Tenjho Tenge/Characters

Jyuken Club
Maya Natsume "Voiced by: Aya Hisakawa (JP), Wendee Lee (EN)"

The busty 17 year-old captain of the present Jyuken Club. A third-year student, she can control her body by shrinking herself to the appearance of an 8 year-old. She had a previous relationship with Mitsuomi, but has now sworn revenge on him for the events surrounding the death of her older brother, Shin.

Tropes associated with Maya: ""Bob? If that weird little girl suddenly turns into the kind of stacked voluptuous chick you’d see working in a sketchy nightclub, what should I do?""
 * Always Someone Better: To her younger sister Aya.
 * Badass
 * Badass Normal: She doesn't have any supernatural powers, unlike some of the other main characters.
 * Broken Bird: Currently has a strained relationship with Mitsuomi Takayanagi due to events in their past, and can be sad or broody at times.
 * Hair Antennae
 * Heroic Sacrifice:
 * Hot Chick with a Sword
 * Ms. Fanservice
 * Furo Scene
 * Modesty Towel
 * Panty Shot
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Certain events in the backstory were in part caused by her; her rebellion against Shin's group, Team KATANA, and disregard for her own safety, contributed to Shin's extreme rampage against his own comrades, which broke up KATANA and forced Bunshichi to beat sense back into Shin at great personal cost to both of them. Moreover, when Shin was driven into one of his most dangerous rages yet, her concern for Mitsuomi was what caused Shin to hit Mitsuomi with the technique that would cripple Mitsuomi.
 * Older Than They Look: Three words: "Body Refinement Technique".
 * Power Nullifier:
 * Sexier Alter Ego - Maya Natsume actually inverts this trope. Her real form is that of a voluptuous young woman, but she spends most of her time is spent in the form of a young girl, making most people think it is her regular form.
 * Sexier Alter Ego - Maya Natsume actually inverts this trope. Her real form is that of a voluptuous young woman, but she spends most of her time is spent in the form of a young girl, making most people think it is her regular form.


 * Sleep Mode Size
 * Tall Pale And Bishoujo
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl: Physically, rather than personality-wise.
 * You Killed My Big Brother: Feels this way towards Mitsuomi, which is part of the reason that they have such a poor relationship in the present day.

Shin Natsume "Voiced by: Shuichi Ikeda (JP), Liam O'Brien (EN)"

Maya and Aya's older brother, who was the president of the Executive Council and founder of the Jyuken Club. He had the power of the dragon eyes like Aya, but was driven insane by them. His possession of the Reiki is blamed for his insanity. A lot of events in the series are based around Shin's actions and death.

Tropes associated with Shin:
 * Ax Crazy
 * Badass
 * Badass Abnormal
 * Badass Biker: Enjoyed riding now and then, especially when he was calm.
 * Berserk Button: Whatever you do, DO NOT go near this guy's sister.
 * Big Brother Instinct: Shin's got one, but it's taken to such an extreme (especially after Fu Chi'en used Maya to provoke him) that even getting close to Maya emotionally could set him off, as Mitsuomi found out.
 * Bishounen
 * The Berserker: Whenever he held Reiki, or whenever he thought that he was protecting Maya.
 * Death Seeker: In a vision, he saw Mitsuomi as the person who would eventually defeat him, and explicitly tells Mitsuomi that should he lose control, it is Mitsuomi's job to kill him.
 * Eyepatch of Power: Starts wearing one after Bunshichi kicks him in the eye to knock him unconscious after their fight.
 * Mad Oracle: His Dragon's Eyes give him the ability to see past and future events, but it is so out of his control due to his insanity that he describes it as being within a rainstorm, hearing the raindrops but not being able to understand the significance of each one.
 * Posthumous Character: His personality and actions are explored through flashbacks.
 * Self-Made Orphan: He killed his parents with Reiki after discovering that they planned to separate him from Maya.
 * With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: As a result of touching Reiki, he lost control of his powers at a young age, leaving him vulnerable to fits of murderous insanity.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy
 * Worthy Opponent: Saw Mitsuomi as this. Bunshichi also tried to be one to him after viewing Kuzunoha's videotape.

Shinichiro Kurei ("The Alien")

Vice-captain of the Juken Club. When people first meet this third-year student, most are shocked and often confuse him with an extraterrestrial because of the size and shape of his eyes, and the fact that he makes misleading sounds when sucking on his juice box. He is very intelligent, respectful, and is knowledgeable concerning technology.

Tropes associated with Shinichiro:
 * Awesomeness By Analysis
 * Covert Pervert: Likes to take pictures of girls in the shower.
 * Fan Nickname: The Alien.
 * Mission Control
 * Gonk: People tend to utterly freak out upon first meeting him. Souichiro and Bob even captured him, and attempted to call the TV stations concerning an "alien sighting".
 * Non-Action Guy
 * Older Than They Look: He's a third year student, despite his small size and bizarre, alien-like features.
 * Only Sane Man
 * The Smart Guy: Good with technology.

Kagesada "Asshat" Sugano

A third-year student, he is better known by his nickname Asshat (or Scum in the anime) that was given to him by one of the teachers. During the Election Tournament, he remained hidden with Bunshichi and let Maya, Mitsuomi, and Shin do the fighting. He remained a member, although an inactive one, until Souichiro and Bob asked him to rejoin them in their cause.

