Tenma Sakaki

Tenma is relaxed, friendly and informal, rarely carrying himself with the severity his reputation as an exorcist might suggest. He treats the people working under him as companions rather than disposable subordinates and creates an unusually welcoming atmosphere at Gates of Hell.

That casual demeanor disappears when the people he cares about are threatened. Tenma takes his duties seriously and will confront both demons and fellow exorcists when he believes their actions endanger his people. His experience also makes him an important stabilizing presence for the younger members of the Naraku Branch.

He is notably compassionate even toward people who have turned against him. Personal attachment can make it difficult for him to use lethal force against someone he once cared for, even when doing so would protect himself.

Tenma is an exceptionally powerful exorcist with enormous Precept Power and physical ability. His strength, speed and durability place him far above ordinary exorcists, reflecting the level of ability required of someone who once held the title of Cross Paladin. He can use conventional exorcist techniques including energy projectiles and defensive barriers such as his Pentagram Shield.

His contracted demon Hi-Stakes gives him access to a distinctive gambling-based fighting system. Through Sting, Hi-Stakes rolls dice and transforms according to the result, providing Tenma with different weapons suited to different circumstances. These include defensive and offensive forms such as the Five-Point Guardian Umbrella, Tetra-Speed Iron Fan, Hexecution Cleaver, 4-5-6 Instant Win Death-Slayer Blade and Wicked Tri-Phoon Naginata.

The randomness of the weapon selection demands considerable adaptability. Tenma's experience allows him to immediately exploit whichever form Hi-Stakes produces rather than depending on a single preferred fighting style.

Tenma enters Kiyoshi's life again when the newly graduated exorcist is assigned to Naraku City. He recognizes Kiyoshi from their earlier encounter and brings him into Gates of Hell, where Kiyoshi works both as an exorcist and restaurant employee alongside Akari Jogasaki. Tenma becomes a mentor who can challenge Kiyoshi without being intimidated by his extraordinary strength.

His authority also gives the Naraku Branch a degree of independence. During the conflict surrounding Jack Joe, Tenma is willing to stand against the Knights of Light rather than surrender someone under his protection simply because he is a demon.

Tenma's history becomes increasingly important through Yuda, his former pupil. Their relationship exposes a painful failure from Tenma's earlier career, and the Black Parade eventually forces him to confront Yuda again while the latter is consumed by the consequences of the Underworld Gate Technique.

Kiyoshi Harai is Tenma's subordinate and protégé. Tenma helped Kiyoshi as a child and later becomes one of the most important adult figures guiding him as a professional exorcist.

Hi-Stakes is Tenma's contracted demon familiar. Their partnership forms the basis of Tenma's weapon-changing combat style.

Akari Jogasaki works with Tenma at the Naraku Branch and Gates of Hell.

Nehan Sanzugawa and Jack Joe become part of the group centered on the Naraku Branch, with Tenma willing to protect them despite Jack Joe being a demon.

Tsurugi Hijiri is a Cross Paladin whose strict approach to exorcising demons brings him into conflict with Tenma during the Jack Joe incident.

Yuda was Tenma's pupil. Tenma's continuing attachment to him makes their later conflict deeply personal and leaves Tenma reluctant to kill him even when Yuda becomes a direct threat.

Utsugi Hijiri is another elite exorcist associated with Tenma's generation; the two became known as the exorcist world's "deadly twin swords" because of their exceptional ability.