Twin Star Exorcists (Sousei no Onmyouji) is a manga by Yoshiaki Sukeno. It tells the story about two kids (Rokuro and Benio) and their lives as exorcist warriors. Rokuro once had the dream to be the greatest Exorcist, and to cleanse all Impurities. But a tragedy in his past has made him no longer wish to have anything to do with exorcists. Enter Benio, a girl who, through a tragedy of her own, wishes to be the greatest Exorcist.
Needless to say the two don't really get along, but forces conspire to bring them together due to an ancient prophecy that states the child of their union will be the most powerful exorcist to ever exist.
The manga began serialization in the monthly Shonen Jump sister magazine, Jump Square, in 2013.
Spin-Off media includes:
- Twin Star Exorcists (2016-2017) - An anime adaptation produced by Studio Pierrot; while the first 20 episodes are faithful to the manga, it tells its own original story from that point onward. A preview can be seen here
. Crunchyroll has the series dubbed in English. - Light Novels
- Twin Star Exorcists: Tenen Jakko (双星の陰陽師 ―天縁若虎―, Sōsei no Onmyōji -Ten'en Jakko-) (2016)
- Twin Star Exorcists: Tenen Jakko: Nishoku Kokkeiga (双星の陰陽師 天縁若虎〜二色滑稽画〜 Sōsei no Onmyōji Ten'en Jakko ~Nishoku Kokkeiga~) (2018) - A manga series based on the novel.
- Twin Star Exorcists: Shiga Kenbyaku (双星の陰陽師 ―士牙繭闢―, Sōsei no Onmyōji Shiga Kenbyaku'' (2017)
- Twin Star Exorcists: Santen Haja (双星の陰陽師 ―三天破邪―, Sōsei no Onmyōji Santen Haja'') (2018)
- Twin Star Exorcists: Tenen Jakko (双星の陰陽師 ―天縁若虎―, Sōsei no Onmyōji -Ten'en Jakko-) (2016)
- Twin Star Exorcists (2017) - A video game from Bandai Namco Entertainment for the PS Vita.
- Twin Star Exorcists: SD As Imperative Order!! (双星の陰陽師 SD如律令!!, Sōsei no Onmyōji: SD Nyoritsuryō!!) (2017-) - A comedy manga.
Not to be confused with Blue Exorcist, another manga from Jump Square about fraternal twins as Exorcists.
BEWARE OF MANGA SPOILERS
Twin Star Exorcists provides examples of:
- Action Girl: Benio wastes no time fighting when she's first shown.
- Adults Are Useless:
- Seigen, an adult himself, thinks that because of putting children in the position of an Onmyouji instead of allowing them to live their childhood as they should they have failed as adults.
- Discussed after the first battle with Yuuto, as some feel Rokuro and Benio shouldn't be fighting, but rather should focus on building their relationship so that they can conceive the Miko, who can take care of everything.
- Always Chaotic Evil: The Impurities; justified as they are said to be born from humans' negative emotions.
- Always Identical Twins: Averted with Benio and Yuuto.
- An Arm and a Leg:
- Rokuro loses his arm during the incident that took the lives of his friends in the past. Luckily he gets a replacement, in the form of a powerful impurity arm.
- Seigen loses his right arm while fighting Yuuto. Unlike the protagonists, he stays like this.
- During the battle with Yuuto, Benio gets her legs blown off. She gets replacements much like Rokuro's arm, from the same Basara that killed her parents, no less.
- Shimon loses his leg to Tenma in a heated battle.
- Arranged Marriage: Like it or not, Rokuro and Benio are told they have to marry each other, as their offspring would have enough power to wipe out the impurities. Unfortunately they hate each other's guts.
- Art Evolution: The manga's artstyle undergoes a notable change right about the Tournament Arc.
- As Long as There Is Evil: Zig-zagged; as long as there are negative thoughts and sorrow, Impurities will be born, but destroying Magano itself should do the trick. Or not; chapter 36 reveals that Magano is the Impurity's prison, not their source.
