Asakura Yohken

Asakura Yohken (麻倉葉賢) is a fictional character in the Shaman King manga and anime series. He is the deceased ancestor of Asakura Yoh, who defeated Asakura Hao during the Shaman Fight of AD 1500.

Appearance
Yohken who is an ascetic monk wears clothes that are quite identical to Mikihisa's, who is also an ascetic monk and even wears the same mask. Because of this, Yoh at first thought that Yohken was his father.

Personality
When Asakura Yoh first met Yohken in hell he appeared arrogant and proud for having killed Hao in the previous tournament and even went on a killing frenzy while fighting Yoh. However, it is revealed that when he is calm he can be quite analytic. After Yoh defeated him and gave him back his senses it was revealed that after having killed Patch Hao, he felt pride in defeating such a powerful person. However, he soon started to torment himself, feeling sorrow for having killed a person not to say his own ancestor. It was because of these conflicting emotions that he ended up in hell. After returning to his senses he showed great respect and even believed in Yoh being able to change Hao's heart.

Abilities and Powers
Yohken has trained as an ascetic monk and is capable of many techniques including summoning a giant Tengu that was able to defeat Hao in his incarnation as a Patch member.

Shamanic Spells

 * Fast Binding (不動金縛りの術): It creates four bands around the target. The bands tighten and restrict the target's movement. However, Yoh destroys the bands before they can restrain him.

Spirits

 * See More: Matamune | Kengai Doji | Dai Tengu

Matamune was a stray cat that had been turned into a guardian spirit by Asakura Hao. After Hao's death, Matamune remained a servant of the Asakura Family. When Hao reincarnated in the Patch Tribe, Matamune aided Yohken in killing his former master.

Yohken was also able to create and utilize shikigami, such as Kengai Doji, a child-like entity, and Dai Tengu, the peak of ascetism.

Weapons
His main weapon and medium was his shakujo.

Past
Yohken was born on May 8, 1476 as a member of the Asakura Family. Yohken participated in the Shaman Fight of AD 1500 in order to defeat Asakura Hao, who had reincarnated in the Patch Tribe. To do this, Yohken received the help of Matamune, Hao's former companion who had served the Asakura Family ever since Hao's first life. He successfully accomplished the task with the help of Matamune, by combining Matamune's Oni Goroshi with his own Extreme Ascetic Training and even summoning Dai Tengu.

After his death, Yohken became trapped in Hell by the guilt he felt at having killed another person. The memory of killing Hao stayed fresh in Yohken's mind, to the extent that he lost any conception of the passing of time, and did not realize that 500 years had passed, and instead continued to think that it was still right after the Shaman Fight. During this time, he fought many opponents, thinking that if he defeated enough, he would one day be released.

Shaman Fights Second Round
When Yoh went to hell to train, Yohken was his first opponent. During their battle, Yohken was able to create the Oni-Goroshi with just his image of Matamune even though it was not the real Matamune, he even tried to use the Dai Tengu again, which defeated Hao that time. As commented by Matamune who watched by, Yoh had to defeat the power that defeated Hao 500 hundred years ago, if he wanted to defeat the current Hao. Yoh managed to defeat him and caused Yohken to come to his senses. Realizing what had happened to him, he taught Yoh a little more about the history of the Asakura Family. Soon after that, one of the Cho-Oni came and shattered Yohken's soul. Yoh is enraged by Yohken's destruction but realized upon calming down that Yohken's soul was too strong to be destroyed in a surprise attack. Yohken then reappeared alongside Amidamaru.

When Yoh was revived, Yohken's spirit returned with him and followed the boy to a meeting with Hao at the Patch's Café on Tokyo. Although Yohken hid himself, Hao could still sense him due to his Reishi ability. While Team "Funbari Onsen" were fighting Team "The Ren", Yohken attended the meeting between the Asakura and Tao Families about what to do with Hao and the Shaman Fight.

Invading the Plants
Yohken, alongside Mosuke, the Oh-Oni, and the Cho-Oni, searched through the Great Spirit for Asanoha, Hao's mother, while the Five Elemental Warriors were fighting Shaman King Hao. Upon locating her, the spirits escorted her to the highest commune, bringing an end to the battle.

Flowers
During Tamamura Tamao's high school years, Yohken and Sati Saigan intensely trained her, and eventually Yohken bestowed upon her the Dai Tengu.

Anime/Manga Difference
Like Matamune, Yohken was never mentioned in the 2001 anime series, and the one who killed Hao during the second rounds was only referred to as "an Asakura."