Main Characters | Main Antagonists | Kongrong Mountains | Kingo Islands | Yin | Zhou | Others
A list of the characters aligned with the kingdom of Yin from Hoshin Engi.
Watch out for spoilers!
King Chu
The Emperor of the Yin dynasty, King Chu was originally a well-liked leader who cared about his people's welfare and did his best to fulfill his role. All this changed when an evil fox spirit infiltrated the palace and bewitched him with the aid of her temptation spell, turning him into a puppet and urging him to spend his time indulging in parties and idleness. At the beginning of the story, King Chu seems to be in a trance most of the time, having only a few lucid moments, while his entire world unravels around him.
- Arranged Marriage: At least one of his wives, the sister of Kou Hikou, was this.
- The Alcoholic: Spends a lot of his time drinking and partying.
- Berserk Button: Harming or insulting Dakki is his trigger.
- Body Horror: Dakki morphs him into a monster in both the manga and the anime. The process is never shown directly, but is implied to have been painful and traumatic.
- The Caligula: Not by himself, but under Dakki's influence he is a tyrant who will sink to every depths imaginable.
- Chivalrous Pervert: He was this until Dakki got to him and turned him into a lust crazed tyrant. Somewhat arguable though, because he had shades of I Have You Now, My Pretty even before Dakki got her hands on him. So Go, Dakki's father, laments his ruthlessness when it comes to acquiring new women for his harem. After hearing that So Go has a very beautiful daughter, King Chu threatened to make his country suffer unless he brought her to become his concubine. Still retains a chivalrous side: when he enters the women's quarter but hears that the Buseioh's wife is there he promptly turns around and leaves, only to be tempted to look at her by Dakki.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Single-handedly defeats and kills the Shisei just to show how powerful is new form is.
- The Dog Bites Back: In the anime, his monstrous form ends up killing Ko Kibi and even attacking Dakki after she fatlly wounds In Hon.
- Enfant Terrible: When he finally shows up on Bokuya's battlefield, Dakki's experiments have returned him to childhood... he still proceed to show his tremendous power tanking several Paopei's attacks in a row and force Youzen and Nataku to go all out to defeat him. After his powers run out though, he soon returns to adulthood and ages in no time, losing most of his power.
- Face Death with Dignity: Emperor Chuuou does this no less than three times after he becomes free of Daki's influence. When a desperate woman wants to exact revenge upon him for the pain his disastrous rule has caused her and her family by killing him, he calmly accepts this. However, when the knife wound does not kill him, he realizes that he cannot die easily, so he returns to his palace where he duels Kou Tenka. Chuuou is severely wounded in the battle and accepts his defeat with dignity, instructing Tenka to cut off his head and end the Yin dynasty. Tenka changes his mind and refuses to deal the final blow, leaving everything to Taikobou. Finally, Ki Hatsu arrives to execute Chuuou and the Emperor acts no different than the last two times he thought he will die.
- Fatal Flaw: Lust. His fondness for women made him particularly vulnerable to Dakki's temptation spell.
- Final Boss: Invoked by Dakki, who's turning Chuuoh into a monster so that she can present Taikoubou and the Shu with a worthy Lasbos (Japanese slang for, you guess, Last Boss).
- The Good King: When Dakki mysteriously disappears along with all her minions, Chuuoh becomes, once again, a good and competent king, working hard to improve his kingdom.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Was jealous of Ki Hakuyuukou because Dakki led him into believing that she was interested in him and that her interest was reciprocated.
- Healing Factor: Thanks to Tohoh's genes, the modified Chuuoh can now regenerate things such as broken limbs or twisted neck, heal his wounds and grow a stone-like armor over his skin to protect his body and attack even harder. Apparently though, the overuse of the regeneration leads to him growing old before his time.
- Master Swordsman: He can also use longswords and hasn't forgotten how to wield them thanks to the Buseioh's training. He has his Duel to the Death with Tenka with swords, since they're currently inside Taikyokuzu's Area of Effect and thus neither can use Paopei.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Causing the death of Kashi and Koshi hits him hard enough to dispel the effects of Keisei Genjo for a while.
- Nightmare Face: After the Sennin War arc and the perfectioning of his monstrous form, he has severals, which usually signals that something bad's bound to happen.
- One-Winged Angel: Depending on the media:
- Anime: After the alliance between the western and northern forces, Dakki transforms him into a colossal, rampaging Kaiju who's destroying the capital and is finally put down by the combined efforts of the heroes.
- Manga: Chuuoh is injected with Tohoh's genes, which allows him to regenerate all wounds and slowly turn him into a massive, grotesque winged gorilla with a Third Eye and stone wings he can turn into fists. He's, however, not defeated through physical means but psychological, when he realizes how his monstrous form has alienated even his own subjects from him. Dakki ditching him in the middle of the combat is the straw that breaks the camel's back.
- Puppet Emperor: A tragical example. He is completely powerless in the face of Dakki and ends up losing his family, his country and his life as a result.
- Stockholm Syndrome: Arguably. After Dakki's temptation spell wears off, he claims that although nobody would believe him, he still loves her, and she is the last thing he thinks of before being executed by Ki Hatsu. In Gaiden, he seems to be delighted as he can have one more lavish party with Dakki again, worrying only about the huge number of guests.
- Super-Scream: In his empowered form, his screams can deafen an entire army across a huge battlefield.
