Kurama Tengu

Kurama Tengu is a recurring demon in the series.

History
Kurama Tengu (鞍馬天狗) are the most powerful and well-known of the Japanese tengu who were said to live in Mt. Kurama in Kyoto. The Kurama-Tengu are not only said to be exceptional warriors, but also have the ability to fend off disease and bring good luck.

The king of the tengu, (僧正坊), is one of the Kurama Tengu, and in the 12th century was said to have taught Ushiwakamaru, the future famous warrior Minamoto No Yoshitsune, the arts of swordsmanship, tactics and magic.

Appearances

 * Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne: Genma Race
 * Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE: Demigod Race
 * Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey: Genma Race
 * Shin Megami Tensei IV: Genma Race
 * Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse: Genma Race
 * Shin Megami Tensei V: Genma Race
 * Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2: Genma Race
 * Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army: Wind Order
 * Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abaddon: Wind Order
 * Soul Hackers 2: Genma Race
 * Persona 3 / FES / Portable: Hermit Arcana
 * Persona 4 / Golden: Hermit Arcana
 * Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth: Hermit Arcana
 * Persona 5 / Royal: Hermit Arcana
 * Persona 5 Strikers: Hermit Arcana
 * Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth: Hermit Arcana

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Kaneko's human-like design for Kurama Tengu draws inspiration from Jirō Osaragi's Kurama Tengu, from the eponymous novel Kurama Tengu, later adapted into film in 1928. Kurama Tengu wears the attire of a yamabushi (山伏, "mountain hermit") which is said to be the basis of the mythical Tengu. He can be seen blowing into a horagai conch and wearing distinctly Jewish accessories like a tefillin and kippah. This deviation is believed to be an intent to infuse the Japanese-Jewish common ancestry theory, despite lacking official clarification.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Kurama can be only obtained by evolving its predecessor Karasu and is one of the few demons in the game that can only be created via secondary evolution. Even though Karasu can only be created by evolving a Koppa, Karasu can be encountered in normal battles and persuaded to join. Therefore, it isn't necessary to begin with a Koppa to ultimately obtain a Kurama, but some of Koppa's skills will be missed if that step is skipped.

In Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster it appears with its full name, Kurama Tengu.

Shin Megami Tensei IMAGINE
Kurama Tengu can only be acquired through fusion, though variations appear in Shibuya's Celu Tower gold level instance. In the Mount Kurama instance accessed through Nakano, he is a central NPC and final boss for all levels. By gathering cords from the endchest, players are able to fuse a more powerful Kurama Tengu that learns a unique almighty spin move.

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Kurama Tengu regularly appear through Enemy Search in Sector Delphinus. However, his fusion requirements can be unlocked relatively early in the game, being a special fusion between Koppa Tengu and Karasu Tengu.

Shin Megami Tensei IV
Kurama Tengu can be obtained through special fusion, by fusing a Koppa Tengu with a Karasu Tengu. He can teach Flynn the Mazanma, Mahama, Blood Ritual and Zandyne skills through his Demon Whisper.

Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
Kurama Tengu can be found within the Tennozu Shelter. He can teach the Mazanma, Mahama, Trafuri and Zandyne skills through his Demon Whisper. Kurama Tengu benefits from learning Force and Light skills.

Shin Megami Tensei V
The Kurama Tengu created Amanozako in order to create a Great Tengu to lead them during the end times. However, Amanozako went berserk and had continued fleeing from the tengu ever since. The tengu then realized that Amanozako was particularly attached to the protagonist and concocted a trap to regain their lost creation in the quest "The Destined Leader," with one tengu referring the protagonist to another. When they arrive, the Kurama Tengu there demands Amanozako; when the protagonist refuses, he calls upon Zaou-Gongen. Despite their efforts, they are both defeated and the tengu give up on trying to reclaim Amanozako.

Kurama Tengu can be found as a normal enemy in the upper areas of Yurakucho that can be reached by heading southwest from Uchikanda.

Enemy Kurama Tengu can be spoken to by Koppa Tengu and Yoshitsune resulting in a special conversation. In the former, he encourages the lesser tengu to keep training, while in the latter, he sees that Yoshitune's devotion had not wavered since they were together and gives him his blessings. In both cases, he gives an item to them to help their efforts before leaving.

Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
Kurama begin appearing as a random encounter in Sakuradayama and can also be found in Dark Sakuradayama and Waden One.

Soul Hackers 2
Kurama Tengu first appears as one of Kaburagi's demons. He will buff Kaburagi's team with Tarukaja and assault the party with Physical and Force skills.

Kurama Tengu will later appear as a normal enemy in Arrow's Soul Matrix 2F and Milady's Soul Matrix 2F.

Kurama Tengu acts as the boss at the end of Milady's Soul Matrix 2F. Kurama Tengu will use Transmigration to resummon Koppa Tengu twice, and upon the third use will summon a weaker Kurama Tengu. The first Koppa Tengu resummoned will also be buffed with Sukukaja, the second will be buffed with Tarukaja and Sukukaja, and the Kurama Tengu summoned with the third use of Transmigration will be buffed with Tarukaja, Rakukaja and Sukukaja. The Koppa Tengu will use Abyssal Veil to cover Kurama Tengu's weakness and attack with Wave Shot and Mazan. The Kurama Tengu summoned will have all of the attack skills of the original. Defeating the original Kurama Tengu ends the battle. The party may have an easier time leaving the Koppa Tengu alive, but will have less rewards at the end of the battle as a trade-off.

Persona 5
Kurama Tengu is the ninth Persona of the Hermit Arcana and can be found as a Shadow in Shido's Palace and the Sheriruth area of Mementos, with the title "Monk of the Valley." He is one of six Personas to learn Masukunda and one of four to learn Growth 3. When itemized using Electric Chair execution in the Velvet Room, Kurama Tengu yields a Garudyne skill card.

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Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army
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Trivia

 * According to Kazuma Kaneko's Work III, the namesake media franchise Kurama Tengu by Jiro Osaragi (大佛 次郎) with its original novel premiered in 1924, in particular the 1928 movie adaptation starring Kanjuro Arashi (嵐 寛寿郎) has been influential to the public perception of the mythical entity. The protagonist who is a loyalist-activist assumes the "Kurama Tengu" persona to carry out his vigilante missions. This explains why Kaneko's Kurama Tengu lacks the symbolic elongated nose as the famous statue erected in Mount Kurama, Kyoto.
 * In the debug mode of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, there are two leftover beta cutscenes featuring the Demi-fiend,  and Izuna  with the latter two using the models of Incubus and Kurama Tengu respectively. Izuna's mannerism is reminiscent of the Chaos Hero for his ruthlessness. On a side note, Izuna using a Tengu model is probably based on Izuna Gongen (飯縄権現), a Japanese folk god of amalgamation who takes the form of a Karasu Tengu while riding on a white kitsune/fox.
 * Kurama Tengu's 3D models differ slightly between Persona 5 and Persona 5 Royal with the latter incarnation features fewer facial details, resulting a younger looking Kurama Tengu.