List of Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan characters


Characters that appear in the manga Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan include humans, yōkai and various other factions. Among them is the Nura household of the Nura Clan, which houses the yōkai who follow Nurarihyon, the master of all yōkai.

Nura Clan

The biggest yōkai faction in eastern Japan. They use the character for "Fear" as their symbol and rule over the Kanto area. Shiibashi describes them as a yakuza of yōkai clan, with Nurarihyon as their leader. There are about ten thousand yōkai who are considered members of the Nura Clan, but the clan itself has been in decline since the death of the Second Head Rihan Nura, Nurarihyon's son and Rikuo's father.

Main characters

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Main house

The main house for the Nura Clan, located in Ukiyoe Town. It is a large, old-style Japanese mansion which is home to Rikuo, Rihan, Wakana, Nurarihyon and much of the members of the main house. It also serves as a meeting place for the heads of the yōkai clans under the Nura banner.
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Daruma Alliance

Located in Chōfu, Tokyo.
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Yakushi Clan

The main clan of the Yakushi Clan is based in Kanagawa Prefecture and is composed of bird yōkai whose leader is considered to be the commander of medicines and poisons. By dipping their feathers in alcohol, one can create a potent poison, and the Zen Sect is able to turn any medicine poisonous. At birth, these bird yōkai are beautiful birds, and their wings only become poisonous when they come of age. As a result, they have weak bodies and short lifespans. Their symbol is two crossed feathers.
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Gyuki Clan

The Gyuki Clan's mansion sits atop Mt. Nejireme in Shiga Prefecture, which forms the western boundary of the Nura Clan's territory. They are said to manipulate, bewilder and draw in humans in order to kill them, and their clan emblem is the character for "dread". 400 years ago, the Gyuki Clan was one of the strongest warrior factions and fought against the Nura Clan of the time.
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Bakeneko Clan

A clan of anthropomorphic cat yōkai who were originally put in charge of Ukiyoe Town's First District, but were later usurped by the Kyuso Clan. They are a group that has existed for a long time and had built up evil deeds as gamblers before being taken under the Nura Clan's wing. Under their clan's control, the First District thrived as a place for yōkai entertainment - their specialty being gambling. Despite this, the clan seeks to govern their territory with dignity so as not to disgrace the Nura Clan. After regaining control of the First District, they open a Japanese style yōkai eatery called Bakenekoya. The restaurant had existed since the Golden Age of Edo, but was open to humans as well during the time.
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Kyuso Clan

The Kyuso Clan is composed of rat yōkai, many of which disguise themselves as humans to lure in unsuspecting prey. They have a rivalry with the Bakeneko clan and are used by Gyuki in a conspiracy against Rikuo. Though technically part of the Nura Clan, their leader doesn't approve of Rikuo and they have considered the main house to be weak since the Second Heir's death. When their existence as part of the Nura Clan is brought into question, Nurarihyon wonders why they hadn't been expelled yet.
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Kanto Great Ape Alliance

Located in Yamanashi Prefecture.
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One-Eyed Demon Clan

Located in Saitama Prefecture.
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Gagoze Alliance

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Land Gods

Said to form the foundations of the yōkai world.
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Tono Village

Also known as the yōkai Hidden Village. The yōkai here are neutral and generally do not take sides in the conflicts between yōkai outside of the village. However, the village leaders do not prevent others from leaving if they wish. Some of them are at odds with the Nura Clan because Nurarihyon once convinced a large number of their yōkai to follow him. The village is so full of Yokai aura that light rarely reaches it. Due to this, when Rikuo goes there to train, he is able to stay his Night form at all times. All of the yōkai listed below with the exception of Akagappa and Namahage leave with Rikuo when he goes to fight in Kyoto.
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Kiyojuji Paranormal Patrol

A group of students formed by Kiyotsugu Kiyojuji to investigate yōkai and the master of all spirits, Nurarihyon, and is named after him. They go wherever yōkai are spotted and are in Kyoto under the Keikain protection. In addition to those listed here, the following are also members: Rikuo Nura, Tsurara Oikawa, Kurata and Yura Keikain. After the battle with the Hundred Tales Clan, the entire group now knows of Rikuo's dual identity. A flashback to the Golden Age of Edo shows that with the exception of Yura, Rikuo and Tsurara, the group are reincarnations of children whom Yamabuki Otome once taught. The group is last seen with the rest of the Yokai welcoming a recovered Rikuo back home.
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Keikain House

The premiere onmyōji house that protects the seals around Kyoto. Their bloodline has been cursed by Hagoromo Gitsune so that all males die an early death. Thus males from branch families are taken into the main family to supplement its strength.
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Antagonists

Shikoku Hachijuhakki Yako

A group of yōkai from the Shikoku area, they were rivals of the Nura Clan during the Shikoku Arc. Setting up base in a skyscraper overlooking Ukiyoe Town, they went on a rampage until they faced off against Rikuo. The group dissolved after most of its members were killed by Tamazuki.
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Kyoto Yokai

