Spirit

A Spirit (精霊 Seirei), also translated as a Fairy, is a supernatural being which is assigned to a Hero. These fairies support the heroes by granting them weapons or abilities, and they cannot fight without one. These fairies are capable of emitting a barrier to block attacks of any form. During an event of a shinkon, the spirits are the last line of defense in case root protection of the Jukai failed to repel any interference.

All fairies are inspired by youkai spirits in Japanese folklore.

Origin[]

After the end of the initial vertex attacks, Taisha publicly announced their intents of halting the Hero System in exchange for a ceasefire from the Sky Gods who were sending the vertex. In the meantime, they were secretly improvising the Hero System for a counterattack in the future, a project which spanned for about 300 years. As allowing a Spirit enter a human body would leave miasma residue, which can cause severe negative effects such as decreased emotional control, Nogi Wakaba and Uesato Hinata proposed creation of a pseudo-fairy to support the heroes mentally in the event of a psychological attack or a hero too mentally ill for a battle to prevent another hero's death due to mental weakness as experienced by Koori Chikage. Hinata pushed the rest of the Taisha into implementing the proposal into the improvised Hero System used by future generations.

Canon Spirits[]

Owned by Yuuki Yuuna[]

Gyuuki (牛鬼)[]

Allows Yuuna to enlist a powerful punch on her enemies, called the "Hero Punch".

Gyuuki is based on the Ushi-oni youkai, large many-legged creatures with the head of a bovine.

Kasha (火車)[]

Allows Yuuna to deliver a kick that can cause a fiery explosion, dubbed the "Hero Kick".

The Kasha (lit. fire cart) youkai are fiery felines that steal the corpses of criminals, among other things.

Owned by Tougou Mimori[]

Aobozu (青坊主)[]

Grants Tougou a sniper rifle.

Aobuzu is based on blue-skinned, one-eyed monk youkai who attempt to convince young woman into suicide.

Gyobudanuki (刑部狸)[]

Allows Tougou to use a pistol.

Gyobudanuki is based on the Inugami Gyoubu youkai, a tanuki spirit that ruled over 808 other tanuki.

Shiranui (不知火)[]

Allows Tougou to utilize a pair of reverse-grip pistols.

Shiranui youkai are mysterious objects resembling balls of fire, appearing on bodies of water.

Kawabotaru (川蛍)[]

Gives Tougou the ability to use automatic and manual floating lasers.

Kawabotaru is based on a youkai appearing as several cold fires over a pond in Inba, and only ever visible by one person at a time.

Owned by Inubouzaki Fuu[]

Inugami (犬神)[]

Grants Fuu a large sword for grounded attacks.

The Inugami youkai is the spirit of a dog that is created by powerful sorcerers to serve them and/or their families. Inugami are often starved for food.

Kamaitachi (かまいたち)[]

Grants Fuu small throwing knives.

Kamaitachi is based on the Kama Itachi, sickle-footed weasels that cut people up and put them back together magically without the person ever knowing.

Owned by Inubouzaki Itsuki[]

Kodama (こだま)[]

Lets Itsuki use long vines to entrap enemies.

A Kodama is a tree spirit that looks like an orb of light. If the host tree is ever cut down, a powerful curse will fall upon the village that did so.

Ungaikyou (雲外鏡)[]

Grants Itsuki a mirror that can reflect powerful beams of light.

The Ungaikyou youkai is a haunted mirror that shows the reflection of demons and spirits, and even a monstrous version of the viewer.

Owned by Miyoshi Karin[]

Yoshiteru (義輝)[]

Allows Karin to summon many katanas at once.

By Karin's last Mankai at the end of Yuuki Yuuna is a Hero season one, she would have owned four other fairies. Since the second season's updated version of the Hero System removed the addition of fairies, their names and abilities are unknown.

Owned by Nogi Sonoko[]

Kurama Sebastian Tengu (鴉・セバスチャン・天狗)[]

Gives Sonoko an improved spear.

Kurama Tengu is based on a specific Tengu spirit named Soujoubou that lives on Mount Kurama. He is said to be the king of the Tengu, and would be considered a Dai Tengu (Great Tengu).

Other Fairies[]

Sonoko also has twenty other fairies. Three of them, Ryoumensukuna (nicknamed "Sukucchi"), Daidarabocchi (nicknamed "Dai-kun"), and Gashadokuro (nicknamed "Doku") are revealed in the short story Sonoko in Reminiscence. Others include "a baku" and "a pillow-swapping ghost".

In the mobage, her younger self is given a Robed Mouse named Tesso (鉄鼠).

