List of Touhou Project characters
This is a list of the characters that belong to the Touhou Project, a series of video games by ZUN from Team Shanghai Alice. Most Touhou characters reside in a fictional realm called Gensokyo, wherein humans and yōkai coexist. Though the yōkai do often prey on the humans, and the humans try to exorcise them, no racial animosity actually exists between the two. The characters also have unique abilities. Due to the first five games in the series, released for the PC-98 being relatively obscure, the characters in and after The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil are more widely recognized and popular.
All characters except the two main protagonists are listed by the first game of their appearance.
Protagonists
Reimu Hakurei
- Species: Human
- Ability: Flight, using yin-yang orbs, and godly powers. Ability as the Hakurei Miko.
- Residence: Hakurei Shrine
From Rinnosuke Morichika's viewpoint, she has good relations with Marisa Kirisame. Meanwhile, there was not an instance where she fought together with Marisa. When she confronted Watatsuki no Yorihime in Silent Sinner in Blue, she did not cooperate with her allies Marisa, Remilia Scarlet, and Sakuya Izayoi.
She serves the role of the miko of the Hakurei Shrine located at the boundary between Gensokyo and the outside world, called the "Miko of Hakurei." The job of the miko of the Hakurei shrine is to exterminate yokai and resolve incidents, and Reimu herself possesses strong power, but since she habitually lives a life of drinking tea and taking naps, she does not have enough training. The plentiful livelihood of Gensokyo is sustained by the maintenance of the indispensable relationship of yokai attacking humans and humans exterminating yokai, and the Miko of Hakurei plays a part in that. Since the Miko of Hakurei also in an indispensable position of maintaining Gensokyo, it has become forbidden for the Miko of Hakurei to exterminate yokai and for yokai to attack the miko, not to mention humans coming to the Hakurei Shrine grounds to meddle. However, since the relation of yokai attacking humans has thus been lost, yokai have been in decline, so Reimu approved of a request she received from yokai to establish battle rules for bouts with yokai and kill time, thus preserving the relation between yokai and humans in a mock style, allowing strong and weak ones to have equal fights without bad aftertastes, called the "spell card rules" in the "Spell Naming Law." The customs related to the job have been preserved from time immemorial without fail, and as she follows the custom, she takes an attitude of not worrying about the results.
Reimu's appearance varies slightly between the games. However, she always can be seen with black or brown hair with a red bow, and a red and white hakama with a long skirt, the hakama is unconventional in its appearance due to the fact that the sleeves are detached. Additionally, she always carries her Purification Rod, a gohei created by Rinnosuke Morichika.
Her main abilities are flying in the sky, good intuition, and getting along with everyone; even those who were once her enemies. In the games, she is characterized by her homing amulets and yin-yang orbs. In addition to being in all of the Touhou games, she is featured in Graffiti Kingdom as "Flying Maiden", in which ZUN is involved. Due to the way she is often dressed, Reimu's exposed armpits are often used as targets for Internet memes.