- Too Dumb to Live: Has some... questionable moments during the manga. He is willing to hop on onto Suupuushan, the spirit beast of his palace musician (without questioning how his simple palace musician ever got a spirit beast) in order to be taken to a nearby village, alone, just so he could attend a supposed feast with many beautiful women. Taikobou's laughable kidnapping plan would have nearly worked if it wasn't for Dakki. Additionally, when Bunchuu returns to Chouka and finds out that the evil fox spirit has returned, he calmly exposes her true nature to Chuuoh. On her part, a smiling but defiant Dakki simply denies this. Not only does Chuuoh believe Dakki over Bunchuu,the protector of the Yin for generations, but when Bunchuu becomes angry as a result and attacks them both, Chuuoh can clearly see Dakki stopping the Kinben's attack, proving that she was a sennyo. The temptation spell is very powerful, but it can only excuse so much.
- What Have I Become?: He's stuck hard with this after claiming to be a beloved and wise king even in his monster form, as he orders his terrified soldiers to keep fighting the Shu. When one of them calls him monster and tries to spear him, Chuuoh finally snaps out of his berserk rage.
Kyouhi
The legal wife of Emperor Chuuoh, mother of his two sons and daughter of the King of the East, Kyouhi is a great beauty and a kind hearted woman. Unfortunately, her life changed for the worse with Dakki's arrival, and she started sinking more and more into depression as she saw her husband and her country degenerating out of control. In spite of this, she remained true to her husband and her role of Empress until the end. She's more prominent in the anime (in the manga we first see her killing herself.)
- Adaptation Expansion: In the manga, she basically does nothing except killing herself, starting off the Princes arc, and showing that Genshi didn't tell all the truth about the Hoshin Project when her soul is houshined. In the anime we get more scenes with her alive and trying to contrast Dakki.
- Betty and Veronica: She is the Betty to Dakki's Veronica. She loses because of Dakki's supernatural influence on Chuuoh.
- Doting Parent: Loves her sons dearly.
- Driven to Suicide: In the manga, her imprisonment is implied to have been what pushed her over the edge - if it was indeed suicide and not murder by one of Dakki's henchmen.In the anime, she is lured into a trap by Dakki and given a magic dagger which stuck to her hand, making it seem like she was plotting to kill the Emperor out of jealousy. This left her no choice but to commit suicide to clear her name.
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: In the anime, she wears a purple dress in one of the flashbacks.
- The High Queen: Kind, gentle and dignified, Kyouhi was very beloved and respected by the people.
- Hot Consort: Before Dakki, her husband considered her the most beautiful woman in all of China.
- Humiliation Conga: Her happy marriage is ruined by Dakki and her legitimate title of Empress is taken away from her for no reason (and given to a horrible woman), leaving her depressed, increasingly isolated and fearing for her children's lives. Then, her father is murdered for speaking out against Chuuoh and Dakki's abuses, and she is considered a traitor by default and thrown into prison. Knowing that there would be no way out, she kills herself.
- Limited Wardrobe: She always wears the same kimono, earrings and hairband, even in flashbacks. In the anime, she wears the same dress in a flashback, only in a different color.
- Mama Bear: Like many humans in the palace, her position is fragile and she has limited powers over what she can do to protect her sons, but the impulse is clearly there, and it's what ultimately dooms her in the anime. When she hears that Dakki has sent her sisters to essentially kidnap her children, she rushes forward to beg her husband to leave them be, forgetting that she still held Dakki's magical knife in her hand. The Emperor is led to believe that she was trying to kill him, and Kyouhi has no way out but suicide.
- Proper Lady: In conduct and in character.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: In the anime, she delivers a cutting one to her husband before committing suicide.
- Sudden Name Change: Halfway through the manga, her name changes to Kyoushi.
- Take Care of the Kids: In the anime, she asks Kou Hikou to take care of her sons right before she kills herself.
- Universally Beloved Leader: In the anime, Kou Hikou mentions that the people love Kyouhi very much and asks Chuuoh to take that into consideration before subjecting his wife to the humiliation of an imprisonment. Dakki being involved, it doesn't work.
Inchon
Paopei: Banten'in
The oldest son of Emperor Chuuoh and Empress Kyouhi, Inchon was told from a young age that he represents the future of the Yin dynasty and that he will surpass his father and become a great ruler. His once bright and promising future darkened with Dakki's arrival, as he witnessed his father turning into a tyrant, his mother falling into a deep depression and his country descending more and more into chaos and disgrace. This marked the young boy deeply, and his biggest wish was to grow up faster so that he could protect his mother and brother and restore his country to what it was before.
- Break the Cutie: As a result of Dakki turning his father into a puppet emperor and driving his mother to kill herself, Yin Chao's life was thrown into turmoil.
- Dub Name Change: Inko in the Italian manga.
- Fatal Flaw: His inability to accept that the Yin dynasty cannot continue ruling China because it has lost the people's trust. It's understandable, since he has grown up with the idea that he will be the next emperor and it's the only path in life he feels he can follow.
- Kick the Dog: When Taikoubou manages to counter his Banten'in, In Chao starts targetting the human soldiers with him, forcing Taikoubou to take the blow for them.
- Missing Mom: His mother was unjustly imprisoned and committed suicide in her cell. He was very close to her, and her death had a profound impact on him.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Has a moment when Yin Hon takes the bullet for Taikoubou. He then goes berserk and tries to kill everybody.
- Noble Fugitive: He escapes from the capital together with his brother, and takes refuge in the sennin world.
