之刻 風雲幕末編（講談社、川原正敏作）
• 風光（小學館、渡邊多惠子作）
• 月明星稀：再會新選組（小學館、盛田賢司作）
• PEACE MAKER鐵（艾尼剋斯、黑乃奈奈繪作）
• 新選組刃義抄：ASAGI（艾尼剋斯、山村竜也作・蜷川八重子畫）
• 北走新選組（白泉社、菅野文作）
• Chiruran：新撰組鎮魂歌（Coamix、梅村真也作・橋本英治畫）
• 錯過星星的男人（青林堂、水木茂作）
• 貓貓新撰組（德間書店、耳式作）
• 薄櫻鬼 ～新選組奇譚～
• 仁者俠醫（村上紀香作）
• 刀劍亂舞 -花丸-
• 閃電十一人-時空之石
• Fate/琥珀ACE 帝都聖杯奇譚
• Fate/Grand Order
• 浪客劍心

參考文獻

• 森滿喜子“衝田總司·おもかげ抄”新人物往來社 1999
• 大路和子“衝田總司を歩く” 新人物往來社 1989
• “衝田總司のすべて” 新人物往來社 1973
• “新選組大全史” 新人物往來社 2003
• 歷史讀本1997年12月號: 幕末最強新選組１０人の組長
• 歷史讀本1999年11月號: 衝田總司 新選組青春譜
• 歷史讀本2004年3月號: 近藤・土方・衝田の新選組

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" (總司) 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 (薄櫻鬼), 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.