Marisa Kirisame
- Species: Human
- Ability: Magic
- Residence: Forest of Magic
Additional game characters
Highly Responsive to Prayers
;SinGyoku;YuugenMagan
;Elis
- Species: Devil
- Residence: Ruins of Vina
- Species: Angel
- Residence: Fallen Shrine
;Mima
- Species: Ghost
- Ability: Black Magic
- Residence: Hakurei Shrine
;Konngara
Story of Eastern Wonderland
;Genjii- Species: Turtle
- Ability: Flight
- Residence: Hakurei Shrine
- Species: Human
- Species: Human
- Residence: Forest of Magic
Phantasmagoria of Dim. Dream
;Ellen
- Species: Witch
- Ability: Inability to grow old, magic
;Kotohime
- Species: Human
;Kana Anaberal
- Species: Poltergeist
;Rikako Asakura
- Species: Human
;Chiyuri Kitashirakawa
- Species: Human
- Ability: Artificial Magic
- Residence: Dream Ruins
;Yumemi Okazaki
- Species: Human
- Ability: Artificial Magic
- Residence: Dream Ruins
;Ruukoto
- Species: Robot
- Residence: Hakurei Shrine
Lotus Land Story
;Orange
- Species: Yōkai
- Residence: Mountain Path
;Kurumi
- Species: Vampire
- Residence: Lake of Blood
;Elly
- Residence: Mugenkan
;Yuuka
- Species: Yōkai
- Residence: Mugenkan
;Mugetsu
- Species: Demon
;Gengetsu
- Species: Demon
Mystic Square
;Sara
- Species: Yōkai
- Residence: A mountain cave that holds a doorway to Makai
;Louise
- Species: Demon
- Residence: Makai
;Alice
- Species: Yōkai magician
- Ability: Magic, Manipulation of Dolls
- Residence: Pandæmonium
;Yuki
- Species: Magician
- Ability: Fire Magic
- Residence: Makai
;Mai
- Species: Magician
- Ability: Ice Magic
- Residence: Makai
;Yumeko
- Species: Demon
- Residence: Pandæmonium
;Shinki
- Species: Goddess
- Residence: Pandæmonium
[The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil]
;Rumia
- Species: Yōkai
- Ability: Manipulation of darkness
- Residence: Unknown
;Daiyousei
- Species: Fairy
- Residence: Misty Lake
;Cirno
- Species: Ice fairy
- Ability: Enough power to manipulate ice
- Residence: Misty Lake
;Hong Meiling
- Species: Yōkai
- Ability: Manipulation of qi
- Residence: Scarlet Devil Mansion
;Koakuma
- Species: Devil
- Residence: Scarlet Devil Mansion
;Patchouli Knowledge
- Species: Witch
- Ability: Able to manipulate elemental magic, like fire, water, wood, metal, earth, sun, and moon
- Residence: Scarlet Devil Mansion
;Sakuya Izayoi
- Species: Human
- Ability: Manipulation of time
- Residence: Scarlet Devil Mansion
;Remilia Scarlet
- Species: Vampire
- Ability: Manipulation of fate
- Residence: Scarlet Devil Mansion
- Species: Vampire
- Ability: About enough power to destroy anything
- Residence: Scarlet Devil Mansion
[Perfect Cherry Blossom]
;Letty Whiterock
- Species: Yuki-onna
- Ability: Manipulation of chilliness
;Chen
- Species: Beast
- Ability: Enough power to handle sorcery and surprise people
- Residence: Yokai Mountain
;Alice Margatroid
- Species: Magician
- Ability: Enough power to use magical dolls
- Residence: Forest of Magic
;Lily White
- Species: Fairy
- Ability: Can recognise the coming of spring
;Prismriver Sisters
- Species: Poltergeists
- Ability: Playing musical instruments without hands or feet
- Residence: Poltergeist Mansion
;Youmu Konpaku
- Species: Half-human half-phantom
- Ability: Kenjutsu
- Residence: Hakugyokurō
;Yuyuko Saigyouji
- Species: Ghost
- Ability: Manipulation of death and departed souls
- Residence: Hakugyokurō
;Ran Yakumo
;Yukari Yakumo
- Species: Yōkai
- Ability: Manipulation of space and boundaries
- Residence: The boundaries of Gensokyo
[Immaterial and Missing Power]
;Suika Ibuki
- Species: Oni
- Ability: Manipulation of density and sparseness
- Residence: Unknown
[Imperishable Night]
;Wriggle Nightbug
- Species: Yōkai firefly
- Ability: Manipulation of insects
- Residence: Various thickets
;Mystia Lorelei
- Species: Night sparrow
- Ability: Power to drive humans insane by singing
- Residence: Road of Monsters
;Keine Kamishirasawa
- Species: Were-hakutaku
- Ability: Power to consume history and create history
- Residence: Human Village
;Tewi Inaba
- Species: Yōkai rabbit
- Ability: Power to confer good luck to humans
- Residence: Eientei
;Reisen Udongein Inaba
- Species: Moon rabbit
- Ability: Power to manipulate insanity
