This is a list of characters appearing in the Japanese fantasy novel series Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri, published by Arcadia, and its sequel series Gate Season 2, Gaiden and Zero.
Original series Main characters
The protagonist of the series, Itami is a 33-year-old otaku and JSDF soldier. After successfully escorting hundreds of citizens to safety during the attack on Ginza, Itami is promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and tasked to investigate the world on the other side of the Gate. He is a certified JSDF Ranger and Special Forces commando (although this only occurred due to his superiors' futile attempts to discipline him), and while he is notable for being a slacker and a fast runner from trouble, he is honest and compassionate and can be quite capable when under stress. He is also later rendered immune to bodily harm due to a contract Rory Mercury makes with him, in exchange for him becoming her servant upon his death. With his heroic acts during the battle of Ginza and in the world beyond the Gate, he also becomes a role model for his fellow JSDF soldiers and his friends in Alnus Town. Itami's family name is derived from the city of Itami in the Hyōgo Prefecture, where the JGSDF Central Army headquarters is located.
A 19-year-old princess from the Empire that rules the other world. Born to an Imperial concubine, and 10th (3rd in the anime) in the line of succession to the throne, Piña Co Lada is dedicated to the Empire's welfare. Idealistic but inexperienced, she has at first trouble dealing with the realities of political life, but matures during the course of the series. After seeing the JSDF's military power in action, she wishes to establish peace with Japan, as she knows that a war with them will eventually lead to the Empire's ultimate destruction. During her first visit to Japan to meet with several officials, Piña develops an obsession with yaoi dōjinshi and later has her Rose Knights translate more of them for her to read. After being rescued from Zorzal's clutches, Piña is appointed Crown Princess by Emperor Molt and ends up falling in love with Itami. Oddly, her name is taken from the rum-based cocktail Piña colada.
Tuka is a 165-year-old High Elf, an adolescent by her race's standards. She loses her father who sacrifices himself to save her when her village is attacked by a Flame Dragon, and since then travels with Itami and co. However, she has a hard time coping with her father's death, and eventually begins to lapse into insanity, starting to view Itami as her lost father. But even after overcoming her loss with Itami's help, she keeps calling him "father" both out of habit and out of bashfulness about her budding true feelings for him. She has also entertained a temporary crush on Mari Kurokawa.
A 15-year-old mage from the other world, a former member of the Rurudo nomad tribe, and a student to an elderly sorcerer who is notable for her platinum-blonde hair and perpetually emotionless expression. She considers herself legally married to Itami after the latter unwittingly fulfilled an ancient wedding custom, which involves a couple spending three consecutive nights in the same room. Brilliant and inquisitive, Lelei quickly learns the Japanese language and becomes the interpreter/translator for Itami's party. Thanks to the knowledge of physics acquired during her visits to Earth, combined with her natural magical abilities and a gift from the underworld goddess Hardy, she eventually becomes capable of opening a Gate between the Special Region and Japan at will.
A 961-year-old demigoddess and the Apostle of the god Emroy. She's usually dressed in her formal apostle wear, which strongly resembles Gothic Lolita fashion. Rory's status as a demigoddess entails that she cannot die and can recover from any wound; upon her 1,000th birthday, she will ascend and become a full goddess. She's superhumanly strong, which allows her to wield her extremely heavy signature halberd with ease, and very fast and agile, with centuries of combat experience. Her presence and status as an Apostle are also a great help to Itami's group in establishing social relations within the Special Region. Her only major weakness is her fear of going underground, due to her dislike for Hardy, the Special Region's goddess of the underworld who desires Rory as her bride. She originally joined up with the JSDF to infiltrate them and destroy the Gate, but after meeting Itami, she takes a particular interest in him because of his sincerity and, owing to this affection, later opts to become the Goddess of Love upon her ascension.
A Dark Elf who is over 300 years old; her middle name is a reference to the underworld goddess Hardy, who is worshipped by her people. She seeks the JSDF's aid when the same dragon that attacked Tuka's village moves to the forest where her tribe lives, becoming a threat to them. After the dragon is vanquished, and after learning that the Apostle of Hardy was responsible for its rampage, she renounces her faith in Hardy, changes her name to (with "Ro" in reverence of Rory Mercury, who came to the aid of her people) and offers herself to Itami as a slave. Unlike the other three girls in Itami's company, she isn't as relentless in pursuing his affections, but she is just as perplexed about his seemingly indifferent attitude about their relationship, especially since her penchant for bad luck keeps her self-esteem low and she regards Itami as a pillar of support.
Japanese characters
Third Recon Unit While the Recon Unit encompasses a total of eleven members, the characters listed here are those who gain special prominence in the story.