Tropes associated with Asshat:
 * Badass: Don't let his cowardice fool you - he WILL kick your ass upside down!
 * Badass Normal: He's probably the single most normal fighter in the series other than Bunshichi, since neither of them practice any real martial arts or have any powers. In terms of brute strength alone, he's also likely to be a close second to Bunshichi and Mitsuomi.
 * Brilliant but Lazy: Is the biggest coward in the school.
 * Combat Pragmatist: He gets grappled on purpose just for a chance to choke a guy with his glove strings.
 * Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Shows his colors in the Tournament Arc, when he )
 * Embarrassing Nickname: Asshat, as given to him by one of the teachers as punishment. It fits.
 * Good Old Fisticuffs: His fighting style is traditional boxing.
 * Harem Hero: He literally has an army of smoking hot girls to fight his opponents instead of him.
 * Handsome Lech: Complete with a squad of girls that hangs around him and helps him to "fight".
 * Out of Focus: Seen briefly in the anime during the Flashback arc and hardly mentioned during the manga until he proves how good a fighter he is during the Tournament arc.

Masataka Takayanagi "Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki (JP), Johnny Yong Bosch (EN)"

A second-year, polite boy who trains under Maya. He falls in love with Aya at first sight, but is crushed when she goes for Souichiro. He's an excellent, but often overlooked, martial artist, and can enter into a berserker rage when pushed too far. He is currently estranged from his older brother, Mitsuomi, because of his association with Maya.

Tropes associated with Masataka:
 * Aloof Big Brother: His relationship with Mitsuomi can be described as an extreme version of this.
 * Artificial Limbs:
 * Badass: Most definitely.
 * Butt Monkey: The way he is treated sometimes in-series.
 * Covert Pervert: A HUGE one. Often played up for humor.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: After several volumes of fading into the background, Masataka comes back with a vengeance, utterly crushing Madoka and later a  and handed one of these to   while taking hardly any damage at all.
 * Dogged Nice Guy: Keeps trying to court Aya despite her lack of interest.
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Delivers one to Souichiro in an EPIC manner in the second episode of the anime, when Souichiro uses Aya's home-made lunch to distract him long enough to land a punch. Easily a Crowning Moment of Awesome.
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Is one of the blue oni to Souichirou's red, being much calmer and generally relaxed than him (though he can be set off given enough effort, as his early beatdown of Souichiro proves handily).
 * Unrequited Crush: Towards Aya. Madoka Mawari has a crush on him, of which he is blissfully unaware.

Aya Natsume "Voiced by: Minori Chihara (JP), Stephanie Sheh (EN)"

A first-year student at the Todo Academy and Maya's equally busty younger sister. Like her brother Shin, she possesses dragon eyes, which gives her the ability to see anywhere in the past, present, and possible futures. In addition, it allows her to see and listen to dead, and learn from inanimate objects. So far, she has difficulty controlling it. Since the first time they met, she has devoted herself to becoming Souichiro’s wife, because she believes its fate and it follows the tradition of the Natsume women.

Tropes associated with Aya:
 * Badass Adorable
 * The Ditz
 * Feminine Women Can Cook: Cooks most of the meals as Maya can't cook that well. She also makes lunches for Souichiro, which he continually refuses to eat.
 * Hot Chick with a Sword
 * Ms. Fanservice
 * Furo Scene
 * Modesty Towel
 * Panty Shot
 * Shower Scene
 * Rapunzel Hair
 * Super-Powered Evil Side: Her Dragon's Eyes go out of control at one point, and she beats Shiro Tagami into a paste with his own weapon.
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo
 * Yamato Nadeshiko: Feminine, a good cook, follows the family traditions. Also devoted to becoming Souichiro's wife.

Souichiro Kengo Nagi "Voiced by: Soichiro Hoshi (JP), Steve Staley (EN)"

A self proclaimed hoodlum, and the heir of the Demon Exorcist family. A first-year student, he has been fighting his whole life because of being picked on, due to his lineage. Because of the way he looked and acted, he had little experience with women his own age, until high school. He has problems expressing his feelings toward people, often acting detached to the people he cares most about. His family has long been discriminated against from the lack of understanding by others, and the fact that their power can cause them to become extremely powerful and dangerous to society.

Tropes associated with Souichiro:
 * All of the Other Reindeer: Was bullied during elementary school, due to his family's exorcist powers. Part of the reason why he became a brawler in the first place.
 * Blood Knight: Always looking for a good fight to be excited by.
 * Delinquent
 * Death Is Cheap:
 * Eyepatch of Power: His eye is removed and replaced with Sohaku's before the start of the Tournament Arc, causing him to wear one of these.
 * First Kiss: Had Aya take his from him, much to his chagrin.
 * Hot-Blooded
 * Hot for Teacher: His feelings towards Maya.
 * Jerkass: At first, then evolved to a Jerk with a Heart of Gold.
 * Love Triangle: He likes Maya, but is liked by her sister Aya (whom he is friends with, despite his loud protestation of Aya's feelings and clinginess).
 * Mega Manning: His red-feather power allows him to to absorb the powers of other people and use them for himself. However, doing so runs the risk of him losing control and becoming a berserker killing machine, or being killed by his own power.
 * Mismatched Eyes: Sohaku's eye is distinctly different from his own, possessing a spiral pattern.
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Received this from Masataka in one of the most brutal fights in the series.
 * Physical God:
 * Red Oni, Blue Oni: Is the red oni to both Bob and Masataka, though he does show a more introspective side to his personality at times.
 * Super Mode: His Exorcist form, which causes his hair to turn black and fall straight down; in this state he is capable of using his natural ability of generating electricity as long as he touches the earth, in addition to the powers he's stolen.
 * Super-Powered Evil Side
 * Will They or Won't They?: With Aya Natsume. The manga does shows them becoming closer friends and they later
 * Will They or Won't They?: With Aya Natsume. The manga does shows them becoming closer friends and they later

