Characters / RG Veda

Ashura and the Six Stars

Ashura

The only survivor of the Ashura Clan and its leader by birth. Sought by Taishakuten alongside Yasha, death and misery practically follow them. They have a loving and cheerful nature that hides the great amount of grief and self-blame they hold within them. Though Kuyoh foresaw Ashura was destined to kill Yasha, the bond between them is unbreakable and they live solely for each other.

Voiced by: Kazue Ikura

• Animal Motifs: Ashura is often compared to a piglet.
• Apocalypse Maiden: They are predestined to destroy Tenkai once fully awakened.
• Badass Adorable: After learning to use their flames, they're able to hold their own in battle.
• Berserk Button: Never badmouth Yasha while they're able to hear you. Not even if you're Ryuu-chan.
• Big Eater: After all, they're still a growing child.
• Blood Lust: The True Ashura loves the taste of blood. In the first chapter, it brought them from Ashura's unconscious when Ashura tasted blood out of curiosity.
• Break the Cutie: Ashura is without a doubt the character that suffers the most in this series. They're broken at least once per volume.
• Cool Sword: Shurato. It's a glass-like blade that can cut rock like butter, shoot flames, its sheath is its very own owner and it may or may not be alive.
• Enemy Within: The "True Ashura", the story's Greater-Scope Villain.
• Guilt Complex: They believe themself to be the reason of everything bad that happens. Their self-blaming is justifiable, however — they're the most wanted person by Taishakuten and anyone who interacts with them and protects them will be killed.
• Heroic Suicide: The True Asuhra took control of their body and was about to kill Yasha, but suddenly Ashura re-takes control of their body via the strong bond of love between them and Yasha to change the sword's direction from Yasha to their chest. More than saving Yasha, they also saved all Tenkai.
• Last of His Kind: In more than a way. They were born sexless so their clan could die with them.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Everyone that knows about the Holy War, knows that Shashi sold her clan's secrets and almost killed her own child herself; everyone but Ashura, as people can't bring themselves to tell them but at the end they found it out.
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: To give them a more androgynous look.
• Morality Pet: To Kujaku since Ashura reminds him of himself as The Unfavorite and wants them to have a happy ending unlike him.
• No Biological Sex: Specifically born this way so that their family line cannot continue.
• Omnicidal Maniac: The True Ashura's wish is to destroy everything in Heaven, Earth and Hell.
• Oracular Urchin: Sometimes they talk as if they have foreseen the things that are happening. Thanks to their alternate personality feeling how Fate is moving closer to their awakening.
• Otherworldly and Sexually Ambiguous: Ashura is a war god, based on the Asura from Buddhism and Hinduism. Their lack of sex is justified as it's the result of a curse that will keep the Ashura clan from continuing, and they're actually treated as both male and female in the series.
• Parental Abandonment: Their father was killed by Taishakuten, and their mother didn't even want them in the first place.
• Person of Holding: Shurato is stored inside their body, as successor and de-facto leader of the Ashura.
• Person of Mass Destruction: They come from a clan of gods of war, after all.
• Playing with Fire: After obtaining Shurato, Ashura's natural powers over fire developed enough to fight.
• Plot-Relevant Age-Up: Yasha found them as a baby. Just hours later, they grew up to a 5-to-6-year-old child able to travel around. Later on, they grew to a 9-to-10-year-old child after awakening Shurato. And after Shurato's seal was broken, they became a full grown adult.
• Pointy Ears: One of the signature features of their clan, which makes them very recognizable.
• The Power of Love: Their love for Yasha give them enough strength to take over their body once more and kill themselves to protect him.
• Protectorate: They are Yasha's, as part of their "deal". Yasha would move mountains if it means protecting them.
• Really 700 Years Old: Ryou-Oh doesn't believe that they're really 300. Then it's explained that for gods, 300 years is the time needed for kids to reach adulthood. So basically, Ashura is a kid when they're already old enough to be considered an adult by gods' standards.
• Rip Van Winkle: Sealed for 300 years since their birth. Sealed again after killing themself to avoid killing Yasha.
• Split-Personality Takeover: When their Enemy Within takes over their body when the seal over them is broken, the sweet Ashura indeed died, tecnically making Ashura the first of the Six Stars that died.
  The Other Ashura: Your Ashura is no more. They died right here. (points their own heart)
• Stepford Smiler: Ashura's smile hides great amounts of self-blame and self-hate.
• Supernatural Gold Eyes: One of the signature features of their clan, which makes them more recognizable.
• Superpowered Evil Side: Their nature as a war god often manifests as this.
• Tears of Remorse: Ashura cries for those that died because of them or for things they think they're to blame for when they actually are not. That's how deep their guilt issues are.
• Third-Person Person: To emphasize their childishness and avoid Pronoun Trouble.
• The Unfavorite: One of their biggest issues is that their own mother disowned them and thinks that, if their own mother didn't want them, they shouldn't have been born.
• Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds: The True Ashura has some undertones of this. Sure they love to destroy for the sake of destruction but Kuyoh's prophecy says that "the red lotus flame will devour all evil". The lotus flame is Ashura's flame and the fact that they will destroy everything they consider evil implies that, beneath all their idealism, Ashura actually hated the world that was so cruel and unfair towards them for the mere reason of existing and wants to see it burn.

Yasha-Oh

The leader and only survivor of the Yasha Clan. After hearing the last prophecy of Kuyoh instead of killing her, he looked for Ashura in the Enchanted Forest; this resulted in him being considered a traitor by Taishakuten and the annihilation of his Clan. He starts traveling with Ashura looking for the Six Starts to defeat Taishakuten. Though Kuyoh foresaw Ashura was destined to kill Yasha, the bond between them is unbreakable and they live solely for each other.