- One-Hit Kill: His Paopei is Koseishi's Banten'in (Heaven-Revolving Seal), an oversized stamp seal which turns into an organic tailed Arm Cannon which can mark targets with the Banten symbol, and then release a deadly Always Accurate Attack.
- Parental Substitute: Kou Hikou seems to be this for him and his brother, to some extent.
- Put on a Bus: After he leaves with his brother to the sennin world. They come back a few years later.
- Sibling Team: With his brother Yin Hon, after they return from the sennin world.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Crown prince Yin Chao looks very much like his father, Chuuoh.
- Rightful King Returns: He attempts this, but it ends in tragedy as he is unable to accept the reality that his country does not want a Yin emperor anymore.
- Took a Level in Badass: Due to the training he received in the sennin world.
- Ungrateful Bastard: He admits using the Sennin for his goals and even mentally calls them fools for training him.
Inchi
Paopei: Onmyokyo
The second prince of the Yin dynasty and Yin Chao's younger brother. In the manga, Yin Hon was very young when Dakki arrived, and thus does not remember anything about the life without the sennyo's influence, nor does he have the same sense of purpose that his sibling has. After the traumatic events following his escape from the capital, he takes refuge in the sennin world together with his brother. He is a pacifist and unlike Yin Chao, does not insist on seeing his dynasty remain in power. His biggest wish is to free his father from Dakki's evil grasp. He is accidentally killed by his own brother after shielding Taikobou with his own body.
In the anime, he clearly remembers the first time he saw Dakki, and hates her for destroying his family. He travels to the capital in order to help Taikobou defeat her, but is mortally wounded in an explosion caused by Dakki and dies together with his father.
- Cheerful Child: In contrast to his brother, whose trauma and responsibilities have made him somber and serious.
- Children Are Innocent: Especially in the manga, where he is naive and idealistic and does not think about the long term future.
- Child Soldier: Becomes this of his own accord, as a way to protect himself and to fight against Dakki.
- Dub Name Change: Inko Jr in the Italian manga.
- Heroic Sacrifice: He dies protecting Taikobou from his brother's paopei.
- It's Personal: His justified hatred of Dakki.
- Magic Mirror: Wields the Paopei Onmyokyo (Yin Yang Mirrors), a set of squared mirrors whose powers differs: in the manga, they just release giant laser beams from above, in the anime they can trap inside them the true form of a Youkai, paralyzing them.
- Put on a Bus: After he leaves with his brother to the sennin world. They come back a few years later.
- Strong Family Resemblance: He looks a lot like his mother, Kyouhi.
- Took a Level in Badass: Due to the training he received in the sennin world.
Bunchuu
Paopei: Kinben
Bunchuu is the strategist and minister of the Yin dynasty, and has been filling in these roles for the past three hundred years. His connections to the Yin run deep, as he has personal reasons to protect it: all emperors are descended from an old friend (whom he might have been in love with): the bright and vivacious Shuushi, to whom he promised that he would protect her young son and subsequent heirs. He has acted as a mentor towards every emperor and has been keeping them in line and making sure they fulfill their role under his guidance, regardless of their natural abilities.
Unfortunately, his loyalty prevents him from accepting the fact that the damage done by Dakki is irreparable this time, and his exceptional skills and strength prove to be an important obstacle in the path of Taikobou and company. Before Kou Hikou left the Yin, he had enjoyed a close friendship with Bunchuu, and it is his death that finally convinces Bunchuu that nothing can ever be the same again.
- The Ace: Shinkhoyou may hold the spot as the top Sennin, but Bunchu isn’t far behind. In the war between Kingo and Kunlun, Bunchu emerges after all of Kingo’s elites have been defeated, and proceeds to turn the tide of the conflict all on his own.
- Badass Boast: Performs a chilling one after surviving a whole barrage of Paopei attacks and effortlessly killing Kouryuu and Jikoh with no effort."Today, the Sennin Worlds will come to an end."
- Badass Cape: Wears a large black one which flares out into a resemblance of wings, and is visually compared to the wings of a bat at one point.
- Badass Normal: Bunchuu is an interesting example. He is extremely powerful and almost impossible to kill, but unlike the other sennins, he was not born with sennin bones. So everything that he has achieved, he has achieved without the advantage of a superior body.
- Badass Teacher: He is an extremely wise and powerful immortal who has trained and mentored almost every emperor of the Yin.
- Berserk Button: If you are the emperor of the Yin, do not cross him. He even notes that all the emperors he had mentored were afraid of him and never went against his will.
- Better to Die than Be Killed: Although by that point, it's hard to imagine anything could kill him except himself.
- Boring, but Practical: The Kinben, while one of the seven Super-Paopei, is ultimately just a whip. Admittedly, it’s a whip with a range of several miles that can shatter mountains with a single hit. But it doesn’t have any of the flashy special abilities of so many other Paopei.
- The Chessmaster: He has three hundred years' worth of experience and allies in running an empire, so it is expected.
- Cool Mask: Wears one over his left eye. Loses it to Kou Hikou's punch during their final battle.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Dishes these out left, right, and center. No matter how much time passes, no matter how many levels of badass the heroes take, the moment Bunchu takes the field, he pretty much wrecks everyone on the opposing side, and his appearance is always an Oh, Crap! moment for the opposition.
- Death Glare: Likes to throw these to whoever annoys him.
- Determinator: He will defend the Yin regardless of the circumstances.