Bob Makihara "Voiced by: Shinichiro Miki (JP), Jamieson Price (EN)"

Souichiro's friend, who is of African descent. He and Souichiro first met and became friends in elementary school. Naturally athletic, he fights using the Brazilian fighting style capoeira. Because of his ancestry, when he first arrived at Todo, some addressed him as "The Foreigner". He is the conservative one of the pair, and unlike Souichiro, he does not let his rage overtake him.

Tropes associated with Bob:
 * A Man Is Not a Virgin
 * Bash Brothers: Early on, with Souichiro.
 * Black Best Friend: His characterization to begin with is quite flat, but the manga goes some way to develop him in later chapters, highlighting his feelings about his inability to keep pace with Souichiro and the other members of the Juuken Club.
 * Cool Bike: One of his prized possessions, such that he gets incredibly pissed off when it gets wrecked by Ryuuzaki.
 * Dance Battler: Practices Capoeira and uses rhythm to predict his opponents' moves. Shown to also be one of the physically strongest people in the series.
 * Delinquent
 * Gag Penis/Biggus Dickus
 * Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: With Chiaki
 * Morality Chain: Chiaki is this for him. One of the few couples in the series to be depicted as happy with no major tension.
 * Shipper on Deck: Ships Aya X Souichiro.
 * The Straight Man: Much more level headed than Souichiro and is the first to call him out for being an idiot, acting as the other blue oni to Souichiro's red oni.

Executive Council
Mitsuomi Takayanagi "Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa (JP), Kurt Strauss (EN)"

The president of the Executive Council and Todo Academy's top fighter. He is Masataka's brother and is seemingly displeased with his brother's choice of comrades, presumably because of the history between himself and Maya Natsume. He was at one time a friend of Maya's brother, Shin Natsume.

Tropes associated with Mitsuomi:
 * Aloof Older Brother: To Masataka.
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: And how!
 * Badass: Trained for two months straight to beat Shin in combat. Frequently kills live bulls as part of his training in order to be able to strike killing blows in battle without his resolve breaking.
 * Handicapped Badass: He does these things  despite the Deadly Upgrade explained below.
 * Heartbroken Badass: He and Maya refuse to acknowledge their lingering feelings for one another, causing them both some heartbreak and increasing their mutual antagonism.
 * Big Ol' Eyebrows: With FORKED ends!
 * Brought Down to Normal:
 * Calling the Old Man Out: Done in epic fashion as seen through episode flashbacks, culminating in Mitsuomi's ascent to leadership of the clan.
 * Deadly Upgrade/Disability Superpower: Shin's attack is slowly causing Mitsuomi's heart rate to increase over time. A side effect of this is that the increased rate of circulation gives Mitsuomi incredible power. The downside is that he can only fight at full strength for three minutes before his heart rate increases to the point where it can no longer handle the strain. To make things worse, he will die anyway, because his heart rate is slowly increasing even if he doesn't exert himself.
 * I Did What I Had to Do: Views his role in Shin's death as this, though he doesn't use it as an excuse for his actions. Since Shin did indicate that he wanted Mitsuomi to be the one to kill him, it makes sense that he would feel this way.
 * Jerkass: Certainly comes across this way, though he does have good intentions for Masataka and wants him to become strong.
 * Took a Level in Jerkass/Took a Level In Badass: While he was already a strong fighter, his final battle with Shin required him to take it to a new level; however, he began to develop his colder personality immediately afterwards.
 * Your Cheating Heart: Had no problems sleeping with Mana, despite knowing she was only manipulating him as a means to an end.

Emi Isuzu "Voiced by: Haruhi Terada (JP), Kate Davis (EN)"

A third-year student, as well as the vice-president of the Executive Council. Not only is she Mitsuomi's second-in-command, but she also harbors a deep respect and love for him. Because of Mitsuomi's lingering feelings for Maya, Emi sees Maya as someone she must defeat. At first sight, Emi appears to be a drop-dead gorgeous girl, but she is not called, "The Black Blade", for nothing. To the untrained eye, Emi seems to be able to pull out knives from nowhere. Her true secret is that she is obese, but has ability to fold in her fat, as well as being able to hide knives between her fat folds, thus confusing the enemy. Being a member of the rich Isuzu family, she works the family's traditional job as the Takayanagi family's inner guard.

Tropes associated with Emi:
 * Bodyguard Crush: She has deep love and respect for Mitsuomi, being one of the few people aware of his heart condition.
 * Fiery Redhead: Her hair seems more pink in the anime, but her behavior fits the trope.
 * Hot Amazon: First on the list of "Women I'd Like to be Stomped On By" made by the males of the school.
 * Knife Nut
 * Princess Curls
 * The Rival: Sees Maya Natsume as this, due to Mitsuomi's lingering feelings for her. She does gain a sort of respect for Maya after the bowling alley fight.
 * Voluntary Shapeshifting: She is secretly obese; her family uses a body manipulation technique to hide knives and other weapons on their bodies, and so Emi contorts her fat to hide throwing knives and toss them as necessary, making it appear as if she pulls them from thin air. When Maya defeats her, she cannot keep this up, and she reverts to normal form, her damaged clothing becoming even more so.