Voiced by: Show Hayami

• Badass and Child Duo: With Ashura. Yasha protects them while Ashura brings the best of him.
• Big Brother Mentor: To Ryuu-Oh.
• Berserk Button: Do not call Ashura a "cursed child" in front of him. EVER.
• The Chains of Commanding: Rasetsu commented that Yasha, when younger, always put the clan over his own happiness and he's actually quite happy that Yasha is living as his own person instead of as a ruler.
• Childhood Friends: With Karura and Kendappa.
• Clueless Chick-Magnet: Yasha gets several girls after him (even Kendappa-Oh's mother fell for him at first sight when he was a youngster) and he never knows or even bothers.
• Cool Sword: Yamato. It's a sword that can only be wielded by the one with the strongest will, it can cut rock like butter and can vaporize people.
• Curtains Match the Windows: Black eyes and black hair. Ashura compares his eyes to the midnight sky.
• Declaration of Protection: He and Ashura have a "deal": Yasha will protect Ashura and Ashura will be forever with Yasha.
• Despair Event Horizon: After finding out the truth about the Six Starts, the prophecy and Ashura awenening as god of destruction. When he thought his Ashura was no more, he was willing to let the True Ashura kill him.
• Didn't Think This Through: A bad habit of Yasha's is not planning things ahead and just going with the flow. Best example in volume 3, after getting Shurato and running out of clues, Yasha and co. went to the Sky city for no other reason than Ashura wanting to go, despite it being the date of an important holiday. Ryuu-oh calls him out for being careless and even Yasha recognizes that, perhaps, he is.
• Doting Parent: Kujaku and Ryuu-oh can see that Yasha spoils Ashura a lot.
• Eye Scream: He loses his right eye at the Kekki that formed after Ashura committed suicide. Considering this is their debut work, he could be the beginner of CLAMP'S eye losing tradition.
• How Dare You Die on Me!: A young boy from his clan managed to stay alive to tell to Yasha his clan's wish of not seeking revenge and live. Yasha, desperate, orders him to live but he still dies.
  Yasha: Now, to whom am I a Lord?
• It's All My Fault: He takes the blame for the Yasha Clan's annihilation out of Ashura's shoulders.
• I Will Wait for You: Waits for Ashura's second awakening for centuries, despite the odds of them ever opening their eyes again being against his favor.
• Last of His Kind: The only Yasha that escaped the genocide.
• Manly Tears: While incinerating the remains of his people and apologizing to them.
• Master Swordsman: Recognized as the best swordsman in Tenkai.
• Morality Chain: To Ashura. His concern for Yasha is the only thing that can suppress his Superpowered Evil Side.
• Parental Substitute: To Ashura, as he's the closest thing Ashura ever got for a father.
  • Papa Wolf: And never think in hurting even one of Ashura's hairs. Yasha will break you.
• The Quiet One: He doesn't talk much but his actions talk for him.
• Red Baron: "Yasha" is the title of king of his clan. His real name is Yama.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: When really angry, his eyes turn red out of rage.
• Restraining Bolt: Yamato is this to Ashura. Kujaku craft it specifically so Yasha could keep Ashura's Enemy Within in line. Unfortunately at the end Ashura, though affected, was already too powerful for the sword to control them.
• Son of a Whore: He's the son of the former leader and a concubine. Still, neither the clan nor even his half-brother took prejudice against him or his mother.
• The Stoic: He's always serious and doesn't show much emotion in his face, making pople wonder what's in his mind. However he's Not So Stoic around Ashura or whenever something involves them.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: He's distant and not very talkative, but you can tell from his devotion to Ashura (and vice versa) that this big guy has a huge heart.
• Tranquil Fury: Whenever Ryuu makes some unamusing comments about him, his face doesn't change much, but you can feel the air is different around him.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Subverted; he knew that awakening Ashura was practically starting the revolution, but he never knew that Ashura was actually an Apocalypse Maiden and had an inner Omnicidal Maniac.
• Unwitting Pawn: To Ashura-Oh who, unbeknownst to Yasha, makes him promise that he will protect his child.
• What Beautiful Eyes!: When he was a boy, Ashura-Oh claimed that he had "pretty eyes". Ashura also comments on his eyes, describing them as "black as the midnight sky, a very gentle color".
• World's Strongest Man: He's recognized as the strongest swordsman in Tenkai and the only one stronger than him is Taishakuten. So much of a badass he is that he casually slaughtered hordes of soldiers with ease and at the end, he pretty much killed most of the legendary warriors of the realmn. Mazoku Aizen-myoh wants to eat him thinking that his incredible might would grant her immortality.

Ryuu-oh

Succesor of the Ryuu Clan, at first he didn't want to be king. After finding out that Yasha was in his lands, he tried to challenge him to a fight but was quickly defeated. Looking for more power, he unsealed his clan's sword and became the new leader, though he soon escaped to join Ashura and Yasha in hopes of a new match with him. Of all the Six Stars, he's the only who doesn't have a personal reason to fight Taishakuten.

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi

• Amazon Chaser: Possibly. In a manga omake, Ryuu-oh's father specifically tells his young son that he fell for Ryuu-oh's mother because she's "macho, strong, wild and cool". Ryuu-oh's conclusion? "YAY, I WANT A MACHO WIFE!"
• Badass Adorable: He's one of the strongest in the story, yet his young age and cheerful personality make him an adorable goofball.
• BFS: Ryuugato is almost as tall as him.
• Big Brother Mentor: To Ashura.
• Blood Knight: He likes to fight and become stronger. He met Yasha and Ashura when he came to them in hopes of having a match with "Tenkai's strongest guardian" and later joined them in order to get some more practice before assuming his duties as king of his people.
• Declaration of Protection: Promises to protect Ashura before attacking Taishakuten. ..He couldn't keep it
• Expecting Someone Taller: Whenever the group encounters an army, he has to face soldiers not believing he's Ryuu-oh until they see Ryuugato.
  "And by the way, I'm not some brat; I'm the real Ryuu-Oh!"
• Fiery Redhead: The first OVA chooses to make his hair a rather bizarre shade of orange. The second OVA tones it down to a more brownish red.
• Go Out with a Smile: He dies giving Ashura a sad smile.
• Hot-Blooded: He's very impulsive and easy to anger.
• I Am Who?: Was shocked at the revelation that he was one of the Six Stars.
• I Choose to Stay: Was given the opportunity to return home since he didn't have a personal reason to fight Taishakuten; he chose to follow the group.
• Keet: He's very lively and outspoken.
• Ki Manipulation: His special move with Ryuugato.
• Making a Splash: He comes from a clan that protects Tenkai's waters and has power over them.
• No Indoor Voice: Whenever enraged he will start to yell to show how much angry he is. Often lampshaded by Yasha and Souma.
• Only Sane Man: He's the only one that called out Yasha for pretty much not having any real plan and just following Ashura's fancy.
• Open Mouth, Insert Foot: He very often says things that would annoy people. More often than not, when they're right behind him.
• Parental Abandonment: Both parents are dead; his mother died saving a human girl and his father died some time after that.
• Plucky Comic Relief: His affable personality and wittiness makes him a very good comic relief in a series that desperately needs it. Once he dies, things go dark pretty fast.
• Raised by Grandparents: And cousins as his parents are dead.
• Red Baron: "Ryuu-Oh" is the king title of his clan. His real name is Naga.
  • Only Known by Their Nickname
• Sacrificial Lion: The first casualty of fully awaken Ashura and the first six star to die.
• Team Chef: He's the only one that knows how to make a decent meal and Ashura jokes that they wanted him to come along because he can cook. Ryuu himself even lampshaded it once when Kujaku was demanding to Yasha a nice supper as reward for taking care of Aizen-myoh.
  Ryuu-oh: Wait, am I not the one who always cooks!?
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Ashura. They bicker like if they're siblings.
• Young and in Charge: Despite not fulfilling his duties thanks to running away after obtaining Ryuugato, he's indeed his clan's king and he still carries their lives on his shoulders. Yasha is in constant worry over Ryuu being discovered, as he knows it would mean being considered a traitor and his clan's extintion.

