Outsiders are special individuals who have the ability to use their ki for purposes of attack and defense which vary with the technique or 'secret art' used. Two types of Outsiders exist: innate Outsiders, or those who can skillfully manipulate their Ki from birth and the acquired Outsiders who learn it later in life.
Spoilers are unmarked for the first season.
General Tropes
- Ability Mixing: While some Outsiders prefer to master only one technique, most usually mix it up for their advantage.
- Always Someone Better: Outsiders might encounter others with abilities similar to theirs but stronger or more powerful. Usually results in Break the Badass.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: The leaders of every faction are rightfully the strongest.
- Battle Aura: They come in different colors depending on the user's personality or technique used.
- Calling Your Attacks: Complete with Chinese characters for the viewers' convenience, especially in the Japanese version.
- Charles Atlas Superpower: While every Outsider has their own style, they're used to accomplishing extraordinary feats, the most coveted of which is the 'Origin of Ki' or 'Kitaigen', allegedly possessed by the main character, Chou Soran.
- Close-Range Combatant: Some Outsiders prefer combat in close range, usually by those who prefer to fight with no weapons.
- Covert Group with Mundane Front: Since the world of the Outsiders is dangerous to normal humans, most factions opted to blend in with normal humans, with some having businesses as fronts.
- Ki Manipulation: Outsiders spend years of intense training mastering their respective ki manipulation styles.
- Long-Range Fighter: Some have weapons or even their own Ki as projectiles.
- Master-Apprentice Chain: Practically everyone has their own shifus, who may or may not be family members.
- Old Master: The shifus, who are usually the heads of their respective factions.
- Rival Dojos: Several associations exist in the Outsiders' world, with each practicing their own fighting style and philosophy.
- Supernatural Martial Arts: An Outsider's Ki can be applied in practically unimaginable ways such as making weapons as extensions of one's body, manipulating zombies, tampering with souls and such.
- Superpowerful Genetics: Outsider families can inherit and pass their techniques to descendants, though not all offspring has the chance to inherit a specific technique.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: During the tournament's group stage, three contestants might team up against one really powerful contender so that they can compete among themselves later.
- Training from Hell: Every Outsider goes through this starting from childhood
- Virgin Power: Virginity is highly prized in the Outsider World, especially for those wishing to master certain powerful techniques.
- World of Badass: Every single Outsider is capable of doing badass stuff with their Ki. No wonder it's off limits to regular humans.
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Nadoutong Express Delivery Company
- Sibling Team: Jo San and Jo Yon
Chou Soran/Zhang Chu Lan
- Afraid of Their Own Strength: Kept his martial arts ability a secret at the request of his grandfather since he'd be hunted down by other Outsiders if he didn't.
- Bare-Fisted Monk: Unlike Houhou, he prefers to fight with no weapons, just his Ki.
- Butt-Monkey: Gets constantly dragged around by Houhou and members of the other factions and is never truly liked for himself but for his alleged Kitaigen skills.
- Combat Pragmatist: Though the Raten Taishou's purpose is for showing My Kung-Fu Is Stronger Than Yours, that doesn't stop Soran from thinking of rather creative ways to win.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: He might seem like the show's biggest Butt-Monkey especially at the start, but is actually quite impressive in terms of power and strategy when he's serious.
- Famous Ancestor: Is the grandson of Chou Shakurin, believed to have practiced the Kitaigen, one of the most powerful techniques in the world of the Outsiders. Almost all Outsider factions tried to coax him to their side because he might have inherited it in some way.
- Guile Hero: As one of the weaker characters in the show (due to lack of continuous training like the others), he prefers smart tricks over brute strength to win battles. The strategies he employs in the show can definitely make Sun Tzu blush.
- Jumped at the Call: Became ecstatic after meeting other Outsiders in battle which means that he no longer has to keep his abilities a secret.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Keeps his mid-length hair in a ponytail, also helps that he isn't hard to look at.