- Badass and Child Duo:
- Badass Boast: Pretty much anyone who ever fights, Rokuro especially.
- Badass Family:
- Arima's goal is to have the two strongest onmyouji, Rokuro and Benio(according to an oracle), mate. Because their child would then become the strongest Onmyouji ever with the title of "The Miko."
- Benio's parents, and twin brother, were strong Onmyouji.
- The Twelve Families on the island are all these.
- Battle Couple:
- Rokuro and Benio.
- Benio's parents.
- Battle in the Center of the Mind: Rokuro must fight the soul of Taiyang inside his mind so he doesn't lose his consciousness after fully awakening as Taiyang.
- Because Destiny Says So: An oracle predicted Rokuro and Benio are destined to become the parents of The Miko, who will wipe out the Impurities once and for all.
- Bedmate Reveal:
- After Rokuro and Benio's first fight against Kamui, Benio wakes up to find herself in bed with Rokuro. She immediately figures out Arima was behind it.
- When Shimon's sister Sayo goes to meet the Twin Star Exorcists, she uses any chance she gets to sneak into Rokuro's bed.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Rokuro and Benio are not pleased about their betrothal and constantly argue and insult each other. However, there are quite a few sweet moments between them as well.
- Berserk Button: Rokuro has many, seeing his friends being hurt by the Impurities and innocent people being hurt, but the thing that really bring out his rage is mocking the death of his friends whom he was forced to kill after they were turned into fallen impurities.
- Betty and Veronica: Rokuro is the Archie in a Love Triangle with his ordinary, sweet childhood friend Mayura (Betty) and his aloof arranged fiancee and skilled exorcist Benio (Veronica).
- Big Damn Heroes: Several. Of note, Rokuro right before Kamui kills Benio- his fist appears out of nowhere into Kamui's face.
- The Big Damn Kiss: Rokuro and Benio have the kiss everyone has been waiting for once they finally admit their love for each other during their reunion. Just to make the scene even more epic, the Resonance of their kiss creates several blasts that destroy the Impurities around them.
- Big Damn Reunion: Chapter 72 has the long-waited (both in and out of universe) reunion between Rokuro and Benio who haven't seen each other for over thirty chapters.
- Bishōnen Line: The Impurities.
- Blood Knight:
- Benio really enjoys fighting, to the point that she regularly enters Magano to fight Impurities instead of waiting for the ones already on earth to pop up.
- The Basara that killed Benio's parents, Kamui, admitted that he lives to fight strong opponents and if it was a life or death battle it would be more enjoyable.
- Brought Down to Normal: Benio. Her enchanted powers disappear after her enchanted guardian fights and loses to Kuzonoha.
- Bureaucratically Arranged Marriage: Rokuro and Benio are betrothed against their will because an oracle predicted their child would be the Miko, the reincarnation of Abe No Seimei that would wipe out the Impurities once and for all.
- But for Me, It Was Tuesday: When Benio confronts the Impurity that killed her parents, she asks if he remembers killing them. He answers by asking if she remembers every ant she ever squashed. Subverted later when he does in-fact remember because their Heroic Sacrifice was so out of the ordinary.
- Cain and Abel: Yuuto and Benio.
- Call-Back:
- Rokuro in Chapter 76 talks like a samurai because he's flustered, just like in Chapter 6.
- Chapter 18 has Rokuro dream about saving a group of exorcists in Magano. Chapter 77 has him actually enact this dream out. Even the first pages are the same, with some characters even striking the same pose.
- Cannibalism Superpower: In the first episode, Kegare are shown growing stronger by eating each other.
- Can't Catch Up: Eventually Mayura does start training to be an onmyouji, but by that time Rokuro and Benio have a lot more skill and power so Mayura ends up feeling inadequate and unable to help her friends. She does in fact catch up, by becoming a Heavenly Commander- though she's very far behind the other Commanders.
- Casanova Wannabe: Rokuro is seen being rejected by a random girl, and lamenting about his lousy luck with women towards his friend Mayura. She later quietly confesses that she likes him, but he doesn't hear it.
- Catchphrase: Several.