Karura-oh

Leader of the Karura Clan. Childhood friends with Yasha and Kendappa. She despises Taishakuten but works under his rule in order to keep her ill littler sister Karyoubinga safe. After the death of Karyoubinga, she fakes her death to keep her clan safe and joins Yasha's cause to avenge her sister.

Voiced by: Yoshiko Sakakibara

• Action Girl: A powerful fighter able to keep mazokus at bay by her own after Yasha clan was destroyed and Ryuu-oh escaped.
• Animal Companion: A tradition of her clan; every member has a bird who they share their life with.
  • Familiar: Her Garuda.
• Big Damn Heroes: At the end of volume 7, she saves Ashura who was almost killed by one of the pursuers.
• Big Sister Instinct: Her concern for Karyoubinga is the only thing that kept her from joining Yasha in the beginning. Karura's love for her sister was stronger than her hatred for Taishakuten.
• Berserker Tears: Shed these while swearing to kill Taishakuten for killing Karyoubinga.
• The Caretaker: to Karyoubinga.
• Childhood Friends: With Yasha and Kendappa.
• Cool Big Sis: To Karyoubinga.
• Died Happily Ever After: She died happy after fulfilling her sister's wish while Karyou's spirit came to escort her to the afterlife.
• Driven to Suicide: Let herself fall from the flying city.
  • Faking the Dead: But actually was a gambit to join Yasha's group without getting her Clan in danger.
• Forced to Watch: As she couldn't go against Taishakuten because that would put her Clan at risk, all she could do was watching her sister dying in front of her.
• Heroic BSoD: Had one after Karyoubinga's death. The only thing that could get her out of it was Kendappa playing Karyoubinga's last song and convencing her to don't waste her sacrifice.
• I Die Free: She died fullfiling her wish of fighting Taishakuten to avenge her sister, meaning she was free of his oppresion.
• In-Series Nickname: She's often called by her nickname "Sou-oh".
• Lady of War: She's always elegant and poised in battle.
• Perpetual Molt: Her arrival is heralded by a shower of feathers, thanks to her clan riding giant birds. When she died, her body dissolved in feathers.
• Revenge Before Reason: Jumped to fight Taishakuten upon seeing him without thinking twice.
• Staying Alive: No matter how many injuries she receives, as long as her Garuda is okay, she will pick up herself and fight.

Kendappa-ou

The Leader of the Kendappa Clan. A beautiful and highly talented harpist who sometimes performs for Taishakuten and is the target of prince Tenou's affections. Though very ladylike, she can defend herself quite well. She saved Souma from dying of her injuries and hid her with the help of Kisshouten.

Voiced by: Arisa Andou

• Childhood Friends: With Yasha and Karura.
• Damsel out of Distress: Hung Taishakuten's spy with her shawl.
• Dark Action Girl: A very capable fighter and on Taishakuten's side all along.
• Driven to Suicide: Despite being vowed to Taishakuten, she can't live with the guilt of killing Souma and kills herself almost immediately afterwards.
• Florence Nightingale Effect: Between her and Souma.
• Harp of Femininity: That is also a a sword.
• Heroic Vow: Subverted. She promised to only serve the strongest and she says she cannot break a vow to herself, even if that means killing her beloved Souma.
• Hidden Badass: Only Taishakuten and Bishamonten knew the truth about Kendappa, and everyone was surpriced that she was indeed powerful, even believing her to be the strongest of the Four Generals.
• I Fight for the Strongest Side!: She had sworn herself to only serve the strongest man, since she hates weak people.
• Kill the Ones You Love: Convinced that Souma would never be able to beat Taishakuten, less of all kill him, she decided to step into battle as the Four General in order to kill Souma herself.
• The Lady's Favour: Inverted. Souma gives her one of her earrings, promising to return alive.
• Lipstick Lesbian: Very girly and in love with Souma.
• Love-Interest Traitor: To Souma.
• The Mole: Despite being a Six Star, she fights on Taishakuten's side.
• More Deadly Than the Male: Commanded Souma to kill every single person in the army of Koumokuten to prevent them from going to alert Taishakuten. We get a close-up of her face that shows her smiling beautifully while she does it. And even before that, when she hangs a spy with her shawl, she does it while smiling, commenting that she was not in a good mood.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: She's actually a lot smarter and insightful that she lets show.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Though very ladylike, she can defend herself quite well. See Damsel out of Distress above.
  • Foreshadowing: Of her being Taishakuten's Fourth General, because the spy was sent by Bishamonten. In that same chapter, just a few pages earlier, after Tenou got the information about Kendappa-ou's next performance from Bishamonten, Taishakuten asked Bishamonten if he also spies on his fellow Generals. Yes, all the hints we need about Kendappa's true identity could be found in that single chapter.
• Social Darwinist: As her mother died because of unrequited love for Yasha, she grew to hate "weak people" and swore herself to serve Taishakuten because he was the strongest.
• Tsundere: She's easily annoyed at Souma not realizing how much she means to her.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Yasha. When she was younger, she grew to hate Yasha for her mother's unrequited love and fall into despair; now she understands he never intented such thing but can't stop herself of messing with him but in the end she cares for him as he's her childhood friend. Since most people don't know the whole story, they think they bicker like if they were siblings.

