| Overview |
| “ | Fun, you say? No. Not at all. All this time, we've trained in pursuit of immortality. We lure humans here and subsist on them. Over and over and over and over and over, for a thousand years. And yet after all that we still haven't achieved perfect immortal bodies. Mu Dan realized it. Ju Fa too. I think we all have. If I stop smiling, I'll probably lose it for real! Or maybe I only smile cuz I'm already insane? But no, it's not fun. | ” |
—Tao Fa (Chapter 73) | ||
Tao Fa (
Appearance[]
Tao Fa was of average height, with short, pink flower petal hair that formed a flower at the top of her head, golden colored eyes, and possessed either a slender, feminine build when assuming their Yin female body or a well-toned, muscular body when assuming their Yang male body. She wore a pink hanfu with two ribbons, a black robe underneath, a beaded necklace with a golden peach amulet, a white hakama tied with a yellow obi, and black boots. Underneath her layer of clothing, Tao Fa wore a silk bikini top and a skirt.
In her and Ju Fa's Kishikai state, their bodies melded together to create a large, bulb shaped body, resembling somewhat like a heart, formed from their Yin and Yang bodies, with unusually shaped petals acting as feathers/wings, and vines protruding from the bottom as tails. The head of the Kishikai possessed four faces, two from the right being Tao Fa's Yin and Yang faces while the left being Ju Fa's. Upon switching to their defensive form, the body releases multiple spore vines and their faces switch places. In Fuchi's opinion, the appearance of Tao Fa and Ju Fa's Kishikai was the embodiment of "love".
Gallery[]
Personality[]
Tao Fa's cheerful demeanor.
Tao Fa was outwardly cheerful and friendly, as she was rarely ever seen in a bad mood, which was a stark contrast to her partner Ju Fa. Even after Chōbei's betrayal where the human cooperated with his brother to attack and slice off her head, Tao Fa did not express any anger towards him for his actions but rather disappointment for thinking that they had formed a friendship. Her demeanor also applied to humans as well, or at least ones that were willing to cooperate with Lord Tensen's plans such as Chōbei. However, she still carried the same view of using them as tools to create Tan and showed no signs of remorse towards them.
Tao Fa flirting with Chōbei and Tōma.
Because she specialized in Bōchū Jutsu, Tao Fa was quite vulgar and often liked to flirt with others. After meeting with Chōbei and Tōma for the first time, Tao Fa asked if they wanted to join her and Ju Fa in Bōchū Jutsu and offered herself to Fuchi despite him being her enemy, seductively stating that she was willing to show him anything he wanted to see, whether it was her organs that Fuchi was only interested in. She also had a preference as to who she found attractive. During their encounter, Tao Fa took a liking to Fuchi because she thought that he looked cute, while brushing off Gantetsusai because of his old age and felt disgusted when he expressed his perverted behavior towards her body.
Tao Fa losing her smile after Gantetsusai's offensive comment about Lord Tensen.
While presented as a cheerful individual on the surface, it was later revealed and admitted by Tao Fa herself that this was only a coping mechanism for her to painfully endure Lord Tensen's 1,000 year struggle to gain true immortality. On the other hand, Tao Fa also gave speculation that her behavior in general was a sign that she was already mentally unstable. In the past, Tao Fa felt sorry for the Hōko and didn't like the idea of using them as tools to replenish their Tao. However, after the Hōko were on the verge of extinction, and realizing that Lord Tensen's training would be all for not if they died, Tao Fa no longer felt any sympathy for the Hōko or anything living as long as it meant that Lord Tensen would be finished with their pursuit for immortality. This was proven when she used one of the Hōko's corpses as bait to lure in humans from the mainland as new sources of Tao, an action that gave birth to her constant smiling. After Gantetsusai commented on how Lord Tensen enjoyed "toying" with humans, Tao Fa immediately lost her smile from Gantetsusai's misunderstanding remark and expressed her grief.
Tao Fa had stated that they preferred the female gender because of their liking to their appearance. As such, they also acted feminine on top of their appearance.
Relationships[]
Lord Tensen[]
Ju Fa[]
Mu Dan[]
Enemies[]
Vanguard Party[]
History[]
Past[]
1,000 years ago on Kotaku, Tao Fa and the other Tensens were unknowingly born from the Tao of a single Tao puppet created by Rien as part of her and Jofuku's research in discovering the secrets to immortality. Upon her and Ju Fa's birth, Rien stated that the two were special in that they are in fact two of a whole. As a child, Tao Fa feared the Sōshin and was protected at all times by Ju Fa. The six then began their training led by Rien and were introduced to the Hōko as tools they could use to replenish their Tao. Rien then assigned them the five forms of training in immortality, with Tao Fa and Ju Fa being assigned as partners in Bōchū Jutsu. Tao Fa expressed her pity to Ju Fa about using the Hōko as tools and felt glad that he also agreed with her. However, as the Hōko started undergoing Arborification, and left the Tensens at risk of dying, Tao Fa and Mu Dan came up with the idea of sending a corpse of a Hōko to lure in humans to the island as replacements. Ju Fa comes in and asks Tao Fa if she was willing to do this, to which she answers yes.
