Asakura Hao is the main antagonist in the Shaman King manga and anime series. During the Heian era, he was born Douji Asaha in Japan. He was reborn as the twin brother of his descendant Asakura Yoh during his third life.
Asakura Hao is the current Shaman King and the most powerful shaman in the entire series.
Personality
During his first life, he was surrounded by the uncertainty of a corrupted and uncaring Heian nobility that wreaked havoc on the country and drove it into poverty. Until he met Ohachiyo, a small demon who taught him all the positive aspects of life, he saw the world as bleak and dark.
After an accident with Hao’s first Over-Soul, Ohachiyo became a permanent part of Hao and cursed him with a dangerous Reishi ability. Hao was aloof to those around him in his teen years, having witnessed the corruption and greed in the capital, but as he grew into an adult, he became a relatively peaceful man who sought to help those around him, and the Asakura Family prospered thanks to him. He took in the cat Matamune, whom he considered his only friend, because of his gentle and kind nature.
His Reishi abilities, on the other hand, grew in strength and eventually outgrew his control. The deluge of negativity eventually created a “Oni” inside his own heart because he couldn’t turn his Reishi off. The internal confusion and disorder that resulted in his desire to establish the Shaman Kingdom on Earth eventually drove him to become the Shaman King in order to accomplish this main goal.
Hao is usually calm, cruel, and always smiles in his third and most recent incarnation. When he is truly angry, it is extremely rare, and when he is, the person he is angry with is usually killed and burned to death down to their soul by The Spirit Of Fire.
He also enjoys watching Shaman Fights, especially those involving powerful Shamans, and Asakura Yoh. He isn’t just interested in that; he also declares that when Yoh reaches his limits, he will merge with him to become the strongest Shaman.
He has expressed a dislike for being addressed by family titles, glaring coldly at Yoh when he addressed him as “Nii-chan” (Big brother) and asking his nephew Hana to stop addressing him as “Uncle,” though he would later address both in the same manner. Despite his misgivings about humanity, Hao adored his mother, whose death was the catalyst for his deep hatred and resentment of the human race.
Money, according to Hao, is the primary cause of societal corruption. He refuses to use it and instructs his group to adopt the philosophy of complete self-sufficiency, even if it means stealing something to do so.
Appearance
Hao is Yoh’s older twin brother and ancestor, and they are physically very similar in many ways, particularly in facial features and body structure, as they both have dark brown hair and brown eyes. Hao’s hair is much longer than his younger twin’s, reaching past his waist, and he is slightly taller and more muscular than Yoh.
He frequently wears a pale yellow poncho cloak that only covers his upper body, with nothing underneath.
He’s dressed in a pair of dark red baggy pants with two sections each with a set of three straps on each leg and shoes with two studs protruding from the toes, as well as a pair of black with red lining fingerless gloves with four small protrusions where the knuckles are imprinted with his own name.
He also wears a belt with the Five Point Star embroidered on it, as well as straps lined with it. He also wears medium-sized gauge stud earrings with a five-pointed star pattern. Hao’s hair folds up into several spikes when he uses the Over-Soul or his Yin Yang Jutsu.
Hao is dressed in dark blue jeans and a half-buttoned white shirt with oversized collars and cuffs when out in public.
Power and Abilities
Hao has a tremendously overwhelming level of Furyoku in his current life, 1,250,000 in total, as an ancient shamanic master who has died and reincarnated twice.
[number four] According to Asakura Yohmei, he was so powerful in his first life that even the strongest Shikigamis swore their allegiance to him.
Onmyodo
Hao’s original taijutsu master abilities have given him complete control over the elements and divination powers since his first life. He can manipulate the six elements of nature, fire, earth, wood, metal, and water, not only materially but also spiritually, as shown when he temporarily transforms the Spirit of Fire into the Spirit of Water. Hao possesses great elemental and divination abilities even without the spirit of fire, and can easily bend oni and demigods to his will.