- Residence: Eientei
;Eirin Yagokoro
- Species: Human
- Ability: Power to create any drug, natural genius
- Residence: Eientei
;Kaguya Houraisan
- Species: Human
- Ability: Manipulation of eternity and the instantaneous
- Residence: Eientei
;Fujiwara no Mokou
- Species: Human
- Ability: Manipulation of fire, eternal youth and immortality
- Residence: Bamboo Forest of Lost
[Phantasmagoria of Flower View]
;Aya Shameimaru
- Species: Crow tengu
- Ability: Manipulation of wind, exceptional speed
- Residence: Yōkai Mountain
;Medicine Melancholy
- Species: Doll
- Ability: Manipulation of poison
- Residence: Nameless Hill
;Yuuka Kazami
- Species: Yōkai
- Ability: Manipulation of flowers
- Residence: Garden of the Sun
;Komachi Onozuka
- Species: Shinigami
- Ability: Manipulation of distance
- Residence: Sanzu River
;Shikieiki Yamaxanadu
- Species: Yama
- Ability: Power to judge clearly as good and evil
- Residence: Higan
[Mountain of Faith]
;Shizuha Aki
- Species: Goddess of red leaves
- Ability: Control of autumn leaves
- Residence: Foot of the Yōkai Mountain
;Minoriko Aki
- Species: Goddess of abundance
- Ability: Control of harvest
- Residence: Foot of the Yōkai Mountain
;Hina Kagiyama
- Species: Curse goddess
- Ability: Gathering of misfortune
- Residence: Yōkai Sea of Trees
;Nitori Kawashiro
- Species: Kappa
- Ability: Manipulation of water
- Residence: Untrodden Valley
;Momiji Inubashiri
- Species: White wolf tengu
- Ability: Power to see a thousand ri ahead
- Residence: Waterfall of Nine Heavens
;Sanae Kochiya
- Species: Human, distant descendant of the goddess Suwako Moriya
- Ability: Power to cause miracles
- Residence: Moriya Shrine
;Kanako Yasaka
- Species: Goddess of wind and rain
- Ability: Power to create qian
- Residence: Wind God's Lake
Her ability is to produce a single Qian, one of the eight elements of Taoism, which is associated with creation, leadership and reliability. She is also called a 'wind god', which would suggest an ability to alter the terrain and weather, and alongside Suwako, she has been seen creating large structures and opening holes into the underground.
;Suwako Moriya
- Species: Goddess of mountains
- Ability: Power to create kun
- Residence: Moriya Shrine
[Scarlet Weather Rhapsody]
;Iku Nagae
- Species: Yōkai oarfish
- Ability: Power to read the atmosphere
- Residence: Sea of Abstruse Clouds
;Tenshi Hinanawi
- Species: Celestial
- Ability: Manipulation of Earth
- Residence: Bhava-agra
[Subterranean Animism]
;Kisume
- Species: Tsurube-otoshi
- Ability: About enough power to dropping onibi
- Residence: Fantasy Wind Cave
;Yamame Kurodani
- Species: Tsuchigumo
- Ability: Manipulation of illness
- Residence: Fantasy Wind Cave
;Parsee Mizuhashi
- Species: Hashihime
- Ability: Manipulation of jealousy
- Residence: Deep Road to Hell
;Yuugi Hoshiguma
- Species: Oni
- Ability: Exceptional strength, unexplainable phenomena
- Residence: Former Streets of Hell
;Satori Komeiji
- Species: Satori
- Ability: Mind reading, hypnosis
- Residence: Palace of the Earth Spirits
;Rin Kaenbyou
- Species: Kasha
- Ability: Carrying corpses, communicating with spirits
- Residence: Remains of the Blazing Hell
;Utsuho Reiuji
- Species: Hell raven with Yatagarasu
- Ability: Manipulation of nuclear fusion
- Residence: Deepest sector of the Underground City
;Koishi Komeiji
- Species: Satori
- Ability: About enough power to manipulate the unconscious
- Residence: Moriya Shrine
[Undefined Fantastic Object]
;Nazrin
- Species: Mouse yōkai
- Age: At least 1000 years
- Ability: Power to find sought-for objects
- Residence: The Road of Lingering Snow, Makai
;Kogasa Tatara
- Species: Kasa-obake
- Ability: Surprising humans, blacksmithing
- Residence: Skies of Gensokyo, Myouren Temple Graveyard
;Ichirin Kumoi Unzan
- Species: Yōkai and Nyūdo
- Age: At least 1000 years
- Ability: Nyūdō
- Residence: Myouren Temple
;Minamitsu Murasa
- Species: Ship ghost
- Ability: Causing shipwrecks
- Residence: Inside the Palanquin Ship
;Syou Toramaru
- Species: Tiger yōkai
- Age: At least 1000 years
- Ability: Gathering of treasures
- Residence: Formerly Makai, currently Myouren Temple.
