The Wolfman Clan (人狼一族, Jinrō Ichizoku) is a clan of "sinful" Souls living in self-imposed exile within Soul Society's Rukongai region.[1]
Overview[]
The Wolfman Clan is a family of Souls who, during their lifetime, committed "sins" of unknown nature that caused them the punishment of being turned into "wolfmen" and fall into what is referred to as the Animal Realm (畜生道, Chikushōdō; Viz "Hell of Beasts"), the precise nature of which is unknown. Yet even such punishment supposedly did not suffice and the clan returned to Soul Society, to continue dwelling in the shadows of Rukongai to be free from outsiders' scrutiny.[1]
One clan member, Sajin Komamura, was unwilling to bear the shame of a life in hiding and thus abandoned his kinsmen at some point in the past, eventually being taken in by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and given the opportunity to become a Shinigami by entering the Gotei 13, despite not being a proper Human; eventually, Sajin rose to the rank of Captain. In preparation for the Wandenreich's looming second invasion of Soul Society, Sajin approached an elder of his clan in a remote cave so that the latter, a gigantic wolf addressed by Sajin as "Great Elder" (大爺様, Ōjiji-sama), can initiate him into their clan's secrets: specifically regarding the Human Transformation technique, in order to grant Sajin the power to exact revenge on the Quincy for Yamamoto's death.[2][3][4]
Sajin and said elder are the only known Wolfman Clan members; how many others (if any) still exist is unknown. Both of them have at some point undergone Humanization and turned from humanoid werewolves into pure wolves, in Sajin's case as the price for his revenge which, according to the elder, epitomized their clan's true form and signified Sajin's return to his kin.[5][6]
Humanization Technique[]
Komamura after performing the Humanization Technique.
The Humanization Technique (人化の術, Jinka no Jutsu; Viz "Humanification") is a secret ability of the Wolfman Clan that allows their kind to temporarily shed their Wolfman form and become a complete Human by ritually removing their heart as an offering. In their Human form, a clan member's body is nothing more than an empty shell, rendered immortal in exchange for their heart: as long as the transformation persists, no attacks made against them will have any lasting effect and wounds quickly regenerate. However, the transformation is only temporary and demands grave "compensation" (代償, daishō): once their time has run out, the clan member in question will regress from a Human into a complete wolf permanently. This was seen with Sajin, who lost himself in his drive for revenge and promptly turned into a wolf, subsequently having his heart consumed by his elder.[5][6]
Family Members[]
Trivia[]
- According to Q&A #593 by Tite Kubo on his fansite "Klub Outside", the reason the Humanization Technique turned Komamura into a wolf was not because of any time limit, but rather the nature of the curse; once Komamura fully devoted himself to selfish vengeance, the curse was fulfilled and thus made him a mere beast.[7]