However, with the addition of the Spirit of Fire, one can only assume that by using it as a power source, he will be able to greatly increase the circular properties of his art. The spirit of fire, on the other hand, primarily uses physical attacks, though its fire attributes have been used in combat on occasion.
Hao is rarely seen using his taijutsu arts in both the manga and anime series because he is fond of the element fire. Nonetheless, his Onmyodo abilities combined with the Spirit of Fire forms give him an Over-Soul that is only second in power to one with the Great Spirit.
Shamanic Techniques
Hao has a large arsenal of shamanic techniques and spells because he has lived as both an Onmyouji and a Patch priest of the Patch tribe, and was reborn with all the knowledge of his previous two lives.
Reishi
This ability allows reading the thoughts and feelings of others. Despite the fact that it was a useful ability, Hao was unable to control it and was constantly bombarded with the thoughts of those around him. Though he used it to relieve human suffering at first, he began to see the darker side of human nature when he discovered through his reishi that those he helped were jealous and afraid of his own power, and convinced them that he was evil.
He eventually developed a hatred for humanity and set out to create a world populated solely by shamans. The ability, according to Hao, stems from a strong sense of loneliness. He retains the ability in each of his incarnations until he is confronted by all of the spirits he has ever met; shortly after, Anna informs him that he is unable to read minds because he is no longer lonely as a result of meeting Yoh, who had the same effect on her.
Taizan Fukun no Sai
To reach Taizan Fukun and bargain with him, the shaman must master all five elements of the pentagram and defeat the seventy-five lords of Hell. Hao was able to reincarnate five hundred years later as a member of the Patch Tribe, and then five hundred years later as a member of the Patch Tribe.
Curse Reflection:
Curse Reflection was only used once, during the military’s invasion of the secret patch island, when Amano Teruko attempted to use her special skill, “2’O Clock Curse,” which badly backfired and nearly killed her instantly. Hao appears to have used this technique without realizing it, as he showed no signs of acknowledging her presence.
History
First Life
Douji Asanoha, his mother, named him Douji Asaha when he was born in Japan. However, his mother Asanoha was murdered by a group of humans who mistook her for a demon. Asaha wandered and lived aimlessly by himself after his house was burned down to the ground, believing himself to be a boy with strange demonic powers who planned to exterminate all humankind. He met a spirit named Ohachiyo one day while sitting by a gate, and they quickly became friends.
After noticing the similarity between Asaha’s and Asanoha’s names, Ohachiyo gave him the nickname “Douji Mappa.” The demon persuaded Asaha to set aside his vengeance and focus on the positive aspects of his new life. Ohachiyo taught him a variety of skills, including fishing, writing, and, most importantly, the dangerous Reishi ability.
For a brief moment, Asaha kept his word and lived life with a smile on his face. When a guard overheard him talking to himself in the middle of the night, he immediately suspected him of being a demon and reported him to Monk Densen Hoshi. Densen confronted Hao, but he was exposed as a liar and was easily defeated by him.
As he recognized the man as the killer of his mother, he committed his first murder. Asaha was unable to maintain control of his Over Soul due to his Furyoku depletion, and unintentionally consumed Ohachiyo’s power.
Asanoha ended up on the streets of Kyoto, where an Onmyji Hamo Tadatomo and his apprentice Daitaro discovered him unconscious. Asaha was being sought by Hamo as the source of a large number of Onis summoned in the area. Tadatomo took Asaha in as his apprentice after clearing out all the Onis and seeing his potential.
Asaha’s fellow apprentice, Daitaro, was used as a test subject by Tadatomo, who intended to create a human Shikigami hybrid that regular humans could see at a yearly ceremony for exorcising the capital of Onis. Asaha attempted to intervene, but was hampered by Tadatomo’s Shikigami until Tadatomo was killed by Daitaro, causing them to vanish.
Despite their aides’ advice to flee, Asaha decided to surpass Tadatomo by defeating Daitaro and gaining control of him using the Onis within his own body. In the five years that followed, his abilities earned him the title of Kyoto’s guardian, and he was given the name Asakura Hao, which was inspired by his position.
