Yoh Asakura

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Yoh Asakura

Yoh Asakura (麻倉 葉, Asakura Yō) is the main character in the anime and manga Shaman King. In the original Japanese anime, his name is sometimes romanized with a circumflex, sometimes romanized as Yoh, and sometimes romanized as You, while in the English adaptations, his name is always romanized as Yoh.

Character

Yoh was born on May 12, 1869 and has a bloodtype of A. He hails from Izumo, Shimane Prefecture, Japan, is a slacker and wants to become Shaman King so that he could lead an easy life, as well as to fulfill his promise to his fiancée. His fiancée, Anna Kyōyama, is pushing him into being the Shaman King. Yoh's grandparents paired them up in an arranged marriage in order to keep the family bloodline going (In the English anime, Anna saved Yoh's life and Yoh promised her that she would be Shaman Queen if he was Shaman King).

Yoh's best friend is the panicky Manta Oyamada (Mortimer "Morty"). As the story progresses, Yoh's adversaries are often won over by his good nature and become his allies in the Shaman Tournament. Yoh attends Shinra Private Academy along with Anna Kyoyama and Manta, and along with them is in Class C in the 7th grade.

Yoh is part of the Funbari Hotspring Team (Team Asakura in the English anime). It is stated in the first volume of the manga that Yoh's name means "Leaf" in Japanese. His favourite musician, "SOUL BOB", is a reference to Bob Marley.

Jeanne has described his furyoku as,"soothing, calm and crystal clear." Jeanne then asks Yoh if he would consider becoming an X-Law. His furyoku however can be quite menacing and oppressive under rage or great stress, identical to that of Hao's as seen by the reaction from Hao's followers and Lyserg. This furyoku manifests as flames in his eyes, just like Hao since technically, they are the same person.

Amidamaru

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Yoh invoking Amidamaru in his evolved Over Soul form, after venturing through the Cavern of Shamans

Yoh's spirit ally is Amidamaru, a dead samurai, and his sword is named Harusame, which means 'Spring Rain' (called "The Sword of Light" in the English dub). Yoh has different special attacks, based on certain positions. One of them is the most common: Amida-Ryuu Dai Gokoujin (Halo Blade in the English anime). This is when Yoh and Amidamaru do a very powerful slash that can be quite murderous. The other attack, Shinkuu Buttagiri (or Celestial Slash in the English dub), is where they emit an energy wave from their sword. At one point in the anime, Yoh and Amidamaru execute an attack, Shinkuu Buttagiri, in which Yoh strikes using the over-soul shield. This attack is presumably a lot weaker than his other muscle memory techniques.

Family

It is revealed in Shaman King that part of the reason why it is critically important for Yoh to become Shaman King is that he has to defeat Hao Asakura (Zeke in the English anime), who wants to destroy humanity.

When Hao and Yoh first meet, what is notable is that Yoh is a dead ringer for Hao, except for his shorter hair length. Even as it is revealed that Hao was actually Yoh's ancestor, who reincarnated himself, it doesn't seem to explain how the two look so alike. Eventually, it is revealed that the two are actually twins. However, it is revealed that Yoh is in fact also Hao's reincarnation, the rest of Hao's power.

Hao had been defeated by the members of the Asakura family one thousand years ago, but he managed to reincarnate himself 500 years later as a member of the Patch Village Tribe (Dobi Village in English anime). In his first reincarnation, he was defeated by Yohken Asakura (an ancestor of Yoh's) and the spirit Matamune. Not one to give up so easily, Hao reincarnates himself back into the Asakura family 500 years later, this time as one half of a pair of twins, by accident. The fact was that they weren't just twins. Hao and Yoh were actually once one and the same person, Hao had the larger portion of his soul with all his memories, while Yoh had the smaller portion, as the original Hao's soul somehow split when he got reborn. In other words, Yoh was Hao in his previous life, and they used to be one. Later, the reason why Hao wants Yoh to get stronger is revealed. Hao had said, "Please take care of my other half of my body well. I'll eventually come back to claim it."

The Asakura family is notable for its spiritual prowess and only those with the strongest spiritual abilities marry into the family. Anna, because of her unusually strong itako powers, is one of the select few who may become a member of the family (through marriage). Yoh, in particular, possesses a rare potential seen in few members of the family.

Yoh's father, Mikihisa Asakura (麻倉 幹久 Asakura Mikihisa), is an ascetic monk and commands two spirits of nature, a kitsune (fox) and a tanuki (raccoon-dog). Keiko Asakura, his mother, is a miko whose most distinguished ability is hearing spirits telling of impending disaster. Yoh's grandfather, Yohmei Asakura (麻倉葉明 Asakura Yōmei), is an onmyōji known for his divining abilities. His grandmother, Kino Asakura, is a master itako who trains young girls in the art at Osorezan.

Shamanic Spells & Techniques

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The Evolution of Yoh's Over Soul. From top to bottom: O.S. Amidamaru (1st Stage), O.S. Amidamaru (2nd Stage), O.S. Spirit of Sword, S.O.S ~ Byakkou

小鬼ストライク Ko-Oni Strike

This is one of the Asakura clan's onmyôji magic. With this magic, an onmyôji can summon shikigami -- familiar spirits -- from leaves or bits of paper to do their bidding. They are most useful, from anything from household chores to assassinations. Yoh never truly mastered Shikigami magic, but displayed the capacity to use it at age 10, under tutelage of his grandfather, Yohmei Asakura. At best, he could only invoke three Shikigami from the leaves. Overall, however, this is a minuscule technique compared to Yoh's more advanced shaman magic.