Known as the central yōkai, they are considered the most blood-thirsty and only fight in mortal combat. However, after Seimei's betrayal of his own mother, Hagoromo Gitsune, they are reformed, but some of them, e.g. Ibaraki-Doji and Kidomaru, still follow Seimei's will.
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Hundred Tales Clan

Originally a group of humans led by Sanmoto Gorazaemon, which told scary stories to create yōkai under their control; after 99 stories, a yōkai is born in the 100th. In the present, the clan comprises the various yōkai born of Sanmoto's body; only his loyal aid remains at the end.
; Sanmoto Gorazaemon
;Yanagida
;Sanmoto's Body Parts
; Encho
; Kyosai
; Tamasaburo
; Raiden : Sanmoto's "bones". A yōkai who is more brawn than brains, Raiden is considerably larger than rest of the clan, being half the size of a building. He is able to extend his limbs for attack, claiming that his body is harder than diamond. However, Rikuo felled him with the use of his new offensive Fear technique.
; Minagoroshi-Gizo : Sanmoto's "left eye". He infiltrated the Kyoto Yokai, brainwashing the top subordonites into thinking he was their ally, and taking the place of Mount Kuruma's Great Tengu. He gave the Devil's Hammer to Nue.
; Nokaze : Sanmoto's "stomach". Disguised as a bespectacled woman in a large coat/dress, Nokaze has a more hideous form hidden within. The self-proclaimed "Foul Feeder" for her Ravenous appetite, she takes great pleasure in devouring humans. Initially watching humans attempt killing Rikuo, she became bored and began eating them instead. Threatening Kana, Nokaze forced Rikuo into his Night form, leading to her demise.
; Brain : Sanmoto's "brain". Found by Yanagida in the remains of Sanmoto's yōkai body as an infant, it was taken in by the rest of its brethren; it serves as a medium through which Sanmoto can communicate from Hell. By the present, Brain is posing as a member of the Nura Clan, thanks to Tamasaburo. Encho betrays and badly wounds the Brain out of annoyance, angering Sanmoto; Brain consumed the remains of the Fear used to power Aooadon, transforming into an incomplete Demon King Sanmoto Gorazemon.
; Devil's Hammer : Sanmoto's "heart". When Sanmoto was rampaging, he found himself at a disadvantage; he pulled out his own heart, turning it into a weapon. It absorbs fear from every yōkai it fells. When a sufficient amount of power is infused into the blade, it becomes a grotesque mix of flesh and bone. 300 years ago, it was used by humans to defend their castle against Inogamigyubo-Tankui's forces; it was later recovered and given to Hargoromo-Gitsune/Yamabuki-Otohime to slay Rihan. Tamazuki would later gain possession of it, slaughtering most of his own Night Parade to strengthen it. In the end, the blade was given to Nue.

Other Yokai

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Oneshot-Exclusive Characters

Characters who only appeared in the original Nurarihyon no Mago oneshot. Several were later incorporated into the main story or served as inspiration for characters that appear later on. The story surrounding Jami greatly resembles the premise of this oneshot.
; Yura Usami
; Daikaku Bandain

Terminology

  • Sakazuki is a pledge of loyalty made over an exchange of wine or sake. A 50-50 portion division gives equal footing to both parties, and is considered a sakazuki of sworn brothers. A 70-30 portion division is a pledge of fealty between a boss and his subordinates.
  • Ikigimo is when a person's liver is taken out while they are still alive. Many yōkai in Nurarihyon's time believed ingesting the life force of infants, priests/priestesses and noble persons would increase their strength.
  • Osore is the unique skills and traits of each yōkai. It refers to the "Fear" of the unknown, an emotional reaction produced when the yōkai represent themselves as "monsters". It is especially important for leaders who wish to draw together gangs of yōkai. There are different types of "Fear" depending on the type of yōkai, such as water or ice. It also plays an important role in battles between yōkai, in which they must "scare one another".
  • Hatsu is the first stage of activating "Fear", and is simply an attempt to scare an opponent by exerting a frightening aura. Those affected by "Manifestation" will experience an overwhelming sense of intimidation, and depending on their opponent's skills, may hallucinate. This aura produces a palpable wall of pressure in the atmosphere, and cutting through this tension to reach the enemy is an important part of yōkai combat.
  • Hyoui is the second stage of activating "Fear" used in yōkai battles. It is the process by which a yōkai materializes their "Fear" into an attack that can harm their enemy by severing their "Manifestation". Yōkai can produce a variety of attacks and techniques based on their type of "Fear".
  • Matoi is a special technique allowing the leader of the Hyakki Yakō to strengthen their "Fear". This technique was created by the Second Head of the Nura Clan, Rihan Nura, and will only work for a leader who is part human. The explanation for this requirement is that the leader must have a "human heart" to be able to empathize or "understand" his subordinates, in order to invoke Matoi. The technique works by "layering" or "covering" the leader in his subordinate's fear, which augments and strengthens his own power. The leader literally "wears" his subordinate, which also gives him access to his subordinate's unique abilities. When Matoi is invoked with a subordinate for the first time, a tattoo-like marking appears on the leader's body, symbolizing the pact they have made.