- The Dreaded: He is this for the enemies of Yin, and for the Yin emperors themselves. Chuuoh is terrified of him. While Bunchuu is not abusive, he makes sure that the emperors do not cross the line with him.
- Driven to Suicide: Once he realizes that the Yin dynasty, his reason for living, can no longer be rescued, his spirit is effectively broken. He still does not go down without a fight, though.
- Establishing Character Moment: He arrives in Chouka before his expected arrival, casually breaks protocol and visits his best friend first, strides into the palace and tries to break Dakki's spell on Chuuoh and attacks both of them when it does not work, giving Chuuoh some serious heart palpitations. Then he quickly proceeds to take down Dakki's torture devices and feed the starving populace.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Of the Tranquil Fury version.
- Heartbroken Badass: In the manga, two moments affect him the most: the deaths of Shuushi and Kou Hikou. In the anime, it's the deaths of Chuuoh and his son that break his heart and drive him to attack Dakki with all his might.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Hikou, his best friend.
- Hope Spot: His return to Chouka initiates one, as the emperor begins to feel more like himself and Bunchuu works hard to undo the damage caused by Dakki.
- Implacable Man: After a long, drawn out conflict between Kingo and Kunlun, where all the Juutenkun have finally been defeated, Bunchu emerges to fight himself. Confronted with the Twelve Elite Sennin of Konron combining their strength to fight him...he proceeds to waste nearly all of them on his own, with many of their strongest attacks barely even seeming to inconvenience him. In order, he took: a nuclear blast, two barrages of attacks from the Juunisen, a point-black explosion, Genshi Tenson's gravity-increasing Paopei, Ohtenkun's acid rain, a final duel with Taikoubou and only then he choose to kill himself.
- Infinity +1 Sword: Bunchuu has the Paopei Kinben, an Infinity Plus One Whip, which is one of the strongest Paopei in the entire world.
- One-Man Army: The climax of the Sennin War arc has Bunchuu, alone, against ten of the Juunisen, Taikoubou, Youzen, Ryuukitsu Koshu and Genshi Tenson. Yet, when Kokutenkou asks Shinkouhyo who's going to win, Shinkouhyo claims that Bunchuu will prevail, unless "The Signpost of History" turns his back on him. Bunchuu does butcher the Junisen and fatally wounds Genshi Tenson before meeting his end.
- The One That Got Away: Shuushi is this for him.
- Limited Wardrobe: He had different clothes as a young man, but the Bunchuu we see for the most of the manga wears the same clothes all the time.
- The Lost Lenore: Shuushi is this for Bunchuu. It is strongly implied that he was in love with her and her death affected him deeply and led to him becoming the Yin's strongest and most loyal protector.
- Man Behind the Man: The steady compass behind all Yin emperors for the past 300 years. When he arrives in the capital, every command of his is obeyed without discussion.
- Papa Wolf: Bunchuu regards the Yin dynasty as his child and will do anything to protect it.
- Perpetual Frowner: He is a very serious man, and rarely smiles.
- Please, Don't Leave Me: His surprisingly touching, quiet last words to Kou Hikou as he dies.
- Pride: His biggest flaw, and what contributes to the end of the Yin dynasty. Bunchuu is so firm in his belief that he has everything under control and that he can set things right no matter how bad the situation has become that he completely underestimates Dakki and the damage she caused to the dynasty. When it becomes obvious that it is too late to save the Yin, he obstinately clings to his ideal, refusing to face the facts.
- Spared by the Adaptation: In the anime, he survives and heads off into the unknown after exacting revenge on Dakki.
- Stern Teacher: He is shown to have been this, and all emperors felt a mixture of fear and respect towards him. Although that teaching style fit his personality, Bunchuu also considered that a necessity, in order to prevent an emperor from getting out of hand.
- Third Eye: Has a third eye in the middle of his forehead, although he keeps it closed most of the time.
- Unlucky Childhood Friend: If his feelings are interpreted in a romantic way, he is this for Shuushi.
- Underestimating Badassery: Due to his past success in defeating her, Bunchuu is confident he can remove Dakki from Chouka. Even when it becomes obvious that she is much more powerful than before, he does not panic and remains convinced that he can banish her, choosing to focus on neutralizing Kou Hikou instead. It has disastrous consequences for him and for the dynasty.
- Undying Loyalty: For the Yin dynasty.
- Young and in Charge: He was made general of the Yin army at only sixteen.
Kokukirin
A giant insect riding beast belonging to Bunchuu. When not transporting Bunchuu across the land, he often relies messages to his allies. His defining feature is his impenetrable exoskeleton which makes him almost impervious to damage.
- Big Creepy-Crawlies: He resembles an enormous insect.
- Giant Flyer: One of the largest riding beasts from the series.
- Made of Iron: His shell is so hard it can withstand a nuclear explosion and a barrage of Paopei attacks from half of the Juunisen. It takes a long sojourn in Ohtenkun's acid Paopei to finally corrode his armor.
- Undying Loyalty: To Bunchuu. This becomes evident when he dies after shielding Bunchuu from Ohtenkun's acid rain.
- Talking Animal: Although he prefers to talk only when necessary.