Bunshichi Tawara "Voiced by: Kazuki Yao (JP), Kirk Thornton (EN)"

A twenty-year-old senior of Todo Academy and close friend of Shin and Mitsuomi. He is the advisor, essentially their strategist, of the Executive Council. He never does anything however, and insists he is a member in name only. Different from all the other characters, Bunshichi does not see any sense in training to be stronger than someone else and avoids entering into fights. Bunshichi is overwhelmingly powerful and is the strongest character in the series, despite his distaste for fighting.

Tropes associated with Bunshichi:
 * Badass: In many ways, which is part of the reason why he is so popular with the fanbase.
 * Badass Normal: He has absolutely no powers, no martial arts training, or utilization of any discipline. At best, he uses his "ki" to just increase his muscle size. Doesn't stop him from being the strongest character in the series who routinely kicks everyone's ass.
 * Determinator: He is able to pummel Shin into the dust and knock him out cold; despite the fact that Shin knocked him into a car and stabbed Reiki into his legs repeatedly, Bunshichi was still able to walk, punch, and kick with the same amount of power as per usual.
 * Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: He's about the only person who can take on Shin at his craziest.
 * Gag Penis/Biggus Dickus: Though whether it matches Bob's or not is not a question to be pondered.
 * Good Old Fisticuffs: His fighting style is best described as "street brawling", simply using his sheer brute force to win fights.
 * Lovable Sex Maniac: Often threatens to rape people, but never really means it, and likes pretty girls; he tends to call large breasts "deadly weapons".
 * Obfuscating Stupidity/Brilliant but Lazy: Regarding his fighting skills and general personality. Once he takes a fight seriously, he can be incredibly deadly, routinely besting most challengers that come his way.
 * Red Baron: Has three nicknames: Exorcist Tawara / God of Fighting / Double Impact Tawara. He lives up to all three of them.
 * Smoking Is Cool: Loves his cigs, so much so that he smokes one
 * The Juggernaut: Despite having virtually no martial arts training, his strength is so monstrous that he is able to hold his own against Todo Academy's best fighters even while holding back. While in his "rage" state, he is practically unstoppable.
 * Unskilled but Strong: Naturally talented and powerful, but with no known formal training.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy
 * Younger Than He Looks: Is apparently around twenty years old, and is still a senior due to the injuries he sustained during Shin's last fight, which forced him to take time off from school.

Shiro Tagami "Voiced by: Eiji Hanawa (JP), Dave Mallow (EN)"

Third-year student and leader of the 3rd division group of the Executive Council. He proclaims himself "the last samurai", following bushido. Being a gentleman, he despises cowardly ways of fighting. His style of fighting is using a hybrid bō that can turn into a sansetsukon. When fighting, he is very violent, but he does not take pleasure in hurting his enemies. As a samurai, he seeks for strong opponents and feels honored for fighting against them. He is currently ranked 9th of the Todo Academy's strongest fighters and is the reserve of the Executive Council on the Election Tournament.

Tropes associated with Tagami:
 * Character Tic: Has a noticeable stutter whenever he speaks (or thinks!).
 * Everything's Better with Samurai
 * Informed Ability: He's said to be one of the 10 strongest people at the school.
 * Honor Before Reason: The real drive of his character - he's probably the single most honorable person at the school.
 * No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Delivered to him by Aya after her Dragon's Eye activates.
 * Spam Attack: Attacks rapid fire with his staff, particularly effective because of his reach and the close quarters in which he was fighting.
 * Speech Impediment
 * The Worf Effect: Apparently, his character's biggest contribution to the series is routinely getting his ass kicked to hype up the next big enemy.

Shinobu Kagurazaka "Voiced by: Mitsuaki Madono (JP), Chris Kent (EN)"

Third-year student and the leader of Mitsuomi's guard, he does not seem to care very much about Mitsuomi's safety, which normally causes Emi to get upset at him. Kagurazaka have a very effeminate look and, for this, is called transvestite by Isuzu. Little of his abilities were shown, and he only had an unfinished fight against Masataka, but his stats on Kurei's data apparently puts him on the same level as Isuzu.

Tropes Associated with Kagurazaka:
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Guy
 * Bishonen: Such that Viewer Gender Confusion is rampant upon first seeing him.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: Gets his ass kicked by Masataka.
 * Informed Ability: Is said to be about as strong as Isuzu.
 * Jerkass
 * Kick the Dog: Literally. Mitsuomi simply kicks him away in the gut, then orders him to warm up his bike after getting his ass handed to him by Masataka.

Koji Sagara / "Saga Mask" "Voiced by: Kenta Miyake (JP), Lex Lang (EN)"

Second-year student and the founder of the Pro Wrestling group, which became a subsidiary of the Executive Council. He joined the Executive Council only after Mitsuomi promised his startup group would not be destroyed, would get a place to practice, and have a budget. He has an alternate personality named Saga Mask, which according to him, is the most brutal enforcer of the school. When playing the part of Saga Mask, he will not take off his mask even if it will prevent trouble with others (including the police), because it is part of his beliefs.

