Tamahome

Tamahome is the male protagonist of the anime and manga series Fushigi Yuugi and is the most powerful member of the Suzaku Seven, a group of people blessed with magic powers by the God Suzaku to protect his priestess.
He is voiced by Hikari Midorikawa in the Japanese version of the anime, and David Hayter in the English version of the anime.
==Physical Appearance==
Tamahome is 17 years old and he has bluish black hair and until he lost it in a battle with Suboshi, he had a thin ponytail. His wardrobe differs in many episodes. Due to his martial arts training, he has a lean, muscular build.
==Personality==
Originally appearing to be a greedy man obsessed with money, Tamahome quickly proved to be a kind caring young man and doesn't even charge much for his services once even asking a small village for just one coin for every bandit defeated. Even before he realized he was in love with Miaka he cared about her greatly and offered to be her honorary big brother. It was only after three months without her that he realized he was truly in love with her and formed an unbreakable bond with her.
His obsession with money stems from him being the breadwinner for his large family, caring greatly for his young brothers and sisters. After the death of his family and his love for Miaka grows, his money obsessions fades out.
==Skills and Abilities==
Tamahome is very skilled in the martial arts, capable of defeating 30 men in a matter seconds. His skill is empowered by his Ogre symbol which grants him the blessing of Suzaku. Even without Suzaku, Tamahome is still a formidable warrior and has stood against Suboshi when Suzaku was sealed. The only person stronger than him is Nakago who was only defeated because Seiryhu's power was sealed.
In moments of crisis, he is capable channeling his chi into blasts, which had harmed even Nakago who is the stronger opponent. He has done this very few times in the series.
Because of his love for Miaka, he is capable of sensing when she is in danger and is able to find her quickly.
==Story==
===Season One===
He first appears when he saves Yui and Miaka Yuki from slave traders only to ask for money in return. When Yui goes back to the real world, Miaka hunts him down and is almost raped when Tamahome returns and saves her. Still demanding money, Miaka asks the Emperor of Kounan for some but several mishaps cause the two to be hunted down. Tamahome uses a smoke bomb and saves her and decides to kiss her forehead as payment. However the two are discovered and arrested.
The Emperor, the extremely handsome Hotohori realizes that Miaka is from another world and the destined Priestess of Suzaku. Seeing the Ogre symbol in his forehead, Hotohori has Tamahome released and sends them on a mission to find the remaining members of the Suzaku Seven. Realizing she can go home with one of the three wishes she'd be granted Miaka accepts her quest while Tamahome offers to be like a big brother to her since she was feeling alone.
Hotohori, a member of the Suzaku Warriors offers to go along when Miaka annoys some guards into attacking her causing a building to fall on her. Tamahome is able to rescue her by jumping on top of her and using his strength to keep the rubble from crushing them. Nuriko, a consort to Hotohori uses immense strength to free the two and kisses Tamahome, freaking him out. Nuriko is revealed to be the third Suzaku Warrior so Miaka tries to befriend her (although it would later be revealed that Nuriko is a cross-dressing man). Tamahome hides from Nuriko when he tells Niaka he likes money more than women. After nearly getting Miaka accidentally killed by drowning, Nuriko reveals she loves Hotohori and was using Tamahome. After Miaka escapes the lake and the two start slapping each other, Nuriko and Miaka quickly become friends.
When Hotohori proposes to Miaka she soon realizes she may have feelings for Tamahome and confesses to him in the rain. Tamahome rebuffs her affections and the shock gives Miaka a fever. Deciding that she needs to return home, Hotohori, Nuriko, and Tamahome escort Miaka to Taiitsukun to find a way home. Tamahome apologizes to Miaka as she was the first girl to ever say she loved him and didn't know how to react. They reach Taiitsukun who tells them that Miaka and Yui's school uniforms would enable her to go home. However, when Miaka makes it home, Yui is trapped in the book and is nearly raped by thugs when Nakago, the main antagonist saves her. Miaka heads back into the book to rescue Yui and learns that three months have passed. Nuriko tells Miaka that since she was gone Tamahome was in a severe depression which made him realize he was in love with Miaka. The two reunite when Miaka is told the kingdom of Kutou is targeting the Empire of Kounan.
