The manga series Ushio & Tora features an extensive cast of characters created by Kazuhiro Fujita.

Main characters

Ushio, the half-divine son of a temple priest, is fated to wield the Beast Spear against the monstrous Hakumen no Mono. His compassionate nature and bond with the Tora unite humans and against their common foe. Protective of his friends Asako and Mayuko, he frequently defends them from supernatural threats. He discovers the spear's curse—it drains his life force to fuel its power. When the weapon briefly overcomes him, a transformative journey to Kamuikotan reveals his destiny. He narrowly avoids becoming an Azafuse—former Beast Spear-wielding tiger-like —when ancestral spirits intervene, tasking him with continuing their legacy as a human.

Tora is an ancient, tiger-like resembling a , freed when Ushio removed the Beast Spear. Once feared as Nagatobimaru for his immense strength and lightning powers, he was sealed in the temple basement for 500 years. Though he claims he will eat Ushio and Mayuko—whose hamburgers he enjoys—he refuses to attack them dishonorably and grows fond of their company, admitting he is never bored around Ushio. Originally human, Tora was once Shagakusha, a host for Hakumen no Mono since infancy. This connection masks the Beast Spear's presence, preventing Hakumen's minions from locating the temple during his imprisonment. Unlike other Azafuse, Tora retains traces of his humanity, reflecting his tragic past as a fallen Beast Spear wielder.

Supporting characters

The hot-headed, tomboyish childhood friend of Ushio and Mayuko. She and Ushio love each other the most, and she also cares for Mayuko a lot. Her family owns a ramen restaurant.

Ushio and Asako's best friend. She is more sweet and feminine. She cares for Ushio and has feelings for him but understands he and Asako love each other and helps the two be together. She also has feelings for Tora, whom she readily buys hamburgers for. Later, she took in Kirio as her stepbrother. It is also revealed that she belongs to the lineage of powerful lady shamans. Therefore, Mayuko is able to create psychic barriers powerful enough to hold back Hakumen.

Ushio's father, keeper of the temple he and his son live in. He is a stern, businesslike man at times, but also kind and wise. His secret identity is being one of strongest priest of a special Buddhist sect named Kouhamei, dedicated to fighting .

An orphaned girl who goes to the same school as Ushio, Asako and Mayuko. Her father was very overprotective of her, and when he died he became an oni, causing danger to any boys who took the slightest fancy of her. This distressed her greatly, and she tried to commit suicide many times in vain. Ushio finally made her father realize his errors, and he left for the afterworld. Thereafter, Reiko was able to lead a normal life, and became good friends with Ushio, Asako and Mayuko.

A powerful Chinese exorcist, highly skilled in geomancy, usage of seals and flying spears. He travels around China and eventually comes to Japan to seek the who killed his wife and his daughter, and took out his right eye and left three long scars on his face. In his right eye socket now is a magical blue crystal ball used to save his life by his teacher. Hyou initially thinks Tora is the one who murdered his family, but Ushio convinces him Tora is innocent, and Hyou later calms down a little, becoming a valued ally. He died after finally killing Guren, the murderer of his family, while defending a mother and her child.

The spirit guardian who lives in the darkness of the Beast Spear. She is the sister of Giryō, who sacrificed her life to create the blade of the spear. She reincarnated as Yuki, the first of the lineage of powerful lady shamans, all but one has the same look as her. Jie Mei is able freely materialize anywhere needed, and first appeared to help prevent Ushio from transforming into a Beast by having his soul totally absorbed by the spear.

The brother of Jie Mei, a highly skilled blacksmith who eventually goes insane from being unable to prevent her sacrifice. Filled with anger, remorse and regret, he hammered his body into the shaft of the spear. His spirit is trapped in the darkness of the spear, unlike his sister, and can greatly influence the user of the spear with his fury. Still, he has pledged his loyalty to Ushio. He served as the Beast Spear's shaft.

A young girl whose father was killed in an airplane crash caused by Fusuma, a flying demon. Initially she blamed her father's long-time friend Atsuzawa for the incident, but after helping Ushio to defeat Fusuma, she learns the truth and forgives Atsuzawa. Her father is revived and aided in the final battle against Hakumen no Mono.

Saya Takatori, a shy descendant of white-haired guardians, maintains her family's prosperity by tending to the spirit Omamori. When Ushio prepares to destroy Omamori's barrier, she initially resists due to the lethal backlash but relents when Tora intervenes. This act begins her transformation—gaining confidence as her hair turns brown, symbolizing her freedom from the ancestral duty. Inheriting her mother's power, she opens the Gates of Hell to revive allies during the final battle against Hakumen no Mono, with Omamori ultimately closing them.

A former yakuza who left the business when he was diagnosed with cancer, and unconsciously decided to return to his home village. He was a delinquent as a child and was picked on and looked down by the others in his village, leading to his distaste for others. He sacrifices himself to seal Shimuna, the mist spirit and keep it from destroying his village. In the chapters afterward, Ushio wears Shinji's overcoat in memory of his sacrifice.

Reiko's classmate and childhood friend. They became estranged after the death of Reiko's father, but made up with her after he and Ushio defeat the Oni that once was Reiko's father.