Hao became a talented Onmyoji as a result of his childhood experiences, and he founded the Asakura Family in Kyoto. Hao created Onis all the time because he was lonely, but that wasn’t a problem for him because he could control them. Hao met Matamune, a stray cat, during this time. Matamune was Hao’s only friend, and Hao gave him some of his spiritual energy in the hopes that he would stay with him forever.
Nonetheless, the curse that Ohachiyo placed on Hao was permanent, and it eventually drove Hao insane. The Shaman King would eventually come to Hao’s attention. The Asakura family expelled him because of his plans to wipe out humanity, but he remained in Kyoto and founded a branch of the Asakura Family. During the Shaman Fights, he was eventually killed by one of his own relatives.
Second Life
Hao’s Yin-Yang Jutsu, or mastery of the five elements, saved him from permanent death by allowing him to control the circumstances of his reincarnation. Using Taizan Kuzun’s ritual, he was able to gain control over his soul. Though reaching Taizan Kuzun required defeating the seventy-five Lords of Hell, making a contract with him grants the ability to resurrect the dead or reincarnate at will.
Hao then chose to reincarnate as a member of the Patch Tribe, the ones who organized the Shaman King Tournament, and later stole the Spirit of Fire from them. He was married with a child during his time as a Patch. With the help of his new guardian ghost, Hao easily defeated many formidable foes, including the four Seminoa Warriors, who had heard of his plans and decided to stop him.
He attempted to promote his vision of a Shaman world once more, but was rejected by the shamans he was attempting to recruit. He had the same plans as Asakura Yohken and Matamune to rule the world and kill everyone, but he was stopped by Asakura Yohken and Matamune.
Despite the fact that he died before becoming Shaman King, he was successful in capturing the legendary Spirit of Fire to serve as his guardian ghost in his next life. When the Patch Tribe realized they were now missing a priest, they allowed both of his wife and child to live in order to continue the line of Patch Priests. As a result, Silva of the Ten Patch Officiants was born from Hao’s lineage several generations later.
Third Life
He chooses to be reborn into his original bloodline after being killed as a member of the Patch in order to become much stronger. Asakura Yohmei predicted his late actions, and it was decided that Hao would be killed upon his rebirth.
When Yohmei was about to strike the infant, however, he paused briefly, allowing Hao to summon the Spirit of Fire. After Hao tried to kill Yohmei with a punch and was badly burned in the process, Mikihisa put himself in the way. Hao then told Keiko to remain still because he didn’t want his vital “Other Half” to die before she was born. He laughed and then vanished with these words.
He was apparently raised by Brocken Meyer after escaping the Asakura family. He and Brocken left when he was five years old in search of new henchmen. Hao left a trail of destruction in his wake wherever he went. He killed Lyserg’s parents when they tried to stop him because they recognized him as a great evil; in the meantime, he maimed Cebin Mendel for unknown reasons, and then he killed a military unit while looking for Mohamed Tabarsi.
He also burned down Marco Lasso’s church-orphanage home and killed everyone inside. Hao had amassed an incredible number of henchmen by the age of eight, whom he would teach many of his own personal techniques, such as the Fumon Tonk.
Tokyo Shaman Fights
Hao first appears among the other contestants, smirking and commenting on Yoh and Ren’s battle, saying that both of their shamanic powers were slowly growing and that the winner would undoubtedly be a major obstacle in the near future.
Traveling Across America
When the Shamans assemble to board the Patch plane for America, Hao is introduced for the first time. He appears in front of Yoh and his group, proclaiming himself to be the future Shaman King and deciding to play with them and put their strength to the test.
He is later interrupted by his own followers, who warn him that if he continues to play around, they will miss the plane, which he agrees to, but not before telling Yoh that he was impressed by his determination and that he would be a useful ally before leaving with his allies.
Second Round of Shaman Fights
As Hao observes Yoh’s progress in his first match, he is impressed by Yoh’s first Over Soul “Spirit of the Sword” and, in particular, how quickly he was able to master it in less than a month. He then walks out of the stadium, following Ren. Ren notices and tells Hao to leave him alone.