Owned by Akihara Sekka[]

Kosinpu (コシンプ)[]

Gives Sekka hero powers

Kosinpu is a spirit told about in the legends of Sakhalin and Hokkaido Ainu. Depending on the region it can be also called Kosinpuu or Kosinpui. They're animals that attach to humans of other sex and possess them.

In the mobage, she can use Kosinpu as a Trump Card.

Non-Canon Spirits[]

Owned by Minowa Gin[]

Despite never having a fairy in-universe, it was revealed that if Gin ever had a fairy, it would be named Nurikabe. The original creature it is based on would manifest as a wall, "that impedes or misdirects walking travelers at night. Trying to go around is futile as it extends itself forever". Note this was meant to be a joke.^[1]

In the game, she is officially equipped with Suzuka Gozen (鈴鹿御前).

Owned by Nogi Wakaba[]

Yoshitsune (義経)[]

Gives Wakaba the ability to use various sword techniques and increased agility.

Yoshitsune is based on the great warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

Daitengu (大天狗)[]

Allows Wakaba to turn into a Great Tengu with enormous wings that brings destruction to the surface.

Owned by Takashima Yuuna[]

Ichimokuren (一目連)[]

Increases Yuuna's speed drastically.

The Ichimokoren youkai is said to be a one-eyed dragon that could summon wind, rain, and storms.

Shuten-Douji (酒呑童子)[]

Imbues Yuuna's body with a tremendous fighting power.

Shuten-Douji is based on the mythical oni (or demon) leader of Japan of the same name. He loved drinking alcohol, and his name literally means "little drunkard".

Owned by Doi Tamako[]

Wanyuudou (輪入道)[]

Summons a large wheel that can be used to attack or to move.

Wa nyuudou are the spirits of the damned that are forced to spin on a wheel that drags people to Hell to be judged, doomed to repeat until his sins have been redeemed.

Owned by Iyojima Anzu[]

Yukijoro (雪女郎)[]

Makes Anzu able to use ice-based attacks.

The Yuki Onna youkai appears as a beautiful woman, and feeds on the life force of travelers by sucking it out of them, leaving a frozen corpse. Not all of them are malevolent; some fall in love with their prey instead.

Owned by Koori Chikage[]

Shichinin Misaki (七人御先)[]

Grants Chikage seven separate bodies during battle. In this state, Chikage cannot be killed unless all seven of them are killed simultaniously. Any body which is eliminated individually will be replaced promptly.

Shichinin Misaki is based on seven ghost warriors that are bent on vengeance.

Owned by Shiratori Utano[]

Satori (覚)[]

The Satori youkai are ape-like creatures that can hear a person's thoughts and reside in the mountains of Hida and Mino.

Owned by Akihara Sekka[]

Keizoubou (桂蔵坊)[]

Keizouubou can speak through telepathy.

Keizoubou is inspired by a folktale of a fox samurai.

Tsunohanzou (角盥漱)[]

It's namesake is a haunted washbasin that dresses itself in old linens.

Owned by Kohagura Natsume[]

Kijimuna (キジムナー)[]

Small wood spirits according to Okinawan mythology. The kijimuna are said to live in trees, but the most common one is the banyan tree. In the mobage, Natsume can use Kijimuna as a Trump Card.

Suiko (水虎)[]

A Suiko (lit. water tiger) youkai is a water goblin spirit that feeds on human souls, much like it's kappa cousins.

Owned by Kusunoki Mebuki[]

Takauji (尊氏)[]

Ashikaga Takauji (足利尊氏) was the founder and first shogun of the Ashikaga shogunate. His rule began in 1338, beginning the Muromachi period of Japan, and ended with his death in 1358.

Owned by Kagajou Suzume[]

Basan (波山)[]

A foul like bird that lives in the mountains of Iyo Province. It resembles a large chicken and breathes ghost fire from it's mouth. Due to the fire having a temperature akin to that of a will-o-wisp, it does not burn. Supposedly, if a human hears the bird flapping its wings and looks outside, the bird vanishes.

Owned by Miroku Yumiko[]

Zashiki-warashi (座敷童)[]

Zashiki-warashi , sometimes also called Zashiki Bokko (座敷ぼっこ), are spirit-like beings told about mostly in the Iwate Prefecture. They are said to be youkai that live in zashiki storage rooms, and they would perform pranks, and those that see one would be visited with good fortune.

Owned by Yamabushi Shizuku[]

Raijuu (雷獣)[]

Raijuu is the companion of Raijin, the Shinto god of lightning. While the beast is generally calm and harmless, during thunderstorms, it becomes agitated and leaps about in trees, fields, and even buildings.