A petite but buxom Sergeant First Class of the Third Recon Unit under Itami, she does not hold him in high regard due to his otaku nature. She idolizes the Japanese Rangers and Special Forces; a perception which is somewhat broken when she learns that Itami is a certified member of both. She excels in hand-to-hand combat and prefers charging head-first into a battle to take on her opponents with just her rifle-mounted bayonet. She remains in the Special Region when the Gate is closed, because the new world presents her with a chance to cut loose with her combative nature and because she has fallen in love with her teammate Tomita, despite him being already involved with Bozes of the Rose Knights.
Sergeant First Class Tomita, a 27-year-old trained Ranger, is the gentle giant of the unit who is a solemn but kind man and often acts as the voice of reason within the group. He and Bozes enter a relationship, and as a result he is one of the JSDF servicemen remaining in the Special Region when the Gate is closed.
A 21-year-old sergeant in the JSDF and driver on the recon team, he is also an otaku like Itami, with a special fetish for catgirls. His geeky fantasy becomes reality when he meets Persia, a housemaid of the Formal Clan who happens to be half-cat. The two become close very quickly and are nearly inseparable whenever Kurata visits Italica. Owing to this affection, Kuruta is one of the JSDF servicemen who voluntarily stays in the Special Region when the original Gate is shut down.
The medic of the Third Recon Team with the rank of Sergeant First Class, at 190cm she is an unusually tall woman. Her father is a submarine commander in the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. She can be uncomfortably sharp-tongued in her opinions at times, especially to Itami if she suspects he has ulterior motives related to his otaku hobbies. While she cares for the well-being of those under her supervision, especially civilians, she can be very vicious with disobedient patients, often using means of intimidation bordering on sadism to discipline them. At the end of the series, she has returned to Earth and become head nurse of the JSDF Central Hospital.
A fifty-year-old Sergeant Major who serves as Itami's second in command. As the oldest member in the unit, he has experience and wisdom of training and leading recruits on the field. He replaces Itami as team leader after the latter runs off to kill the Fire Dragon on his own and is consequently relieved of his command. After the original Gate has closed, he retires from the JSDF and works at a security firm while spending time with his newly-born grandchildren.
A leading private in the Third Recon Team who used to work in his family's first-class restaurant until he got into an argument with the new management, and joined the JSDF to gather the funds to open his own restaurant. During the team's mission in the Imperial Capital, he goes undercover as a chef after his cooking gets the interest of Prince Zorzal. There he falls in love with Tyūle, Zorzal's Warrior Bunny concubine and secret adversary; they end up aiding each other in thwarting the tyrannical prince, and after Tyūle's death and the closure of the Gate, he and Delilah open a restaurant in Tokyo in her memory.
JSDF Special Region Task Force
A JSDF Lieutenant General in charge of the JSDF task force within the Special Region who holds Itami in high regard despite the latter's reckless attitude. As a responsible commander, he is one of the JSDF servicemen who stays behind when the Gate is shut down.
A First Lieutenant who serves as General Hazama's aide. He dislikes Itami due to the latter gaining his rank due to the Ginza Incident, whereas he had to earn it by hard work himself. Unlike Itami, who cares about the people of the Special Region and wants to help them, Yanagida sees no problem in manipulating and exploiting the Special Region's people and resources for Japan's gain. He eventually develops a grudging respect for Itami despite the fact that the two seem to antagonize each other over minor details, especially regarding Itami's nonchalant attitude and his ability to gain allies so easily.
A major in the Special Region Task Force and Itami's immediate superior, who is usually frustrated by Itami's lax attitude violating military protocol.
A JSDF colonel and commander of the Special Region Task Force's 4th Combat Unit, an air assault company, and a veteran of Italica and the evacuation of the Jade Palace. Despite their age difference and language barrier, he begins a relationship with Rose Knight Beefeater E Caty, and is one of the servicemen remaining in the Special Region after the Gate's collapse.
A colonel and the commander of the 1st Task Force Combat Unit, a mixed infantry corps.
A somewhat hot-blooded lieutenant colonel in the Japanese Air Force, and the leader of the JASDF branch of the Task Force, flying a F4 Phantom. He stays in the Special Region upon the Gate's closure because of the lack of flying restrictions in that world, and because of his romantic attentions towards the Rose Knights.
A major and chief of the JSDF detachment stationed in Akusho, the Imperial Capital's red-light district.
Japanese government and citizens
The Japanese Minister of Defense and Itami's old friend. Like Itami, he is also an otaku. Strong-willed and patriotic, he succeeds Prime Minister Morita as an interim candidate after he and the other Cabinet members expose Morita's cowardice in intending to surrender administration of the Gate to a foreign international conspiracy instead of defending his nation's sovereignty. At the end of the series, he has retired from politics and thus become free to pursue his otaku passions once more.