OVA
Description
Nura Rihan succeeded his father, Nurarihyon, as the Nura Clan's second Supreme Commander. Born to Nurarihyon and the human Yōhime, he existed as a hanyō. He later fathered Rikuo Nura with his second wife, Wakana. Physically mirroring his father, Rihan possessed long hair protruding from the back of his head, though purely black and wavier. He typically wore a green-and-black striped kimono with a white cloth over his shoulders. In human form, his hair fell in a long ponytail, frequently covering the right side of his face.
Rihan fully embraced his yōkai heritage, consistently accessing his powers. Yet, he deliberately shielded his son Rikuo from the yakuza-like aspects of the yōkai world, raising him unaware of its darker elements. His personality blended a carefree demeanor with fierce protectiveness, especially when defending loved ones. He displayed aggression when confronting threats to Yamabuki Otome or reacting violently to revelations about her fate. He also exhibited a perverse sense of humor, making inappropriate inquiries about female acquaintances.
Before Wakana, Rihan married the yōkai Yamabuki Otome. A curse placed on Nurarihyon by Hagoromo Gitsune prevented them from conceiving children. Yamabuki blamed herself and disappeared after leaving Rihan a sorrowful poem about her infertility; she was presumed dead. Years later, Abe no Seimei and Sanmoto Gorozaemon revived Yamabuki in a child's form, possessed by Hagoromo Gitsune. Mistaking her for Yamabuki's daughter, Rihan cared for her. This culminated in his murder when Hagoromo Gitsune, triggered by Rihan reciting Yamabuki's poem, stabbed him through the chest—an act witnessed by young Rikuo. Earlier, Rihan saved Wakana from a haunted lineage, and their friendship gradually healed his grief over Yamabuki. They married and had Rikuo, with Wakana described as his "treasure" for restoring his will to live.
Rihan wielded formidable combat abilities. He mastered techniques like Meikyō Shisui (creating disorienting illusions) and Kyōka Suigetsu (manipulating enemy awareness). His signature Ougi Meikyō Shisui "Sakura" ignited yōkai sake to produce blue incinerating flames. He pioneered the Matoi technique, layering a subordinate's fear over his own to amplify power, performing it with allies like Kurotabō. He inherited healing abilities from his mother, Yōhime, and was an expert swordsman wielding the exorcism blade Nenekirimaru. His physical prowess included the Nura Clan's traditional Flying Yōkai Yakuza Kick.
Within the clan, Rihan maintained complex relationships. Kubinashi functioned as his trusted right-hand man and Rikuo's caretaker. Kurotabō, initially an assassin from the rival Hyaku Monogatari clan, defected to join Rihan's Hyakki Yakō after their combined efforts defeated Sanmoto Gorōzaemon. His leadership expanded the clan's influence to its Edo period peak, suppressing threats like the String Assassin of Hitachi Province.
His name is a pun on "Nurarihyon" and "hanyō," and he ranked in the series' popularity polls. His human form revealed both eyes, contrasting his yōkai form's single-eyed appearance.
Rihan fully embraced his yōkai heritage, consistently accessing his powers. Yet, he deliberately shielded his son Rikuo from the yakuza-like aspects of the yōkai world, raising him unaware of its darker elements. His personality blended a carefree demeanor with fierce protectiveness, especially when defending loved ones. He displayed aggression when confronting threats to Yamabuki Otome or reacting violently to revelations about her fate. He also exhibited a perverse sense of humor, making inappropriate inquiries about female acquaintances.
Before Wakana, Rihan married the yōkai Yamabuki Otome. A curse placed on Nurarihyon by Hagoromo Gitsune prevented them from conceiving children. Yamabuki blamed herself and disappeared after leaving Rihan a sorrowful poem about her infertility; she was presumed dead. Years later, Abe no Seimei and Sanmoto Gorozaemon revived Yamabuki in a child's form, possessed by Hagoromo Gitsune. Mistaking her for Yamabuki's daughter, Rihan cared for her. This culminated in his murder when Hagoromo Gitsune, triggered by Rihan reciting Yamabuki's poem, stabbed him through the chest—an act witnessed by young Rikuo. Earlier, Rihan saved Wakana from a haunted lineage, and their friendship gradually healed his grief over Yamabuki. They married and had Rikuo, with Wakana described as his "treasure" for restoring his will to live.
Rihan wielded formidable combat abilities. He mastered techniques like Meikyō Shisui (creating disorienting illusions) and Kyōka Suigetsu (manipulating enemy awareness). His signature Ougi Meikyō Shisui "Sakura" ignited yōkai sake to produce blue incinerating flames. He pioneered the Matoi technique, layering a subordinate's fear over his own to amplify power, performing it with allies like Kurotabō. He inherited healing abilities from his mother, Yōhime, and was an expert swordsman wielding the exorcism blade Nenekirimaru. His physical prowess included the Nura Clan's traditional Flying Yōkai Yakuza Kick.
Within the clan, Rihan maintained complex relationships. Kubinashi functioned as his trusted right-hand man and Rikuo's caretaker. Kurotabō, initially an assassin from the rival Hyaku Monogatari clan, defected to join Rihan's Hyakki Yakō after their combined efforts defeated Sanmoto Gorōzaemon. His leadership expanded the clan's influence to its Edo period peak, suppressing threats like the String Assassin of Hitachi Province.
His name is a pun on "Nurarihyon" and "hanyō," and he ranked in the series' popularity polls. His human form revealed both eyes, contrasting his yōkai form's single-eyed appearance.