Asakura Yoh

Asakura Yoh, (麻倉 葉 ) is the main character in the anime and manga Shaman King. In the original Japanese anime, his name is sometimes romanized with a circumflex as Yō but is typically romanized as You, or Yoh--the common literation in the English adaptation. Yoh is voiced by actor Sebastian Arcelus in the English Anime.

Appearance
Yoh is a normal size guy. His hair is dark brown and he is constantly seen wearing a pair of orange headphones behind his ears.

He normally wears black pants, sandals and a dress shirt that was open. He also wore a normal school uniform during his school hours. It would seem he can constantly wear his shirt open as his school has an relaxed aittude towards their uniforms. However when it gets cold Yoh will buttom his shirt, wear a tie and the standard school uniform jacket. Although of this he will still wear sandals.

In a battle he wore a black vest with shorts trimmed with an orange lining, then baggy black pants for the later chapters, and wrap-up sandals. During the second round of the Shaman Fights, he is depicted wearing a shirt with a Funbari Onsen advertisment on it and sweat pants with sandals.

Personality
A slacker by nature, Yoh maintains a carefree, laid-back attitude about everything, even with achieving his goal of becoming Shaman King. Because he was alienated by everyone outside of the family he instead chose to bond with spirits and has decided that anyone who can see spirits cannot be evil. He has even gotten a signature phrase: "everything will work out" as a way of seeing things. He is rarely on bad terms with anyone and always decides to make friends with the people he meets. He is deeply caring for his friends and is even ready to die for them or give up his dreams as seen when Ren was killed and would be revived by Iron Maiden Jeanne, only if Yoh dropped out of the tournament.

Even though it is rarely seen, Yoh truly loves Anna with all of his heart and has decided that when he become Shaman King he will make her life easy.

Abilities and Powers
Ever since Anna became his fiance Yoh has constantly been submitted to exhausting training which in turn has caused him to gain a tough and strong body.

Shamanic Spells
As a shaman, Yoh has learned many techniques, amongst others from his grandfather, Anna, the cat spirit Matamune and the Gandhara teams.,

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.
 * Ko-Oni Strike(小鬼ストライク):

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.
 * Okyō(御経):

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.
 * Spirit Integration(憑依合体Hyōi Gattai,Spirit Unity:

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.
 * Over Soul(オーバーソウル):

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.
 * Chō Senji Ryakketsu - Fumon Tonkou(超占事略決 - 巫門遁甲):

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.
 * Chō Senji Ryakketsu - Mikazuka no Harae(超占事略決 - 三日月ノ祓):

Spirit

 * See More: Amidamaru|Spirit of Earth



Amidamaru is a 600 year old samurai that is the spirit ally of Yoh Asakura. He was born on January 6, 1385, and died at the age of 24, by exhausting his body. After having his tomb stone broken by Ryo he was rising to the other world, he saw Manta being beaten up by Ryo, who was enraged because he was beaten by a mere teenager. Amidamaru decided to join Yoh and become his guardian ghost, after defeating Ryo Amidamaru was prepared to go to heaven once more but he still couldnt. Yoh was the first one who trusted Amidamaru and didn't judge him based on his reputation in the past because he knew that there was always two sides to the story, and because of that he decided to help him. Always sticking by Yoh's side, he is loyal and trustworthy and can enter Yoh's body through integration (spirit control in the English anime). Amidamaru is very powerful but quite taciturn and extremely devoted to "Master Yoh" ("Yō-dono" in Japanese).

Harusame
The English anime initially refers to the Harusame(春雨) as the Sword of Light and states it is the last sword ever forged by Mosuke. When the sword is stolen from the museum and Amidamaru and Mosuke's childhood is revealed, the dub refers to the same sword as "Spring Rain" (Harusame) and the first true sword Mosuke has forged for Amidamaru. As a result, Amidamaru refers to Spring Rain as Mosuke's first sword and the Sword of Light as his last when originally the swords were one and the same in the original and translated versions of the manga and the Japanese version of the anime.

