The Hermits consist of two entities, the Black Hermit and White Hermit, supernatural operatives serving the principal antagonist Kyogoku Tei. They act as his messengers and enforcers, often manifesting as elderly women but capable of shifting their forms into young girls to deceive or manipulate others, notably the Ongyou trio. Their core function involves delivering assignments from Kyogoku Tei to the Ongyou and directly intervening on his behalf. This includes obstructing the Ongyou's attempt to deliver judgment against the criminal Tatsuta and subsequently recruiting her into Kyogoku Tei's service.

Under the Hermits' direction, Tatsuta facilitated atrocities such as orchestrating the massacre at Seven Man Point and coercing prisoners into violent reenactments during Kyogoku Tei's reconstruction of the Flame Lance cannon. The Hermits perished when Kyogoku Tei inadvertently destroyed them during the final confrontation with the Ongyou. No distinct individual backstories, personal developments, or unique characteristics differentiate the Black Hermit from the White Hermit across any official media; they operate solely as a paired extension of Kyogoku Tei's will throughout the series.