Kuzunoha

The Kuzunoha (葛葉) are a clan of devil summoners who protect Japan from a myriad of otherworldly, supernatural, and demonic threats, and have been in service to the country for almost 1,200 years, dating back to the days of the Asuka era.
The heads of the clan hold the title of one of the four Kuzunoha "families", passed down to those who show exceptional talent in the art of Devil Summoning, yet are not necessarily passed on to those with blood relation, i.e Geirin and Raidou. Side branches such as Kyouji can also pass down their title.
There are four different main family titles in the Kuzunoha Clan, yet as of the second installment of the Raidou Kuzunoha series, only two out of the four titles have been revealed.
==History==
Kuzunoha is the name of a popular fox spirit of Japanese folklore, and is closely connected to the legends surrounding famed Onmyōdō Abe no Seimei. In the legend, the father of Seimei, Abe no Yasuno was visiting a shrine in Shinoda when he came across a hunter who had trapped a white fox in order to take its liver to sell as medicine. Abe no Yasuno fought off the hunter and saved the white fox, but not before sustaining serious injuries to himself. In the aftermath, he is saved by a mysterious, enchanting woman named Kuzunoha and the two eventually fall in love and get married.  
Later, Kuzunoha gave birth to Abe no Seimei, who was born with strange powers, and by the age of five, he was said to be able to to see and command lesser Oni. One day, when Abe no Seimei was still a child, he noticed his mother possessed a fox's tail under her kimono. Realizing her disguise had been found out, she fled her home and returned to Shinoda; her husband and son pursued her and she revealed she was the very same white fox that Abe no Yasuno had saved many years ago. Kuzunoha gives her son a special book that will allow him to speak with beasts, and bids farewell to her family, never to be seen again. Her famous farewell poem can be found on a silk parchment in the Inari Shrine in Izumi. 
== Appearances ==
* Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner
* Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers
* Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
* Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
* Soul Hackers 2
* Persona 2: Innocent Sin
* Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
==List of Known Members==
===Kyouji Kuzunoha===
*Kyouji Kuzunoha the First - A major character who appears in Devil Summoner: Kuzunoha Raidou tai Shibito Ekishi. He is the first of the Kyouji branch family.
*Kyouji Kuzunoha - A major character from Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner. It is unknown which generation of "Kyouji" he is. His alias' include Takashi, Sukeroku, Rokusuke, and Daisuke Todoroki
*"Kyouji Kuzunoha" - The main character of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner. He was forced to take on the name after his deceased spirit takes residence in the lifeless body of the actual Kyouji Kuzunoha, yet he can potentially take on the name permanently after defeating Inaruna.
===Raidou Kuzunoha===
*Raidou Kuzunoha I - The first of the Raidou family. He now watches over his successors in the form of Gouto-Douji.
*Raidou Kuzunoha XIV - The most famous of the Raidou. He is the main character of Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army and Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon.
*Raidou Kuzunoha XL - An antagonist who appears during the events of the Soulless Army case. They possess the body of Kaya Daidouji in an effort to change the dystopian future they hail from.
====Raido Kuzunoha====
The Raido Kuzunoha family is the counterpart of the Raidou Kuzunoha family, hailing from a universe parallel to the one seen in the main games.
*Raido Kuzunoha XIV - The parallel universe version of Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV, first seen during the events of the Soulless Army case.
===Geirin Kuzunoha===
*Predecessor Geirin - The 16 Geirins that preceded the XVII.
*Geirin Kuzunoha XVII - A Devil Summoner who appears during the King Abaddon Case.
*Nagi - The pupil of Geirin Kuzunoha the XVII, who later claims the title of Geirin Kuzunoha the XVIII after his death.
=== Mangetsu Kuzunoha ===
*Mangetsu Kuzunoha: A Covenant holder from the Kuzunoha clan who appears in Soul Hackers 2.
===Other Family Members===
*Madame Ginko - Current overseer of the Kuzunoha clan as of the events of Devil Summoner and Soul Hackers; relative of the nonplayable Kyouji.
*Rei Reiho - A Devil Summoner in service to the Kuzunoha clan, and partner of Kyouji Kuzunoha.
====Unknown====
*Tamaki Uchida - The main character of Shin Megami Tensei if... and minor character in Megami Ibunroku Persona / Shin Megami Tensei: Persona and the Persona 2 duology. It isn't certain if she's a member, however she is training in the art of Devil Summoning at the Kuzunoha Detective Agency in Sumaru City under Kyouji Kuzunoha.
*Tadashi Satomi - A minor character that appears in Shin Megami Tensei: Persona and Persona 2. It isn't certain if he's a member, however he is working as an assistant along with Tamaki Uchida at the Kuzunoha Detective Agency in Sumaru City.
==Trivia==
* In the official fanbook there is a family tree of the Kuzunoha Clan, this tree says the Kyouji line that started in the Taisho era is actually a side branch that descended from one of the four main families. This tree also says Rei Reiho descends from a branch of the clan. An unoffical translation and edit to include the Geirin exist here but do note it is in no way a canonical source.
* The official fanbook says that that summoners have unnaturally long lives. This could explain how the 'original' Geirin Kuzunoha performs certain acts in the Sengoku period, which would have been centuries after the Asuka period.
** It is also possible the 'original' Geirin body-swapped like Gouto-Douji and Kyouji Kuzunoha, to be able to live that long.
* Tamaki Uchida and Tadashi Satomi in Persona 2 wear the same uniforms as Rei Reiho and Kyouji Kuzunoha respectively.
* Daisuke Todoroki's brooch bears the symbol of the Kuzunoha Clan, furthering the evidence that Todoroki isn't exactly himself at the moment.
==Gallery==
File:Kuzunoha_Clan_symbol.png|Kuzunoha Clan symbol
File:Kuzunoha_Symbol_in_KA.jpg|Symbol as seen in Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon
Category:Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner Characters
Category:Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army Characters
Category:Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon Characters
Category:Organization