Futsu-no-Mitama no Tsurugi
The, Futsu-no-Mitama no Tsurugi (Antiquity in the English Anime) is a red knife shaped rock that has been owned by the Asakura Family ever since the time of Asakura Hao. According to Hao it was once owned by a sword god and even though it's only made of rock, it is the perfect medium to create a sword oversoul. That sword which slumbers in a storage room of the Asakura Family, always creates a stir in the world when surfaced since it's a national treasure.

Past
Yoh was born May 12, 1985 to Asakura Mikihisa, an ascetic monk, and Keiko Asakura, a miko. He spent most of his early childhood living in Izumo with his mom and grandfather, Yohmei and his apprentice, Tamao, who helped raise him in the family ways of shamanism. For the most part, his childhood was rather lonesome, having virtually no friends outside his family and spirits because of his shamanic heritage. Yoh was regularly outcasted by normal people, alienated because of his powers so he spends most of his time listening to music by his favorite artist, SOUL BOB. However, he always envisioned better life for himself; this became his motivation to become Shaman King. Yoh’s ambitions to become Shaman King began at age 4,when his grandfather told him of the Great Spirit. And Yoh being the slacker that he was saw the possibility of the easy life and, from that day, decided to become Shaman King. His training progressed slowly, but at age 10, Yoh was told of his engagement to the young itako, Anna Kyōyama. It was at this time that he also gained his first Guardian Spirit, Matamune of the Cats--a cat spirit who had served the Asakura house for over a thousand years. At Yoh's grandfather's request, Matamune returned from underworld to escort Yoh to Ozorenzan, where he was to meet Anna, who had just finished her itako training with Yoh's grandmother, Kino Asakura. On his first day in Ozorenzan, Yoh encounters a young girl who receives him in a cool reception, leaving Yoh reeling. Awhile after, he was attacked by an Oni on the streets, only to be saved by Matamune. Despite this, the two would eventually arrive at Yoh's grandmother's home and was properly introduced to his fiancée who turned out to be the girl from earlier, much to Yoh's shock and surprise. Though upset at first, Yoh slowly uncovers the mystery behind Anna and her powers as a Reishi. During a battle with an Oni, Yoh bravery coaxed emotion from Anna, whose negative emotions formed the Oni, and dissolved it.

Living in Tokyo
Yoh moved to Funbari Hills to participate in the Shaman Fight in Tokyo and to find a ghost of his own. There he met his close friend Manta Oyamada and soon enough Amidamaru. They have many adventures together like freeing a evil spirit from a billboard, rescuing children from a fire, and stopping a bully from throwing his life away.

Shaman Fights in Tokyo First Round
Silva of the 10 Patch Officiants from the Patch tribe encounters Yoh at Amidimaru's grave site and challenges him to a test to gain entry to the fight. In order to aquire the Oracle Bell that will function as a permit, Yoh will have to hit Silva just once.

Yoh accepts the and the battle commences. Yoh quickly integrates Amidimaru into himself and goes in to strike. Yoh hits the Over Souled Silver Shield and wonders what happened. Silva explains the oversoul concept and strikes back with both Silver Horn and Silver Tail. Silver Rod slams Yoh into the ground and Silver Wing makes Silva fly. The Silver Arms then proceeds to taunt Yoh, frustrating him even more. However Yoh figures out how to use the Over Soul and makes the gamble by placing Amidamaru inside Harusame. As expected, it succeds and creates an overflowing uncontrolled version of his first Over Soul. Seeing this Silva swaps the Silver Arms to his O.S. Totem Pole Cannon formation and fires a blast of Furioku. Yoh uses Muscle Memory gaine from beeing fused with Amidamaru so many times, uses the Budha-Strike and deflects Silva's attack right back at him. This act makes a cut in Silva's headband, thus hitting him and earns Yoh the Oracle Bell and the right to participate in the Shaman Fights.