Chou Kei
Paopei: Doryuuso, Kinben
Chou Kei is Bunchuu's loyal servant and one of the people who idolize and respect him the most. Young and naive at the start of the story, Chou Kei experiences a life crisis after Bunchuu's death and becomes determined to take revenge on Taikobou, stopping only when Taikobou takes him to the Houshindai to speak with Bunchuu's spirit. Afterwards, Chou Kei made surpassing Bunchuu his new goal, and trained very hard to be able to use the Kinben. He eventually marries a beautiful Kingo sennyo by the name of Kou Ran'ei. He becomes one of the three leaders of Horai Island, being tasked with ruling over the Youkai Sennin.
- Battle Couple: With his wife. They manage to stall the entire Shu army.
- The Berserker: He and Nataku are locked inside Sangashasshokuzu by Joka, but while Nataku's psyche/lack of allows him to No-Sell any effect, by the time Chou Kei's out he's a raving, screaming berserker, flailing wildly at Joka's clones like a madman. He gets better.
- Character Development: Goes from a blind worshipper of Bunchuu to a man actively working to better himself and be his own person instead of copying others.
- Cycle of Revenge: He wanted to start this after Bunchuu's death, but stopped going down that path once Taikobou took him to visit the Houshindai.
- Dishing Out Dirt: He has the same Paopei as Doukouson, but unlike him, his Paopei is more advanced and allows him to freely manipulate the earth as he sees fit, allowing him to defeat the entire Shu army by burying them all in the ground to the neck.
- Empathic Weapon: Turns out, Kinben is the proudest Super Paopei, and only someone it deems worthy enough can wield him. So far, only Bunchuu and apparently Nento can handle it. Eventually, Chou Kei's battle against Koukaku allows him to grow some spine and force Kinben to accept him as his master.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: He sports a new hairstyle and a hat when he returns from his training.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: He married Kou Ran'ei after training in the Kingo Islands for only three months.
- From Nobody to Nightmare: In the first volumes he looks ordinary and nothing at all implies any potential from him. Cue to past the Sennin War arc and he shows that he's a worthy successor of Bunchuu.
- Happily Married: To a glamorous-looking Kingo doushi by the name of Kou Ran'ei.
- Hero Worship: Absolutely worships Bunchuu, and he is so awed by the man's intelligence, character and strength that he is blind to his faults. He later learns to be his own person and grows into a pretty cool guy in his own right.
- Took a Level in Badass: By the end of the series, he surpasses Bunchuu in every single way.
- Wolverine Claws: He's often seen wearing a set of claws over his hands. Later revealed to be the earth Paopei Doryuuso.
Kou Ran'ei
Paopei: Taiyoshin
A Sennyo from Kingo and Chou Kei's beautiful wife, she resembles a Hollywood actress. She's fully supportive of her husband and trusts him no matter what. Her Paopei releases a series of needles which hit all the tsubo of the victim, causing them to be paralyzed.
- Battle Couple: With her husband Chou Kei.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: As mentioned, she met Chou Kei during his three-months long training in Kingo.
- Friendly Enemy: Lampshaded during the tour ride in the Houshindai, where she catches herself casually talking to their enemy, Taikoubou, about Chou Kei's life. She actually praises him for being able to inspire such feelings in others.
- Happily Married: With Chou Kei, whom she trusts without reserves.
- Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: She has blond hair and is glamorous, but she's a good person through and through.
- Ms. Fanservice: In the author's words, she looks like an Hollywood diva and compared to other female characters she's quite buxom and wears a cleavage-baring suit.
- The Paralyzer: Her Taiyoshin (Solar Needles) consist in a blinding flash which releases a stream of needles aimed at the opponent's pressure points, causing them to fall motionless to the ground.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: When Kijin and Kibi tries to remind her what they expect from her and her husband, she tells her to shut up, as she and Chou Kei follows the Yin, not "that vixen".
Uen
Chou Kei's spiritual beast, an extremely fast bird implied to be able to walk both on land and on water. He acquires it after leaving to train in the Kingo Islands.
- Achilles' Heel: He's so fast not even a Sennin can keep up with him, but once his legs are wounded he can't take another step. Doubles as Fragile Speedster.
- Horse of a Different Color: While most riding beasts tend to fly, Uen comes closest to being this.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: Highly reminiscent of a chocobo.
Chou Kei Hou
Paopei: Kyuumeikon
A Kingo doushi and one of the soldiers originally guarding Seiryuukan pass under Bunchuu's orders. Chou Kei Hou was dismayed when Kou Hikou left the Yin and saw him as a traitor. He was sent together with his partner Fuurin to stop Kou Hikou and his family from joining the Shou dynasty. He has achieved fame in the human world thanks to his special paopei, which is capable of making people freeze in place. He is the leader of the duo.
- Clean Cut: What he gets from Kou Tenka after concentrating too much on Nataku.
- The Comically Serious: Clearly doesn't like being tricked by Taikoubou into shouting a ridicolous-sounding name when he attempts to capture Bukichi.
- Elite Mook: A doushi placed by Bunchuu in Seiryuukan pass to strengthen the Yin dynasty's hold over it. He achieved fame thanks to his highly effective paopei, and would have defeated Taikobou and company if it weren't for Nataku.
- Improbable Weapon User: Kyuumeikon (Name-calling Club) is, essentially, a megaphone. Justified as he uses it to call his victims by their name and paralyze them so that Fuurin can capture them.
- Logical Weakness: His paopei has two: he needs to know the victim's name and he must make himself heard by his target. The former is even lampshaded by Taikobou, when he gives him a stupid sounding name and dissolves into laughter when Chou Kei Hou shouts it aloud, and later when he's seen reading from a memo as he capture the entire Kou Clan.