御経 Okyō

A sutra taught to him by Anna. It is a Buddhist exorcism chant of the Sankiraimon, or the Three Refuges that would send any spirit with knowledge of Buddhism who hears it to the hereafter. However, as it is a written language media, the sutra mainly works on spirit whom identify with the culture of eastern shamanism, which Yoh eventually discovered during his entry exam against Silva; almost sending Amidamaru to heaven.

憑依合体 Hyōi Gattai

Translation: VIZ "Spirit Integration", literally "Spirit Unity"

This shamanic technique enables the shaman to integrate spirits into their body, forming a "unity" of both, their spirit and that of the ghost. The shaman would enter a special trance which enables them to synchronize their spirit with that of the ghost; allowing the ghost to possess their body and enabling the ghost to interact with the physical world. Furthermore, once integrated, the shaman takes on the knowledge & wisdom of the ghost as well as their personality. Though it is unknown when Yoh learned this technique.

オーバーソウル Over Soul

Initially, Yoh learns how to create the magical Over Soul indirectly during his battle with the Shaman Fight officiant, Silva. By integrating Amidamaru's spirit with that of his sword, Harusame, and subsequently, the heirloom antiquity, the Futsu-no-Mitama no Tsurugi, Yoh forges the ethereal Over Soul. This shamanic technique quickly becomes Yoh's quintessential mode of shamanic combat and his most versatile tool.

超占事略決 - 巫門遁甲 Chō Senji Ryakketsu - Fumon Tonkou

One of many spells Yoh learned from the contents of the Ultra Senji Ryakketsu that Anna brought to him from Master Yohmei. Using this spell enables one to read the flow of furyoku and determine its course. Effective use can render most magical attacks ineffective.

超占事略決 - 三日月ノ祓 Chō Senji Ryakketsu - Mikazuka no Harae

This was a secret exorcist magic left to Yoh by Matamune, to help vanquish the Oni that Anna created. However this magic depleted the reserve furyoku within Matamune, and as a result, sent him to the hereafter.

阿弥陀流 真空仏陀切り Amidaryū: Shinkuu Buddha-giri

Translation: VIZ "Amida-Style: Shockwave Buddha-Slash", literally "Vacuous Buddha-Slash"

Amidamaru's signature technique developed when he was still alive. Its principal use is to strike at adversaries outside of his sword's range. Essentially, it breaks the air with a slash and forces out a powerful shockwave at the adversary. Through constant "Spirit Integration" Yoh learns this technique, albeit through muscle memory. With the introduction of the Over Soul, this technique has been somewhat modified, instead expanding the Over Soul over a distance, rather than a shockwave slash. The name of this technique was changed to "Celestial Slash" in the English dub, possibly to avoid religious implications.

阿弥陀流 後光刃 Amidaryū: Gokōjin

Translation: literally "Amida-Style: Halo Blade"

Amidamaru's most revolutionary technique. It is a dual-sword battō-jutsu technique executed from his unique and legendary fighting stance, called Tathagata. During execution, both swords are unsheathed at incredible speed at dead-range of the adversary, unleashing a strike with enough power to bust an adversary to shreds. Since then this technique has been modified for use in Over Soul mode; instead using the magical power of the Over Soul to cut the enemy to pieces in one swift sword-draw.

阿弥陀流 大後光刃 Amidaryū: Dai Gokōjin

Translation: literally "Amida-Style: Grand Halo Blade"

The advanced form of the normal Gokōjin. Using the normal, 'Over Soul'-ed Gokōjin as a primer, and powered by Amidamaru's newly-acquired seirei-class powers, this high-level technique focuses furyoku and destroys anything with a decisive strike of cutting furyoku waves using his Over Soul "Spirit of Sword".

阿弥陀流 無無明亦無 Amidaryū: Mu-Mu-Myou-Yaku-Mu

The ultimate technique of Yoh's "Byakkou" Over Soul, conceived during his venture into the underworld. In essence, it's a powerful thrust of the Over Soul's sword which "purifies the very soul". The configuration of the OS and mana released during this technique resembles that of swan taking flight.

Over Soul Manipulation

Not necessarily an ability, but rather creative use of currently-existing ability. Before the time at Amidamaru evolved into a seirei-class spirit, and his Over Soul was still immature, it fell upon Yoh's talent of a shaman to fully utilize the abilities of his Over Soul. To that end, on various occasions, Yoh has altered the shape and formation of his Amidamaru Over Soul. Such formations include a defensive Amidamaru Shield (阿弥陀丸シールド), which makes use of the Over Soul's armor for protection. As the Over Soul evolved, the Amidamaru Shield was incorporated thusly, eliminating the need to alter its shape for protection.

Also, though canon only in the anime, was the 'Over Soul Missile', which induces an explosive thrust of his Over Soul to launch himself at his target. He makes use of this method during his final battle with Hao in the anime.

Funbari no Uta

Following the conclusion to Shaman King, it is revealed in Takei's shorts, Funbari no Uta, that Yoh and Anna have a son named Hana. He travels around (while wielding Yoh's Futsunomitama blade (the Antiquity) with Ryu looking for five legendary warriors (meaning the legendary warriors are Tao Ren, Chocolove, Horohoro, and Lyserg Diethel) while his parents are away. It appears that Tamao Tamamura is responsible for looking after him while Yoh and Anna are away.