Kouji Yamada

Kouji Yamada (山田光司), or simply known as Damayaji (ダマヤジ), is a fictional character in the Shaman King manga and anime series. He was a spirit photographer who was recruited as one of Hao's followers for the Shaman Fight.

Appearance
Kouji has a unique hairstyle, with his hair split into two spikes pointing upwards, a large widow's peak. His beard is shaped into a long goatee and long Fu Manchu mustache.

His attire was a long black coat with a large red wicked collar, worn over black pants and black boots.

Five years before the Grand Shaman Fight, his hair was much longer and fashioned into a ponytail style, which he humorously claimed that Boris had copied from him.

Personality
Yamada is fascinated with gothic structures in Europe and originally worked as a photographer, but it is said his only ability was the camera which was to photograph ghosts. He is a man who cares about the beauty of nature, in which is why Asakura Hao wanted him on his group. as Kouji also enjoyed drinking alcohol and eating crabs.

Spirit

 * See More: Crab Spirit | Centipede Spirit (2001 Anime Only)

His Guardian Ghost was the nature spirit of a red king crab. They seem to get on well because Kouji hairstyle resembled a hermit crab. He used his camera as the medium for his Over Soul. However, in the 2001 anime series, his guardian ghost was instead that of a centipede-like creature.

Past
Kouji Originating from Sapporo, Japan and was born on October 31, 1960. He used to be a photographer and he would always visit famous monuments and historic ruins. It was during one of his trips that he was visited by the nine-year-old Asakura Hao, who sympathized with his care for nature and there Hao wanted him to join his side.

Travel Through America
He was first introduced when Asakura Yoh and his friends finally found the old Patch Village. There he, Boris, and Team "Tsuki-Gumi" approached Yoh and his friends with the orders from Hao to kill all of the Shamans present there except for Yoh.

However, after Horohoro claimed and even laughed that he looked more like a vampire than Boris, his teammate Boris stabs him through the chest, and disintegrated him into ash.

Invading the Plants
Alongside Boris, Damayaji rides the train within the Great Spirit and asks Hao if his shaman-only world was supposed to be on Earth.

Anime/Manga Difference
Damayaji had a different, albeit larger role in the 2001 anime series. He was first seen with Hao and the rest of his followers and was later seen again during Yoh and his friends encounter with Boris where Damayaji was dressing up as a priest. He proceeds to tell Yoh and the others about Boris Tepes Dracula's legend, even trying pretending to be on Yoh's side. Later on, he appears in the downstairs of the dark basement of the cathedral after taking both Elly and Milly to safety. He, however, proceeds to attack them both with the help of his guardian ghost but he is stabbed in the back by Boris shortly thereafter. Also in the 2001 anime series, his guardian ghost appears to be a centipede-like spirit instead of a King red crab spirit.

In the 4Kids version, while posing as a priest his cross necklace was edited out and his death was censored out.

His role in the 2021 anime series more closely follows the events of the manga.

Trivia

 * According to Usui Horokeu, he resembles a real vampire more than his teammate, Boris Tepes Dracula.