Summary
There are tons ofanime and manga focused on demons and youkai, usually leaning into action and dark fantasy, likeNura: Rise of the Youkai ClanorDemon Slayer.Natsume’s Book of Friendsis the one anime that is slightly unique in the way it takes a relatively less intense approach and showcases youkai in a much gentler and more “human” light — despite how contradictory that might sound.
Most youkai featured inNatsume’s Book of Friendsare portrayed very casually and almost compliant at times — the keyword here is “almost.” Since the series is a slice-of-life and is more focused on the feel-good aspect rather than action, viewers rarely see the full extent of the youkai’s abilities. However, ultimately, no one can deny the fact that these creatures, despite how innocuous they seem, are still powerful, otherworldly beings with absurd magical powers and abilities.
8Chobihige
Funky Looking Character With A Secret
Anime has this recurring theme where a non-threatening, unassuming-lookingcharacter ends up being the strongest and most hardcoreone.Natsume’s Book of Friendssort of follows the same pattern, albeit a bit more vaguely. One character that fits this bill is Chobihige.
Chobihige, in his normal form, is a weird-looking humanoid creature with an unusually large head and a small mustache decorating his face. He looks comical, fairly placid, and does not give off a strong character vibe. However, in Chapter 108 of the manga, Chobihige finally reveals his true form in the shape of a magnificent white dragon with gorgeous dragon scales. Although Chobihige’s abilities and skills haven’t been touched upon in the series, the fact that he’s a dragon in itself proves that there’s way more to him and his powers than meets the eye.
7Aoi
Bird Youkai With Blue Flames And Human Appearance
Aoi is a minor character in the anime and manga who appears fairly late and, because of his human-like appearance, even unintentionally fools Natsume into thinking he’s a human. Aoi is an apprentice of a hawk spirit and is in training to protect the woods over at Kagome Peak. This is exactly why Nyanko Sensei recognizes his powers and calls him strong almost instantly after meeting him.
Again, like most minor youkai in the series, Aoi’s full scale of powers isn’t well-known, but Madara’s positive assessment of them means he’s definitely holding more under his sleeve than he lets on. He is a bird-like youkai and has massive wings sprouting from his back that allow him to fly. He can also conjure up and control blue flames at his will and is seen burning his friend’s letters without using any fire source.
6Sealed-Away Youkai
A Highly Destructive And Erratic Youkai With Little To No Intelligence
The interpersonal relationships betweenNatsume’s Book of Friends' characters arevery complex and multidimensional. Even the most minor characters seem to have some grand connection to each other, which makes them act in a certain way. In an act of revenge against the Matoba clan, a minor female exorcist in the series tries to awaken an immensely strong ancient youkai sealed deep in a forest.
The Sealed-Away youkai seems to have incredible strength and is strong enough to momentarily overpower Madara as well. It’s massive in size and even gives Natori trouble when he tries to seal it back. Unfortunately, despite all its strength, this particular youkai lacks intelligence and sentience and, hence, cannot be controlled. Which ultimately makes it more dangerous, since it is prone to going on rampages with no moral ramifications.
5Large Three-Eyed Youkai
A Massive Youkai With Strong Purifying Abilities
The Large Three-Eyed Youkai is another fleeting character in the show that only appears for a few moments but ends up leaving a pretty deep impression on Natsume, Madara, and Natori. Despite such a cameo role, his strength and prowess can be gauged by how easily he subdues anevil spirit chasing afterNatsume to consume his soul.
When Natsume accidentally frees the evil youkai Sumie by giving her name back, the Large Three-Eyed Youkai instantly steps in and dispels Sumie with only a single touch. He declares that he’ll be taking Sumie with him and will personally purify her soul as a repayment for the time Natsume helped him and his people cross a small puddle of water. After the situation has calmed down, Madara tells Natsume how strong the Three-Eyed Youkai is and even expresses surprise at him knowing someone of his stature.
4Hinoe
Dark And Witty Recurring Character With Immense Knowledge Of Youkai And Magic Scrolls
Hinoe is a female youkai who takes on the appearance of a human and is one of the more common characters in the series. She’s a mysterious woman who portrays herself as passive and non-threatening, but there’s definitely an aura to her that says otherwise. She has a certain dark wit to her and is very direct, often insensitive when it comes to conversations.
While she hasn’t had an all-out battle and has not shown the full extent of her powers, there’s no doubt Hinoe is one of the stronger youkai in the series and could even be as strong as Madara or Misuzu. Her blatant show of power is associated withher immense knowledgeof the likes of youkai, levitation, and fortune-telling abilities. She also owns a plethora of really powerful magic scrolls and is probably already well-versed in them.
3Riou
King Of The Forest With A Large Youkai Following
Riou is one of the first youkai in the series that openly comes across as very powerful and skilled. He’s first seen in Chapter 9 of the manga as a black ceramic cat similar to that of the likes of Madara and is considered relatively harmless by Natsume. Turns out, his name had been taken away by Natsume’s grandmother, which rendered him completely powerless and into a black cat. After Natsume returns his name to him, Rioh turns into his true form of a majestic human-bird creature and, in turn, reveals that he’s actually a war bigger deal than others thought.
Riou, in actuality,is the king of the forestwith a large number of youkai under his command. His strength and magical powers are so immense that he’s amassed a great number of followers just by imbuing smaller, more powerless, youkai with different abilities and skills. Despite all that strength, Rioh is still very compassionate and trusting toward everyone — youkai and humans alike.
2Misuzu
Water-Horse Youkai With Powers On Par With Madara
Misuzu is a major supporting character inNatsume’s Book of Friendsand is one of the few characters in the series that can rival the strength of Madara. He’s a very powerful water horse youkai, and is usually seen in his massive black horse form donned in a purple kimono and several piercings. Misuzu’s strength and superior status can be proven by the fact that he has numerous followers who are very loyal to him.
Hehas multiple abilitiesand usually carries a very cryptic aura with him. While he doesn’t actively do anything to show he’s malicious, he’s still very deceptive and vague and comes off as threatening occasionally. He’s very fast and has the power to consume youkai in one single bite. He can also fly at very high speeds and shapeshift into a tall human man whenever he wants.
1Madara
A Cat That Appears Harmless But Is Actually A High-Status Wolf Youkai, Stronger Than Anyone Else
Madara, more commonly known throughout the series as Nyanko-Sensei, is one of thestrongest and most superior youkaiin the series. He is one of the main characters inNatsume’s Book of Friendsand is often considered the “comic relief” character until his true strength is revealed.
He’s a wolf youkai who usually takes the form of a Japanese lucky cat to accompany Natsume on his adventures. His cat form, combined with his laid-back personality, makes him easy to underestimate — until his enemies realize who he really is. With infinite spiritual energy, he can easily hold his own against foes, even in his cat form. Some of his more notable abilities include repelling youkai with a beam of light from his forehead, flying, and even consuming entire youkai in a single bite.