When Yoh returns home Anna chastises him for the Oracle Bell(thinking it's a pager) and the hair on him, thinking he was with another woman. To prove her wrong Yoh decides to show her his Over Soul, but fails because he is out of Furyoku. Yoh is about to be beaten by Anna, but the Oracle Bell beeps and Yoh is given his first match against someone named Horohoro.

Yoh is put up against Horohoro in the very first match of the Shaman Fight a fight that is placed in the middle of an open square. A little before the fights start Yoh is given a battle costume from Anna(although it's the same as he wore when he was four), something he openly complains about until Anna says she spend all night personaly sewing it. Suddenly a voice calls for Yoh above them and Horohoro drops sixty stories and attacks Yoh to get his oversoul working. The fight begins with Horohoro attacking, who at first dominated the match. After a while Yoh asks him what his dream is, to which Horohoro tells him his dream to create a massive field of butterbur. Yoh cries for him, and in a comic scene considers forfeiting, but Anna knocks Yoh back to his senses.

The battle resumes and Horohoro attacks head on but Yoh is ready for him. Yoh quickly counters everything Horohoro can dish out to the point where Yoh mows down all of the musso kurppe Horohoro had. Horohoro uses his most powerful attack of an massive avalanche. It worked to a point but yoh busted through it and struck Horohoro ending the match and allowing Yoh to win his first match.

Yoh is put up against Faust VIII in his second match of the Shaman fight. Yoh ends up in Yokohama for his next match in the foreigner's cemetery. Anna left with Silva to do something. Faust came and gave greetings to Yoh, and then proceeds to enthralls both Manta and Yoh with his history. He then pulls out Eliza Faust and Manta runs. Manta is however easily captured by Faust and is cut open.

Yoh goes through summoned skeletons to hit Faust upside the head and rescue Manta. The Bell beeps announcing the start of the fight. Yoh is worried about his friend but can not do anything but wrap a jacket around Manta's wound. Yoh fights Faust's skeletal soldiers but burns through most of his furioku. Sivla finally shows up and can not interfere because of the rules of the fight.

Anna comes back and explains why Yoh is so lonely and finally rescues Manta. Faust narrows his spiritual focus and fights with Eliza breaking three ribs and puncturing Yoh's left lung. Yoh then uses Faust's strategy against him and but can not fight off Faust's full power. Faust finally charges all of his furioku into Eliza and charges straight at Yoh. Yoh is able to cut down Eliza's legs and defuse Faust's anger. Yoh is unable to win and runs out of power losing his oversoul. Amidimaru gives Yoh advice and Faust attacks again but this time with a twenty two ton skeletal beast. Ren saves him and tells Yoh to train since they both will fight once more in three months.

Yoh winds up at the hospital after the fight to treat his injuries. Manta went to his room and Yoh said that he was wasn't Manta's friend any more. Manta runs away. Yoh explains to Anna that he really did not want to do that but had to since he did not want to put Manta in more danger.

Yoh goes back home to Izumo the next day. Yoh meets his grandfather at the family mansion and tells him what he needs to do. His grandfather explains that Yoh must die and leads him to the Yomi hole. Yoh enters with the reason to be Shaman King. He would wander the cave for seven days and nights. He emerges seven days later to see anna, Tomao, Manta, Ryu, and Amidamaru. Yoh is his usual self after emerging and Anna asks why he is not half dead to which Yoh answers it does not matter. They all head to Yoh's house and eat a big dinner. Everyone goes to bed after it. Yoh sits up and finds manta wide awake. Manta explains his story and Yoh grandfather shows up. Yomei Gives yoh one last test to strike down all his shikigami. Yoh does so in one hit and gains a new oversoul. Amidamaru starts talking out of nowhere and Yoh is panicked. Yomei explains that his oversoul is on a much higher plane than before so Amidamaru can talk in oversoul form. Yoh leaves Izumo the next day full of confidence that he would win.