Souma

Only survivor of the Souma Clan. Her clan was annihilated on Taishakuten's order because of a legend that the blood of a member of Clan Souma can grant immortality to the person who drinks it. Her parents hid her from the army and died in front of her eyes. Injured, she ran away and was found by Kendappa, who hid her with the help of Kisshouten.

Voiced by: Yuriko Yamamoto

• Action Girl: Souma can cut off heads with just a throw of her shuurikens.
• Ambiguously Brown: All members of her clan have a darker skintone.
• Blood Magic: A legend says Souma's blood can give immortality to the person who drinks it.
• Blood-Splattered Innocents: Splattered with her parent's blood after witnissing their decapitation.
• Bodyguard Crush: On Kendappa. Unbeknownst to her, it's reciprocated.
• Clothing Damage: Mokona makes no secret of her love of drawing her half naked.
• Cool Crown: Wears a little circlet.
• Fighting Your Friend: Or love interest.
• Glass Cannon: Very deadly but easily the most fragile of the gruop.
• Insecure Love Interest: She actually considers herself not worthy of Kendappa's affection. She even planted in Kisshouten's mind the idea of pairing Kendappa and Tenou together, to Kendappa's annoyance.
• I Owe You My Life: To Kendappa and Kisshouten.
• Lady of War: She fights with fast, fluid and precise movements.
• Last of Her Kind: The only Souma that escaped the clan's genocide.
• Mini Dress Of Power: To obtimize her movements.
• My Name Is Inigo Montoya: Says her name before fighting Taishakuten.
• Ninja: She often goes ahead to comb the place in order to see if there is any army close by.
• The Medic: Aside from her spying skills and her accuracy with shuurikens, she is the last of a clan that specialized in medicine, so she serves as the team's medic.
• Team Mom: She cares for Ashura, often comments on Ryuu-oh's antics and provides sane advice.

The Imperial Family

Taishakuten

The new emperor of Tenkai, he controls his realm with an iron fist after usurping the throne by killing the former Tentei and Asura-oh, his most loyal servant. After Yasha awakened Ashura, he's willing to do anything and shed any blood necessary to keep his power.

Voiced by: Norio Wakamoto

• Big Bad: The main conflict in the story is the quest of the Six Stars to gather in order to defeat him and him sending armies to kill them before that happens.
• BFS: His sword is based on Indra's Vajra.
• Cannibalism Superpower: He ate Ashura-Oh, at his own request, in order to gain the war god's power in case the plan failed and Ashura is needed to put down.
• The Dragon: To Ashura-oh as all he ever did was in order to prevent the awakening of the god of destruction that is dormant within Ashura.
• The Emperor: A title he got after killing the last one.
• Evil Overlord: Cares little for his realm but asserts his power by brutal and ruthless means.
• Femme Fatalons: Rare Male Example.
• Hopeless Suitor: He loved Ashura-ou, who only slept with him in order to get him into his scheme.
• Let Them Die Happy: He killed Karura-oh to give peace to her revenge hungry soul, allowing her to be escorted by her sister's soul to the afterlife; he avoided Souma saving Kendappa and let himself be hated for her at her last moments and killed Kisshouten without revealing her her father's sin and left her body alongside her husband so they all could be Together in Death with their loved one, since, as he says "There's no worse pain than live without the person you love".
• Lonely at the Top: He was actually very unhappy as the only one he loved was dead at his own hands.
• Orcus on His Throne: He never bother to move from his castle, ordening his men to go against Yasha's group.
• The Promise: He made a single promise in his life and he's willing to do anything to fulfill it.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: His iron fisted ruling was what motivated Yasha and company to reunite the Six Starts ...when he was trying to avoid it.
• Silent Scapegoat: Willing to be seen as a bloodthirsty tyrant to keep the peace and keep his promise to Ashura-ou.
• Shock and Awe: Before becoming Emperor, he was a god of thunder.
• Third Eye: Has a third eye in his forehead.
  • Supernatural Gold Eyes: ...and it's golden.
  • Mark of Shame: The third eye marks those who committed an unforgivable crime, in his case killing and eating Ashura-oh.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Double Subverted. It is revealed as the story passes by that many of his vile actions were to prevent a prophecy that states Tenkai will be destroyed by a destructive god. However it is also revealed later that he mainly intendes such a good act not out of genuine concern for his empire but because of a promise he made towards an old friend and possible lover.
• White Hair, Black Heart: Subverted.

Queen Shashi

The Empress of Tenkai and wife of Taishakuten; her beautiful face is only a mask to cover what could be the most ruthless woman in the whole world. She was a human priestess of the Ashura Clan who, after receiving a god's longevity, started to plan her climb to power. She betrayed her clan by revealing their secrets to Taishakuten in return became the new Empress while she was still married to Ashura-oh. After giving birth to twins, she discovered that while one was Taishakuten's, the other was Ashura-oh's and tried to kill them herself to ensure Tenou's ascent to the throne while being the one pulling the strings behind him.