;Byakuren Hijiri
- Species: Magician, formerly human
- Age: Over 1100 years
- Ability: Magic
- Residence: Formerly Hokkai, currently Myouren Temple.
;Nue Houjuu
- Species: Nue
- Age: More than 800 years
- Ability: Making objects unidentifiable
- Residence: Myouren Temple
[Double Spoiler]
;Hatate Himekaidou
- Species: Crow tengu
- Ability: Thoughtography
- Residence: Yōkai Mountain
[Fairy Wars]
;Sunny Milk
- Species: Fairy
- Ability: Refraction of light
- Residence: Forest of Magic
;Luna Child
- Species: Fairy
- Ability: Muting sound
- Residence: Forest of Magic
;Star Sapphire
- Species: Fairy
- Ability: Detection of movement
- Residence: Forest of Magic
[Ten Desires]
;Kyouko Kasodani
- Species: Yamabiko
- Ability: Reflection of sound
- Residence: Myouren Temple
;Yoshika Miyako
- Species: Jiangshi
- Ability: Eating anything
- Residence: Myouren Temple Graveyard
;Seiga Kaku
- Species: Hermit
- Age: Over 1400 years
- Ability: Passing through walls
- Residence: Myouren Temple Graveyard
;Soga no Toziko
- Species: Ghost
- Ability: Creating thunder and lightning
- Residence: Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum
;Mononobe no Futo
- Species: Described by ZUN as a "Taoist self-identifying as a shikaisen"
- Age: Over 1400 years
- Ability: Manipulation of Feng shui
- Residence: Hall of Dreams' Great Mausoleum
;Toyosatomimi no Miko
- Species: Saint
- Age: 1446 years
- Ability: Listening to ten people speak simultaneously
- Residence: Divine Spirit Mausoleum
;Mamizou Futatsuiwa
- Species: Tanuki
- Ability: Disguise
- Residence: Myouren Temple
[Hopeless Masquerade]
;Hata no Kokoro
- Species: Menreiki
- Age: About 1300 years
- Ability: Manipulation of emotions
- Residence: Unknown, only seen in the Human Village during the Final Stage.
