Tengu

The tengu (Japanese: 天狗 Tengu, "Heavenly Dog" or "Heavenly Sentinel") are a kind of youkai of Inazuma.^[1]

Overview[]

Appearance[]

Black wings appear to be a common trait among the tengu: Teruyo^[1] is described to have black wings, while Kujou Sara^[2] also has black wings. All known tengus have had crow masks affixed on their head. Akuou mentions beating the Great Tengu at the time and taking his mask as a trophy, implying that the masks of the tengu are either of great honor or importance, or even essential to their survival.

Powers and Abilities[]

The tengu appear to be well-versed in both archery and swordsmanship, although their arts are not restricted to those within their clans. The Great Tengu taught the human Takamine her archery techniques, which he later taught to Asase Hibiki.^[1][3][4]

Another member of the Yougou Three, the onmyouji Kamuna Harunosuke, learned the tengu art of transcension while training under the Yougou Tengu; which he combined with his knowledge of Liyue adepti arts to create onmyoudou.^[5][6]

A tengu's speed is said to be nearly unrivaled. Kitsune Saiguu technically won a race against the Chieftain of the Yougou Tengu but believes that the tengu went easy on her,^[7] while Iwakura Michihiro's grazing of Teruyo's wing during a duel won him the name "Tengu Victor."^[1]

According to Teruyo, a name given by the Yougou possesses divine powers.^[1] It is unclear whether this is an ability possessed by all tengu or only the Yougou Tengu.

Tengu warriors are known to possess magical items known as feather fans. When wielded by a tengu, a feather fan can have various effects; while in the hands of ordinary people, it is only capable of "making one's body lighter" when in mid-air (such that it increases one's movement speed while gliding).^[8]

While tengu are slimmer than oni, they are far stronger than their appearance suggests.

History[]

Early History[]

The tengu are some of Inazuma's inhabitants and lived a mostly secluded lifestyle. One tengu, Sasayuri, was acquainted with Ei; during the war against Watatsumi when Orobashi inexplicably invaded Shogunate-held islands, he was slain in battle. At some point, the Great Tengu Reizenbou was gifted the Thundering Pulse by the Shogun. It is unclear whether it was Makoto or Ei who gave the gift.

The Cataclysm[]

During the cataclysm, Teruyo met Mikoshi Doukei, who was living a life of self-exile in Konda Village as a result of his mother's actions against the Shogun. Teruyo later disappeared after Doukei managed to graze her wing, asking him to forget about her. The "Great Tengu", Kitsune Saiguu's protector, also disappeared during this time.

Present Day[]

Like the oni, most tengu continue to live in seclusion. Prior to the Traveler's arrival in Inazuma, there are at least two tengu - an unnamed tengu that Arataki Itto had dueled in Byakko Plain, and Kujou Sara, who was integrated into human society after falling from a great height while battling monsters and fell unconscious when she was discovered, having been saved by her recently granted Vision.

Known Tengus[]

Playable Characters[]

Kujou Sara

Other Characters[]

4 Characters match the category selection:

Known Members[]

Unknown Time Period[]

• Sasayuri (deceased)
• Yoichi

500 Years Ago[]

• The "Great Tengu" Reizenbou^[9] (Kitsune Saiguu's protector; deceased)^[10][11]
  • Teruyo (member of the Yougou Tengu; disappeared)^[1]

Present[]

• Kujou Sara^[2]

Trivia[]

• In Japanese mythology, tengu are a kind of supernatural creature; they are classical youkai that may also be revered as deities (kami) in Shinto. In Japanese Buddhism, the tengu were seen as tricksters and destructive demons of war, but could also take on a noble, protective role.
  • The association with crows in Genshin Impact's depiction of tengu is derived from a variant of the creature known as karasu-tengu (Japanese: 烏天狗 "crow tengu"; also called kotengu, "lesser tengu"). Compared to the archetypal humanoid daitengu (Japanese: 大天狗 "great tengu"), karasu-tengu are depicted with more corvid-like characteristics, and are perceived as lesser beings to daitengu; despite their appearance pre-dating them.
  • The masks worn by Inazuman tengu appear to combine aspects of both the daitengu and karasu-tengu; such as the bird-like appearance of a karasu-tengu's head, and the daitengu's characteristic red face and long nose (which has been interpreted as a beak). Kujou Sara's mask bears a hexagonal shape resembling a tokin; a piece of headwear from the garb worn by yamabushi, as well as tengu in the guise of them.
• In Raiden Shogun's "Good Evening" voice-over, the Traveler remarks that they used to be a shooting star, to which Ei asks whether they might be a tengu warrior.^[12] This directly references a separate creature in Chinese mythology known as tiangou (Chinese: 天狗 tiāngǒu, "Heavenly Dog"), a canine monster that takes the form of a shooting star or comet. The Chinese characters for tiāngǒu are the same kanji used to write tengu in Japanese, though the actual relationship between the two is unclear.

Other Languages[]

Change History[]

References[]