Tropes associated with Sagara:
 * Badass
 * Boring but Practical: His "Muscle Bomb" technique is probably the lamest, most boring move in the series. Yet, it's useful enough for even Mitsuomi to learn and use it.
 * The Big Guy
 * Calling Your Attacks: This series is utterly prone to them, but when your attacks consist of dramatically shouting "German…SUUUPLEX!", it's worth a mention.
 * Cool Mask: Wears a wrestling mask when fighting as he believes it strengthens his power.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: Souichiro utterly destroys him in their second encounter.
 * Giant Mook
 * Honor Before Reason: Allows Souichiro to tap-out via rope despite the fact that they aren't in a wrestling ring.
 * Testosterone Poisoning
 * Theme Music Power-Up: The Terminator theme at that!
 * Walking Shirtless Scene

Tsutomu Ryuuzaki "Voiced by: Kenji Hamada (JP), Derek Stephen Prince (EN)"

A second-year student, fire-elemental user, and an enforcer of the Executive Council. He was assigned to punish Souichiro and Bob for their actions at school. He accomplished this by setting Bob's treasured motorcycle on fire, sexually assaulting Chiaki, and pummeling Souichiro and Bob when they came to save her. Once Souichiro and Bob joined the Juken Club, Maya Natsume pays him a visit, seeking to overturn Souichiro and Bob's expulsion. Ryuuzaki engages Maya in a fight, but loses. Afterwards he is attacked and seriously injured by Sagara, as punishment for failing his mission. While in the hospital recovering from his injuries, Souichiro and Bob come to pay him a visit and deliver their own vengeance.

Tropes associated with Ryuuzaki:


 * Rape as Drama
 * Playing with Fire: Though it's called a cheap trick by other characters, he is capable of this. Maya kicks his ass seven ways to Sunday with her bare hands and a school tie.

'Mitsuiro Tokuan Shojo

The current head of the Shōjō family and Hirohiko’s teammate. She only recently arrived at Todo Academy and she has appeared to have aligned herself with the Executive Council. It was hinted her real reason for coming was to finish her ancestor’s work. Much like her ancestor before her, she seem to have the ability to copy people’s appearance and physical attributes without their drawbacks, such as Mitsuomi's drawback of only able to fight effectively for three minutes.

Tropes associated with Shojo:
 * Body Double: Her Red Feather power allows her to completely copy the appearance, memories, personality, and battle abilities of anyone without any drawbacks. Using this ability, Mitsuomi has her take on his form for the upcoming election tournament.
 * Dark Action Girl
 * Emotionless Girl
 * Friendly Enemy
 * Ms. Fanservice
 * Nice Hat
 * Shapeshifting: Much like her ancestor, she's able to copy people's appearances and abilities.
 * Tattooed Crook: Very unique tattoo on her face, but certainly not a crook.

Hirohiko Myouun Kabane

The current head of the Kabane family and Mitsuiro’s teammate. He only recently arrived at Todo Academy and he has appeared to have aligned himself with the Executive Council. It was hinted his real reason for coming was to finish his ancestor’s work. He seems to be very informed about the strengths and weaknesses of others' powers. His power is the same as his ancestor’s, he can materialize large blades seemingly out of nowhere.

Tropes associated with Kabane:
 * The Ace: Arguably, he is the strongest and most skilled of all the Red Feathers.
 * Badass: And how!
 * Handicapped Badass
 * Beware the Nice Ones
 * BFS
 * Blind Seer
 * Eyes Always Shut
 * Field of Blades: He can turn dust into a storm of swords.
 * Friendly Enemy
 * Powered Armor

F
Sohaku Kago

The first and only ever, head of the Kago family, the true leader of F, and the father of Souichiro Nagi. His power can infuse ki back into a lifeless body, reviving it from the dead. Through this means, Sōhaku seemingly "defies" death and has been alive for centuries. He also has the ability to store his consciousness in his right eye, allowing his soul to migrate to another body, when the eye is inserted into someone else's body. He has a habit of using people for his own means and getting rid of them when they are no longer useful to him. He has always been in conflict with the other founding families and is often responsible for many of their deaths.

Tropes associated with Sohaku:
 * Badass in a Nice Suit
 * Big Bad
 * Delinquent: He certainly dressed like one during his marriage to Makiko.
 * Goggles Do Nothing
 * Grand Theft Me: Wants Souichiro to be powered up with Red Feather powers so that he can eventually possess his body.
 * Manipulative Bastard
 * Man in White
 * Necromancer: Sohaku's Red Feather power allows him to recharge the chakras of ruined bodies, enabling him to give life to the recently dead (although by the definition used in the series, these people aren't fully dead, and it is explicitly stated that even Sohaku can't revive someone who IS really dead). This same power is also what enables him to live for millennia without aging a day and is also what allows him to keep his favorite servants around him for centuries as well.
 * Sharp-Dressed Man
 * Soul Jar: Sohaku's eyes can act as this, leading to Souichirou losing one of his own as part of the Grand Theft Me plot above.
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy
 * White-Haired Pretty Boy

Noriko Shindayu Inue

A Shinto priestess and one of Sōhaku's most trusted subordinates. Her power, the Dragon Roar, allows her to control another’s body, but the owner of the body can still make subconscious movements. She has lived for centuries, due to Sōhaku’s power to defy death. She is often entrusted with Sōhaku’s experiments and seems to have a very possessive love (or adoration) towards him. She is also the one that is delegated to obtain a new body for him if/when his old one is destroyed.