After several centuries had passed, the Tensens successfully managed to lure in the first group of humans to Kotaku and attacked. Since then, Lord Tensen has been turning humans that came to the island into Tan where they can increase their life spans and gain a step closer to creating an Elixir of Life.
Edo Period[]
Island Arc[]
- Main article: Island Arc
Ju Fa and Tao Fa found by Chōbei and Tōma.
While engaging in Bōchū Jutsu with Ju Fa in Eishū, the two are interrupted with Aza Chōbei and Aza Tōma's appearance. Ju Fa becomes angry with their sudden arrival but Tao Fa finds them cute and asked if they wanted to join them. The brothers are then quickly dealt with by Ju Fa and are thrown down the Tan pit.
Lord Tensen Arc[]
- Main article: Lord Tensen Arc
Lord Tensen having a meeting.
After dropping the two humans down the pit to become Tan, Tao Fa joins the other Tensen in a meeting to discuss about the humans that made landfall. Once Ju Fa and Zhu Jin confirmed that the humans they encountered were dealt with, the Tensens toast to their longevity and to their grandmaster.
Later, Tao Fa engages in Bōchū Jutsu with Mu Dan and talk about how fascinating the creation of the Tan pit was. She then wonders of the possibility of a human escaping the pit but is reassured by Mu Dan that the pit is too deep and a human would be too weakened to climb out.
Tao Fa interrupts Rien's lesson of Tao to a Dōshi and becomes disappointed that they would use the bedchamber for this purpose. She then excitingly shows Rien the changes she made to the training area but becomes upset with Gui Fa's disapproving comment about the Bōchū Jutsu chamber. After finish engaging in Bōchū Jutsu with Ran, Tao Fa offers Ju Fa a cup of Tan made fresh by Mu Dan.
Hōrai Arc[]
- Main article: Hōrai Arc
After allowing Chōbei to join them, Lord Tensen introduces to him the Hermit Ascendance Rite. Once the ritual was over, Tao Fa reverts back to their Yin form and introduces herself to Chōbei but is told by Ju Fa not to do so. Later, Lord Tensen gathers to inform them that they will initiate the Rite of Just Consumption after they are informed by Chōbei that the human trespassers will invade the palace and agrees to cooperate as long as they don't hurt his brother Tōma.
Tao Fa and Ju Fa approaches Gantetsusai, Fuchi, and Tōma.
Tao Fa, Ju Fa, and Chōbei step out into the Bōchū Jutsu Temple and encounter Gantetsusai, Fuchi, and Tōma. Chōbei persuades Tōma to join their side and has him come upstairs. However, she and Ju Fa are attacked by the brothers and is sent down to the first floor. After regenerating, Tao Fa becomes upset with Chōbei's betrayal and sees that Gantetsusai is ready to fight her. Tao Fa removes her clothing and first attacks Gantetsusai, sending him crashing to a pillar. She then looks at Fuchi and offers to engage in Bōchū Jutsu with him before having him turn into Tan. Fuchi responds by cutting off her hand and rejects her advances.
Tao Fa battling Gantetsusai and Fuchi.
Due to their inability to perceive Tao, Tao Fa gains the advantage in battle and recommends that the two give up. Gantetsusai refuses and taunts Tao Fa on how she must be having fun fighting them since Lord Tensen has spent a long history of toying with humans. After hearing this, Tao Fa loses her smile and disagrees with his statement, explaining the grief Lord Tensen had to handle with trying to gain immortal bodies. She then inflicts heavy damage to the two but is shocked to see them standing back up with high ambitions as indicated in their Tao, which made her think that they were insane. After Gantetsusai charges towards her, Tao Fa sends out a Tao projectile to attack him. However, she becomes shocked to see that he managed to dodge it, which left her open for Gantetsusai to cut her from the top. Having done so, Gantetsusai believes that he is finally able to sense Tao but is sent back by Tao Fa with another invisible attack who tells him that he only got lucky. She then fights Fuchi who attempts to have Gantetsusai understand Tao better by observing their fight. Tao Fa grabs Fuchi and attacks him with a barrage of Tao projectiles. She then comments on how she found it sweet that he was willing to help his "friend" but hears Fuchi denying her allegation on Gantetsusai being a friend. Tao Fa creates more Tao projectiles and sends them towards Fuchi but are avoided after Gantetsusai grabs him out of the way. She then sees that Gantetsusai is now able to sense Tao after blinding himself and becomes excited with how strong she has made him. Tao Fa continuous to have her body get cut to pieces by Gantetsusai's slashes but regenerates with no worries since he does not possess Metal Tao to hinder her. Knowing that his Metal Tao is the only thing that can weaken her, Fuchi restrains Tao Fa from behind and has Gantetsusai cut through her tanden. After having her tanden destroyed, Tao Fa calls out to Ju Fa in pain and transforms to reach him. The two then fuse together to enter their Kishikai.