- Rokuro has "Sins and Impurities, I'll cleanse them all." and "Be cleansed, be purified!"
- "I'll exorcize all impurities and end the thousand years war" comes back quite often in the mouths of several characters.
- Kamui's is "I'll wait while I count down from ten." He also says "Give me a break" quite a lot.
- Childhood Friend Romance: Rokuro and Mayura have been friends since childhood. Mayura is in love with Rokuro, but he only sees her like a dear childhood friend or even a sister.
- The Chosen Many:
- The Twin Stars, Rokuro and Benio. They are destined to give birth to the Miko, who is said to be powerful enough to deal the final blow against Magano.
- The Twelve Heavenly Commanders are shown to be this as well, being a select few people deemed worthy enough to wield the twelve powers of Abe no Seimei's shikigami.
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Both Benio and Mayura exhibit this after the Time Skip, when another girl ends up aggressively throwing herself at Rokuro. Who can also be quite clingy and jealous.
- Comically Missing the Point: An omake has Rokuro angrily denying that he wants to have a child with Benio and says that she'd probably be like a tuna in bed anyway.note Benio immediately thinks of the positive characteristics of tuna and assumes Rokuro is praising her as a Determinator and Lightning Bruiser, causing a Luminescent Blush.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Rokuro easily defeats the creature giving Benio a hard time during their first encounter with one punch.
- Dance Battler: Benio's attacks all have dance in the name.
- Dark and Troubled Past:
- Benio witnessed the death of her parents, and later lost her twin brother.
- Rokuro was the sole survivor of the massacre of his entire dorm, later revealed that they had all been forcibly changed into Impurities and he was forced to exorcize them. Benio's twin brother was among them. Besides, he was also found in Magano, age around 6, with no memories at all.
- Ryougo's family was attacked by Impurities while his older brother hid him in the cupboard. He was saved by an exorcists squad, but his whole family was mercilessly slaughtered.
- All the children in the Hiinatsuki dorm might have suffered a similar fate, considering they are orphans not only aware of the existence of Impurities, but also feel that the only way they can repay their debt is to become respectable exorcists.
- Dark Is Evil: Most Impurities, human-shaped in particular, seem to be dark-skinned.
- Dark World: Magano, the alternate dimension wherein impurities usually dwell, which looks like a ruined, devastated version of the human world colored in shades of red and black.
- Deal with the Devil: Benio. With her parents' assassin, no less.
- Dual Wielding: Benio fights with two charmed blades.
- Enfant Terrible:
- Yuuto, Benio's older twin brother and one of Rokuro's friend at the Hiinatsuki Dorm, the one who caused the tragedy of Hiinatsuki.
- Discussed by Rokuro when he angrily notes that leaving everything to the Miko was irresponsible and would result in this.
- Even the Girls Want Her: Benio was pretty popular at her old school. Even at her new co-ed school she can be seen surrounded by girls.
- Fallen Hero: Onmyouji can become Impurities, we later learn that the transformation can be forced.
- Foreshadowing: Happens surprisingly often.
- The boy by Benio's side in her flashbacks, her mentioning the Tragedy of Hiinatsuki, and the photo of the Hiinatsuki residents.
- Seigen mentioning that Rokuro was the "Strongest of the East" only on the mainland.
- Kamui's mention of "the others"
- Seigen talking about three new layers in Magano being discovered in chapter 21. Magano in Tsuchimikado Island is split into layers with only some of them having being fully reachable and traversed.
- Sayo in Chapter 22 says that she had trouble seeing Rokuro's enchanted guardian. Chiinu in chapter 52 reveals that neither Benio or Rokuro had one in the first place.
- What failing the enchanted powers test entails foreshadows Benio losing her powers.
- Hijirimaru's words to Higano after he intervenes in his fight against Shimon. He told him "The next time you get in my way, I'll Kill You!!". Although it becomes quite obvious Hijirimaru cares about Higano and wouldn't have acted on his threat, that's exactly what happens. Higano takes the bullet for him and makes his friend finish him.