- Virgin-Shaming: To himself, though it actually benefits him in the Outsider world Because he can use the Raihou, which non-virgins can never learn, and makes him one step closer to being the Tenshi.
Fu Hou Hou/Feng Bao Bao
- Amnesiacs are Innocent: Has no memory of her family, previous life, and even of human social cues and emotions, though somehow she knows her own name.
- Cold Ham: Can say the most ridiculous stuff with her emotionless voice.
- Creepy Monotone: For some reason she always speaks like this no matter what emotion she's trying to convey.
- Combat Stilettos: Once wore heels as part of a plan to bring Soran back to Express Delivery and ended up using them against Ja Jongu.
- Dramatic Dislocation: Does this to her shoulder joints to get out of enemy restraints.
- Emotionless Girl: Never shows much emotion in either face or voice even during fighting. This unnerves everyone she meets or fights.
- Good Thing You Can Heal: No matter how much she's injured, she just sleeps it off and is already better after some time.
- Messy Hair: Has very long black hair which she usually keeps loose and as a result, is usually messy.
- Mysterious Past: While most of her known past was shown in Season 1, any information before that is unknown. She joined Express Delivery to help uncover her past.
- Older Than They Look: She's looked like someone in their 20s since 1944 and never showed signs of aging 70+ years later.
- One-Man Army: Is capable of fighting all the guards in the World association's headquarters and when she's done she's still bored.
- Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Easily her most noticeable traits, and often makes her stand out.
- Really 700 Years Old: She's first found as a wandering mute during the war in 1944 and hasn't aged a day since. Her real age is unknown, though she outlives Jo Shou.
Jo San/Xu San
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The responsible sibling to Jo Yon's foolish sibling.
- Mind over Matter: Has the ability to use his Ki to perform psychokinesis.
- Stoic Spectacles
- Sibling Yin-Yang: The complete opposite of Jo Yon: has black hair and is more serious than Jo Yon.
Jo Yon/Xu Se
- Eccentric Mentor: Taught Houhou some kungfu 'techniques' with names derived from porn.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The foolish sibling to Jo San's responsible sibling.
- Perma-Stubble
- White Hair, Black Heart: While not exactly evil, he's asily the more mischievous of the two brothers.
Zensei
- Big Bad Duumvirate: They seem to be involved in some real shady work since the Koushin War, involving Chou Shakurin and 36 other traitors.
Ro Ryo/Lu Liang
- Dark and Troubled Past: According to his older brother Ro Kyou, he killed his younger sister and other family members before joining Zensei.
- Soul Power: Has the ability to extract an Outsider's memories or Life Energy whether they're dead (like in Cho Shakurin's case) or alive. He can also manipulate souls in other ways.
- Tiny Guy, Huge Girl: Looks like a dwarf expecially beside Natsuka.
- Transferable Memory: Was able to extract Chou Shakurin's last memory before dying and was able to show it to Soran.
Natsuka/Xiahe
- Dark Action Girl: Very skilled in fighting like the other female characters but is up to shady stuff with Zensei.
- Rose-Haired Sweetie: Subverted, as she's involved with the shady Zensei,but she does have pink hair. Whether it's natural or not remains a mystery.
- Shameless Fanservice Girl: Natsuka uses her femininity as her main weapon and it's mostly effective in the male-dominated Outsider society.
- The Vamp
Chinchuu
- Soul Power: Has the ability to lend his power to another Outsider who is then instructed to kill and extract other Outsiders' Ki and must return a portion to him as interest. The more that person kills, the more interest is collected until the person turns into a mindless man-slayer.
- Stepford Smiler: The way he smiles even when horrible things happen in front of him is just unnerving.
Shoumon
- Sinister Silhouettes: Is kept 'censored' in black for his identity reveal in Season 2.
En Tou
- Ki Manipulation: His variant is the ability to infuse his Ki into his weapon of choice, rosary beads.
Tenshifu
Cho Reigyoku/Zhang Ling Yu
- Berserk Button: Soran's mere existence seems to trigger him. Especially since Soran might have a better chance of being the Tenshi because of his white Raihou.
