Shamans are exceptional individuals capable of communicating with ghosts, spirits, and gods, entities invisible to ordinary people. The Shaman Fight, a prestigious tournament held every five hundred years that pits shamans from around the world against one another, determines the Shaman King. The winner of this title gains the ability to summon the Great Spirit and reshape the world according to their will. One night, Manta Oyamada, an ordinary middle school student, finds himself late for class and decides to take a shortcut through a local cemetery. A lone boy sitting on a gravestone notices him and invites Manta to stargaze with "them." Realizing that "them" refers to the boy and his ghostly companions, Manta flees in terror. Later, the boy introduces himself as You Asakura, a Shaman-in-training, and demonstrates his powers by teaming up with Amidamaru, the ghost of a six-hundred-year-old samurai, to save Manta from a group of thugs. You befriends Manta because of his ability to see spirits, and with Amidamaru's assistance, they set out to achieve You's goal of becoming the next Shaman King.