Voiced by: Toshiko Fujita

• Ambition Is Evil: Shashi's desire is to be above everybody and men, human, gods, and everyone else in the world kneeling before her feet.
• Asshole Victim: Suffers such a brutal gory death in scene that is supposed to show Ashura's descension into their unsealed form and how ruthless that alter personality is. However considering what a monster she was throughout the story, the readers end up rooting for her murderer to brutally tear her apart.
• Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Betrayed her first husband, her clan and was planning to do the same with Taishakuten.
• Dark Mistress: To Taishakuten, at the Holy War 300 years ago. Unlike other examples, it was thanks to her that Taishakuten succeded, thanks to selling the Ashura clan's strategies.
• Defiant to the End: Even in front of her executer and clearly scared for her life, she never stopped badmouthing Ashura.
• Disproportionate Retribution: Plucked a maid's eyes out just because of a mistake. Also killed a bird Ashura-oh gave to her just for getting trapped in her wedding dress.
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Very light skin, very dark hair, and very, very creepy.
• Evil Counterpart/Evil Twin: To Kaara.
• Evil Matriarch: She's the closest thing to a complete bitch CLAMP has ever written.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: Started as a human priestess to the prestigious Ashura clan, look at her now.
• God Save Us from the Queen!: It's no secret that Shashi is just as ruthless as her husband, if no more evil.
• Hot Consort: First to Ashura-oh, now to Taishakuten.
• I Have No Son!: She disowns Ashura the moment they're born, claiming she only give birth to Tenou.
• Laser-Guided Karma: After all the bad things she did, at the end she paid for it. Dearly.
• More Deadly Than the Male: Taishakuten's revolt wouldn't have succeded if she hadn't sold her clan's secrets to him. Also, in a world full of shades of gray, she might be the only black character.
• My Beloved Smother: To Tenou.
• Offing the Offspring: Tried to kill a just born Ashura. Obviously failed.
• Parental Favoritism: Prefers Tenou over Ashura.
• Properly Paranoid: Thinks Ashura is after her when she finds out that they're alive. She was right.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Was given one of these by Ashura, that counted dowm all her crimes.

Kaara

Shashi's sister and human priestess of the Ashura Clan. More humble and gentle than her sister, she's the guardian of Shurato and one of the seals of the sword, she was waiting for Ashura to get them back in an underground city's ruins. After her sister's betrayal, she committed suicide but was brought back for Ashura-oh to hide Shura-to and wait for the next successor. Died in the arms of her second love after giving the first seal to Ashura and ending her mission.

• Ambiguously Brown: Especially considering her twin sister is much paler.
• Baby Trap: Played for drama. Since she was Dead All Along, it was impossible to her to give Kumaraten a child, but at that time, Kumara kept her close thinking she was carrying his successor.
• Dead All Along: She killed herself out of blame for not stopping her sister's betrayal. Ashura-ou practically turned her into a zombie.
• Died in Your Arms Tonight: In Kumaraten's.
• Good Counterpart: To her Evil Twin Shashi.
• Love Martyr: To Kumaraten. He emotionally mistreat her and she can just suffer in silence.
• Polar Opposite Twins: She even lampshaded that, even if they were twins, Shashi and her were very different.
  • Sibling Yin-Yang: Even physically they are different; Shashi is an Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette and Kaara is a dark-skinned blonde.
• Purpose-Driven Immortality: As human priestess to a god lan, she was blessed with the same lifespan of a god.After she killed herself, Ashura-ou revived her so she could watch over Shuratou until Ashura came to claim it. She isn't completely alive though, and knows that she will die again the moment her mission is over.
• Tell Me About My Father: Ashura asked her to tell them about Ashura-oh, which she gladly did. But when they asked her about their mother, she hide the Awful Truth because she was not willing to break their heart. And at the end, we get to see why.

Tenou

The Prince of Tenkai and Taishakuten and Shashi's son and heir, and unknown to him, fraternal twin and half-brother of Ashura. Despite his parents, he's benevolent, kind and rather humble; he's respected by his subjects and chased by all the young women in the court, but he already is in love with Kendappa-oh, his father's personal harpist.

Voiced by: Kouji Tsujitani

• Clingy Jealous Girl: Has one in the form of Tamara.
• Cruel Mercy: Ashura left him alive so he could witness the horrors they were about to bring to all existence and those would be stored in Tenou's gentle heart forever.
• Curtains Match the Windows: Red eyes and red hair.
• Dogged Nice Guy: To Kendappa, who may or not be aware of his feelings.
  • Animal Motifs: He sometimes sprouts dog ears and tail when making a puppy eyes pout to her; makes it a, probably unintentional, Visual Pun.
• The Good King: At the end.
• Hopeless Suitor: To Kendappa. Kendappa not only was in love with someone else but that someone else was a woman.
• Long-Lost Relative: To Ashura and vice versa.
• Meet Cute: First met Kendappa after following the sound of her music until he found her.
• Momma's Boy: Deconstructed. While his mother does love him but doesn't really care about what he really wants and was secretly using him as another pawn in her climb to power. He plays along with her attitude to protect the maids from her.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech/Hypocrite: Was given one by Ashura; it was heartbreaking but true.
  Ashura: What do you understand, for someone who was loved since the time of birth, for you who lived in leisure and peace, what can you understand about me? Do not speak to me as if you know!!
• White Sheep: A humble and mellow Nice Guy, born out of Taishakuten and Queen Shashi and lives in a castle full of classist aristocrats.
• The Wise Prince: Thanks to living seeing people suffer for his father's tyranny, he suffers for those who have been unlucky enough to get in Taishakuten's bad grace.

Ashura-oh

Ashura-oh

The former and deceased leader of the Ashura Clan and father of the present Ashura. He was the strongest warrior in Tenkai and Tentei's most loyal servant. Handsome, powerful, gentle and seemingly quite perfect, but hinted to possess a darker side.

Voiced by: Hideyuki Tanaka

• Dreaming of Things to Come: Ashura-Oh constantly had visions of Ashura as a god of destruction and the destinies of the Six Stars.
• Gold and White Are Divine: His armor is gold and silvery white and he's a god of war and Tentei's personal bodyguard.
• Laser-Guided Karma: His punishment for trying to defy destiny and keep his bloodline going was Ashura to be born with No Biological Sex, making them unable to continue the bloodline.
• The Man Behind the Man: He was the one who gave Taishakuten the idea of mutinying against Tentei and taking over Tenkai, so he could keep an eye on Ashura and the Six Stars.
• Manipulative Bastard: Manipulated both the good and bad guys for his gambit.
• Person of Holding: Shutato was stored inside his body.
• Posthumous Character: And one of the most important as the series' plot is practically his fault.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: The strongest member of the Ashura Clan and its leader.
• Secret Secret-Keeper: He knew all along about Tentei's sin because of his Maya, yet never told to anyone, not even Tentei.
• The Stoic: He never showed much emotion. In public at least.
• Succession Crisis: The only reason why he did all he did was to allow Ashura to be born and keep Ashura's bloodline going.
• Thanatos Gambit: His death was part of his plan to stop Ashura if their Superpowered Evil Side ever awoke.