Yoh prepares for his fight against Tao Ren and heads out to the location which is Mata Cemetery in West Tokyo. He waits with Manta at the location. Ren shows up with grand entrance, on a horse, and taunts Yoh. Amidamaru and Bason attack each other and Ren dismounts his horse. The Oracle Bell rings and the match begins with Ren attacking Yoh violently. Yoh Over Souls and Ren comments that he has a new oversoul. After a long series of furies and violently attacking Yoh, Ren is finally able to attack Yoh from a blind spot but Yoh easily blocks it and Ren standing there shocked wonders how he was able to do so. Suddenly Amidamaru opens his eyes and explains to Ren that Yoh also got his(Amidamaru's eyes). This opening allows Yoh to use a Budha-Strike finally breaking Ren's Over Soul.

But instead of just recreaing his Over Soul, Ren powers up his Over Soul and manifests Bason's entire upper body, except for the arms, on his Gwuan Do. Charging straight towards Yoh, Ren smashed his Over Soul down on him like a hammer, and proceeds to throw him into the air when Yoh blocks. Ren attacks again but the first attack is blocked but Bason arms are materialized and he slams Yoh into the ground. Due to this Yoh looses his Over Soul but quickly recovers. Ren furiously attacks Yoh and Manta tries calling Anna but realizes she has no phone so therefore he goes to Yoh's house.

Yoh realizes that Ren is using more furioku in his oversoul than he is. Amidamaru says Yoh must power up but Yoh says that he will stay as he is now and trust in Amidamaru. Ren seizes the opportunity and strikes but Yoh gets through it and destroys Ren's big oversoul forcing him to lose one hundred units of Furyoku in one shot. Ren is furious about the power loss and attacks again but does not know his attacks are landing. Yoh loses four oversouls but stays calm. Ren has had enough and uses his horse and Bason at full power and goes in for the kill. Yoh Counters with his own powered up oversoul and they both clash.

Both Ren's and Yoh's oversoul are destroyed at the same time and the match ends in a draw. Silva appears and tells them they have both passed to the second round. Yoh is elated that he has passed and does not have to be punished by Anna. Yoh and Ren go to the opening ceremony and take a much deserved break from fighting.

The BoZ appearance
Yoh, Horohoro, Ren, Anna, Tamoa, Pirikia, and all the spirits are at yoh's celebrating their entrance to the shaman fight. they party for most of the night. Ren leaves that night to head back to china Yoh sees him off. A few days later Yoh and Tamoa are shopping and go through a shinto shrine for shortcut. Two buddist monks come and encounter them. Yoh and Tamao believe that they are just normal monks asking for cash until they send Pochi and Conchi to heaven. Yoh asks who are they and they capture Amidimaru's Memorial tablet explaining they are the BoZ and they want be Shaman king. Yoh attacks them to try to get back what they stole but is pinned down by the BoZ spirits. Yoh busts through most of them but the BoZ keep using more and more oversouls knocking yoh down. The BoZ move in for the kill and ryu shows up cutting down all of the oversouls. Ryu reveals he is now a full shaman and won two matches already. The BoZ interupt and try Telling him their name but are cut down and the car they use is now in two pieces. The BoZ run and report to Hao.

Ren's Capture
The group heads home and Ryu reveals that he is a full Shaman to Anna and the others with Manta are going crazy that he is one. He even reveals where he was during the opening ceremony. Horohoro shoots him down for his personality and Anna starts all of them in the electric Chair for one hour. Bason all of a sudden crashes into the house and tell everyone that Ren has be imprisoned by his father. Bason explains some of what happened and disappears looking like he died again but reappears apologizing that he got carried away. Yoh quickly goes to China and the Tao compound.

Yoh, Ryu, Manta, Horohoro, and Bason enter the Tao compound and are greeted by Yuan's personal bodyguards. The Zombies cut Ryu's hair in two and attack Yoh and company but Horohoro moves them to a safe spot. Horohoro ticks off the zombie with the elephant legs but freezes it and killing it for good. The zombie with the cheetah legs appears behind Horohoro and Ryu cuts it in half and cuts it completely down. Horohoro and Ryu tell Yoh to go free Ren and let them deal with the remaining zombies.

