The self-proclaimed "Greatest Psychic of the 21st Century" is a fantastic con artist - as many fans have noted. Reigen practically carries the whole of Mob Psycho 100 with his witty one-liners and absurd actions.
Some might say this amazing man is just comedy relief, but his character is much more complex than simple comedy. He has emotions and reasons for his actions! He might even have actual esper powers! Read on to find out what this absolute unit of a con man is actually like under the surface.
Personality
It has been established early on that Reigen is the perfect con man. He's even out conned other con men as seen in the episode where Mob accidentally breaks an "expensive" art piece. Despite being a ruthless con man, he's actually incredibly compassionate toward Mob. Granted, he uses Mob throughout the series for his own business and gives him very little pay, but Mob keeps going back for a reason. Reigen might demand Mob's help, but Reigen starts to appreciate Mob much more when he spends an episode alone and realizes he cares deeply about his student. In this episode, the viewers find out that Reigen is actually incredibly lonely without Mob because Mob is his only friend. During this episode he seems more subdued in energy as well.
Reigen's typical over-the-top personality works with and against him throughout the series. Sometimes his overconfidence gets him into trouble because he'll say something that is simply wholly untrue. On the other hand, his clients tend to eat up every word he says even when it sounds like a complete lie because he's good at covering up his mistakes with more words. Even though Reigen acts like a lunatic and cons people, he shows that he can be down to earth with Mob when he gives his pupil advice about esper powers.
Skills and Powers
Arataka Reigen has many interesting powers that include banishing ghosts, detecting only strong spirits, and conning people. He is able to do so many things mainly because of his insanely good charisma. In reality any of his “esper” powers are actually done by Mob or they’re some elaborate con of his. He’s actually quite the jack of all trades. He has amazing photo editing skills, can talk his way out of pretty much any situation, swindle multiple kinds of people, and stop spirits in their tracks with his absolute lunacy.
He convinces Mob to do practically anything he can’t handle that has to do with actual ghosts or spirits, but no one outside the two of them needs to know that. Toward the ending of season 2, it's revealed that Reigen can now see ghosts due to being fused with Mob's powers for a short period of time during the first fight with Claw.
Salt Splash
For Salt Splash, he throws table salt at unsuspecting spirits. This does nothing to them of course, but it does distract them so he can run away with Mob when things get out of hand. He is seen using this in episode 1 when Mob and him are in the haunted tunnel. It is important to note that he truly believes this works.
Sorcery Crush
This is Reigen’s super secret massage technique where he gets rid of any back, shoulder, and neck pain as well as fatigue. On paper, it’s a “massage” as Mob points out in episode 2 "Doubts about Youth," but to Reigen's clients it’s a banishing technique for spirits. It is important to note that Reigen absolutely knows this isn't an exorcism.
Graphic Exorcism
Reigen is incredibly good at photo editing and uses these skills to get rid of pesky spirits that interrupt people’s photos. To the clients, it looks like he banished the spirit when in reality he simply prints up the new picture.
His Main Role
Reigen’s main role in Mob Psycho 100 is being Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama's mentor. Despite the fact that he isn’t technically an esper himself, he’s potentially the best mentor for Mob. This is because Reigen teaches Mob to see himself as a normal person who happens to be good at something. He compares Mob’s esper abilities to being good at running or singing. What Reigen does is actually vital to the series progression because Mob tends to follow Reigen's suggestions.
During the 7th Division Claw Arc, season 2, Episode 10, Reigen suggests to everyone that they shouldn't fight Claw. Some of them agree with this and had Mob been awake, he likely would have as well. After a call with the insurance company for his office that burned down, he changes his mind because he needs to find the esper that burned down his office. He tells everyone they will fight and thinks to himself "I'll find that damn arsonist and drag them to the insurance company!"
Arataka Reigen is an integral character to the Mob Psycho 100 series. He's a complex man with easy-to-understand motivations. While he is a con man and his morals are perhaps a bit skewed, he's relatable to many viewers. Fans can expect to see more Reigen in the third season of Mob Psycho 100, which is currently on Crunchyroll.