Owned by Akamine Yuuna[]

Yamamoto Gorozaemon (山本五郎左衛門)[]

A Japanese youkai monster mentioned in a book "Inarimononokeroku" written by Heitaro Inari in mid Edo era.

Owned by Miroku Renge[]

Kanedama (金霊)[]

Kanedama makes the visited house prosperous.

Owned by Fuyou Lilienthal Yuuna[]

Tsuchigumo (土蜘蛛)[]

Known as the purse web spider in English, are found all over the Japanese islands and throughout much of the world. Long-lived tsuchigumo can transform into youkai. They grow to a monstrous size, able to catch much larger prey—particularly humans.

Owned by Yuzuki Yuuna[]

Nue (鵺)[]

The nue is one of the oldest yokai recorded, having its first appearance in the Kojiki (712 CE), an account of the early histories of Japan. It also appears in the Heian-period encyclopedia Wamyo Ruijusho (938 CE), and again in the Heike Monogatari (1371 CE), a record of one of Japan’s bloodiest civil wars and most tragic family clans. It has the head of a monkey, the body of a tanuki, the tail of a snake, and the limbs of a tiger. In ancient times it was thought to be a kind of nocturnal bird — it’s call is supposed to sound like that of a White’s thrush — and thus its name is written with a kanji that contains the meanings “night” and “bird.

Owners Unknown[]

Mokugyo Daruma (木魚達磨)[]

Based on a special fish-shaped gong used to help monks focus on meditation, and eventually achieve enlightenment themselves.

Onmoraki (陰摩羅鬼)[]

Based on strange spirits that scold neglectful priests by mimicking their own voices.

Fujiwara no Chikata no Yonki (藤原千方の四鬼)[]

Tegatakasa (手形傘)[]

Based on a story concerning a mysterious umbrella covered in tegata and a storm. A tegata is a handprinted autograph.

Shorokaze (精霊風)[]

Based on a legendary wind that held the spirits of the unworshipped dead, and killed anyone it touched.

Toufu Kozou (豆腐小僧)[]

Based on a rather harmless youkai that adores tofu. It resembles a young boy but with large heads, clawed hands and feet.

Nodeppou (野鉄砲)[]

Based on a youkai that sucks blood from human faces and spits out bats.

Hakutaku (白澤)[]

Based on a youkai that brought great luck wherever it went. They resembled oxes with nine eyes.

Yosuzume (夜雀)[]

Based on a sparrow youkai that would frighten people by swarming around them, and generally represented a bad omen.

Kidoumaru (鬼童丸)[]

Kidoumaru is said to be the name of Shuten Doji's son. He would try and take revenge upon the samurai who ended up killing his father.

Sutoku Tenno (崇徳天皇)[]

Sutoku Tenno is one of the three most famous youkai to ever haunt Japan. After he died, he transformed—some say into a terrible onryo, some say into a great tengu—and inflicted his wrath upon the imperial court at Kyoto. Along with Sugawara no Michizane and Taira no Masakado, he is one of the legendary Nihon San Dai Onryo—the Three Great Onryo of Japan.

It is an unused fairy in Bouquet of Brilliance's game files.

Sancho (サンチョ)[]

Sonoko's pillow. He is a usable fairy in Bouquet of Brilliance.

Gekota (ゲコ太)[]

A popular mascot found in merchandise marketed to children added due to Toaru Majutsu no Railgun T collab as a usable fairy in Bouquet of Brilliance.

Trump Cards[]

Main Article : Trump Card

Trump Cards were the early usage of Spirits, imbuing their power into one's body and giving them a tremendous set of skills. Any girl could pick one, but they often stayed with 1 or 2. A Trump Card is incredibly dangerous, as it can bring a huge amount of physical kickback onto the body and even mind, as evidenced by Chikage's mental snap.

This system was scrapped, and replaced with the current Hero System.

(The powers were then later used as the Fairies of the Anno Domini heroes in the mobage.)

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

Gyuuki is often seen trying to eat Karin's fairy, Yoshiteru. In Episode 7 of Yuuki Yuuna's Chapter, Yuuna is seen chewing on Karin's arm out of hunger, referencing this.
It has been confirmed that there is more to Gyuuki than it seems, although the details have been redacted. ^[2]

References[]

[1] An anniversary fan event that took place on January 15th, 2016.

[2] Series producer Uezu Makoto: "(Gyuuki) is _____ itself. Thus, it's also ___. There's a good reason for this, the idea that ____________ is rooted in mythology. That's why it always _____ by Yuuna's side and ____. That's also why it could do a forcible Mankai like we saw in the last episode of the first season."

[1]

[2]