Yoh goes to the dungeon and finds Ren and Jun there. He frees them with Ren telling Yoh to go home. Yoh stays and tells Ren that it will be okay. Two zombies that control the dungeon area appear. Ren and Yoh cut them down easily. The two of them enter the room where Ryu and the others are and find the situation dire. The final zombie attacks them and reveals that he has Bai-Long's attacks. Manta guesses correctly that the final zombie is Bailong's teacher and the zombie pulls it's mask up showing the face of Bailong's master. He tries to kill Yoh, but is stopped and killed by the teamwork of Jun and Bai-Long.

The Strike Force moves upstairs and runs into Tao Yuan Ren's father. They attack him but can not damage him. They are knocked down and Yuan prepares to kill Ren. Everyone gets back up and Yoh explains that Friends help each other and he would have done the same thing. Yuan loses control and his oversoul to boot. Ren finally defeats him and they are invited to dinner with the Tao family. The gang leaves with many things to think about from the sayings of Ren's grandfather. Yoh returns home and enjoys his life before second rounds. He receives a message that he is supposed to go to a military base to go the next point in the Shaman Fight. The night before Yoh leaves he sleeps with Anna and this is how Hana was conceived.

Traveling Through America
Yoh goes to the Military base to go the next point. He meets many Shaman that have passed the first round. Ren is there too, eating Takoyaki. The gang takes a break before the next test and come across Hao. Hao tells them to be prepared for a plane ride. Hao hits Horohoro so fast the gang could not catch it. Ren oversouls and tries hitting Hao but misses because of the spirit of fire. Hao allies appear and they leave. The gang talks about what just happened and notice the Patch plane. Yoh is in his own world wondering why Hao looks like him. They all get on the plane and go to America. Goldva announces that the oversoul plane will disappear soon and force the shamans to find the way to the Patch village on their own.

The plane disappears and the gang is dropped on Route 66, they survived the drop by oversouling before they hit the ground and letting it take the damage. Amidamaru tries finding a a town but can not find one thing but road. Ryu uses the oversoul Thumb to get Billy. Amidimaru marvels at the American West and Yoh likes it saying that it is good just going somewhere for change and it is kind of like a adventure.

They go to the next town and find Lilirana who shows them the Patch Hao's past. They stay the night at her house and she hands them a map of their next destination. The gang goes to a hotel and sleep there for the night. The gang meets Lyserg the next day. Lyserg defeats Ren and Horohoro with ease. Yoh stops Lyserg when he attack him. Lyserg is not done and uses the big ben wire frame. Yoh destroys it with help from Amidimaru. Yoh allows Lyserg to join them later.

They finally get to the Patch Village after a few days and adventures. Just outside the village the gang encounters Hao's followers. The followers remark how much that Asakura Yoh resembles Asakura Hao. Boris attacks and Ryu is one who takes him down. Yoh climbs to where Boris landed and is appalled by what happened next. The X-Laws killed Boris and take down Big Bill. Yoh stops the X-laws before they can kill him. Yoh attacks Marco for being a hairbreadth from killing Bill but Harsuame was broken in the process. Marco lets him live for being brave enough to fight him. The X-laws leave with Lyserg being happy at what the X-laws did. They gang takes Bill and goes to the Patch Village. The gang wanders the underground for awhile but realize that the path they took was so full of twists and turns that they did not notice. They realize that it was instinctual that they were lead there. Bill wakes up and tell the gang that something bigger is coming and why the Patch put so many twists and turns. Bill faints again and they finally enter the village.