- Oh, Crap!: Reacts in shock when Nataku isn't fazed by Kyuumeikon.
- Say My Name: Invoked, it's necessary for his Paopei to work.
- Those Two Guys: With Fuurin. Their Paopei together makes them an invincible pair.
- Undying Loyalty: To Bunchuu.
Fuurin
Paopei: Kojuu
Chou Kei Hou's partner and a doushi of Kingo, he is ordered by Bunchuu to leave Seiryuukan pass, which he had been guarding, stop Kou Hikou and his family from joining the Shou dynasty. He has achieved fame in the human world thanks to his special paopei, which is capable of trapping people in small orbs. His paopei works best in combination with his partner's, as Chou Kei Hou makes enemies stop and allows Fuurin to capture them in his orbs.
- Elite Mook: A doushi placed by Bunchuu in Seiryuukan pass to strengthen the Yin dynasty's hold over it. He achieved fame thanks to his highly effective paopei, and would have defeated Taikobou and company if it weren't for Nataku.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Captures Nataku with Kojuu, only for the Human Paopei to burst it from inside and killing Fuurin in the blast.
- Improbable Weapon User: Kojuu (Red Beads) is a set of spheres on a rosary he can launch at his enemies. They then grow in size, swallow them and shrink back, imprisoning the victim.
- The Stoic: He prefers to let his partner Chou Kei Hou do the talking.
- Those Two Guys: With Chou Kei Hou. Their Paopei combined are such a threat Genshi Tenson claims that not even the Juunisen could be save from them.
- Undying Loyalty: To Bunchuu. He even apologizes to him when he knows he has seconds to live.
Kashi
The beloved wife of Kou Hikou and mother of his children, Kashi is a woman of renowed beauty. A minor character in the manga, her role is expanded upon in the anime, where she tries to negotiate with Dakki the release of Empress Kyouhi, all the while taking care of the two crown princes of the Yin. In both instances, she is forced to commit suicide because Chuuoh violates the rite between an emperor and his vassals, which state that he must not see the faces of his vassals' wives. He corners Kashi and, upon seeing her spectacular beauty, decides to keep her in his harem, forcing her to jump from the tower they were in.
- Driven to Suicide: Kashi was deeply in love with her husband and chose death rather than being forced become the concubine of the emperor.
- Gory Discretion Shot: When Kashi jumps from the tower, we see her blood splatter on the ground.
- Graceful Ladies Like Purple: Kashi wears violet and purple clothing in both the anime and the manga incarnations.
- I Surrender, Suckers: When Chuuou is blackmailing Kashi, threatening to punish her husband if she refuses to join his harem, Kashi formally agrees to become his concubine... and promptly flings herself out the window.
- Limited Wardrobe: Always wears the same kimono, even in flashbacks.
- Loved by All: She enjoys a happy marriage with Kou Hikou, her children love her, her sister-in-law Koushi adores her, her husband's honorary brothers all like her and Emperor Chuuoh is awed by her loyalty to her husband. Even Dakki's sister Kibi thinks that her death was a tragedy.
- So Beautiful, It's a Curse: Kashi is a renowed beauty. Unfortunately, her stunning good looks are used by Dakki to tempt the Emperor into breaking an old custom and looking at her face. After gazing upon her beauty, the Emperor decides to keep Kashi for himself, which leads to her jumping to her death.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: Kashi is the Girly Girl to Koushi's tomboy.
- Yamato Nadeshiko: She has long, dark hair with full bangs, is of medium height and wears something similar to a kimono. Lady-like and feminine, Kashi is very loyal to her husband and would rather die than be taken away from him by the Emperor. In the anime, she is shown to be very protective of the two Yin princes and willing to stand up to Dakki.
- Undying Loyalty: Towards her husband, whom she loves deeply. She would rather die than betray him, as proven later in the story.
Koushi
Kou Hikou's tomboyish younger sister and one of Emperor Chuuoh's many concubines, Koushi is locked away in the imperial harem, and is deeply worried about the state of affairs surrounding the palace. She has a close relationship with her sister-in-law Kashi, who visits her ever year and is her only contact to her family, as men are not allowed in the harem. After Kashi is forced to commit suicide because of Dakki and Chuuoh, Koushi has a mental breakdown and, unable to stand being used as a bargaining chip anymore, jumps to her death. Her death severs Kou Hikou's ties to the Yin dynasty, and he and his family leave the capital.
- Adaptational Curves: In the anime she has a different design, including some visible and large breasts.
- Arranged Marriage: To Chuuoh, in order to tighten the bonds between her clan and the dynasty.
- Defiant to the End: In the anime, when she realizes that Dakki and Chuuoh plan to hold her as a hostage to keep her brother from retaliating against them for Kashi's death, she defiantly tells both of her would-be captors that things will not go down this way. And then commits suicide.
- Driven to Suicide: The anxious state in which she had been living as a virtual prisoner of Dakki reaches a climax when her sister-in-law is forced to commit suicide because of Chuuoh and Dakki. Distraught, Koushi breaks down and plunges to her death.
- Gilded Cage: In the manga, she lives in the imperial palace, but is not allowed to see any men (including her brother) and is used as a hostage by Dakki to keep Kou Hikou in check. By the time she appears in the manga, this has taken a toll on her.
- Hostage Situation: Koushi married the emperor to strengthen the ties between the Kou clan and the Yin, but after Dakki's arrival, she became a hostage and was constantly worried about the unfolding events.
- Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Tomboy to Kashi's Girly Girl.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: After Kashi's suicide she downright punches Chuuoh, tells him what she really thinks of him and then follows Kashi in death.
Tou Sengyoku
See here.
Tou Kyuukou
A loyal retainer of the Yin and father to Sengyoku, Kyuukou was sent by Bunchuu to deal with Taikobou and his companions. When his daughter falls for Doukouson, a doushi from Konron and ally of Taikobou, Kyuukou has no choice but to switch sides as well. He is always traveling with Ryushokoi, a cute-looking but deadly youkai sennin.
- Brutal Honesty: When he confronts Dokoson over Sengyoku's crush over him.Kyuukou: "Doukouson..."Doukouson: "..."Kyuukou: "... you're so ugly..."Doukouson: "Shut up!!!"
- Doting Parent: He loves his daughter and would do anything for her, including betraying the Yin dynasty. He even takes his time to explain Sengyoku's story and personality to Doukouson, hoping that he will understand her better.
- Heel–Face Turn: Once his daughter joins Taikobou's side, he takes a few days to do some soul searching and finally relents.
- Honor Before Reason: At first, he blindly believes what he is told by Bunchuu and refuses to see reason, but once Sengyoku switches sides, he takes time to consider the situation and eventually joins his daughter in supporting the rebellion.
- Knight Templar: Invoked, at first he appears to be adamantly loyal to Bunchu and unwilling to even listen to the reasons of the rebels. After Sengyoku persuades him, he ultimately relents and sides with the Western Forces.
- Odd Friendship: Ends up bonding with So Go, as they both got trouble with their daughters.
- Papa Wolf: He's ready to attack an entire Shu fortress alone with Ryuushokou
Ryushokou
A youkai sennin who met and befriended Sengyoku when she was still training in Kingo, Ryushokou is often confused with a spirit beast. He is a loyal servant of the Tou family and will do anything in its power to protect Sengyoku and destroy anyone who harms her in any way. It has a very powerful tail with which it can throw massive rocks at the enemy.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Ryushokou is very cute, gentle and serves a human family, but don't get on his bad side or he will end you.
- Berserk Button: Do not tease, bully, insult or harm Sengyoku or you will suffer.
- Best Friend: Of Sengyoku.
- Gentle Giant: A huge youkai with a compassionate heart.
- Non-Human Sidekick: For both Sengyoku and her father.
- Non-Indicative Name: His name literally translates to "Dragon Whiskered Tiger". He looks like a giant kangaroo rat.
- Tail Slap: His main form of attack allows him to send giant boulders flying with a swipe of his tail.
- Talking Animal: Like most youkai sennin.
- Undying Loyalty: To the Tou family, expecially to Sengyoku.
So Go
The King of Kishuu, So Go is the father of So Zenchuu and of the real So Dakki (who had been possessed by the fox spirit). He originally wanted his daughter to marry for love and was distressed when Chuuoh threatened to attack his country unless Dakki became one of his concubines. Crestfallen, he took his daughter to the imperial palace, where unbeknownst to him, she was possessed by the evil fox sennyo Dakki. Afterwards, he was tortured by the horrible news of Dakki's deeds, believing her to have become a monster. He wanted to start a rebellion against her, but lacked the opportunity to do so.
He and his son eventually join the Shou dynasty at the start of the war.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: The only explanation for him not realizing that the red headed, scantily clad, differently-voiced woman who looked nothing like his daughter was not his daughter.
- Conflicting Loyalty: So Go likes the Yin and resents Dakki for ruining it. On the other hand, she is his daughter...
- Defector from Decadence: Left the Yin when the first opportunity arose.
- Doting Parent: He loves Dakki and wanted her to marry for love, resisted Chuuoh's threats bravely and only caved in when Dakki herself asked him to. Even when he arrives in front of the emperor and his daughter had already agreed to the marriage, he still attempts to convince Chuuoh to let Dakki go. Oddly enough, he never seemed to realize that his daughter had been possessed.
- Driven to Suicide: Believing that it's his own fault for Dakki's atrocities, he's willing to kill her and then commit suicide. Hikou talks him out of it.
- Early-Bird Cameo: He first appears in Dakki's flashback in volume 6, but makes his proper appearance three volumes later.
- Odd Friendship: Ends up bonding with Tou Kyuukou, thanks to their troubles with their daughters.
- That Man Is Dead: Averted, despite the fact that Dakki's personality seemingly has completely overridden his daughter's, he still refers to her as if she's his daughter.
So Zenchuu
The son of the King of Kishuu and Dakki's older brother, So Zenchuu plays a very small role in the story. Just like his father, he was dismayed at what he believed his sister was doing as empress and wished to rebel, but lacked the opportunity. When the Shuu rises in rebellion, he and his father take their troops and join the new dynasty. They are briefly stopped when the Kingo Mad Scientist Ryogaku infects them with a virus, but recover thanks to Taikobou and his team.
- Defector from Decadence: Left the Yin with his family when the first opportunity arose.
- Satellite Character: For his father. He doesn't do much on his own, and has very little screentime.
- Youthful Freckles: Just like his sister.
So Dakki
The real daughter of the King of Kishuu, Dakki was a sweet and gentle girl who sacrificed herself for the good of her kingdom when Chuuoh demanded that she become a part of his harem. Once in the palace however, Chuuoh took a sneak peek at her and saw that the rumors of her beauty had been greatly exaggerated and was willing to let her go back home. Taking advantage of a moment when Dakki and her father were alone, Kijin and Kibi, who had infiltrated the palace, separated them and allowed their sister, a vicious fox spirit, to possess Dakki's body. Strangely enough, despite the fact that she looked, sounded and acted nothing like the original Dakki, her father did not catch on to the fact that she had been replaced.