- From Roommates to Romance: Invoked. Benio and Rokuro are made to live together for the express reason that it will help them become a couple.
- Funbag Airbag: Mayura's introduction into the anime involves Rokuro running from a rejection right into her chest.
- Half-Identical Twins: Benio and Yuuto are fraternal twins. Benio is a girl and Yuuto is a boy, but if Yuuto's hair was black instead of light blue and he let it grow out, he would look identical to Benio.
- Hate at First Sight: Rokuro and Benio don't get along very well during their first encounter, due to differences in opinion on becoming exorcists.
- The Heartless: The Impurities, which are born from humanity's negative thoughts.
- Heroic Sacrifice: When given a choice between their lives or Benio's, Benio's parents don't hesitate to sacrifice themselves.
- I Have No Son!: Inverted. Seigen doesn't consider himself to be Mayura's father, as he is no longer married to her mother and was never home. During the time he fought her as a fallen impurity he regrets never having done anything even remotely fatherly for her. However, Mayura disagrees and maintains he likes her calling him dad despite him denying it.
- Intimacy Via Horror: Downplayed in a manga extra. Rokuro invites Benio to watch a scary movie. As the film progresses she gradually, while holding her pillow, moves from her side of the couch into Rokuro's lap all the while keeping a straight face and posture.
- It Amused Me: Kamui, the Basara that killed Benio's parents, gives the reason for most of the things he does as just having a hobby. Be it a Sadistic Choice or granting someone a substantial power-up, everything he does is purely to see if he can create the ultimate enemy.
- It Sucks to Be the Chosen One: Discussed when Rokuro says if he and Benio give birth to the Miko, it would be unfair to just push the responsibility of destroying all Impurities on that child from before it's even born. Rokuro even admits that if he was the Miko and had to carry that horrible fate from the moment he was born, he would end up wanting to destroy the world instead.
- Let's You and Him Fight: Rokuro and Benio are made to fight each other in chapter 2. Benio is more than willing, Rokuro is less than.
- Like Brother and Sister: Rokuro says he only sees Mayura like this when asked about their relationship, likely due to being Childhood Friends.
- Location Theme Naming: Human characters' family names, like Enmado and Adashino, are taken from cities, towns and villages in the Kansai region. Meanwhile, the Basara have names of locations from elsewhere.
- Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Arima and Hijirimaru are the most prominent examples.
- Made of Evil: Implied, as Impurities are "born from the negative thoughts of man"
- Male Might, Female Finesse: Rokuro and Benio. He just smashes Impurities with one punch of his Power Fist, while she relies on charms that increase her durability and speed in battle to make her so fast that she can't be seen by the normal eye.
- Marked Change: Glowing marks appears on the exorcists' bodies when using charms.
- The Masquerade: Surprisingly, averted. The exorcists are called by citizens, (visibly) paid by them (though the government helps), and are seen several times giving a rough, but truthful explanation to civilians. Japan's traditional folklore of evil spirits probably helps... As does the people's Suspension of Disbelief if they're calling exorcists in the first place, and the usually mortal nature of the encounter when they do not.
- Meet Cute: Rokuro and Benio first meet when she literally falls from the sky and both fall into a river when Rokuro tries to catch her.
- More Teeth than the Osmond Family: Rokuro; Kamui calls him "the kid with fangs".
- My Greatest Failure: For Rokuro, being unable to save his friends during the tragedy of Hiinatsuki (he was actually forced to kill them.) However, learning after two years that there was a way to save them really hit him hard.
- No Body Left Behind: Impurities usually explode into glittering dust when killed. Rokuro is quite freaked to find that Basara on the other hand die just like humans.
- No Sense of Direction: Rokuro can't find a place on a map, when the map leads to his own house.
- A joke in the webcomic combines Rokuro's sense of direction with Shimon's awful, awful maps that even his sister couldn't understand. Everyone is surprised when Rokuro finds the place just fine, and comes back without getting lost. Two wrongs make a right!
- Official Couple: Rokuro and Benio. Their engagement is one of the things that kicks off the plot.