Others

Kujaku

A mysterious man who calls himself a traveler, though he seems to know more about Yasha and Ashura than he should. Often pops out of nowhere to give Yasha's group warnings or advice.

Voiced by: Yasunori Matsumoto

• Bystander Syndrome: If the group gets trapped in battle, he normally escapes or stays aside to watch.
  Ryuu-oh: Fifty or a hundred, let them come. My hands are getting itchy.
  Souma: I'll help too.
  Kujaku: [smiles] Then I'll watch the battle with all my might!!
• Curtains Match the Window
• Dark and Troubled Past: One that can only be compared to Ashura's.
• Heroic Bastard: Illegitimate son of the former Tentei and at the good guys' side, although for his own reasons.
• Heroic Sacrifice: Gave his life in order to awake Ashura one last time.
• Hidden Badass: When it is revealed he is a mazoku and has such immense power that even Taishakuten respects his might. If he wanted to, he can probably wipe out most of the armies Yasha faced. He prefers to remain a bystander to see if the prophecy can be changed.
• Let's Get Dangerous!: He defeated the mazoku Aizen-myoh.And it was frightening.
• Licked by the Dog: Ryuu and Yasha don't trust him at all; Ashura is the only one who thinks he's a good guy.
• Long-Lost Relative: He's Kisshouten's half brother/cousin.
• Mark of the Supernatural: His eyes make people think he's a mazoku, as they're the only thing with purple eyes in the world, yet barriers against them don't affect him. He's indeed a mazoku but out of being result of a sin, and through his veins flow stargazer blood, allowing him full pass thorugh barriers.
• Mark of Shame: Kujaku's Third Eye is proof of his parents' sin of incest.
• Mysterious Informant: Evenever he shows up, he gives to Yasha information that he shouldn't be able to know if he was really a common wanderer.
• Mysterious Purple: Kujaku is a mysterious man who calls himself a traveler, but drops hints that he knows more about the two leads, Yasha and Ashura, than he should. Often acts as a Mysterious Informant, popping in out of nowhere to give Yasha's group warnings or advice that he really shouldn't know if he were just a mere traveler. His Dark and Troubled Past is revealed later in the story and includes him being a mazouku and is the Heroic Bastard of the former Tentei or emperor. He has purple eyes, hair, and wears both a purple jewel encrusted necklace as well as a long flowing purple scarf.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: He uses a goofy persona to hide that he knows everything.
• Older Than He Looks: Kujaku deserves special credit as he was alive long enough to give Yamato to the Yashas and for the story to become a legend, making him one of the oldest living characters.
• Oracular Urchin: Knows more about Yasha, Ashura and everybody else that he should. He's actually a Seer.
• Perpetual Smiler: His smile never leaves his face, which just makes him more suspicious to Yasha's eyes. He's actually a Stepford Smiler, as his whole life was crap.
• Pet the Dog: He might be suspicious and a little manipulative, but his affection and attachment to Ashura is real.
• Plucky Comic Relief: Alongside with Ryuu-oh. Whenever he appears, he will bring jokes besides info.
• Shipper on Deck: Downplayed. He's pleased that Yasha and Ashura's bond grows stronger everyday and he would help Ashura realized in how much esteem Yasha holds them.
• Stealth Hi/Bye: Appears and disappears as fast as a sigh.
• Third Eye: Also has a third eye in his forehead.
• The Unfavorite: Tentei would have prefered Kujaku to be dead, since he's the living proof of his and his sister's sins.
• Wild Card: He's the only anomaly in the prophecy, mentioned by Kuyoh as "the one from the darkness, who controls the dark stars".
• Winged Humanoid: He has black wings, another proof of his mazoku nature.

Karyoubinga

Karura-oh's little sister. Born with a weak body, she just can survive within the Sky City's thin air and considers herself an hindrance to her sister. Taishakuten abducts her for her beautiful singing voice and makes her perform in front of the people while coughing her lungs out because of the thick air. She dies singing her last song dedicated to her sister; her last wish was to Karura to be free.

• Animal Companion/Familiar: A nightingale. Very appropriate.
• Beautiful Singing Voice: She's considered one of the most beautiful singers in the world.
• The Cutie: Sweet, lovable and helpless. Obviously, the poor little girl had to die.
• Delicate and Sickly: Not only was she born with a weak body, but the air of the lower atmosphere is poison to her.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: Being seriously ill, she had a very low self-esteem.
• Fed to the Beast: Poor girl couldn't have a decent funeral because of Taishakuten fed her body to his pets.
• Incurable Cough of Death: She appears to have an extreme asmathic condition.
• Psychopomp: Her spirit came to escort her sister's to the afterlife.
• Sacrificial Lamb: Her death highlights Taishakuten's sadism.
• Too Good for This Sinful Earth: A little girl whose only sins were to have a beautiful voice and lot of love for her sister.

Kuyou

The royal stargazer. First introduced after escaping her prison when Yasha is given the order to kill her. Instead of killing her, Yasha hears her last prophecy and goes for Ashura, promising to return for her. He later finds Kuyoh dead, killed by Bishamonten by being impaled with her own staff. Yasha wasn't the first person to hear the prophecy; she first said it to Ashura-oh and interpreted it for him. Ashura-oh give her the order to tell the prophecy to Yasha.

Voiced by: Mika Doi

• Astrologer: An stargazer able to see the future.
• Blind Seer: Her blindness seems to be an important part of her powers for foretelling. That Kuyo needed to be blind to see the future when Sonseiou and Kujaku don't need to, hints that Kuyo was't the rightful stargazer of this generation.
• Eyes Always Shut: She has those, as a symbol of her status as a Blind Seer.
• Facial Markings/Power Tattoo: A tattoo of a third eye in her forehead.
• Hopeless Suitor: She was in love with Ashura-oh and was very sad since she already knew he'd marry Shashi.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: With her own staff.
• Intergenerational Friendship: She and Yasha had been friends since he was a youngster.
• Sacrificial Lamb: The first character to die in-story.
• Unwitting Pawn: To Ashura-oh. He asked her to tell to Yasha the prophecy, which then would compell him to go and find Ashura.

Hanranya

Kuyoh's sister. She wasn't born with powers since her sister was already a stargazer, but she blinded herself to gain some. Though not so powerful as Kuyoh, she can see the past and present with the water mirror and became Taishakuten's personal seer.

