Boss (タイショーくん) is a field hamster. The self-proclaimed leader of the Ham-Hams, he often tries to make it look like he knows everything, usually to have it backfire on him completely.
Character description
Gruff on the outside, but lovable on the inside, this bachelor field hamster likes being in charge. His name, Boss, may reflect what he wants to be, but he'd give his own helmet and shovel to a Ham-Ham in need. He has a bit of a temper, but he is very dependable, courageous, and even shy at times (especially around Bijou). His favorite phrase in the Japanese version is "Daji~e!" or "Dabba-to!".
Because he is a field hamster, he is more familiar with nature and is more independent compared to the other Ham-Hams. He has even developed a field hamster sense that instinctively tells him what kind of weather is approaching. However, he cannot deal with the sea as he is prone to seasickness. He lives alone in his house, which quickly becomes the Ham-Ham Clubhouse.
Boss has a huge crush on Bijou; but Bijou never felt the same way, being in love with Hamtaro instead. Near the end of Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak, it is also hinted that he has a small crush on Harmony. Boss later in the series has shown affection for other girl-hams, such as Oshare and Gelato (the latter of which returned his feelings).
Starting from I'm Parting, Clubhouse! (#193), Boss leaves to go on a long journey, and is absent for a long streak of episodes. The Ham-Ham Clubhouse is concealed until Boss's return, and the remaining Ham-Hams go on to discover Sweet Paradise and meet Lapis and Lazuli, marking the new season. In It's Your Turn, Hero-Ham!, he takes on a "Hero-Ham" persona, in which he assists the Ham-Hams (and others in need), who aren't aware it is really Boss. This act lasts until Here I Am, Clubhouse!, when Hamtaro finally realizes that Hero-Ham is really Boss. Afterward, Boss returns to the now-abandoned clubhouse. He occasionally returns to his Hero-Ham outfit in later episodes to help others; and is typically in this form around Otome's Crew, who still are unaware who Hero-Ham really is.
Physical appearance
Boss has cream and dark brown fur with a belly button. He wears a yellow hardhat/helmet with a green stripe and a red crescent.
Friendships
Hamtaro
After Hamtaro met Oxnard, they both fell into a tunnel, after which they met Boss. Hamtaro looks up to Boss, as he is older and usually wiser than Hamtaro, and they are very good friends. Boss is jealous that Bijou likes Hamtaro, but Hamtaro doesn't seem to notice. Perhaps Boss didn't value Hamtaro's friendship as much as he should have until later, as shown in I'm Parting, Clubhouse! where he considers Hamtaro hypothetically leaving to just be another chance with Bijou. He eventually realized his mistake, and makes sure to value Hamtaro's friendship much more than before.
Snoozer
When the Ham-Ham Clubhouse is finished being built in the second episode, Snoozer seemingly manifests into real life without explanation. Boss returns to the clubhouse to find him there, sleeping in a blue and yellow striped sock. Since then, Snoozer rests in the clubhouse, only leaving on a couple instances and "magically" appearing in the Sweet Paradise the same way he appeared initially in the clubhouse. This happens between episodes, I'm Parting, Clubhouse! and Lapis and Lazuli due to Boss's absence. After the events of the aforementioned episodes, Snoozer sleeps in Sweet Paradise instead until Boss returns later on. He is Boss's only company while the Ham-Hams are not around, so Boss holds him dear.
Sabu
If Cappy looks up to Boss, Boss looks up to Sabu. In Boss Runs Away, Sabu overheard Boss musing about his problems confessing to Bijou. Sabu helped him out by advising him to just keep on trying - as Sabu did with his girlfriend, Françoise. Boss later runs off to find Sabu so he can travel with him and "become a real man" for Bijou, but Hamtaro quickly finds him and convinces him to return to the Clubhouse. From then on, Boss is happy whenever they see Sabu again and looks up to him much like an older brother.
Relationships
Bijou
Boss has a huge crush on Bijou. However, she is unaware of this. She attributes the attention he pays her to simple generosity. She does care about Boss and values his friendship, but he is more like a brother to her. Boss sparks many attempts to win her over, even if some mean risking seasickness. Boss’s crush on Bijou diminishes as the series goes on.
In Bonjour, Oshare!, Oshare, visiting from France, seems to have feelings for Boss when he shows her what Japan is all about. Boss, of course, embraces this, and spends the rest of the episode pondering over whether or not he should return the feelings he assumes she has. He starts to feel bad for liking Oshare after having his crush on Bijou for so long. But later in the episode, Oshare says that she is in love with another hamster, Shinsaku, back home in France; to which Boss is sad, but perhaps also relieved. In Non Non, Oshare!, she returns once more and says that her relationship with Shinsaku was "meaningless love", and that she is in love with another hamster now. In A Valentine Battle! she is back and is in love with yet another hamster, this time: Hamtaro. Boss assumes at first that she is talking about him, but alas this is not the case, thus ending the crush.
Gelato
In Fluffy Gelato, the Ham-Hams meet Gelato, and she takes an immediate shine to Boss. Gelato and Boss play for a while and he shows her the Clubhouse, to which he is delighted that a princess (or so she claims) wants to see his house. She seems in love with him from the start, and when they regroup with the rest of the Ham-Hams, Gelato announces that they are in love and that Boss will become her prince, to which Boss is ecstatic. They play happily for the rest of the day, and Boss even rescues her (and her beloved spoon) from a crow. When Gelato returns home (not to her “palace”, but to an ice-cream van run by her owner), she says to Boss she won't ever forget her prince. Boss is distraught when she leaves. This marks the first time a girl hamster returns Boss's feelings.
Notable Episodes
- Get Well, Laura (#16)
- Courage, Cappy! (#21)
- Merry Christmas! (#25)
- The Legend of the Courageous Hamtaro! (#26)
- The Amazing Auntie Viv (#28)
- Boss is a Mom! (#31)
- The Precious Letter! (#38)
- Even the Ham-Hams Get Seasick! (#50)
- Boss, the Cool Ham of the Sea! (#56)
- The Animal Hospital (#71)
- Boss Runs Away (#91)
- It's a Duel, Boss! (#121)
- Boss's New Room (#145)
- Bonjour, Oshare! (#190)
- I'm Parting, Clubhouse! (#193)
- It's Your Turn, Hero-Ham! (#199)
- Sweet Worm Surprise (#205)
- Here I Am, Clubhouse! (#206)
- Eternal Hero (#223)
- Boss and Shiron (#228)
- Oh No, Hamtaro! (#251)
- Fluffy Gelato (#252)
- Space Hams (#257)
- Boss is so Popular! (#276)
Etymology
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Trivia
- Boss is one of the only hamsters to have a belly button, aside from Bear.
- Boss is the tallest in the Ham-Ham gang (12cm), with the second-tallest being Maxwell (10.5cm).
- He wears his helmet almost all the time, but he takes it off briefly in Sparkle's Crush while substituting as Sparkle, Boss's New Room and Troublesome Magical Seeds.
Gallery
- Main article: Boss/Gallery