Tao Fa and Ju Fa's tandens destroyed by Chōbei and Fuchi.
After transforming, the combined Tensens emit a loud scream that caused pain to the humans' eardrums and then fly in the air to release multiple spores to infect their opponent's mental state. They are then attacked by Chōbei after he jumps in the air to cut Tao Fa's tanden, causing the right half to scream in pain. The Tensens defend themselves by attacking him with vines, have him crash throughout the outside area, and send him back inside the temple. Tao Fa and Ju Fa attack again with vines but have them blocked by Chōbei. Tao Fa's tanden is then cut by Fuchi whose Tao is strengthen by Tōma. The two flee just after Gantetsusai jumps to deliver his attack and changes to their defensive form. The Tensens attack again with their vines and cause the four humans to struggle. However, after entering the pool to get below their body, Gantetsusai slashes through the Kishikai body, separating Tao Fa and Ju Fa in the process, and leaves them vulnerable to have their tandens destroyed by Chōbei and Fuchi.
Tao Fa joins Ju Fa in the afterlife.
The tattered body of Tao Fa climbs out of the pool and is held by Fuchi, telling them that it was over as they slowly start to die. In the afterlife, Tao Fa reunites with Ju Fa and tells him that she was glad that he was her partner. She then embraces him as their bodies start to crumble away.
Soon afterwards, Gui Fa acquired a replica of Tao Fa's plant ovule within Rien's laboratory, along with the other deceased Tensens, and had it transferred over to the Basin for cultivation, which would allow Tao Fa to be resurrected after a millennium had passed.
New Era[]
After several centuries had passed (presumably during the Reiwa Era), Tao Fa and Ju Fa's plant ovules are noticed by Mei to have started growing and informs Gui Fa, who becomes surprised since they developed sooner than anticipated.
Abilities and Powers[]
As a Tensen-class Sennin, Tao Fa was an extremely powerful being whose powers surpassed all living things. Along with her status as partial ruler of Kotaku, Tao Fa had authority over the island's inhabitants, such as the Dōshi, Monshin, Sōshin and Hōko. In combat, Tao Fa proved to be a handful against the two highly skilled swordsmen Tamiya Gantetsusai and Yamada Asaemon Fuchi without having to take them seriously in their battle. After merging with Ju Fa to enter their Kishikai, Tao Fa's true power was enough to overwhelm the combined efforts of Gantetsusai, Fuchi, and the Aza brothers (whose abilities improved by the time they fought Ju Fa a second time).
Physical Abilities[]
By using their Yang chi, Tao Fa's strength was greatly enhanced, capable of sending the large Gantetsusai flying back with one kick that caused him to have a severe head injury and was able to lift Fuchi by the throat with one hand. While using their Yin chi, Tao Fa became very fast and agile. With their leg strength in this form, Tao Fa was able to break apart the ground from launching herself towards Gantetsusai and reach him in seconds from a mid-distance away.
Tao[]
- Further information: Tao
Tao Fa using Tao.
Tao Fa possessed Wood-attribute Tao and had mastery over it. After spending 1,000 years of training, Tao Fa's Tao had been greatly refined to where her abilities could be seen as god-like and had massive reserves due to her constant consumption of Tan. With its use, Tao Fa could sense the presence of others, the movements and weak spots of her opponents, and enhance her physical attacks. As a Sennin, she could fire invisible Tao projectiles to cause internal damage to her opponents, which works effectively against those who can not sense Tao.
Techniques[]
- Tōate (
遠 当 , Literal meaning: Distant Strike): Tao Fa launches her Tao as a invisible projectile, strong enough to cause major damage from within the targets body.- Senjutsu: Suzusashi (
仙 術 錫 刺 , Literal meaning: Senjutsu: Stabbing Tin): Ju Fa creates multiple Tao orbs around him and launches them at his opponent. This is called Senjutsu: Tin Splinter in the Viz Manga.
- Senjutsu: Suzusashi (
Regeneration[]
Tao Fa regenerating.
