• Welcome to Touhou Wiki!
  • Registering is temporarily disabled. Check in our Discord server to request an account and for assistance of any kind.

Immortal

From Touhou Wiki
Revision as of 15:06, 12 November 2012 by Mizutori (talk | contribs)
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Immortals are organisms who cannot die under normal circumstances like age. Immortality is divided into two separate groups; one that is based on folklore and the other being based on science. The scientific image of immortality is different than what immortality is often portrayed in religion or popular culture.

Types of Immortality

Immortality (Folklore)

In folklore, those who achieved immortality cannot be killed regardless of what measures are used against them. They are often sealed away or imprisoned as the only method to restrain them. Immortality in humans is sometimes seen as a spiritual crime, while a goal in others. Spirits and gods are often seen as immortal in many religions. Undead being such as the Jiang Shi are immortal to some extent as they can be ressurected after being killed, however they are technically considered dead and are not genuinely immortal.

Biological Immortality

In science, biological immortality is the only form of immortality theoretically achievable and has been seen in nature. Unlike immortality seen in folklore, this form only prevents the organism from death as long as it is not physically harmed. Biological immortality has only been achieved in evolution by a handful of organisms like the Turritopsis nutricula jellyfish. In some religions, gods are biologically immortal as they do not die from age but by injury from other gods or other creatures.

Immortals in Touhou

Many characters in the Touhou world are biologically immortal, such as the lunarians or the hermits. Spirits like yuurei or onryou are biologically immortal as they can be killed by characters like Youmu Konpaku or Kasen Ibaraki who possess abilities to dispose of them; although because they are already dead/nonliving, they cannot be classified as genuin immortals to being with. Only a select few of the characters are known to be purely immortal.

Person of Hourai

Those who have taken the Hourai Elixir are known as the "people of hourai" (蓬莱人, houraibito or houraijin). Currently, this is the only known method to obtain pure immortality.

Characters under this Bestiary

This list only shows characters who are true immortals

See Also