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Big Four of the Mountain

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In Touhou Project, the Big Four of the Mountain (山の四天王 yama no shitenno) is a now-defunct group consisting of Suika Ibuki, Yuugi Hoshiguma, Kasen Ibaraki and one other unknown character (presumably a fellow oni).

Origin

Shitenno (四天王 lit. "Four Heavenly Kings" or "Four Deva Kings") refers literally to a set of Buddhist deities, and metaphorically to any group of four extremely loyal or useful subordinates. In modern times, especially in video games and anime/manga, the term is used to describe any group of four with a high status.

In Japanese oni mythology, a group of Four Heavenly Kings served the oni bandit Shuten-dōji. The group was composed of the oni Torakuma-dōji, Hoshikuma-dōji, Kanekuma-dōji and Ibaraki-dōji. In some stories Ibaraki-dōji was instead Shuten-dōji's lieutenant or even wife, with their position in the group taken instead by an oni named Kuma-dōji.

Touhou's Big Four does not match up exactly with the source material, as their Shuten-dōji equivalent (Suika Ibuki) is a member of the group herself rather than being its leader.

Characters in this Group

Gallery

Fandom

  • Some fans add Konngara to round out the group, despite it being unclear whether Konngara is an oni or if she even still exists in the modern canon.

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 Subterranean Animism - Yuugi Hoshiguma's profile
  2. Wild and Horned Hermit - Chapter 49 Part 2

See Also