Tropes associated with Inue:
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Bitch
 * Beauty Is Never Tarnished:
 * Brainwashed and Crazy: Can inflict this on others thanks to her powers.
 * Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: Pouring a cup of tea on Mitsuomi's head whilst dissing him is a really, really easy way to get your face smashed in, and tossed out a window.
 * The Dragon: For Sohaku
 * Manipulative Bitch
 * Miko
 * Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Has been kept alive and healthy for years thanks to Sohaku's techniques.

Tetsuhito Kagiroi:

The current star-fighter of F and head of the Kagiroi family, he is one of Sōhaku’s most trusted subordinates.

Tropes associated with Tetsuhito:
 * Achilles Heel:
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Guy
 * Awesomeness By Analysis
 * Badass
 * Badass Abnormal:
 * The Big Guy: Matches or exceeds Bob's height by all appearances.
 * Combat Pragmatist: Is Genre Savvy enough to make use of high-tech "hologram bombs" which project images of himself, and upon contact with the image, explode.
 * Giant Mook
 * Genre Savvy
 * Genius Bruiser
 * Made of Iron: The women of the Kagiroi family drink iron sand during pregnancy which gives members of that family skin and blood that is freakishly strong. It is from this that they get the Iron Fist technique.
 * Really Seven Hundred Years Old: Sohaku's experiments on him have allowed him to live for hundreds of years. He also had Makiko's eye transplanted into him after Sohaku deemed Makiko too weak to be a "true warrior", giving him the powers she absorbed.

Katsumi Kabuto

The current head of the Kabuto family. He acted as Sōhaku’s assistant and supervised the operation to retrieve the computer chip at Enmi's shrine. When the operation failed, he agreed to fight with Souichiro to redeem himself, but since the fight was never shown, his power was never revealed. After his defeat he made a deal with Souichiro that if Souichiro freed him, he would help him escape Sōhaku’s compound. He was last seen meeting Tessen, who immediately killed him.

Tropes associated with Kabuto:
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Guy
 * Badass in a Nice Suit
 * Cool Shades
 * Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: First betrays the 12 Founding families, then betrays Sohaku. Ishiyumi properly ventilates him. And he still has time and energy to switch over to become Mitsuomi's assistant.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: While never shown, it's implied he got his ass handed to him by Souichiro. He also never stood a chance against Ishiyumi.
 * The Dragon
 * Dragon with an Agenda
 * Heel Face Revolving Door
 * Sharp-Dressed Man
 * You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Tired of his Chronic Backstabbing Disorder and scheming, Ishiyumi swiss cheese'd him.

Jushi Mataza Tsumuji

The illegitimate son of Yorihira Mataza Tsumuji, the former leader of the Tsumuji family, and a member of the Shukyou family (a branch of the Kabane family, one of the red feather families of the Flying Phoenix). Because of his mother's being poor to the point of working as a prostitute and his red feather blood, Jushi was despised by his half-brother, the legitimate heir of the Tsumuji family, Yorimasa Mataza Tsumuji, who constantly assaulted and humiliated him. One day, an enraged Jushi tried to kill his brother, only being stopped by his father, who broke his spear. A large fragment of the spear penetrated into Jushi's right eye and was stuck into his brain. This activated the power of the Shukyou family, the Dragon Claw, that was instantly used to slice Yorimasa's right leg. Years later, Jushi grew to become the sadistic leader of the Tsumuji family, after a coup d'état on his father.

Tropes associated with Mataza:
 * Arrogant Kung Fu Guy
 * Badass
 * Bishonen
 * Jerkass
 * Hollywood Cyborg: Tries to avoid using his powers whenever he can. This is why he makes use of eight mechanical arms and multiple spears in battle.
 * Torture Technician: Arguably the best in the series.

Tessen Ishiyumi

The head of the Ishiyumi family, Tessen proved to be one of Mitsuomi's most loyal subordinates. Tessen normally keeps a level-head, and good humor about himself. However, his resolve to place Mitsuomi in power makes him a fearsome combatant. As he refers to Emi Izumi and Shirō Tagami to Mitsuomi's Sword & Shield, Tessen analogizes himself to an arrow, who will stop at nothing until he pierces his prey. The only member of F who leans much more so towards Mitsuomi than F itself.

Tropes associated with Ishiyumi:
 * The Archer
 * Ax Crazy: After losing his powers to Souichiro, he temporarily turns into something of a sociopath. He gets better after a What the Hell, Hero? moment with Mitsuomi.
 * Badass: Most definitely!
 * Cherry Tapping: He massively held back during his first fight against Souichiro.
 * Mr. Fanservice
 * Fan Boy: Deeply admires Mitsuomi.
 * Friendly Enemy: He and Souichiro have a lot in common. There is no doubt if things took a turn differently, they'd be the best of friends.
 * Undying Loyalty
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Temporarily goes a wee bit crazy after Souichiro accidentally snatches away his Dragon's Gate. Mitsuomi firmly snaps him out of it.