A pilot and friend of Yū Hiyama's father. He saw Fusuma kill his friend and when Ushio and Tora killed the sky demon, Yū apologized to him for blaming him for her father's death.

Sumako is Ushio's mother, long presumed dead until a reveals her survival and the hatred bear toward her. As the third in a lineage of shamans, she maintains the 800-year seal imprisoning Hakumen no Mono beneath the ocean to protect Japan. Granted a two-year reprieve by Jie Mei, she meets Shigure and conceives Ushio before returning to her post.

The Kōhamei Sect

A petite old woman who commands the respect of the entire sect, being the Second Oyakume who maintains Hakumen no Mono's barrier prison. She was the shaman who sealed the Gamin in the boxes a long time ago. She has sacrificed herself by using all her psychic powers to kill one of the avatars of Hakumen no Mono that attacked the Kōhamei Sect headquarters. She is revived and participates in the final battle against Hakumen no Mono.

The leader of the Kōhamei sect, and the younger brother of Kyōra, nearly identical to him except for a large scar across the right side of his face. Initially Nigira is against entrusting Ushio with the Beast Spear, but is finally convinced by Oyakume to observe Ushio in order to test his worth.

Kyōra, older brother of Nigira, was excommunicated from his sect for abandoning Buddhist teachings to pursue extermination, though the sect still employs him for difficult tasks. After failing to defeat Ushio and Tora at Aomori Castle—where Ushio merged with the Beast Spear—Kyōra vows revenge, even stealing a sacred temple weapon. Despite his hostility toward sect members, he demonstrates loyalty to Mikado Hizaki by self-mutilation in a failed rescue attempt. Following the battle, he is seen atop defeated Azafuse forces, complaining about others burdening him with their responsibilities.

Hinowa is a formidable and sharp-tongued warrior who opposes Ushio's status as a Chosen of the Beast Spear, considering him undisciplined compared to the rigorously trained Kouhamei sect candidates. When the Spear rejects her and returns to Ushio, she reluctantly assists him despite her misgivings. Skilled in barrier magic through her combs, she plays a key role in Kamuikotan by helping restrain Ushio during his Beast Spear-induced rampage and restoring his humanity.

Nagare, one of the four Chosen, demonstrates mastery of holy weapons including the shakuja. His composed demeanor masks a nihilistic pursuit of challenge, culminating in alliance with Hakumen no Mono against Ushio. When defeated by Tora in combat, he dies contentedly while Tora laments human fragility—an encounter that fractures Tora and Ushio's friendship. Nagare later returns as a spirit aiding Ushio's final confrontation with Hakumen no Mono.

A master shikigami user and the most senior of the four Chosen of the Beast Spear. He was possessed by Hiyō to attack Ushio and destroy the Beast Spear. He is very protective of his younger sister Jun.

Jun, Satoru's younger sister, possesses significant spiritual energy despite failing to become a Beast Spear Chosen. She demonstrates this power during critical moments.

Kirio, the youngest and strongest of the four Chosen, wields the Elzaar Scythe alongside his artificial companion Kuin. Created by Inasa and Towako from a human child to serve as an alternative Beast Spear wielder, he infiltrates the Kouhamei Sect headquarters but is defeated by Ushio. Witnessing Towako's rampage and Mikado Hizaki's death prompts his redemption. After time traveling, he reveals Tora's history as the first Beast Spear wielder and Hakumen no Mono's human host to Mayuko. He later joins the Inoue family as her adopted brother.

HAMMR (Head Anti Metamorphose Measure Research)

A specialist in medical electronics and genetic research. He initially opposes Ushio over unethical research methods before reconciling. His experimental barrier technology protects him from Hiyō's memory alteration, making him one of few humans who retain knowledge of Ushio. He later provides Ushio with the Stone-Eating Armor. A former boxer, Koestler challenges Ushio after the final battle but disappears during the Black Horde's assault on HAMMER headquarters along with Marco.

Marco, a HAMMR researcher, authors a pivotal letter to Ushio detailing the Beast Spear's dual nature: it harms both and its wielder by consuming their finite soul energy. The letter reveals Ushio's nearly depleted life force, confirming his impending death in the coming battle against Hakumen no Mono. Asako discovers this letter at temple ruins and, despite Hiyō's memory alteration, contacts HAMMR and mobilizes friends to intercept Ushio. Their intervention fails when Ushio acknowledges he long understood this would be a one-way journey.

Helena serves as HAMMR's lead scientist, commanding respect among her colleagues. During the organization's study of Ushio, Tora, and the Beast Spear, a fragment of Hakumen no Mono awakens and consumes numerous captive . Despite sustaining mortal injuries, Helena remains to collect critical data until the facility's destruction. She shares with Asako the story of her deceased son Paul before dying with satisfaction, having successfully transmitted her research findings.

Supernatural beings Hostile

A 200-year-old centipede demon that turns its victims into stone before devouring them; it does this slowly in order to relish the fear of its victims. Inhabited a stone statue of a samurai until it was defeated by Ushio. Its broken pieces were later collected and made into a supernatural armour for Ushio.