When Tamahome leaves the area, Nuriko and Miaka follow him and discover his very large family and learn that his obsession with money came his need to provide for his little brothers and sisters due to his father's failing health. A soldier from Kutou attacks but Miaka is saved by Chichiri, another warrior of Suzaku. Miaka soon realizes that Yui may be the Priestess of Seiryu and heads to Kutou alone and finds her best friend. Tamahome follows and Yui overhears the love confession between Tamahome and Miaka. Believing Miaka only came for Tamahome, she tricks Miaka into going to the shrine of Seiryu. Seiryu's presence cripples Miaka and Nakago creates a barrier to prevent the Suzaku Warriors from entering. Yui tells Miaka that she waited for three months for her and will now take Tamahome for herself. Chichiri is able to teleport into the shrine and Tamahome's strong will along with his love for Miaka allows him to overcome the barrier and the three escape.
At Taiitsukun's palace, the goddess shows a mirror that reveals what happened to Yui, much to everyone's horror. Unable to look, Miaka asks Taiitsukun to turn off the mirror, not realizing that Yui was not raped.
When Miaka tries to distance herself from Tamahome, he kissed her and gently pushes her on the bed. Miaka tells Tamahome that Yui is also in love with him and Hotohori appears. Hotohori raises his sword to Tamahome's neck who tells his emperor he is in love with Miaka. Because Tamahome is a Suzaku Warrior, Hotohori lowers his sword and tells his rival that if they were both ordinary men, they would have fought to the death over her. Hotohori then tells Miaka that only one man can truly love her. When the Emperor leaves, Tamahome lets go of his brave front and confesses to Miaka that Hotohori's sword scared him to death. Miaka embraces Tamahome after that and decides to stay with him despite Yui also loving him. However, an evil presence is felt and a Kutou guard tells Tamahome and the others that Kutou will withdraw from several villages if Tamahome goes to Kutou alone. While he tells Miaka he won't go, Tamahome leaves a love note to Miaka and heads to Kutou to buy Miaka time to find the other Suzaku Warriors and hopefully prevent his village from being attacked. Yui tries to make Tamahome love her but it ultimately fails. Meanwhile, Miaka and her allies located Tasuki, another Suzaku Warrior. During the travel, Miaka falls to an evil disease caused by a demon. Tamahome learns of this and tries to leave Kutou promising to return. However Nakago subdues the young warrior and tortures him, despite Yui's objections. Miaka is saved by Mitsukake, the next Suzaku Warrior who used his healing ability to kill the demon. After being attacked by bats and saved by a man with a flute, Miaka seemingly finds the final Suzaku Warrior, Chiriko.
Chichiri uses his magic to allow Miaka to contact Tamahome through a screen. The two decide to meet at a large tree in the Kutou palace gardens. Tamahome goes to Yui to try and convince her to join him and be with Miaka but Tamahome becomes paralyzed with a gas. Yui then puts kudoku in her mouth and makes Tamaome eat it by kissing him. Miaka is captured by Yui and imprisoned. Miaka escapes and finds Yui who yells at Miaka. Tamahome under the spell of the kudoku, arrives and attempts to kill Miaka, who escapes but is emotionally crushed. However her ribbon falls off and a part of Tamahome that still loved her picks it up.  Even Yui  becomes horrified at Tamahome's personality change.  The gang arrive back to the tree and Tasuki attacks Tamahome for breaking Miaka's heart, only to get badly beaten by the stronger fighter. The group is able to escape with Hotohori's help and get to the palace, with Miaka saying her farewell to Tamahome. Tamahome is then seen crying, shocking Nakago as Tamahome's love for Miaka was weakening the kudoku.
Miaka loses the will to live and attempts suicide by drowning only to be saved by Hotohori. Tamahome still under the spell of the kudoku, arrives at Kounan to kill Miaka and is challenged by Hotohori. Hotohori wounds Tamahome by impaling him shocking Miaka. Miaka asks him not to die and offers to let him kill her if he lives and even gives him his sword. She then kisses him and ultimately breaks the spell. Though she forgives Tamahome, he is extremely guilt ridden over his actions.  He returns to Kutou pretending to still be drugged and takes the Scroll of the Four Gods back.  Yui allows him to escape when Nakago realizes he's back to normal.  Tamahome then tells Yui that while he sympathizes with her supposed rape, he cannot forgive her for drugging him.
With all the Warriors assembled, the ritual of summoning Suzaku goes underway. However, Chiriko is revealed to be Amiboshi, a Seiryu Warrior. He uses his flute to inflict great pain on the group when the real Chiriko shows up and disrupts the rhythm. Amiboshi tries to escape but falls into a river. Miaka tries to save him because she believed he wasn't completely evil, but he willingly falls in and supposedly drowns. Even with the real Chiriko in the group, Taiitsukun appears and reveals the ritual has failed and Suzaku would not be summoned. She speaks of an alternate method and tasks the heroes with finding the Shinzaho, two artifacts left behind by the Priestesses of Genbu and Byakko. Taiitsukun gives the heroes upgraded gear and then asks to talk to Miaka alone.
