The image of Okita gained from anecdotes such as his telling his trainees, 'Don't kill people with your sword! Kill them with your body!' and other records differs greatly from the gentle and calm image that is widely known in public.
他に「刀で斬るな！体で斬れ！」と教えていた等の言い伝えもあり、その他の記録などを見ても記録にある素顔の沖田は巷に広がる優しく大人しいといったイメージとはずいぶん異なる。