Ren is then offered the opportunity to join Hao’s own group, but he declines and attacks Hao. But Hao easily and quickly blocks his attack, turning it into ash. Ren is shocked by Hao’s powerful strength and returns to the stadium to learn more about him as Hao leaves for his own match.
Hoshi-Gumi is Hao’s own team, which consists of himself, Luchist, and Opacho. One of the X-law teams will face Hoshi-Gumi. Before the match began, Hao requested that both Opacho and Luchist leave the area so that he could face them all at once.
The X-laws decide to fight Hao one-on-one, despite the fact that they will lose, so that the other shamans can learn more about him. Hao quickly summons the Spirit of Fire and kills two X-laws members in a single attack. The Spirit of Fire is crushing the third member.
Hao later reveals that his shamanic medium is the air itself, which he admits is the case because what other medium of fire would be better? Marco is enraged because this demonstrates that Hao doesn’t care if anyone knows his secret and that he mocks the sacrifices of the X-laws whom he killed. Chris Venstar, on the other hand, throws a special grenade at Hao that can extinguish all oxygen in the area.
Fortunately, the force field surrounding the ring absorbs the full blast of the explosion, and Hao appears to be unharmed. Hao is still unprotected as the smoke clears, but the Spirit of Fire has transformed into water. Hao then used his knowledge of the five elements to transform the Spirit of Fire into Water in order to protect himself. Hao bestows upon the X-laws the honor of being Eaten by the Spirit of Fire in order for it to grow stronger as a reward for their wise bravery.
In the meantime, When Hao discovers Yoh is about to abandon the Shaman Fight, he threatens to kill the Golem and the children unless Yoh returns to the competition. Luchist is then instructed by Hao to assist Yoh in defeating the X-laws. very soon Following that, Hao notices Team “The Ren” fighting one of the Gandhara teams and realizes Horohoro’s real name is Usui Horokeu.
As Hao departs for his lair, the Star Festival begins.
On his own, he orders his henchmen to thwart Gandhara’s plan to create the Five Warriors. Meanwhile, John of the X-laws fires a beam at him from a secret satellite. When Hao reveals his armored Over Soul, which protects him, this strategy fails. John’s soul is then completely destroyed by the Spirit of Fire.
Hao travels to the area where Marco and Jeanne are, where he encounters Anna. Anna uses Furyoku Nullification to completely undo his attack with Zenki and Goki, to which he responds with the Spirit of Fire. Hao then unleashes his Armored Over-Soul: the Raven after Anna uses a curse reflection to harm him.
As spirits arrive in the battle, Team Hana-Gumi questions if Hao is just using them. Later, Hao reveals the truth and tries to absorb their souls, but Anna saves them by summoning one of Hao’s old guardian ghosts.
Hao is impressed by Anna and asks her and himself why he can’t read her mind and that she hasn’t used her full power, “the power that she doesn’t want anyone to know about,” and why he can’t read her mind. “Who are you?” and “What are you?” Hao then asked Anna. When Yoh arrives, he says, “Anna is Anna,” and persuades Hao to join him for coffee. They have a conversation. After detecting Yohken’s presence in Yoh’s mind, he departs.
Hao is seen relaxing in a hot spring while listening to the match on the radio during the fight between Team The Ren and Funbari Onsen. When everyone is shocked to learn that he appears to have no friends, Hao reveals that this thought was only in Yoh’s head the entire time. Yoh has a new technique that he learned in Hell, which he soon discovers.
Plants are being invaded.
The Patch brought Team “Hoshi-Gumi,” Team “The Ren,” Team “Funbari Onsen,” and Team “X-I” to the Continent of Mu after the Second Rounds of the Shaman Fights were completed, where the third and final rounds would be held. The other three teams, instead of continuing the competition, forfeited, making Hao the new Shaman King.
