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Neko-Sennin (ネコ仙人 Neko-Sennin, lit. Cat Immortal) is an elderly yōkai cat.

Appearance[]

In the 1968 anime, Neko-Sennin resembles an old man covered with long light-colored hair, excluding his face, and beard. He has eyes that have dark sclerae and small highlights, a pair of small nostrils and his mouth has sharp cat-like fangs. He wears a long light colored robe with baggy sleeves that conceals even his legs and carries around a staff tipped with a spiral-like head.

Within the 1985 anime, Neko-Sennin still resembles an old man covered with white hair, where it now entirely covers his face, and he still retains a long beard. His eyes have dark purple sclerae with almost indistinguishable pupils. His outfit consists of a long green robe that reaches down to his ankles and has long sleeves.

In the 1996 anime, Neko-Sennin now has more recognizable cat features, having light purple hair covering his body, a long beard and a pair of cat ears on the side of his head. His eyes have red sclerae with green irises and black pupils, a small brown nose lies above his cat-like mouth, that has sharp fangs and four pairs of whiskers. He wears a long white robe that has long baggy sleeves and usually conceals his legs, leaving his bare feet exposed.[1]

Within the 2018 anime, Neko-Sennin, resembles an old man covered with long white hair, mustache and beard. He has eyes that have black sclerae and small highlights and a pair of small nostrils that resemble his eyes. He wears a long pale green robe with baggy sleeves that reaches to his legs and carries around a wooden staff.

Personality[]

Neko-Sennin is typically portrayed as being a loving person towards cats, and being relentlessly vengeful to those who mistreat, abuse or abandon cats, going as far as to try to enforce the respective humans to live as pets, or even sentence them to execution.

He does, however, find room for forgiveness if they show repentance and caring towards their feline companions.

History[]

Manga / 1968 Anime[]

He appears in the story Neko-Sennin and in episode 17 of the first anime adaption, Neko-Sennin.

1985 Anime[]

1996 Anime[]

NekoSennin96 DaikokuNeko

"Daikoku-Neko" greeting Kitarō and friends

At somepoint, Neko-Sennin granted stray cats of an abandoned town the ability to walk and talk like humans, gathering other cats and the humans who abandoned them, punishing them for their misdeeds. One day, taking the form of a large black cat, he sits in the human pet store when he gets visitors, Kitarō and his friends. He introduces himself as Daikoku-Neko and refuses to let the humans out of the cages, doing what humans have been doing to cats for centuries and forcing them to be pets. He notes how humans keep cats as pets to please themselbes, but abandon them at will, while feeding the humans here, who all have abandoned a cat before. A cat parent and child comes in, where Daikoku-Neko shows them a human boy, asking him to shake his hand and letting them adopt the boy. He answers Yūko's question of what will happen to Jirō that the boy is about to be put on trial, and grants them permission to attend.

NekoSennin96 Introduction

Neko-Sennin reveals himself

At the trial, Daikoku-Neko shows them the court and that he is the judge. He sends Kitarō's group to the public gallery and begins the trial, asking how Jirō pleads, which the boy sadly states guilty. He calls Mike to the stand, asking if he was abandoned and if he had any other mistreatment. Before he could announce the verdict, a rat passes by which the cats in the stand chase after. He catches it with his long arm and eats it. He then gives the verdict, sentencing Jirō to pethood. Kitarō calls him out for going to far, who reveals that he knows who the Yōkai boy is and reveals his true form. Neko-Sennin orders the cats to attack Kitarō's group, before watching them escape.

NekoSennin96 tricked by Kitaro EP12

Neko-Sennin falling into Kitarō's trap

Later that day, Neko-Sennin holds another trial, this time for Nezumi-Otoko and a man. He announces his verdict, for the man who let the stray he took in to die without taking care of it and the rat Yōkai attempting to catch cats, sentencing both of them to death. He calls forth the guillotine, and orders the cats to not let Nezumi-Otoko escape, having them eat him if they must. He realizes too late that of Kitarō's trick, using the rat Yōkai as bait to distract all his cats. Soon he faces the Yōkai boy and his friends, using the blade of the guillotine to fight back. He gets hit by Medama-Oyaji, making him use his stretching arms to try catch Kitarō. However he falls for the Yōkai boy's trick, making him tie his arms around the pillars. He admits defeat, after being bombarded by attacks, which releases the humans and cats from his control.

