Asakura, Hao

朝倉ハオ

Asakura Hao serves as the primary antagonist in Shaman King. He was originally born as Asaha Douji in Japan during the Heian period. In his third life, he becomes the twin brother of his descendant, Asakura Yoh. His name translates to Leaf King. He is the most powerful shaman in the entire series. His childhood is recounted in the manga side story Mappa Douji.
During his first life, Asakura Hao was constantly surrounded by the horrors of war, leading him to view the world as a grim and dark place, until he encountered the small demon Ohachiyo, who taught him all the positive aspects of life. However, following an accident involving Hao's first Over Soul, Ohachiyo became a permanent part of Hao and cursed him with the highly dangerous ability of Reishi. As he matured into adulthood, Hao became a relatively peaceful man who sought to help those around him, and thanks to his efforts, the Asakura Family prospered. It was due to this gentle and kind nature that he took in the cat Matamune, who ended up becoming what Hao considered his "only friend."
However, his Reishi abilities grew too strong and eventually exceeded his control. The negative emotions and thoughts of others constantly overwhelmed him, and since he could not turn his Reishi off, the flood of negativity eventually created a demon within his own heart. The internal confusion and disorder that resulted eventually led to his desire to create a Shaman-only Kingdom on earth and drove him to become the Shaman King to achieve this goal.
In his third and most current incarnation, Hao is typically calm, cruel, and smiling. The occasions when he is truly angry are very rare, and when he is angry with someone, that person is usually killed and burned to their soul by The Spirit Of Fire. He also enjoys watching Shaman Fights, particularly those involving strong Shamans and Asakura Yoh. He is not only interested in that, but also claims that when Yoh reaches his limit, he will eat him to become the strongest Shaman.
He has shown some dislike of being given family titles, as he glared at Yoh in the last chapter when the latter called him "Nii-chan," and his face darkened when his nephew, Asakura Hana, called him Uncle Hao. Both times he told the person not to call him that.