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Beast Youkai
Beast youkai (妖獣, Youjuu; 魔獣, Majuu) are animals that have become youkai.
Beast Youkai in Touhou
Beast youkai are animals with "too much power and wisdom" (as defined in Perfect Memento in Strict Sense) and may act as leaders to their non-youkai counterparts or live alongside them. (In the case of Tewi Inaba or Aya Shameimaru, they are very protective of their kind despite the latter treating them as a tool)[1] Some are considered to be a threat to humans as they may have a taste for human flesh. Youkai variants of humans like magicians can also pose an average level of threat to regular humans as they steal things from livestock to children. While beast youkai are intelligent enough to communicate with humans, they appear to still be primitive in nature; youkai crows like tengu however, are more advanced compared to the humans of Gensokyo.[2]
Hieda no Akyuu's classifications of beast youkai refer only to the mammal youkai. Youkai like Wriggle Nightbug and Mystia Lorelei are not seen as such to Akyuu likely because of the older way of thinking that only mammals are animals while humans are not mammals but a unique existence.
According to Kasen Ibaraki in Oriental Sacred Place chapter 16, once an animal has become a youkai, it is unable to return to normal.
- General Characteristics
According to Perfect Memento, some beast youkai can use sorcery, but they are generally physically-oriented. They can have various characteristics such as great strength and speed, or enhanced senses. Their existence is also less spiritual than that of normal youkai, and because of this they are more resistant to spiritual attacks, but it is also harder for them to restore if their bodies are destroyed. The number of tails of a youkai beast can indicate the amount of power they posses, and more tails generally means more youkai power.
Types of Beasts
While many other species of youkai animals exist, only those who are officially classified as beast youkai are listed here.
Nekomata
Hakutaku
Bake-danuki
Okuri-inu
Inugami
Kuda-gitsune
Characters under this Bestiary
While there are many other characters who are youkai animals, only those who are officially classified as beast youkai are listed here.
- Chen (Nekomata)
- Ran Yakumo (Youkai Kitsune)
- Keine (were-Hakutaku)
- Tewi Inaba (Youkai Rabbit)
- Reisen Udongein Inaba (This is likely false as Hieda no Akyuu had no idea Udongein was a moon rabbit.)
- Unnamed bake-danuki
- Unnamed okuri-inu
- Unnamed kuda-gitsune
- Mamizou Futatsuiwa (Bake-danuki)
- Son Biten (Youkai Sarugami)
- Enoko Mitsugashira (Youkai Yamainu)
- Chiyari Tenkajin (Youkai Tenkajin)