As a Tensen, Tao Fa possessed the regenerative abilities of Flower Tao. She was able to regrow her head after it was cut off by Chōbei and was able to fully regenerate her body from being cut to pieces by Gantetsusai. Since she possessed Wood Tao, Tao Fa's regeneration could only be weakened if she were to face a Tao user that possessed the Metal Tao-attribute, and the only known way of killing her was if the said Metal Tao user completely destroyed her plant ovule within her tanden.
Yin-Yang[]
Tao Fa's partial chi switch on her arm.
Tao Fa was able to switch chi's of either Yin or Yang to augment their Tao and recover any lost. As Tao Fa switched in and out their sex changed to match the chi, which was put to use whenever they engaged in Bōchū Jutsu training.
Tao Fa was able to make use of their chi shifting ability in a fight by partially changing parts of their body, using the physical attributes the two chi's had to offer. The bulky male body of Tao Fa's Yang chi offered them an increase in physical strength, while the light weight female body of Tao Fa's Yin chi offered them an increase in mobility.
Kishikai Transformation[]
As a Tensen, Tao Fa was able to enter into a Kishikai state, however, unlike the other members of Lord Tensen, Tao Fa had to fuse with Ju Fa as a requirement. Once entered, the two were capable of flying at high speeds, despite their large body and unusual feathers/wings, and could release a powerful shriek to cause pain to their opponent's eardrums. By opening their combined heads from the middle, Tao Fa and Ju Fa could release vines to slash and pierce their enemies and use the vines from the bottom of their form to create and scatter multiple spores to infect their opponents mental state, causing them to laugh uncontrollably, or launch them with high velocity as bullets. When entering into their defensive form, their Kishikai created multiple spore vines from their body to push back and overwhelm their opponents from coming any closer to them.
Since the Kishikai exerts too much Tao, Tao Fa and Ju Fa could only hold the transformation for up to half an hour before they became reduced to their weakened bodies.
Other Skills[]
Tao Fa was able to change her body into a tree formed from multiple arms and legs. Attached to the tree branches were peaches with Tao Fa's face that she was able to speak from. It is unknown if this transformation offered any combat or enhanced abilities as Tao Fa used this form to get close to Ju Fa in order to fuse together and enter their Kishikai mode.
Trivia[]
- Like the rest of Lord Tensen, Tao Fa is named after a flower. "Tao Fa" (桃花) meaning "peach blossom".
- Also, like the other members of Lord Tensen, Tao Fa shares similarities to one of the Eight Immortals, He Xiangu being the case since He Xiangu is the only female immortal among the seven (excluding Mei since she was no longer an active member of the group). However, at the same time, Tao Fa also draws a dissimilarity to He Xiangu, being that He Xiangu kept her chastity where's Tao Fa engaged in sexual intimacy with Ju Fa to practice Bōchū Jutsu per Rien's instructions.
- Tao Fa being able to sprout peaches from her body references the fruit that is said to be one of the symbols associated with He Xiangu. According to one of the tales, He Xiangu achieved immortality after consuming a peach given to her by Lü Dongbin.
- Taoist alchemists have been known to use the petals of the peach blossoms to put men into a potent trance of love. This could be a reference to her expertise in Bōchū Jutsu, which centers around lovemaking, and possibly how she brought out excitement to Gantetsusai's love for battle and Fuchi's love for medical science during their battle.
- Also, like the other members of Lord Tensen, Tao Fa shares similarities to one of the Eight Immortals, He Xiangu being the case since He Xiangu is the only female immortal among the seven (excluding Mei since she was no longer an active member of the group). However, at the same time, Tao Fa also draws a dissimilarity to He Xiangu, being that He Xiangu kept her chastity where's Tao Fa engaged in sexual intimacy with Ju Fa to practice Bōchū Jutsu per Rien's instructions.
- Tao Fa ranked 18th place in the manga 1st Character Popularity Poll.
- "Ratna" (ラトナ) as part of Tao Fa's moniker is a Sanskrit term that translates to "jewel".
- Similar to Ju Fa's moniker, Tao Fa's moniker most likely refers to Ratnasambhava (宝生如来, Literal meaning: Jewel-Born), one of the Five Wisdom Buddhas who is the representation of generosity, abundance and equanimity.
- Tao Fa's moniker may also reference "Ratnagotravibhāga", a Mahayana Buddhist treatise focused on the Tathagatagarbha theory that all sentient beings possess the virtues and wisdom of a Tathagata, or Buddha.
- Tao Fa disliked the moniker she was given, complaining that it did not make her sound cute.[2]
References[]
- ↑ Jigokuraku Kaitai Shinsho, page 59
- ↑ Asaemon Chapter