Goemon

Goemon is a hot-blooded man of Edo (Though in the anime given a more caring outlook). With a strong sense of justice and will, he will right whatever wrong there is in front of him, although he has a short temper.

Also has a girlfriend Omitsu and best friends/partners with Ebisumaru.

He is a major character in quite a few games, Hes favorite weapon of choice is a old style smoking pipe which in the anime shows up as a golden one but in a few of the games is also a wooden one and a silver one.

Some say hes based on a real Japanese ninja called "shikawa Goemon" who is notable by being boiled alive after a failed attempt of killing a civil war-era warlord

(Source: Wikipedia)