- Black Sheep: The fox spirit committed many atrocities under her name, turning her into the rotten apple of the So family.
- Butterfly of Doom: The unfounded rumors of her beauty and her trip to the capital, seemingly unimportant in the grand scheme of things, start a chain of events that leads to the ruin of the Yin.
- The Cutie: Was sweet and self-sacrificing before Dakki took over her body.
- The Fettered: Her father wanted her to marry out of love and even defied Chuuoh by refusing to send her to the palace to become one of his concubines, but So Dakki offered herself willingly, wishing to protect her people from the wrath of the Yin.
- Grand Theft Me: Is on the receiving end of this from the fox spirit who later took her name. It is implied that she was essentially murdered on the spot.
- Informed Attractiveness: In-Universe, Chuuoh lusted after her but after seeing her in person he was sorely disappointed and lose interest, declaring that his official wife Kyohi is prettier.
- Youthful Freckles: Together with her clothing and hairstyle, they emphasize her youth and innocence.
Teirin
So Go's main vassal and servant, a short, odd man who can control an army of "Crow Soldiers". He's however on the side of the heroes, wishing for them to help his master turn against Dakki.
- Gag Nose: Has a round, shiny nose similar to a clown's nose.
- Gonk: He's rather short and plump with a bald head, eyes always closed and a big spherical nose.
- Mook Lieutenant: He can command an army of humanoid Crow Soldiers which he unleashes against Ko Hiko and Ko Tenka. The two have to throw the match to let the last one capture them and take them to the So camp.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: He's very loyal to So Go, but also sees that siding with the Buoh is the best course of action for him.
Shuushi
A spirited and vivacious young warrior woman, Shuushi used to be Bunchuu's training partner back when they were both teenagers. Bunchuu believed that they would always be each other's eternal rival. Later, when he returned from his training in the Kingo Islands, he found out that Shuushi wanted to marry the emperor of the Yin, whose empress could not give him any children. Young Bunchuu was disappointed but he didn't show it, and he swore his allegiance to the Yin. After Shuushi gave birth to a son, Bunchuu expressed his desire to go to the Kingo Islands and become a sennin. Shuushi and the emperor agreed, and Shuushi made Bunchuu promise to teach her son everything he knew once he returned from his sennin training. Ten years later, the Yin was attacked by the Kyou and Shuushi lost her husband and was gravely injured in the attack. When Bunchuu heard of the news that the Yin was under attack, he immediately rushed back just in time to see Shuushi one last time and to promise her that he'll take care of her child and create a new, more powerful Yin dynasty.
- Badass Normal: At only twenty years old, she was made general of the Yin army.
- Career Versus Man: When she tells Bunchuu that she has decided to marry the emperor of the Yin, Bunchuu believes that she will never use a weapon again, but she corrects him immediately, telling him that becoming an empress means she can fight to protect the Yin alongside her husband. In the end, she dies on the battle field.
- Famous Ancestor: Averted. Only Bunchuu seems to talk about her.
- Friendly Rivalry: She had one with Bunchuu, but their paths split when she decided to marry the Emperor.
- Last Request: She asks Bunchuu to take care of her child and to strengthen the Yin. And by God, he does.
- The Lost Lenore: She is this for Bunchuu. She had a powerful influence on his life, and her death broke his heart. Bunchuu cares so much about the Yin because every emperor is Shuushi's descendant.
- Naginatas Are Feminine: Her weapon was an oversized polearm resembling a long-bladed naginata.
- Posthumous Character: Long dead before the start of the series.
- Small Role, Big Impact: She only appears in a few scenes, but her influence is the single driving force behind Bunchuu's desire to protect the Yin dynasty at all costs. Protecting Shuushi's child and her descendants becomes a new life goal for Bunchuu, who before then was feeling lost and directionless.
- Young and in Charge: General of the Yin army at twenty.
Chou Hou
Commander of Rintoukan Pass and subordinate of Kou Hikou. He first appears during the initial meeting between Taikobou and Youzen, with Youzen giving Taikobou the task of convincing Chou Hou to let the refugees fleeing Chouka pass towards the western provinces. He allows the refugees to pass and disappears from the story until the time of Kou Hikou's rebellion, when he is murdered by one of Dakki's cronies.
- Back for the Dead: Comes back to the story only to be killed off almost immediately by one of Dakki's henchmen.
- The Bus Came Back: Lampshaded by the author:Note: For the 90% of the readers who probably forgot him, he's Chou Hou, commander of Rintoukan."
- Butt-Monkey: In his own words, "Why does everything have to happen at Rintoukan?!"
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: One of Dakki's cronies impales his body on his spear Paopei, which then explodes.
- Informed Attribute: Despite being a tertiary character, he was apparently notable enough that his soul was attracted by the Houshin Field, an honor reserved for truly illustrious or strong characters.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Technically he's on the side of Yin and is willing to uphold Dakki's orders (which means, keeping the refugees at bay, even by force if necessary), but when Youzen disguised as Kou Hikou orders him to let them pass and tells him that the order has been revoked, he's happy to let them pass, as long as they're not his problem anymore. In other words, he's just a stressed dude just doing his job.