- Chick Magnet: Very popular with females and even has a fanclub of sorts.
- Defiled Forever: Can never hope to practice the pure form of the Raihou because he's no longer a virgin.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Considered really attractive for a monk.
- Wins by Doing Absolutely Nothing: He basically gets a free win in the second round after Riku Rinron realizes she's completely outclassed and surrenders immediately.
- Would Hit a Girl: Doesn't hesitate to use his full strength against female opponents.
Cho Jiei/Zhang Ziwei
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: Is the Tenshi for a reason.
- Cool Old Guy: Quite chill for someone known as the Tenshi.
- Master-Apprentice Chain: Takes on Soran as his apprentice.
Tengekai
- Big Fancy Castle: Has their headquarters in a tall skyscraper in the middle of the city unlike other factions.
- Super Family Team: As expected of a family of Outsiders.
- Superpowerful Genetics: Fuu Chonhao and his son Shinton inherited their ancestor's ability to summon and command multiple spirits in battle.
Fuu Chonhao/Feng Zhenghao
- Cool Old Guy: Usually pretty cool unless he's talking about his secret technique.
- Dangerous Forbidden Technique: Posesses one of the 8 secret arts, which was the cause of the Koushin War in 1944.
- The Patriarch: Of the Fuu/Feng clan, the family that owns the Tengekai.
Fuu Saen/Feng Shayan
- Cool Big Sis: To Shinton
- Muggle Born of Mages: The only member in her family who did not inherit the family's secret art and is thus unable to practice it.
- The Dutiful Son: A female variant. She's her father's favorite for this reason.
- Teleportation: Can teleport herself or just her fists to wherever she wants. It helps increase the range and unpredictability of her attacks.
- Unskilled, but Strong: Her attacks are pretty straightforward: just teleporting her fists to places enemies wouldn't expect.
Fuu Shinton/Feng Xingtong
- Dumbass Teenage Son: Downplayed, as Shinton is just slightly less capable than his sister in terms of running the family business.
- Sacrificed Basic Skill for Awesome Training: Preferred to master his family's secret arts over training in basic combat and defense.
- Soul Power: Like his father and great-grandfather, he has the ability to summon and command multiple spirits in combat.
- Weak, but Skilled: Due to lacking brute strength and endurance unlike his sister, he refuses to fight battles he knows he will lose.
Raten Taishou Participants
Shoukatsu Sei/Zhuge Qing
A laidback Qimen-style user who travels to the tournament with his younger brother.
- Chick Magnet: He's very popular with women wherever he goes.
- Curtains Match the Window: Has dark blue hair and eyes.
- Eyes Always Shut: His defining trait, appearance-wise. He does open them wide sometimes, especially when he's serious.
- Elemental Powers: Has the ability to use all four elements in battle, and is said to surpass Outsiders with elemental specialties.
- Famous Ancestor: Like Soran, he's got a famous ancestor, Shoukatsu Komei (better known as Zhuge Liang, the famous war tactician).
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Considered really popular with women, and of course has long hair which he keeps in a ponytail.
Ouya/Wangye
A disheveled, lazy monk who enters the tournament at his family's suggestion.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Is perfectly capable of his sect's kungfu, but would rather rest than fight seriously.
- Elemental Powers: Also has the ability to harness elements and to break the rules of Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors.
- Exhausted Eye Bags: Always looks sleep-deprived for some reason.
- Messy Hair: Has his hair in a messy monk bun.
Shoushou
A taciturn, distant Outsider who can blow a person's soul out of their body with his breath.
- An Arm and a Leg: He loses his arm during the attack on the Tenshifu after the Zensei necromancer manipulates Danji into attacking him behind his back.
- Breath Weapon: His specialty.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: This is how Houhou beats him – she clamps his mouth shut, forcing his breath further into his body. As a result, his soul leaves his body and Houhou has to retrieve it to rescue him.
