TV-Series
Description
Tao Ren, also known as Len Tao, is a Chinese shaman from Guizhou, China, born on January 1, 1986, and the forty-third head of the Tao family. He was raised under the oppressive and brutal training of his father, Tao En, who forced him to study and train from an extremely young age, robbing him of his childhood and instilling in him a deep hatred for humanity and a belief that the only way to overcome death was through the survival of the strongest. This upbringing led him to view his guardian spirit, Bason, as a mere tool rather than a companion, and he initially sought to become the Shaman King in order to destroy all humans.
Tao Ren first appears in the story when he travels to Japan with the intention of claiming the spirit Amidamaru for himself, which would require him to kill the protagonist Yoh Asakura. Although he is unable to defeat Yoh even while using one hundred percent of his spiritual possession with Bason, his defeat only fuels his obsession with proving himself superior. He later prevents Yoh from being killed by Faust, insisting that only he should be the one to finish Yoh. When they fight again to qualify for the Shaman Fight, the match ends in a draw, and something shifts in their relationship. Tao Ren eventually joins the tournament as a member of his own team, which he arrogantly names Team The Ren.
As the story progresses, Tao Ren begins to change through his interactions with Yoh and the others. He returns to China to confront and defeat his father, hoping to break free from the source of his hatred. However, Tao En defeats him easily and imprisons him along with his sister, Tao Jun. Yoh, along with Ryu and Horohoro, travels to China to rescue him, and together they defeat Tao En. This event allows Tao Ren to finally let go of the resentment that had defined his life. Over the course of the series, he is killed three times and resurrected each time, each death pushing him to grow stronger and more resolute in his desire to end all chains of hatred.
In terms of personality, Tao Ren is serious, logical, and emotionally aloof, maintaining a hard and confident exterior. He is impatient, quick-tempered, and unafraid to hurt those who anger him. He is also egotistical and stubborn, rarely listening to others or following instructions, and he is highly defiant, even toward his father. Beneath this cold surface, however, he genuinely cares for his allies and is willing to risk his own life for them. He is particularly close to Horohoro and Chocolove, though he frequently argues with the former. After a serious injury sustained while saving Horohoro, it becomes clear that the two truly care for each other. Tao Ren later marries Iron Maiden Jeanne, the leader of the X-Laws, and together they have a son named Men Tao.
Tao Ren is a highly skilled combatant, proficient in martial arts and swordsmanship, and he has the ability to learn techniques simply by observing them firsthand, as demonstrated when he learns several of Mikihisa Asakura's techniques. He is a powerful shaman capable of feats that most shamans his age cannot accomplish, such as looking directly into the heart of the Great Spirit without collapsing. His guardian spirit, Bason, is a fierce warrior from the era of Kublai Khan who has served the Tao family for generations. Tao Ren initially fights with the Basontou, a guandao that Bason once used, and later wields the Bao-lei Sword, a silver heirloom of the Tao family that purifies and strengthens the spirit fused with it. With this sword, he creates Over Souls such as Super Bushin, which uses Bason's military experience to generate dozens of different weapons, and Bushin Fish Fin, which allows him to generate and channel lightning and electricity. He is eventually chosen by the shaman Sati as one of the Five Elemental Warriors, attuning his Furyoku to the element of lightning and gaining the Spirit of Thunder, which aligns with the lightning techniques of Taoism and grants him the ability to move and attack in the blink of an eye. His Furyoku level is approximately one hundred thousand and one, making him a Seirei-class shaman.
Tao Ren first appears in the story when he travels to Japan with the intention of claiming the spirit Amidamaru for himself, which would require him to kill the protagonist Yoh Asakura. Although he is unable to defeat Yoh even while using one hundred percent of his spiritual possession with Bason, his defeat only fuels his obsession with proving himself superior. He later prevents Yoh from being killed by Faust, insisting that only he should be the one to finish Yoh. When they fight again to qualify for the Shaman Fight, the match ends in a draw, and something shifts in their relationship. Tao Ren eventually joins the tournament as a member of his own team, which he arrogantly names Team The Ren.
As the story progresses, Tao Ren begins to change through his interactions with Yoh and the others. He returns to China to confront and defeat his father, hoping to break free from the source of his hatred. However, Tao En defeats him easily and imprisons him along with his sister, Tao Jun. Yoh, along with Ryu and Horohoro, travels to China to rescue him, and together they defeat Tao En. This event allows Tao Ren to finally let go of the resentment that had defined his life. Over the course of the series, he is killed three times and resurrected each time, each death pushing him to grow stronger and more resolute in his desire to end all chains of hatred.
In terms of personality, Tao Ren is serious, logical, and emotionally aloof, maintaining a hard and confident exterior. He is impatient, quick-tempered, and unafraid to hurt those who anger him. He is also egotistical and stubborn, rarely listening to others or following instructions, and he is highly defiant, even toward his father. Beneath this cold surface, however, he genuinely cares for his allies and is willing to risk his own life for them. He is particularly close to Horohoro and Chocolove, though he frequently argues with the former. After a serious injury sustained while saving Horohoro, it becomes clear that the two truly care for each other. Tao Ren later marries Iron Maiden Jeanne, the leader of the X-Laws, and together they have a son named Men Tao.
Tao Ren is a highly skilled combatant, proficient in martial arts and swordsmanship, and he has the ability to learn techniques simply by observing them firsthand, as demonstrated when he learns several of Mikihisa Asakura's techniques. He is a powerful shaman capable of feats that most shamans his age cannot accomplish, such as looking directly into the heart of the Great Spirit without collapsing. His guardian spirit, Bason, is a fierce warrior from the era of Kublai Khan who has served the Tao family for generations. Tao Ren initially fights with the Basontou, a guandao that Bason once used, and later wields the Bao-lei Sword, a silver heirloom of the Tao family that purifies and strengthens the spirit fused with it. With this sword, he creates Over Souls such as Super Bushin, which uses Bason's military experience to generate dozens of different weapons, and Bushin Fish Fin, which allows him to generate and channel lightning and electricity. He is eventually chosen by the shaman Sati as one of the Five Elemental Warriors, attuning his Furyoku to the element of lightning and gaining the Spirit of Thunder, which aligns with the lightning techniques of Taoism and grants him the ability to move and attack in the blink of an eye. His Furyoku level is approximately one hundred thousand and one, making him a Seirei-class shaman.