Gojou Sha

When he was a boy, Gojou lived in a rather unhappy home. His demon father had had an affair with a human. His father later dumped his illegitimate child on his demon wife before abandoning her. His stepmother is the only mother that Gojou ever knew. She often took out her frustrations on Gojou, physically and mentally abusing him while weeping for herself and her situation. Gojou’s demon older brother Jien would often try to protect Gojou from his mother’s rage. No matter how hard Gojou tried, he was unable to win his mother’s affection, and was tormented as much by the sight of her tears as he was by the fact that she professed love solely for his older brother.

One day, Gojou’s mother had reached her limits, and attempted to kill Gojou, first scarring the side of his face with her claws, then attempting to strangle him. Gojou was saved by his older brother Jien, who tearfully killed his mother before fleeing, leaving Gojou alone. Gojou later made his way in the world by first being involved in shady activity with his friend Banri before mastering gambling at cards. He survived the loneliness of the nights by bedding loose women. He used to despise his red hair, since it represented the things that his mother had hated about him.

One night on his way back from a bar, Gojou came upon the bleeding form of Cho Gonou. He soon took the unconscious man back to his home and nursed him back to health. He was the first one that Gonou confessed his crimes to, bonding with the troubled newly-born demon over their different yet shared pain. Gojou tried to protect Gonou from Sanzou when the monk came to bring Gonou back with him for judgment. After Gonou left with Sanzou, who later informed him that Gonou had ‘died,’ Gojou cut off his long locks as a sign of mourning. He was later reunited with Gonou, now Cho Hakkai. The two of them became good friends and roommates before embarking on the journey with Sanzou several years later.

When Gojou previously lived in the world, he was known as General Kenren, a boisterous and flirtatious raven-haired god who lacked respect for all of his superior officers other than his friend Tenpou. He was fond of women, but was even fonder of sake, which he was often found sipping while lounging in one of the sakura trees in Heaven. Kenren was usually the one to ruffle the feathers of his superior officers, with Tenpou examining the results.