Before the journey, Tamahome proposes marriage to Miaka as they are both legal age for marriage. Miaka turns him down and said she didn't love him anymore, much to his shock.
During the Star Festival, he confronts Miaka and asks her what Taiitsukun said to her. Miaka explains that in order to be the Priestess of Suzaku, she must remain a virgin so until the ordeal was over, their relationship would have to be put on hold. This motivates Tamahome to help find the two Shinzaho and tells her that when it was over, he'd make her the happiest bride in the world, much to her happiness.
Hotohori offers to let Tamahome's family stay in the capital and be granted a nice home. Excited, Tamahome with Miaka and Nuriko at his side arrive at his village to give the good news. However, to his horror, he finds his father dead along with his siblings.
===Season Two===
Yuiren, his youngest sibling stays alive long enough to tell her big brother she was a good girl and made a gift for Miaka. She dies happy in her brother's arms. Suboshi, Amiboshi's twin brother then appears on the rooftop and claims responsibility for the attack in retribution for the death of his brother and Tamahome breaking Yui's heart. The anguish and grief pushes Tamahome into a rage and viciously attacks Suboshi to the point where Nuriko and Miaka become afraid of him. During the battle Suboshi cuts off Tamahome's ponytail. Nuriko holds onto Tamahome and tells him that Miaka is afraid. He calms down as Suboshi retreats with the aid of Soi, another Seiryhu Warrior.
Tamahome sees that his brother Chei, the second oldest died with a kitchen knife and realizes his brother died to protect the rest.  Tamahome buries his family and the gifts he and Miaka bought for them while Nuriko and Miaka get some sleep while he asks to be alone. The two decide to leave for Hokkan without Tamahome out of fear he would not be able to handle the journey in his state of mind. To their surprise, he becomes happy and cheerful in order to maintain a positive attitude.  He gives Miaka the gift Yuiren made, a necklace made out of acorns.  According to the village customs, it is a gift for brides-to-be.  Miaka puts it on and they head to the ship and go to Hokkan, the capital of Genbu. Hotohori gives Miaka the holy sword Taiitsukun gave him as he had to stay behind. Tamahome falls asleep when Miaka comes in.  Not realizing it, he grabs Miaka and holds her while he sleeps.  Miaka cuddles up with him when he awakes.  Soi then attacks the ship using a powerful storm and Miaka falls in along with Tamahome and Nuriko.  Tamahome is electrocuted but survives.  They find a cave and Nuriko tells them how he became a cross-dresser.  The cave starts crumbling and Nuriko uses his bracelts to save Tamahome and Miaka from the currents and get back to the ship.  Soi appears and incapacitates all the Warriors leaving Miaka to fend for herself.  Soi directs lightning at Miaka but Hotohori's sword absorbs the lightning and Miaka aims it back at Soi, defeating her and forcing her to retreat.
At Hokkan, Tamahome saves a child from an out of control horse and the child forms a bond with him.  As thanks, the Warriors are given lodging and are told the story of the Shinzaho.  Nuriko and Miaka watch Tamahome give the child some advice about riding horses before they leave.  At the city's capital, Tamahome finds a man who tells him where to find the Shinzaho in a cave in the nearby mountains.  Tamahome then runs into Yui who angrily tells the Warrior he's a made up character in a book and has no more feelings for him.  Tamahome keeps this to himself though he wonders if Miaka knew something.  Nuriko is wounded after killing Ashitare and ultimately dies after removing a boulder blocking a doorway.  Miaka almost loses the will to continue the quest but Tamahome tells her that if she gave up, Nuriko's sacrifice would be in vain.  After encountering the spirits of the Warriors of Genbu, Miaka passes a test they give and are given the Shinzaho.  After leaving the cave, Ashitare, reborn as a wolf, steals the Shinzaho and gives it to Nagako who then kills Ashitare for outliving his usefullness. 
The theft of the Shinzaho along with having to find another one belonging to the Priestess of Byakko wears on Tamahome feeling that his dreams of marrying Miaka and having a family wouldn't happen.  The group prepares to leave to find the next Shinzaho when Taiitsukun tells Miaka she can weaken Nakago and get the Genbu Shinzaho back if she has sex with him and claims that the Priestesses don't need to be virgins after all since Yui was raped.  Taiitsukun then tells Tamahome that Miaka needs some time alone and Tamahome leaves.  It's ultimately a trap for Miaka as Taiitsukun is revealed to be an illusion cast by Tomo, another Seiryhu Warrior.  Miaka heads to Nakago's camp while Yui and Suboshi are away.  Nakago advances onto her and reveals the trap.  Miaka then finds out Yui was never raped and Nakago had been lying.  Nakago attacks Miaka with lightning and telekinesis and destroys Yuiren's gift for her.  Before he can rape her though, a powerful barrier protects her that even Nakago can't break.  Tamahome, sensing trouble attacks Nakago and uses a chi blast that injures his shoulder much to Nakago's surprise. 
