Five Principal Clans

### Other Names

Five Great Families, Five Great Covens, Five Ruling Covens, Imperial Covens of Japan, Imperial Clans of Shinto Mystics

## Details

### Affiliation

Japanese Deities (Shinto Deities)
Japanese Pantheon
Japan (Secret Supernatural Rulers)

### Leader(s)

Ouryuu Nakiri (Head, Nakiri Clan)
Suzaku Himejima (Head, Himejima Clan)
Seiryuu Kushihashi (Head, Kushihashi Clan)
Genbu Doumon (Head, Doumon Clan)
Byakko Shinra (Head, Shinra Clan)

### Allies

Celestial Bureaucracy
Youkai (Kyoto Faction & Kanto Faction)
Masters of the Mystic Arts

### Enemies

Utsusemi Agency
Grigori (Baraqiel, Himejima Only)
Western Civilization (Gods & Witches)
Abrahamic Institutions (Exorcists & Judges)

## Origins

### Summary

Five powerful covens who rule over the Japanese moonlit world, who have carried a divine connection to the Shinto Gods and served them for generations

### Origins

High School DxD, SLASHDØG

**Five Principal Clans**, also called the **Imperial Clans of Japan**, are the five covens of witches who have served the Shinto Gods for centuries. They are the secret rulers of Japan's supernatural world. They consist of five clans: Nakiri, Himejima, Kushihashi, Doumon, and Shinra.

## Summary

The Five Principal Clans are five powerful clans composed of druidic witches who possess a divine connection to the Shinto Gods and have served them for hundreds of years. All their members from ancient times have been blessed with supernatural powers over one of the five classical elements known as the **Five Phases** (五行, *Gogyō*), which is a part of their respective clan, both because of their fervent faith and their strict worship in Shinto.

However, those who haven't been blessed with one of the Five Phases are seen as outcasts and exiled from their respective clans, even if these exiles are powerful witches, such as the previous Section Head of the Utsusemi Agency, Hanezu Himejima. Certain members who violate their respective clan's religious laws are either executed or even banished, such as Ageha and Shuri Himejima, though the latter option is often reserved only to low-ranked members, as the clan can't afford to let high-ranked members to leave and expose the clan's inner workings and secret teachings.

The Five Principal Clans are suspicious of supernatural entities from foreign cultures and mythologies. They see non-Japanese beings as outsiders, foreigners, and, as such, "lower beings" who don't respect their time and/or respect. While they normally have a neutral relationship with the main Youkai Factions, certain Youkai groups bear a grudge against the Five Principal Clans.

Due to their strict belief in Shinto Mysticism, the Five Principal Clans have an aversion toward the members of their clans who have an affinity toward western mysticism, seeing them as absolute heresy. This is especially true with the rare members from the Five Principal Clans who are born with Sacred Gears, which are supernatural powers and artifacts originating from Abrahamic Beliefs. These members are treated even worse than even those born without the Five Phases, with some even immediately killed upon the activation of their Sacred Gears.

The only notable exceptions to this discrimination are the Longinus possessors who are feared due to their Sacred Gears' powerful potential to kill even the gods. While they aren't outright hated, they are seen as "walking natural disasters" that needed to be contained and sealed away to prevent mass destruction. However, as ironic as it may seem, according to Abe no Seimei, founders of the Five Principal Clans were former Longinus possessors themselves.

## Powers & Abilities

In addition to the power of the Five Elements and Shinto Mysticism, the Five Principal Clans have command over the **Five Sacred Beasts** (五神, *Goshin*), with the strongest members of their respective clans inheriting them and their names.

The Five Principal Clans and the Sacred Beasts linked to the respective clans are:

## Trivia

* Each of the surnames of the five families means:
	+ **Nakiri** (百鬼(なきり)) means "Hundred Demons".
	+ **Himejima** (姫島(ひめじま)) means "Princess Island".
	+ **Kushihashi** (櫛橋(くしはし)) means "Comb Bridge".
	+ **Doumon** (童門(どうもん)) means "Child Gate".
	+ **Shinra** (真羅(しんら)) means "True Fabric".
* Though the Five Principal Clans are strictly devoted to Shinto, at least two clans, Shinra and Nakiri, also incorporate Buddhist practices such as Shugendō, which mixes the knowledge and practices of the other religions such as Buddhisim and Vajrayana into their spiritual training. It is also worth noting that the Onmyōdō has knowledge related to Buddhist and Taoist practices.
	+ However, the Himejima Clan who strictly follows Shinto differs from them and will banish members for practicing Buddhist Magic.