- Official Kiss: Rokuro and Benio kiss before he leaves to the Tsuchimikado Island, but neither of them had confessed their feelings yet. In chapter 72, their overdue mutual Love Confession is followed by the two kisses that make their Relationship Upgrade official.
- Older Than They Look: A good number of adults in this story, especially a good number of the Heavenly Commanders certainly doesn't look like they are middle-aged already. Arima and Seigen was in the same grade as Narumi, as well both already have their own children. Also, Miku Zeze, who is was called the "loli hag." The loli part is pretty much self-explanatory since she looks like a young girl. Her actual age? 56.
- One-Hit Kill: Rokuro uses a special charm that turns his right arm monstrous and capable of one-shotting most Impurities it hits.
- Overshadowed by Awesome: Benio suffers this when the first creature she and Rokuro encounter together nearly defeats her despite her powers and charms. Rokuro, who mostly looked down on exorcists, then easily defeats it with one punch.
- Mayura's learning speed is amazing, but she feels like she Can't Catch Up.
- Papa Wolf: When Seigen learned why Yuuto turned his daughter into a fallen impurity, he was pissed. He also has some shades of this with his apprentices, although he hides it well.
- Paper Talisman: The charms that Onmyouji use are these. Benio uses several and Rokuro uses only a single jet black charm.
- Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Rokuro and Benio. They are betrothed and, despite disliking each other at first, end up becoming attracted to and falling for each other after getting to know each other's ultimately linked tragic pasts.
- Power Fist: Roukuro can turn his right arm into this.
- Powered Armor: Benio uses several Charms that gives her a magic version of this which improves her speed, armor, sight, and strength. Speed seems to be the main increase.
- Pre-Meeting: Rokuro and Benio first meet when he catches her falling from the sky and he helps her defeat an impurity. They soon take a great dislike for each other and hope to never meet again. Shortly after, they find out they are the Twin Star Exorcists destined to marry and are forced to live together. Rokuro and Benio are not pleased.
- Race-Name Basis: Before his name was revealed, Kamui was only referred to as "Basara".
- Really 700 Years Old: The Basara and Abe no Seimei can look anywhere from twelve to twenty, although they are confirmed to be at least several decades older than they look. Two of them are confirmed to be about a thousand years old.
- The Rival: Benio considers Rokuro to be one after witnessing the power of his arm, Rokuro himself doesn't wish to be rivals but gets into it after the two start fighting.
- Sadistic Choice: Benio, as an eight year-old child, is given ten seconds to decide which one of her parents will live and which one will die by a super strong impurity. When she failed to decide the Impurity then asked her parents if they or Benio should be allowed to live, with no hesitation they say Benio.
- Shared Family Quirks: Benio looks like her mother and acts like her father and has his love of Ohagi. Her fighting style is the same as theirs. Her twin brother Yuuto averts this completely, though. You'd have a hard time guessing they're related. Which was probably the point.
- Shout-Out:
- A shonen manga about a male main character with a supernatural arm (which turns claw-like when activated) and a female character with long black hair and special supernatural legs (which even glow with green lines) fighting impure monsters that prey in humans? Hard not to think on D.Gray-Man, especially when the term "onmyouji" from the original title was translated officially as "exorcist" just like those in the mentioned manga.
- The concept of "twin stars", the name and a bit of the character of Kamui, and a lot of the esthetic come from Tokyo Babylon and its sequel X1999. The characteristic five-pointed star drawn in the air also stands out as a reference.
- Several to Tokyo Ravens: Benio's role in the story and early character design evoke Natsume Tsuchimikado, the 11 Heavenly Commanders resemble the 12 Divine Generals, and Doman Ashiya is related to disastrous spirits in both series.
- A cute magical creature related to wizards, sporting a symbol on its forehead and voiced by Jun Fukuyama in the anime? Sounds like Kimihiro Watanuki's dog avatar from Blood-C, a series by the creators of Tokyo Babylon.
- While at a gold fish booth Rokoru’s net instantly broke, however Benio was able to use her speed to catch a number of fish while people watched in shock.
