Ren is a Chinese shaman who came to Japan specifically to fight Yoh Asakura and compete in the Shaman Fight. He's 13 years old when the manga and original anime start (though the English dub ages him up to 15 and never mentions his initial motivation).
Raised in a brutally strict environment by his father Tao Yúan, Ren grew up serious, logical, and emotionally detached. His childhood was essentially stolen from him—nothing but training and studying. This upbringing fed a deep hatred for humanity and a conviction that his spirit companion Bason was just a tool to be used, not befriended. He blamed his father for everything he suffered and wanted nothing more than to eliminate humans entirely.
Everything changed when he met Yoh and the others. Their genuine kindness slowly shattered his worldview. He realized that people could actually be good, that trust wasn't weakness, and that maybe his hatred didn't have to define him. So he went back to China to face his father once and for all. The first attempt failed, and Tao Yún left him chained in a dungeon. But when Yoh and the group came to rescue him—led there by Bason—Ren finally accepted help. Together they defeated his father, and Ren was finally free to move forward.
Underneath his tough, confident exterior, Ren would die for his allies. He's impatient, quick to anger, and won't hesitate to hurt anyone who sets him off. Egotistical too—he literally named his team "Team the Ren," which Horohoro found infuriating. His stubbornness borders on defiance; he rarely takes orders and had no problem disobeying his own father.
He's genuinely skilled though. Beyond his shamanic abilities (which are exceptional for his age), he knows martial arts, sword fighting, and picked up several of Mikihisa's techniques just by experiencing them. The manga even hints he can play the erhu.
His bonds with Yoh and Horohoro are the strongest. He and Horohoro bicker constantly, but when Ren sacrificed himself to save him, it became clear they genuinely care about each other. Horohoro stayed at his side while Faust worked to save his life.
Ren's obsessed with milk and the number 3. In the English dub he has a British accent. He's also got an odd quirk—he once said he'd only date a girl if she was smaller than him and not annoying. Apparently he meant it, since he married Iron Maiden Jeanne and had a son named Men Tao.
His Furyoku level is 100,001.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