Tamahome finds Miaka badly beaten and injured.  Waking up, she feels dirty and worried that she is now unworthy of Tamahome.  Tamahome takes her to a small lake to camp out where she swims constantly to clean herself.  Tamahome stays comforting and kisses an injury on her hand before kissing her again.  Tamahome's kindness only makes it worse for Miaka and she runs away as he falls asleep.  She falls into a ravine and is rescued by Amiboshi, who is revealed to be alive.  He takes her to a village and meets an eldery couple that saved him and adopted him.  Amiboshi offers her a potion that would make her forget everything about being the Priestess of Suzaku and proposes marriage but she turns it down because she'd feel like atraitor if she forgot about all that her her friends did to help her.  Tamahome goes searching for her when Tomo uses his illusions to make Soi look like Miaka.  The two almost make love when he realizes the slim chance that she could still be a virgin.  This breaks the spell but he is captured. 
Amiboshi finds out about Tamahome's capture and even though he too is love with Miaka, tells her he will find the young warrior.  Miaka runs away, still feeling unworthy when Soi confronts her.  Soi tells Miaka she has no grudge against Miaka since Nakago didn't rape her.  Realizing she is still faithful, she runs to Tamahome who is freed from Tomo by Amiboshi.  However just as Tamahome and Miaka embrace, Tomo uses his illusion spell to pierce Tamahome.  Tamahome falls off a cliff, much to Miaka's horror.  Tomo then puts Miaka in a clam and uses her memories to create a powerful illusion.  He plans to violate her body (though Tomo is implied to be gay) by using his illusion spells to make her fall in love with an illusion he controls.  Though she is in a powerful illusion, she keeps seeing the Ogre symbol which breaks her free.  Tomo gets angry and tries to rape her, but his focus on Miaka weakens the illusion on Amiboshi.  He breaks free and fights Tomo.  This allows Miaka to break free of the illusion by stabbing the illusion in the forehead. Tomo attacks his former comrade and badly beats the boy.  This ends up being a huge mistake as Suboshi appears and kills Tomo in retaliation. 
Suboshi forces forgetfullness potion into his twin so Amiboshi could live a peaceful life.  Tamahome recovers from his injuries thanks to his master Tokai and confronts Suboshi who plans to rape Miaka in retaliation for Yui.  Tamahome arrives allong with the other Wariors and Suboshi flees.  The group go to Tokai's house and Tamahome kisses Miaka.  However, he then tells her they can no longer love each other, much to her confusion.  Miaka tries to win him back by cooking but her food is terrible.  Tamahome coldly insults her cooking and Miaka sady leaves.  However once she leaves, he grabs all her food and eats it.  Tokai's adopted daughter Xing tells Miaka about a tower near the temple and a legend that if two lovers kissed the top at sunset it'd be impossible for them to separate, though the tower is off limits due to monsters.  Xing offers herself to Tamahome to forget Miaka but she walks in before they kiss.  Miaka tells Tamahme that she will go to the tower and if he didn't show up at sunset, she'd give up on him. 
Tamahome tells Tokai that he now knows it's too late to not fall in love with Miaka and he'd go to the tower.  While Miaka is waiting she sees Yui with Nakago going into the temple.  She waits until sunset for Tamahome and when he doesn't show up, she follows Yui and Nakago only to be attacked by Miboshi who takes her voice.  She is then locked up with Tatara, a Warrior of Genbu who like Tamahome fell in love with his Priestess.  He tells Miaka and Yui who is seemingly trying to renew her friendship with Miaka that the one wish a God cannot grant is for a Priestess live in the Universe of the Four Gods.  Miaka realizes that Tamahome learned this too and was why he was staying distant.  Tamahome reaches the tower only to be attacked by a monster which is slain.  The Warriors and Tokai go to the temple.  Tatara gives Miaka the Shinzaho which is stolen by Yui who locks them up. 