- The Sociopath:
- Yuuto, he causes the tragedy that haunts Rokuro for a reason that can be summed up as "For Shits and Giggles." Sees his sister, Benio, as a useless annoyance and finds the thought that their parents died protecting her hilarious.
- Basara, impurities that have gained enough power to have a human appearance, all seem to share this mental state on some level.
- Sole Survivor:
- Rokuro is the only survivor from an attack by impurities that killed eighteen of his fellow exorcist dorm mates.
- Benio seems to be the only one who survived the attack that killed her parents.
- Ryougo is the only one who survived the attack of Impurities on his family.
- Superpowerful Genetics: Arguably the main plot of the manga. The reason Benio and Rokuro are forced to marry is to give birth to an extremely powerful exorcist.
- Super Mode: Several from various characters appear frequently. When a Basara uses a charm this is the usual result.
- Super-Speed: Benio's fighting style involves hitting the enemy hard and fast, very fast.
- Super-Strength: Rokuro's charmed arm gives him incredible strength. Boosted by Resonance, he destroys a good chunk of a skyscraper.
- Supporting Harem: From the first chapter, it's obvious Rokuro is going to marry Benio since that's literally part of the premise. That doesn't stop other girls like Mayura, Sayo and Shizuru from having a crush on Rokuro, but all eventually back down after seeing how much Rokuro loves Benio.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Benio starts to ask Rokuro if he might be an exorcist after revealing knowledge of Magano but Rokuro denies being an exorcist before she even gets the first word out.
- These Hands Have Killed: The reason Rokuro intended to quit as an exorcist.
- This Is Unforgivable!: Rokuro gives one of these speeches to Yuuto.
- Time Skip: A two years long skip happens at the end of chapter 18. In chapter 76, a four year skip shoots the main characters to 20 years old.
- Took a Level in Badass: Benio, Rokuro, as well as Mayura go through several.
- Tournament Arc: The Hadarae Castle Games sub-arc where Rokuro joins a tournament at Tsuchimikado Island, with even the Heavenly Commanders participating, so he can gain fame now that he's starting his own household.
- Trademark Favorite Food: Benio really like Ohagi, a type of sweet made with rice and red bean paste.
- Vicious Cycle: The King of the Kegare is really an alien parasyte that incubates inside a planet and feeds off the negative energy of its inhabitants until it obtains enough power to destroy the planet and then move on to the next. The cycle has already repeated many times before the King of the Kegare arrived to Earth and it's implied the worlds it destroyed are some sort of alternate Earths with their own versions of the cast.
- Villainous Breakdown: Yuuto does not take it well when Benio manages to adapt the powers of an impurity like he and Roku do. Seems the boy has a superiority complex and seeing someone he wrote off as weak not only attain the same power he thought made him special but to almost surpass him with it sends his whole world crashing.
- Villainous Friendship: Higano and Hijirimaru do care about each other, despite being Impurities. When Higano takes the bullet for Hijirimaru and
dies literally on his lap, it sends the remaining Basara in a Roaring Rampage of Revenge. - Villainous Rescue: Kamui pulls one off for Benio, right before she is killed by Impurities after her legs were blown up, and offers her a Deal with the Devil. She is at first and understandably rather confused on his motivations. He says it's his hobby.
- We Can Rule Together: Yuuto attempts repeatedly to persuade Rokuro to join him as his Evil Minion. Emphasis on repeatedly.
- When She Smiles: In Chapter 18, when Benio smiles sweetly, Rokuro blushes profusely and thinks he'd like to make her smile more.
- Win Her a Prize: In Chapter 18, Rokuro and Benio are hanging out by themselves in a local festival. To cheer Benio up, Rokuro spends a lot of money at a shooting gallery stall to win a pair of bellflower-shaped hairclips for Benio. Benio happily puts the hairclips on as she tells Rokuro she's touched by his gesture.
- The Worf Effect: Benio suffers this in the first episode, when despite all of her charms and powers, is unable to defeat the creature. Rokuro, after berating her for wanting to be an exorcist but not having enough power to banish it, then destroys said creature with one punch.