Shaman Fights Second Round
Yoh has a dream and wakes up in the patch restoration chamber. Yoh shakes his head to clear it and finds silva. Silva explains that the dream was a vision by the great spirit. Yoh sees the great spirit for the first time and gains great knowledge about the past, present, and future of earth and he realizes the great spirit is a shapeless mass of Trillions of Ghosts and spirits. Yoh nearly faints again from the stress of the great spirit's power. Sivla catches him and offers him some soup to calm his nerves and recover. Yoh is lead out and sees Ryu and horohoro. Ren is outside staring straight into the great spirit. Yoh and company roam the Patch village for food and watching the compition.

Yoh and company wander past a gift shop and hear anna complaining about a keychain. Yoh is alarmed by this and tells anna to pay full price. Anna chastises him for his manner of dress and tells him about Manta and Tamao being inside the village. Choco appears and explains that the next part of the fight will be a three on three team battle. Choco also explains about the three powers in this fight Hao's teams, the X-laws, and the Buddhist Monk Faction of Grandora. Anna realizes this fight will not be as easy as they thought. Ren puts his team together on the spot and goes off to register. Ryu want Lyserg to be the final member of their team, but neither he nor anyone else has seen him or is able to find him.

Anna suggests Faust knowing what he can do in battle. They go to find a team member but find Faust with Manta on his lap. Faust asks if he can join them but is shot down by ryu demanding that lyserg be their final member. Faust leaves with manta still on his lap.

The next three months were uneventful though they did get faust to join and they master Hao's book. The team enters the fight as Team "Funabari Onsen". The Team is put up against Team "Iceman". Before the fight even starts Yoh Uses his power to give a show of the "Spirit of Sword". Pino of the Iceman is thinking over the battle but the fight starts. The Iceman start fighting and targets Faust but is beaten back by Faust new massive oversoul O.S. Mephisto E. The Iceman target Ryu next but are also beaten back by the Massive oversoul O.S. Yamatmo no Orchi Go. Pino is frightened and backs off and he decides to attack Yoh. Yoh is blasted with a frozen shockwave. The attack does nothing and Yoh is fine due to the techniques he learns from Hao's book. Yoh tells the Icemen to come once more at full power.

The Iceman oblige with their most powerful move. Yoh uses his spirit of sword and defeats the Iceman. The gang celebrates with the Iceman and enjoy a break before they fight again.

Invading the Plants
Yoh, Ren, Horohoro, Ryu, Lyserg, Faust, Opacho, Chocolove and Jeanne entered the Patch Plants in hopes of stopping Hao from becoming Shaman king. Yoh and company entered the doors of the plants and encountered Silva. Yoh fought Silva with his second oversoul and Yoh nearly won but Silva used the Patch song to increase his power and ignore wounds. Yoh had to use his newly learned armor oversoul and knocked out Silva. Silva awoke and wondered why he was not dead.

Yoh managed to convey his desire not to kill unless he had to and Silva let them go into the plants. Yoh does not have much of a role in the plants until the grassland plant when he heals Horohoro of his injuries by placing the spirit of the dead Faust in his body.

Funbari no Uta
Following the conclusion of Shaman King, Yoh and Anna have left on home leaving behind their son, a little boy named Asakura Hana who begins scouring the countryside in search of his parents, Yoh and Anna Asakura.

With only his family's Futsu-no-Mitama no Tsurugi antiquity in his possession, he parties-up with "Wooden Sword" Ryu and together they set out to reunite the five legendary warriors: Tao Ren, Chocolove, Horohoro, and Lyserg Diethel.

In the last page of the manga someone looking like Yoh with longer hair resembling Hao's is seen walking together with Anna towards the Funbari Hills. It was later confirmed by Takei that the man was neither Yoh nor Hao, but a fusion of the two, thus leaving the question who is the dominent one of the two.

Trivia

 * His orange headphones were actually "stolen" or at least, took it without getting permission from his father, Asakura Mikihisa. This child-like behavior signifies his loneliness, or the feeling of wanting to meet his father, who is, actually didn't grew up with him.
 * In regards to Anna, he is actually "love at first sight" to her. Simply by seeing her face for the first time (when they were ten) and think about her makes him blush a lot.