• Blind Seer: Though she wasn't born blind, she blinded herself.
• Driven by Envy: She was envious of her sister's power.
• Eye Scream: Subjected herself to this to gain powers.
• Instant Oracle: Just Add Water!: Of the Magic Mirror kind.
• Interrupted Suicide: Was about to cut her throat after believing Taishakuten dead but was stopped by Zochoten.
• Scars Are Forever: Under her headrobe, she has the burning scars from when she blinded herself.
• Subordinate Excuse: Towards Taishakuten.

Bishamonten

Taishakuten's right hand man, General of North and Kisshouten's husband. He's responsible for Yasha Clan's being destroyed. Follows Taishakuten's orders unhesitatingly.

Voiced by: Kenyuu Horiuchi

• Dying Declaration of Love: Confessed his love to Kisshouten just before he died.
• The Dragon: Of Taishakuten.
• Undying Loyalty: Towards Taishakuten.
• Evil Redhead: He has red hair and is one of the Four Generals following the Big Bad, plus he killed Yasha's family and clan.
• Love Makes You Evil: He supported Taishakuten against Tentei because he knew it was the only way to get Kisshouten as his wife.
• Love Martyr: Even though he knew Kisshouten would hate him forever, he was fine with it as long as he had her by his side.
• Non-Standard Character Design: His eyes are drawn differently than the other characters'.
• Satellite Character: Most of his character is him doing Taishakuten's dirty work, though he started to get some depth in the last two volumes.
• Together in Death: After he dies, Kisshouten is slain by Taishaku-ten and dies next to him.

Kisshouten

The former Tentei's daughter, married to Bishamonten as political hostage. She hide Souma after Kendappa-oh saved her, and offers her as companion and support to Yasha.

• Anguished Declaration of Love: After finding out the true about Bishamonten's actions, she confessed to his dead body that she always loved him.
• Arranged Marriage: Taishakuten married her to Bishamonten to keep an eye on her. Actually, Bishamonten just agreed to help Taishakuten in his plan as long he could have Kisshouten as wife.
• Daddy's Girl: The former Tentei loved her very much. As (her half-brother/cousin) Kujaku remarked, she was "the child destined to be loved since birth" as was Tenou.
• Magic Mirror: She has a giant mirror that allows her to predict the future via reading the stars.
• The Mole - The Team Benefactor: She hid the last member of Souma's clan and silently supported Yasha's rebellion.
• Neutral Female: She's a former princess, not a fighter.
• Non-Standard Character Design: Her eyes are different from the whole cast. They are similar to Bishamonten's.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: She's a pale woman with ruby-red lips and long black hair, and she's considered as a total beauty.
• Shipper on Deck: She ships Kendappa-oh and Tenou. Kendappa isn't amused.
• Star-Crossed Lovers: She and Bishamonten actually loved each other since they first met, but Bishamonten being Taishakuten's Dragon made things difficult.]
• World's Most Beautiful Woman: Kisshouten is the goddess of beauty in Buddhism, based on Lashkimi from Hinduism.

Tentei

The deceased, former ruler of Tenkai and father of Kisshouten. Murdered by Taishakuten before the start of the series.

• Abusive Parents: To Kujaku.
• Brother–Sister Incest: With Kujaku as the result.
• Cool Old Guy: Since Tenkai was in an era of peace, he was a very affable man.
• Death by Origin Story: The first pages of the whole manga are about how he was killed by Taishakuten.
• The Good King: His realm is remembered by being peaceful under his wise ruling.
• Good Parents: To Kisshouten, who loves him lots even after his death.
• Kick the Dog: Locking Sonseiou and a very young Kujaku underground and leaving them to rot, since both are the proof of his sin of incest.
• No Name Given: He's always refered as "Tentei" that is literally his title as emperor.
• Off with His Head!: Taishakuten took off his head for everyone to see who's the new boss now.
• Posthumous Character: Only seen in flashbacks.
• You Need to Get Laid: He suggested to the former Ryuu-oh (the current's mother) that she should find a husband and have babies, to her embarraasment and shock.

Sonseiou

Tentei's sister and the former royal stargazer.

• Blind Seer: Averted. She was the former stargazer but she was able to see just fine.
• Brother–Sister Incest: Played for Drama in her case.
• Driven to Suicide: Despite almost Offing the Offspring, in one lucid moment she killed herself to avoid killing Kujaku.
• Go Mad from the Isolation: Grow mad after Tentei locked her underground alongside Kujaku.
• I Wished You Were Dead: Said this to Kujaku because if he weren't alive, hers and her brother's sin would've be unknown.
• Last Episode, New Character: We know of her existence and her relevance in the story at the very last volume.
• Posthumous Character: She's long dead.
• Seers: She was the former stargazer before Kuyoh.
• Walking Spoiler: Look at all that white. She's the mother of Kujaku, and the reason why he's the rightful stagarzer of this generation.

Kumaraten

The leader and only survivor of the former beautiful city, Kusumabura. During the Holy War, his citizens were murdered and his city became ruined and isolated underground. He kidnapped Ashura believing that his blood was needed to awake Shurato.

• Anguished Declaration of Love: After Kaara's death, he confessed to her dead body that his reasons of rebuilding his city was to see her smile among the flowers of Kusumabura.
• Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: He shows concern for Kaara after his nightmare and worries about her health, though the latter he justified as concern for the "baby".
• Evil Counterpart: He's basically what Yasha could have been if he have let revenge consume him.
• Last of His Kind: The only survivor of Kusumabura.
• Love Is a Weakness: His motive to hide his feelings for Kaara.
• Plagued by Nightmares: He has nightmares of his past in the Holy War that turn into Taishakuten about to perforate Kaara's belly with the "baby" inside it, killing both.
• Redemption Equals Death: Becomes a more sympathetic character just moments before his death.
• Rescue Romance: Played for Drama. He found an injured Kaara, took care of her and they both fell for each other, but he was so embittered that, even though he loved Kaara, he treated her as a just the mother of his child.
• Tragic Hero: A total prick to both Ashura and Kaara, but you can't help to feel bad for the guy.

Zochoten

General of South and Karura-oh's superior. A rather nice guy despite working under Taishakuten.