NekoSennin96 taking the cats with him EP12

Neko-Sennin taking the cats with him

He is terrified when he sees the Cat Pot and almost gets sucked into it when Neko-Musume arrives and tells them to stop, defending the cat immortal in that this all started because of irresponsible humans abandoning their cats, and that sealing him will not solve the problem. His attention is drawn to the humans who apologize, understanding how cats feel after being pets, and admits it is their fault. He is informed by Jirō that he is going to take good care of Mike from now on. Neko-Sennin is then freed from his entanglement and promises to not control cats again. He states that he will take the stray cats with him back to the mountains and take care of them. He stretches his body and takes the cats with him, giving his farewell to Kitarō.[1]

2018 Anime[]

Powers and Abilities[]

The Neko-Sennin is said to be a fairly powerful yōkai due to his advanced age, he is also fairly knowledgeable of multiple subjects.

Immortality: Neko-Sennin obtained immortality after separating his soul from his body, continuing to live on. He preserves his human body frozen in Cat Hill, protecting it from insects and rats.[2]

Possession: After separating his soul from his body, Neko-Sennin gained the ability to possess others, he primarily chooses cats but can also possess humans. He transfers his soul from one cat to another after the body ages. His soul is able to return to his original body when it is in danger. However, once his soul was transferred into a stone, he could not get out of it.[2]

Elasticity: Neko-Sennin can alter his body to different degrees, his most common use is to stretch his arms to several meters long to catch his foes. He can also stretch his torso and legs to constrict and encase his targets.[2] He claims that he can stretch his arms indefinitely, and has also shown to be able to hold others within after stretching his body.[1]

Cat Taming: Neko-Sennin can control cats, granting speech and the ability to walk like humans to the cats and can command them to attack. Even with controlling them directly, cats are drawn to Neko-Sennin, where the stray cats followed him after his defeat.[1]

Mind Control: He is able to partially control humans, making them more compliant after sentencing them to pethood.[1]

NekoSennin96 Transformation EP12

Neko-Sennin's transformation

Cat Transformation: He is able to make himself appear as a young anthropomorphic cat with black fur, named Daikoku-Neko (大黒猫, lit. Big Black Cat). He is capable of using his stretching abilities while in this form, and can revert back to his true form.[1]

Teleportation: Neko-Sennin is able to move himself and company to one location to another quickly, demonstrated when he takes the cats away with him to live in the mountains.[1]

Illusion: He has shown some ability to make illusions, making an abandoned building appear as a dark and clean courtroom.[1]

Equipment[]

Staf: Neko-Sennin always carries around a wooden staff with him, that he uses sometimes with his powers.[2][1]

Guillotine: Neko-Sennin owns a guillotine that he uses after sentencing defendants to death. After Kitarō comes in the courtroom again, he uses the blade of the guillotine as a knife.[1]

Trivia[]

  • His face may be based on a wolf spider.[3]

References[]

Navigation[]

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Yōkai Rally
Manga
1968 Anime
1985 Anime
1996 Anime
2007 Anime
(GeGeGe no Kitarō: Yōkai Japan Rally 3D)
v  e
Nurarihyon Faction
v  e
1968 Series Yōkai and other Mystical Beings
Kitarō and Allies
Threats
Others
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1985 Series Yōkai and other Mystical Beings
Kitarō and Allies
Threats
Jigoku
Others
v  e
1996 Series Yōkai and other Mystical Beings
Kitarō and Allies
Threats
Others
Amefuri-KozōBaby DorotabōDai-TenguEnma-DaiōGama-SenninIwanabōzuKaruraKashaboKawausoKawazaruKubinashi-UmaKuchisake-OnnaMt. Kurama Karasu-TenguNeko-SenninMermaid ChildObariyonShisaYakanzuruYama-WarawaZashiki-Warashi
Akaname & Shiro-UneriAkashitaAmamehagiFukuro-SageKaminariKashaKeukegen & Gasha-DokuroMizu-Sennin
Xú FúYōkaChiisuttā no Kami
v  e
2018 Series Yōkai and other Mystical Beings
Kitarō and Allies
Threats
Others
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