The Lord Tensen are some of the main antagonists in the Hell’s Paradise anime and manga series. Due to their recent introduction in the anime series full of suspense, anime watchers worldwide were left in awe. The series is filled with deadly encounters between Gabimaru, his companions, and the enigmatic and powerful beings.
From their origins and true nature to their abilities and goals, fans can get an insight into the enigmatic beings that rule over the island and explore the depths of their intriguing existence. Here are some intriguing details and secrets about the Tensen that only manga readers are privy to.
This article contains spoilers from Hell's Paradise manga series.
9 They’re Based On Chinese Mythology
The Lord Tensen is heavily inspired by Chinese mythology and is based on the Eight Immortals. The Eight Immortals were revered by Taoists and are a popular part of secular Chinese culture and lore. Considered to be signs of longevity, vitality, and prosperity, they were worshipped and have various shrines dedicated to them throughout Taiwan and China.
The Lord Tensen’s continued dependence on the cultivation and consumption of Tan elixir references the poem written by Du Fu called The Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup, where their love for alcohol is represented.
8 They Are Eight In Number
Drawing inspiration from the Eight Immortals, the author Yaji Kaku made them eight in number, namely Gui Fa, Ju Fa, Mei, Mu Dan, Ram, Rien, Tao Fa, and Zhu Jin; with Rien being their progenitor and Mei being the first of her creations.
They all have unique personalities, abilities, characteristics, and Tao nature. The choice to represent the Tensen as eight individuals pay homage to Taoist mythology and also provides a balanced and diverse group, each contributing to the intricate dynamics and power structure in Hell’s Paradise.
7 Their Bodies Are Plant-Based
Though they possess the same anatomical features as humans and can even switch between male and female entities, their bodies are plant-based. Their tandems house a plant ovule which serves the same function as a heart.
The ovules are preset with a self-defense function that attacks the body of the offender with vines or pulled out the weapon that might have impaled it. A Tensen can keep on living as long as its ovule is intact, like in the case of Zhu Jim, where they continued to live even though they didn’t have a body.
6 They Were Created By Rien
Mei was the first to be created out of the Lord Tensen to assist Rien with her and Jofuku’s research in using Tao to unlock the secrets of immortality. Rien, with the help of Mei, created the artificial infants that became part of their research, naming them Tensens.
After Jofuku’s death, Rien took over his research and dedicated her life to completing it to revive him. Rien trained the six budding Tensens in the ways of Tao through the Five Training Methods of Immortality and formed the group Lord Tensen.
5 They Can Only Be Harmed By Tao
Tao is the mysterious energy that flows through all things on Earth and the source of everything in existence in Hell's Paradise. This energy can be manipulated and controlled by Lord Tensen and other skilled individuals who have balanced their spirits and accepted all the opposing forces in their hearts.
Every Tao has an attribute that represents one of the Five Elements that follows a cycle of restoration and hindrance to each other when physical contact is made with each other. Tensen can be affected when the nature of their Tao is hindered by another.
4 They Harvest Humans For Tan
Rien began to sacrifice the inhabitants of the island and extract their Tao to create an Elixir of Life and allowed the Tensen to derive sustenance from their Tao, an idea Mei was opposed to and ostracised for before escaping from Rien and going off the grid.
When the inhabitants of the island called Hoko were on the verge of extinction, and the Tensen's source of sustenance was under threat of being wiped out, Tao Fa, Mu Dan, and Ju Fa devised a plan to draw in humans from Japan. They began extracting the Tao of their victims to create a prototype elixir pending the time the Elixir of Life was perfected.
3 They Have A Kishikai Form
The Kishikai form is a monstrous form that the Tensens transform into as a last resort and is usually a manifestation of both their Yin and Yang forms. It is followed by a sudden boost in power that allows them to overwhelm their opponents.
Like everything, it also has its downsides, which include a total loss of control if they sustain too much damage and a total loss of their stored Tao. When they lose too much Tao, they get reduced to a weakened form and need time to recover the Tao through the process of cycling chi or Tan consumption. They can also choose between partial and full transformations.
2 They Are Considered Immortal
Tan essentially acts as a prototype elixir of life, and because of it, Tensen basically can live forever if they are not murdered. Due to the Flower Tao, they all possess, they can also regenerate from any wound except those directed at their tanden with a Tao that hinders theirs. They are said to be able to regenerate up to a thousand times.
Their Tao is depleted each time they regenerate, and their regeneration speed reduces when they are pushed to the limit, like when Gabimaru fought Zhu Jin.
1 They Are Worshipped As Gods
Rien instructed the Lord Tensen to pitch themselves as gods to the Hoko and fabricate religious beliefs to sway them while the Soshin guide them. Due to their seemingly unending lifespan and their ability to use the mysterious power of Tao, the Hoko worshipped the Tensen as gods.
Because of this, Tensen developed a sense of superiority over humans and have no remorse for killing and using them as material to make Tan. They treat humans like tools that only serve to provide them with sustenance and amusement.