Voiced by: Yusaku Yara

• Boisterous Bruiser: He's a big man who's fun to be around.
• Cool Old Guy: An old man that treats youngsters like grandkids and may or may not know to play the flute. The oldest of the Shintennou but age has not rusted his skill.
• Handicapped Badass: Lost an arm in the Zenmijou war.
• Punch-Clock Villain: He doesn't want to do what Taishakuten commands him but he has no other choice. Also when not on the clock, he was implied to have a hobby of playing the flute. Though the last part might be a joke.
• Silver Fox: The guy looks very good for being one of the oldest characters (compared to the others since everyone is a god).
• Subordinate Excuse: Was reluctant to fight Karura-oh and called her "his precious assistant", which was seen by fans as a sign of a crush on her.
• Zen Survivor: The only Shintennou who survived the war at Zenmijou.

Komokuten

Rasetsu

Yasha's younger half brother. In his childhood, Yama suggested that he be named heir of the clan, even when everybody (Rasetsu included) knew Yama was the best candidate, but since Rasetsu was the legitimate son of the former leader and his wife he had a stronger claim. To avoid the responsibility he ran away and left the clan in Yama's hands. After hearing of the Yasha Clan's annihilation, he returns to the clan's land to find Yasha burning the remains of the people and demands an explanation.

• A Death in the Limelight: Died at the end of the volume he was introduced in after some informative flashbacks about his past with Yasha.
• Always Someone Better: Yama was this to him. But he admired Yama very much.
• Barbarian Long Hair: His messy hair highlights how Rasetsu is more Hot-Blooded than the stoic Yasha.
• Cain and Abel: Subverted. They were rather normal brothers, despise knowing they were just half brothers. At first Yama thought Rasetsu should hate him for being the first born but it turned out to be all in his head. It was only after his return and seeing what was of his clan because of Yasha's decisions that they became like this. And later they reconciled, making this a double subversion.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Yasha mentioned him in the first volume and he was quickly forgotten. Later he made his appearance.
• Dual Wielding
• Happily Married: To Shara.
• Journey to Find Oneself: He ran away from the Yasha clan to avoid becoming its leader.
• Sacrificial Lion: Died at the end of volume 6 in order to buy time for Yasha's group to escape.
• Strong Family Resemblance: He and Yasha practically have the same face.
• Succession Crisis: He was the legitimate son of the leader but was a few months younger and less strong than Yama. The heir decision was kinda difficult.
• What the Hell, Hero?: He was angry at Yasha for not protecting the clan for the sake of Ashura.
• The Wrongful Heir to the Throne: How he saw himself comparated to Yama.

Shara

A beautiful woman with a house in the woods whom the group encounters and spends the night with. She's waiting for her husband's return from a journey, and shows quite an interest in Yasha since he reminds her of her husband.

• A Light in the Distance: Since her husband went out on a journey, she leaves a light on a high place to guide him home.
• Driven to Suicide: Kills herself after finding out her husband was dead, but wisely waited until Ashura's departure.
• Happily Married: She loves her husband very much. Her husband turns out to be Rasetsu.
• Housewife
• Luminescent Blush: Has this around Yasha since he reminds her of her husband since Yasha and Rasetsu have Strong Family Resemblance.
• Neutral Female
• Token Human: The only character identified as human in a world full of gods.

Gigei

A dancer whom Ashura and Yasha get involved with after spending the night within her travelling group. Smitten with Yasha since she was six, and taking a liking to Ashura, she dies for not telling their whereabouts, leaving a heartbroken Ashura.

• Beware the Nice Ones: She was the one who taught Ashura some manners by not letting them be a little brat while they were under her care.
• Genki Girl: She's energetic and spontaneous.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Defended Ashura from being bullied because of his name.
• Human Pincushion: She died by been stabbed with multiple lances.
• Parental Substitute: Ashura saw in Gigei their ideal of a mother figure.
• Plucky Girl: The girl has some nerve. Her first instinct at hearing someone into the bushes at night? Draw a sword at their faces. Kids behaving badly? Scold them with authority. Best-known swordman tries to leave and she doesn't wanna? Keep him close with a debt. Guards threaten to kill you if you don't talk about your crush's whereabouts? Say you won't betray those you love.
• Sacrificial Lamb: First person who died protecting Ashura and Yasha.
• Smitten Teenage Girl: For Yasha. She first saw and fell in love with Yasha while performing at the last Star Festival, and she was ten years old at the time. She's also very determined to be with Yasha, unlike her mother who always regretted not marrying her first love.
• Stalker with a Crush: Yasha doesn't know anything about her, while Gigei knew everything about him.
• Tomboyish Ponytail: To emphasize her brash and outspoken personality.
• Undying Loyalty: To Yasha and Ashura, which causes her death.
• Tragic Keepsake: The hair ring she gave to Ashura became this to them.

Aizen-myoh

A mazoku who lived in a dimensional travelling ice castle in the north, close to the Yasha clan's lands. Has the form of a beautiful young girl (after she ate the original girl). Captured Yasha in hopes of eating him too since he was the strongest of the Yasha and therefore eating him would grant her immortality. Was killed by Kujaku.

Voiced by: Satomi Koorogi

• Butterfly of Death and Rebirth: Her minions. And they glow.
• Crystal Ball: The way she watches everything around her lair and what her butterflies see.
• Extra Eyes: on the upper side of her hands.
  • Eyes Do Not Belong There
• Harmless Freezing: The way she kept the trapped Yasha.
• Humanoid Abomination: Her upper body is a cute girl, the lower body is tons of tentacles; not to mention her arms are actually claws.
• I Am a Humanitarian: Ate a very young princess and was planning to eat Yasha too.
• I Have You Now, My Pretty: Captured Yasha not out of lust but to eat him, still Squicky.
• I Just Want to Be Beautiful: "I want to keep this beautiful face and live as long as a god!"
• Mind Rape: Her way to trap her "prey" is using illusions of their worst fears and memories in order to paralyze them. But in order to work, the victim must succumb to the illusion, as seen when Ashura gathered enough courage to defend himself while Yasha gave in since he was unable to attack his own people, illusions or not.
• Our Demons Are Different: She's a mazoku.
• Stalker without a Crush: Watched Yasha carefully to put a trap out for him.