Tamahome sees Yui and tells her that he will defy space and time to be with Miaka.  Tatara uses his power to free himself and Miaka.  Miboshi then attacks and Tatara sacrifices himself to kill Miboshi.  His spirit then reunites with the Priestes of Genbu (doesn't happen in the manga) and they cross into the afterlife together.  Miboshi barely survives and uses his powers to posess Chiriko.  Chiriko's will fights against Miboshi and the boy commits suicide so Miboshi would die with him.  Tokai, Tamahome and Miaka race to stop Yui from summoning Seiryhu while the others mourn Chiriko.  Nakago lures them away from Yui who succeeds in summoning her god.  She uses her first wish to seal the power of Suzaku, making the Suzaku Warriors ordinary men.  The group is able to escape.  With Seiryhu, Kutou mounts a full assault on Kounan.  Since Suzaku is sealed, Miaka is no longer a Priestess and Horohori tells her she and Tamahome can get married.  Before the fighting can begin Miaka asks Tamahome to make her his bride.  They prepare to make love but Miaka's growling stomach ruins the moment.  The two decide to cuddle.
The next day during battle, Tasuki is able to kill Soi when she takes a blow for Nagako. Yui, seeing Tamahome and Miaka together, is enraged and uses her second wish to send Miaka and her back to the real world. Miaka awakens in her school and finds Tamahome unconscious. Miaka calls her big brother, Keisuke, who had been researching the book and helps Miaka get Tamahome back home. When he awakens, Tamahome is amazed at Miaka's world. Miaka and Tamahome deduced that he was brought to the real world because he held onto her. However, Keisuke sees that Tamahome does not have a shadow and Tamahome finds that he has no reflection. Keisuke tells Miaka that Tamahome still isn't real and would have to go back into the book. Tamahome overhears and runs off upset. Miaka follows but Suboshi appears in the real world as well thanks to Yui giving him a ribbon. Still angry at Miaka for hurting Yui, he decides that even though he's in love with Yui, he would break his promise not to kill Miaka.
Tamahome calms down and realizes that even if he's not real, his love for Miaka is. He races back to find Suboshi about to kill Miaka and saves her. Suboshi attacks some cops that try to restrain him and uses his deadliest weapon to kill Tamahome, a floating ball that follows the target. Tamahome lures the ball to Suboshi. Before he can dodge, the spirits of Tamahome's young siblings hold him and the ball pierces Suboshi's chest, killing him. Keisuke tells Tamahome that the story is not over and real life events are appearing in the book. Keisuke warns Tamahome that his presence is making the two dimensions merge and he'd have to return to the book. Meanwhile Yui finally decides to talk to Miaka and Miaka finally tells her that she wasn't raped and Nakago lied to her to make Yui hate her. Yui runs off in denial and sees greens scales on her arm, realizing that she was a pawn. Meanwhile, Miaka stops Tamahome from entering the book and the two have a wedding ceremony giving each other rings. Keisuke reads the book and gives the two a few minutes alone but to his horror sees in the book that Nakago would be coming to the real world.
Nakago appears before Yui and admits that he saved her from being raped and wants the third wish to become immortal and rule the real world as a god. Yui runs away while Miaka comes to save her. Nakago warns Yui that if he is not granted eternal life, he'd break his one and only promise he made to Yui and kill Miaka. Yui then summons Seiryhu who attacks the city. Tamahome arrives and fights Nakago, who is a much better fighter and is blasted by Nakago's chi blast, seemingly killing Tamahome. Keisuke contacts Chichiri and Tasuki and is able to bring them to the real world. The two are no match for Nakago. Yui finally uses her third wish to allow Miaka to summon Suzaku and is devoured by Seiryhu. Miaka then summons Suzaku who fights Seiryhu. With Suzaku's seal destroyed Tasuki and Chichiri are able to use their powers but Nakago is still more powerful. Tamahome awakens and vows to finish Nakago himself. Nakago still dominates the fight but Miaka's strong heart and Chiriko's scroll allows her to wish to have Seiryhu sealed. This makes Nakago a normal man and Tamahome is able to kill him by punching through his chest. Tamahome then sees Nakago's tragic childhood as Nakago fades away.
Miaka then finally uses her third wish to restore her city back to before all the fighting, which is acknowledged as very selfless. The characters from the book begin to return and Miaka and Tamahome have one final kiss. Before he returns, he tells Miaka no matter what it takes, they will be together again. Some time later, Keisuke tells Miaka about a new student who had visions of a past life. Miaka meets the student named Taka Sukunami who looks very much like Tamahome. He shows her the ring she gave Tamahome and she soon realize the two are one and the same.
==OVA 1==
==OVA 2==
==OVA 3==
Category:Anime Heroes
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