[Double Dealing Character]
;Wakasagihime
- Species: Mermaid
- Ability: Increase in strength when in water
- Residence: Misty Lake
;Sekibanki
- Species: Rokurokubi
- Ability: Detaching her head, flying
- Residence: Human Village
;Kagerou Imaizumi
- Species: Werewolf
- Ability: Can transform into a wolf on a full moon
- Residence: Bamboo Forest of the Lost
- Species: Tsukumogami
- Ability: Making sound, performing music without instruments
- Residence: Storm in the Skies of Gensokyo
;Seija Kijin
- Species: Amanojaku
- Ability: Upturning anything
- Residence: Shining Needle Castle
;Shinmyoumaru Sukuna
- Species: Inchling
- Ability: Can use the Miracle Mallet
- Residence: Shining Needle Castle
;Raiko Horikawa
- Species: Tsukumogami
- Ability: Can make anything follow a rhythm
- Residence: Storm in the Skies of Gensokyo
[Urban Legend in Limbo]
;Kasen Ibaraki
- Species: Ibaraki-dōji
- Age: Over 1000 years
- Ability: Communicating with animals, remotely controlling her arm, guiding yōkai, hiding her home with fangshi, creating light orbs, instant movement, creating barriers to and from the Outside World
- Residence: Yōkai Mountain, also seen at the Hakurei Shrine
;Sumireko Usami
- Species: Human
- Age: 15-16 years
- Ability: Levitation, pyrokinesis, hydrokinesis, telekinesis, psychokinesis, teleportation
- Residence: Kantō, Japan, Outside World
[Legacy of Lunatic Kingdom]
;Seiran
- Species: Moon rabbit
- Ability: Firing bullets from other dimensions
- Residence: Gensokyo
;Ringo
- Species: Moon rabbit
- Ability: Becoming stronger by eating dango
- Residence: Gensokyo
;Doremy Sweet
- Species: Baku
- Ability: Complete control of the dream world, self-cloning
- Residence: Secret Passageway
;Sagume Kishin
- Species: Lunarian
- Ability: Reversing situations with words
- Residence: The Lunar Capital
;Clownpiece
- Species: Fairy
- Ability: Driving people to madness
- Residence: Sea of Tranquility, near side of the Moon
;Junko
- Species: Divine spirit
- Ability: Total purification
- Residence: Sea of Tranquility
;Hecatia Lapislazuli
- Species: Goddess
- Ability: Having three bodies in a single mind
- Residence: Hell
[Antinomy of Common Flowers]
;Joon Yorigami
- Species: Pestilence Goddess
- Ability: Bringing financial misfortune
;Shion Yorigami
- Species: Poverty Goddess
- Ability: Bringing misfortune, which extends to herself
[Hidden Star in Four Seasons]
;Eternity Larva
- Species: Fairy
- Ability: Scattering scales
;Nemuno Sakata
- Species: Yama-uba
- Ability: Creating sanctuaries
- Residence: Yōkai Mountain
;Aunn Komano
- Species: Komainu
- Ability: Locating Shintoism and Buddhism
- Residence: Hakurei Shrine
;Narumi Yatadera
- Species: Magician
- Ability: Using magic
- Residence: Forest of Magic
;Mai Teireida
- Species: Human
- Ability: Drawing out people's vitality by dancing behind them
;Satono Nishida
- Species: Human
- Ability: Drawing out people's mental energy by dancing behind them
;Okina Matara
- Species: Secret God
- Ability: Creating back doors, manipulation of life energy
Wily Beast and Weakest Creature
;Eika Ebisu
- Species: Soul of a stillborn child
- Ability: Capable of stacking stones well
;Urumi Ushizaki
- Species: Ushi-oni
- Ability: Capable of changing the weight of everyday objects
;Kutaka Niwatari
- Species: God
- Ability: Capable of healing throat illnesses
;Yachie Kicchounihongo\|Mayumi Joutouguu|杖刀偶 磨弓|Joutouguu Mayuminihongo\|Keiki Haniyasushin|埴安神 袿姫|Haniyasushin Keikinihongo\|Saki Kurokoma|驪駒 早鬼|Kurokoma Saki
Other characters
;Renko Usami
- Species: Human
- Ability: Telling the time by seeing the stars, determining her Residence by watching the moon
- Residence: Kyoto, originally from Tokyo
;Maribel Hearn
- Species: Human
- Ability: Seeing any boundary
- Residence: Kyoto, originally from outside Japan
;Rinnosuke Morichika
- Species: Half-human half-yōkai
- Ability: Ability to know the name and utility of any tool
- Residence: Kourindou
;Hieda no Akyuu
- Species: Human
- Ability: Not forgetting anything seen once
- Residence: Human Village
;Watatsuki no Toyohime
- Species: Lunarian
- Ability: Linking the Mountain and the Sea
- Residence: Capital of the Moon
;Watatsuki no Yorihime
- Species: Lunarian
- Ability: Possession by the Gods
- Residence: Capital of the Moon
;Reisen
- Species: Moon rabbit
- Residence: Capital of the Moon
;Kosuzu Motoori
- Species: Human
- Ability: Deciphering books
- Residence: Human Village