Okita is the best swordsman in the Shinsengumi. Personality-wise, he tends to be light-hearted and somewhat childish though his speech is heavily deadpan.
He outwardly displays annoyance and dislike for Hijikata, and continuously tries to kill (or at least badly wound) Hijikata whenever he has the chance so that he can become the Vice-Commander.
Okita has great affection and fondness for Kondo, who took him under his wings when he was little. He still regards Hijikata as one of his three friends (the other two being Kondo and Gintoki).
He enjoys seeing women fight, finding the ugly looks on their faces as they grab each other being hilarious. He wears a distinctive eye mask when taking a nap during duty, which is a frequent occurrence. At one point, he refers to himself as the best sniper in the Shinsengumi. Although he is a master of kenjutsu, he uses a bazooka more often.