- The Stoic: Is very calm and composed for the most part.
- Your Soul Is Mine!: His breath has soul-altering powers, meaning that he can forcibly remove others' souls if he hits them with it.
Zouryuu
- The Smart Guy: Is completely knowledgable of most of the participants' skills and techniques and even set up a website showing everyone's chances of winning.
- Big Fun: Provides comic relief and strategic assistance.
Ja Seiryou/Jia Zhengliang
Grandson of Ou Ai of the Ten Elders, a nasty man with a sadistic streak and a penchant for getting angry when things don't go his way. He manipulates spirits, and can steal their abilities by eating them.
- Break the Haughty: Gets put in his rightful place by none other than Cho Reigyoku.
- Hate Sink: Being the total jerkass that he is, he even goes so far as to defeat Shinton in battle, try to steal and consume his spirit familiar, and beat him up until he's half-dead.
- Jerkass: Enjoys bullying and hurting others weaker than him and has his grandfather cover for him. Even Zensei has standards.
- Schoolyard Bully All Grown Up: Depicted as an actual schoolyard bully in a flashback.
- Spoiled Brat: Gets away with jerking around because of his rich and powerful family.
Riku Rinron/Lu Linglong
Granddaughter of Riku Kin, a cheerful but unskilled Outsider.
- Damsel in Distress: After the Raten Taishou participants split up to pursue En Tou's group, she and Kinka get ambushed by a second group of Zensei. She puts up a decent fight despite being outnumbered, but gets captured and needs to be saved by Soran.
- Rose-Haired Sweetie: Friendly and has pink hair.
- Wins by Doing Absolutely Nothing: She makes it to the second round by default after Kumo forfeits.
Tsuu Kinka
A close friend of Rinron's; a skilled analyst who knows how to work with data.
- Attempted Rape: Is close to receiving this from one of the Zensei thugs. Soran intervenes before things get bad.
- Badass Bookworm: She's especially keen at predicting outcomes and assessing battle situations.
- Damsel in Distress: She's with Rinron when they get ambushed by Zensei. Unfortunately for her, she's not a particularly good fighter and gets incapacitated rather easily.
- Nerd Glasses
- The Smart Guy
Kumo
A mysterious Outsider who hides his face behind a black mask.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Since he doesn't actually display his full abilities in the Raten Taishou, the Zensei spies gain no intel on his skills and are unprepared to take him on. Thanks to this element of surprise, he easily repels the Zensei necromancer and would've been able to easily subdue him had Danji not been possessed.
- Cool Mask: A dark metal one that covers all of his face but his eyes.
- Dual Wielding: Dual swords are his weapon of choice.
- Ki Manipulation: He's an Enchanter – he can imbue his ki into his two blades to strengthen the force of his attacks.
- Wouldn't Hit a Girl: He holds by this policy to a T.
The Ten Elders
Ou Ai/Wang Ai
- Manipulative Bastard: Not only did he try to take Soran's Kitaigen, he also forced Fuu Chonhao to submit to him because of a deal their ancestors made regarding the Fuu family's secret art.
Ro Ji/Lu Ci
- Scars Are Forever: Has one on his right eye. Its true history is yet to be known.
- Soul Power:Because he's Ro Ryo's grandfather, they have the same abilities.
Riku Kin/Lu Jin
- Papa Wolf: Is overly protective of his granddaughter Rinron, and even goes after Cho Jiei when Reigyoku defeats her in their match.
Others
Chou Shakurin/Zhang Xilin
- Mentor Occupational Hazard: Teaches Soran the techniques he needs to know to survive the world of the Outsiders before passing on. The theft of his corpse is what drives Soran to learn more about his own true nature as an Outsider.
- Papa Wolf: Is protective of Soran and thus taught him the techniques he knows.
- Mercy Kill: Gets Houhou to quickly end his misery after a long and hard battle.
- Multi Layered Facade:His real name is actually Chou Kaigi and used Chou Shakurin as a fake name when he joined Zensei
