Shaman Fight

The Shaman Fight (シャーマンファイト), or S.F. for short, is a tournament held for shamans around the world to recognize an individual who is strong enough to merge with the Great Spirit and become the Shaman King. The Shaman King will decide the course of the world for the next 500 years.

Ancient Times
The first Shaman King was crowned on the Continent of Mu approximately 12,000 years before the events of Shaman King.

As much of human civilization was still in early agricultural stages, few gained the wisdom and power of the Great Spirit or understood the significance of becoming the Shaman King. As such, only the people of Mu—who had an advanced civilization from early on—and a small few who answered the call of the Patch Tribe participated in the first tournament.

After that, thanks to the efforts of the first and successive Shaman Kings, the Shaman Fight gradually became known to the world. From 3000 BC, various civilizations developed across the world and the number of participants increased further, although participants were still relatively small as late as 500 BC.

In 500 BC, Gandhara formed during the Shaman Fight and one of its members became Shaman King.

In AD 1, a team member betrayed the man who would later become the Shaman King.

In AD 1500, Fra YVS became Shaman King.

Modern Times
In AD 2000, the preliminary matches take place around Japan, while the main tournament is held on the Japanese island Tokyo. Asakura Hao becomes Shaman King.

General Rules
Shaman Fights are held once each 500 years. The appearance of the two stars of destruction, Ragoh and Keito, flying across the sky, proclaims to all the shamans of the start of the tournament.

The tournament is regulated by the Patch Tribe, who officiate the event in accordance to the will of the Great Spirit.

Selection Test
The ten Patch Officiants travel around the world and test shamans' eligibility to compete. To qualify, a shaman must land a single blow on the officiant within ten minutes. The purpose of this test is to gauge a shaman's ability to utilize their furyoku and create an Over Soul with their Guardian Ghost. Those who pass are given an Oracle Bell, which will send them information regarding the rest of the Shaman Fight.

Preliminary Round
The Preliminary Round consists of each shaman fighting in two or three matches, the time and place of which are determined by the Great Spirit. A shaman must win at least two matches to progress. Two losses or forfeitures result in immediate disqualification and a revocation of the Oracle Bell. A draw is considered neither a win nor a loss for both participants.

Once the match begins, the shamans must have their Over Souls engaged and maintain them throughout the match. The first to be unable to sustain one—whether due to injury, furyoku depletion, or damage to medium—is declared the loser and the match is officially over. Officiants and other shamans are forbidden from interfering during a match, but can act once a match is concluded.

Shamans are also allowed to fight before their match, which can help or hinder the shamans during their later match.

After the final match of the preliminary round, the shamans are invited to attend the opening ceremony, during which the Officiants go over some of the rules of the actual Shaman Fight.

Round One
The shamans who passed the preliminaries are brought to America and given three months to find the hidden Patch Village. Any shamans who do not reach the Village in time are disqualified. Their souls are tested by the labyrinth of staircases and ruins within Mesa Verdede which lead down to the Village. Only the chosen shamans can navigate the path by hearing the Great Spirit's call guiding their souls.

Once they reach the Village, they are met with the full manifestation of the Great Spirit. The view of it awakens the billions of years worth of the world's memories that are within everyone. The resulting vision can be overwhelming and cause shamans to faint and, in more extreme cases, never awake. The Officiants are tasked with bringing the fainted shamans to the rest station to recover.



The second part of the round is a tournament. Those who successfully reached the Village within the allotted time are then required to form three-member teams for the tournament. Once the teams are decided, the Great Spirit determines the tournament bracket. The twelve shamans of the four winning teams will advance to the next round of the Shaman Fight.

For the tournament, each match is a three-on-three battle with no limits on time or Guardian Ghosts. A team loses when its members can no longer sustain their Over Souls, a member leaves the fighting area, or the team forfeits.

Spectators—including disqualified shamans, non-shamans, and competitors' friends and families—are allowed for this portion of the Shaman Fight.

Round Two
The twelve victors then travel to the sunken continent, Mū, for a second tournament in which they fight as individuals rather than as teams. The last remaining shaman will be crowned the Shaman King and escorted down to the King's Sanctuary.

Anime/Manga Differences
In the 2001 anime, the Patch Village also served as the location for the main tournament, whereas in the manga and 2021 anime series, the tournament took place on Tokyo.