Madoka Mawari

The current head of the Mawari family and was a member of F; her specialty is fencing. She was under Sōhaku’s jutsu that was maintained through an amulet on her necklace. This jutsu reduced the pain she felt in battle and also made her believe that she was in love with Sōhaku, even though he was the one who killed her parents. She was sent to retrieve the computer chip from the Juken club. She proved to be very determined until the jutsu was broken when Aya destroyed the amulet. Afterwards, she is proven to be a caring middle school student that is willing to help the Juken club in any way. During the time with the Juken club, she has taken a liking to Masataka, though he is painfully unaware of her affections.

Tropes associated with Madoka:
 * The Ace: Is said to be the single best swordsman in the entire series.
 * Badass
 * Badass Adorable
 * Cultured Badass
 * Little Miss Badass
 * Clothing Damage: Self-inflicted even! Most definitely a case of Awesome Yet Practical while she was fighting against Bob, Masataka and Isuzu.
 * Dual-Wielding: Is more than capable of this, especially with the S.A.B.B. Acetylene Gas Blades--effectively lightsabers made of FIRE, and a pair of trench knives, similar to Asuma Sarutobi's.
 * Cute Chick With a Sword
 * Implausible Fencing Powers: When it comes to living up to the family name in terms of sword expertise, she doesn't disappoint, being more than an even match for Bob in their fight. Maya even goes so far as to say that Madoka easily outstrips her and Aya in the use of a blade, and is honored to watch a demonstration of Madoka's techniques in person.
 * Impossibly Cool Weapon: Again, she has LIGHTSABER-SWORDS MADE OF FIRE. And a Whip Sword.
 * She's All Grown Up:
 * Shiny Midnight Black: Physically and to some extent in terms of personally.
 * Unrequited Crush : Has one on Masataka.

Supporting Characters
Dogen Takayanagi

The father of Masataka and Mitsuomi. Was the former head of the Takayanagi family until Mitsuomi took over. Was best friends with Kaima Natsume.


 * The Atoner: Shows shades of this when he explains his reasoning for training Souichiro.
 * Badass Grandpa: Saves a young secretary girl from gangsters without even breaking a sweat, going so far as to steal a bike to catch up to them.
 * Calling the Old Man Out: Mitsuomi did this by forcibly overthrowing him as head of the family.
 * Dirty Old Man: Seen in the episode where Masataka lets Aya stay with him for the night and his comments to Shin regarding his relationship with Mana.
 * Disc One Final Boss
 * Old Master: Makes up for his age with his experience, and did at one point teach Masataka and Mitsuomi how to fight.
 * Pet the Dog: Does genuinely care for his sons, despite his general bastardry towards them sometimes; he was outraged when Shin nearly killed Mitsuomi in combat, and seems to have a good relationship with Masataka.
 * Scary Shiny Glasses
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist/Knight Templar Parent: Attempted to use Shin as a figurehead for his ideal "True Warrior" to fight, and also to try and stop the threat of Shin in general. He is still in part responsible for Shin's death because of this.

Makiko Nagi "Voiced by: Yuri Amano (JP), Karen Strassman (EN)"

Souichiro's mother.


 * Artificial Limbs:
 * Demon Slayer: As is her family's traditional duty.
 * Eyepatch of Power: Conceals a very nasty mass of centipede-shaped scar tissue.
 * Hot Shounen Mom
 * Mega Manning: The Nagi family possess the power of the Dragon Fist, so she can steal powers just like Souichiro can.
 * Morality Chain: Souichiro is very protective of her, intending to drop out of school later and take over the running of the family business for her.
 * Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Played with. While she's naturally beautiful, the horrible scars marring her face make for a strange inversion of the trope since Sohaku is now more attractive than her.
 * Unholy Matrimony: She and Sohaku were once married according to her and they conceived a son together-- . However Sohaku only saw her as a test subject for his experiments and when he deemed her too weak to "control her own dragon" he transferred all the powers she had absorbed from the 12 Founding Families into her left eye, which he then removed and had transplanted into Tetsuhito. When she tried to follow Sohaku after he abandoned her, he cut off her left arm.
 * Unholy Matrimony: She and Sohaku were once married according to her and they conceived a son together-- . However Sohaku only saw her as a test subject for his experiments and when he deemed her too weak to "control her own dragon" he transferred all the powers she had absorbed from the 12 Founding Families into her left eye, which he then removed and had transplanted into Tetsuhito. When she tried to follow Sohaku after he abandoned her, he cut off her left arm.

Chiaki Kounoike "Voiced by: Ryoko Shiraishi (JP), Julie Ann Taylor (EN)"

Bob's girlfriend, who has no relevance to the plot other than this. Mostly shows up for Fan Service purposes but is apparently a sweet girl, if kinda hypersexual.


 * Bi the Way: The infamous Aya X Chiaki pool scene.
 * Ms. Fanservice: Distinguished from all the other Ms Fanservices in that this is basically her only role in the story.
 * Lovable Sex Maniac: Towards Bob.
 * Satellite Character: No real bearing to the plot whatsoever.
 * Shallow Love Interest
 * Shallow Love Interest

Mana Kuzunoha

Shin's girlfriend.