Lip and Rap then led him through the Plants to the Kings Sanctuary, where Hao would be united with Great Spirit and sleep a pseudo-death. When he finally wakes up, he sends the message “so small” to the Oracle Bells.
With the exception of Rutherford, Opacho, and Yoh, he then kills everyone with a single glance. Yoh deduced that Hao was controlling his body even though his spirit had already moved on as the Shaman King after Opacho mentioned that the Hao she knew wasn’t here anymore. Yoh then decapitates Hao, declaring him to be nothing more than a walking corpse. (#13) Hao, on the other hand, does not die after merging with the Great Spirit, most likely because he is omnipotent.
As Yoh’s soul and Amidamaru are seen being absorbed by Hao after he smirks. When Yoh awakens, he realizes he must be inside the Great Spirit, and Hao appears, revealing that he is actually inside himself and in the Great Spirit’s highest society, the Shaman King’s society, which only Hao can enter.
The two strike up a conversation, during which Yoh reveals that he, too, despises humans for destroying the planet. He admits, however, that he could never go so far as to kill them, so Hao orders him to leave. Yoh, as well as Tao Ren, Lyserg Diethel, Chocolove McDonell, and Usui Horokeu, are not banished. The Shaman King and the Five Elemental Warriors then engage in a fierce battle.
The fight is so evenly matched that it ends in a stalemate until Hao reveals that the fight was just a warm-up for their defeat and unleashes a supernova that develops into a black hole. The Soul Train appears out of nowhere, anchoring the five as they are being dragged in.
All of the people killed by Hao Has when he became Shaman king, as well as the Five Elemental Warriors’ dead family members and friends, are on board. As Yoh finally manages to calm Hao by allowing Opacho to jump into a black hole, which Hao immediately stops due to their bond.
Hao realized that his search was not for who he had become, but for something he couldn’t recall. According to the Asakura family, his quest began because of his late mother. Yoh finally realizes what Hao is looking for and informs him that his late mother was always with him in spirit form.
As Hao realizes, his mother could have been his guardian ghost and Over Soul, but he was blinded by his own quest and was unable to see the truth. When Hao’s mother arrives, he is overjoyed to see her again, despite the fact that she slapped him for everything he had done and embarrassed him in front of everyone.
After that, he allows everyone to return to Earth, but tells Yoh that he still despises humanity, but that he will wait for them to solve their problems before passing judgment, and that they should not be so impolite.
Uta no Funbari
They enter Hao’s realm in the Great Spirit after Yoh, Anna, and their infant son, Asakura Hana, are killed in the Middle East. Through blackmail, Anna forces him to resurrect all three of them. Hao does so while implanting Oni’s into Hana as a fail-safe mechanism to keep him alive.
Hao is seen happily watching over Yoh and his friends alongside Matamune at the end of the series, implying that he has finally let go of his hatred and accepted his role as Shaman King.
Arrangements of flowers
Following Hao’s ascension to the position of Shaman King, the G8 called a meeting and, with a vote of no confidence against him, launched the Flower of Maize to decide the world’s fate. After Hana dies while deliberately summoning Oni’s to fight Tao Men several years later, he reappears and lectures him on his misuse of the Oni’s before offering to resurrect him one last time if he can defeat Yoh, who appears to be himself from 13 years ago.
After defeating Hana, he decides to bring Yoh up to speed while they keep an eye on Hana. At the same time, he makes it clear to Thalim and the other former Patch officials that they are only allowed to observe Hana’s progress and cannot interfere in any way.
At the same time, he observes that Yosuke’s abduction of Amidamaru was convenient because he spoiled Hana excessively. He also expresses his desire for Sakurai to serve as Hana’s guardian ghost, telling the priests that they will eventually understand why he chose a mere human ghost to serve as his nephew’s guardian. Later, as Hao declares his intention to change the world with the Flower of Maize to Yoh, YVS appears and declares his intention to keep things as they are.
Quotes
- “But some people are born lucky. They lead happy lives without even trying. Ridiculous, isn’t it?”
- “You guys are so small.”
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