 * Becoming the Mask: Initially hated being made to act as Shin's girlfriend but grew to fall in love with him.
 * Brainy Brunette
 * Combat Medic: Can throw her acupuncture needles like weapons and is a member of the school's Medical Club. She treats Shin's opponents after he wounds them, saving the lives of many in the process.
 * Heel Face Turn/The Mole: An unusual example both the mole and the 'mark' are aware of each other's roles and maintain the facade. Subverted in that she starts falling for said 'mark' over the course of the relationship.
 * Meganekko
 * Stoic Spectacles
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo
 * Through His Stomach: Laughably averted in a hospital scene where Shin, recuperating from his injuries refuses to eat her bento. She does not take it well.
 * Together in Death: She takes the ki attack directly from Shin meant for Mitsuomi. As the blast tears through her body she confesses her love for Shin even though she knows he doesn't love her back, but because of her sacrifice Shin takes one of her acupuncture needles and with her help commits suicide.
 * The Vamp: To Mitsuomi, in order to further Dogen's plans.
 * Unwanted Spouse: She thinks that Shin views her as this compared to Maya; in fact her opinion on the relationship between the two Natsumes is more of lovers than siblings-at least on Shin's side.

Unaffiliated Characters
Reiki

A ceremonial nodachi that is the heirloom of the Natsume family. Maya is its current guardian, although she eventually intends to hand over possession to Aya when Aya comes of age. It is considered to be cursed by characters, as it amplifies the user's Dragon's Eye abilities, and was part of the reason why Shin became so dangerous.


 * Ancestral Weapon
 * BFS: Obscenely long, probably matching Shin's height in terms of its length.
 * Cool Sword
 * Chekhov's Gun: Beyond its role in Shin's story,
 * Critical Existence Failure:
 * Empathic Weapon: Of a sort.
 * Katanas Are Just Better: Averted, as a nodachi is not explicitly a katana and is based on swords that actually predated the katana.
 * With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Amplifies the user's powers, but if used at too young an age can drive the user insane.

Fu Chi'en

Dogen Takayanagi's Deceptive Disciple. He beat Maya in a fight in order to humiliate her and enrage Shin, which worked all too well and got him beaten to a pulp by Shin. Though he planned to get his revenge on both Shin and Maya, Shin decided to preempt said vengeance by visiting him in the hospital and ripping off his face and ripping out his eyes.


 * Handicapped Badass: His "triumphant" return when he faces off with Bunshichi and Masataka has swords for hands and a veil over his face. As the series goes, more emphasis is put on his increasing cyberization as he loses more and more limbs. His final appearance has him walking on prosthetic bladed hands, with a large wheel attached to his lower torso--the rest of him is simply gone.
 * Smug Snake
 * Staying Alive:  Since then, he's been coming back for more and more punishment, and becoming less human along the way.

Nokimi Mayutsubo

A member of one of the Kago branch families, serving under Sohaku.


 * Combat Sadomasochist:
 * Knife Nut: Carries a razor on hand.
 * Non Action Girl: Though she claims that the Jujitsu club captain has a weak hold, she gets incapacitated with one good punch and spits up the queen bug that coordinated her body controlling powers.
 * Meat Puppet: Can control others with special insects and toughen them up; those controlled tend to lose finer control of themselves and act in very odd ways, having runny noses or drooling.

Yorihira Mataza Tsumuji

The former head of the Tsumuji family, before Jushi overthrew him.


 * Your Cheating Heart: Had an affair with a prostitute which led to Jushi being born. Due to Jushi being illegitimate, his older son Yorimasa hated him and felt that both Jushi and his mother were beneath him and the Tsumuji family.

Yorimasa Mataza Tsumuji
 * Asshole Victim
 * Heir to the Dojo: The reason why he and his younger half-brother do not get along.
 * Jerkass: See the above entry under F members for what he did to his brother and why he got what was coming to him.
 * Sibling Rivalry

 Mrs. Hotaru
 * Deadpan Snarker
 * The Medic

Past/Feudal Japan Characters
Aya Natsume (senior)

Maya and Aya's ancestor. Was a previous owner of Reiki.


 * Younger Than They Look: She has the same ability as her descendant Maya to change appearance, but instead of transforming into a chibi version of herself to save her ki, she transforms into an adult version of herself.

Ichiyo Nagi
 * Improbable Age: Was head of the Nagi family at a very young age.
 * Wise Beyond Their Years

Tokuan Shojo
 * Last of His Kind

Myouun Kabane
 * Identical Ancestor

Senhime
 * Barrier Maiden
 * Bodyguard Crush:

Other Characters
Kaima Natsume "Voiced by: Ryuzaburo Ohtomo (JP)"

The father of Shin, Maya and Aya Natsume.


 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: See below.
 * Parental Abandonment: After Maya unwittingly allowed Shin to touch Reiki, he decided to lock Shin up so that he wouldn't lose control over his powers and to keep him away from Aya, in fear of accidentally awakening her own Dragon's Eye abilities. This backfired, as Shin grew more insane and obsessively attached to Maya as she was the only contact he had in the cellar, and since she was able to calm him down whenever he began to lose control.

Mrs. Natsume

The mother of Shin, Maya and Aya Natsume. Never appears in the anime and is only referred to in the manga in one of Aya's flashbacks.


 * The Cameo: Makes an appearance in one of Shin's flashbacks when he is driven mad by Reiki, admonishing her son for his actions and hugging him without her head
 * Secret Test Of Strength Aya recalls a memory of her mother training her by playing a game with her.
 * White-Haired Pretty Girl: Assuming Shin and Maya got their hair colour from her.