Hell’s Paradise: Lord Tensen of Shinsenkyo explained

The unknown island Shinsenkyo draws a fine line between hell and paradise and is ruled over by Lord Tensen. Here’s what fans need to know about the powerful beings of the mysterious island. 

Hell’s Paradise is a popular Shonen anime series with dark and gory themes. The series follows Gabimaru the Hollow, an elite shinobi assassin who is charged with the death penalty. He can only be pardoned from his crimes by searching for the Elixir of Life. 

However, the elixir is said to be on a mysterious island called Shinsenkyo. Also known as Kotaku, Shinsenkyo is an island located within the southwest seas that is far beyond the Ryukyu Kingdom. The many criminals and Asaemon that go there are fascinated by the “beauty” of the place. 

Gabimaru is the only one who points out how strange and creepy this place is. The island is no utopia since everyone who goes there either dies or comes back with an unusual disease. It is filled with mysterious creatures and is ruled by immortal entities. Delve deeper to find out about Lord Tensen, the ruler group of Shinsenkyo. 

What is a Tensen in Hell’s Paradise?

Tensen, literally meaning “Heavenly Immortal,” are the highest ranking Sennin (immortal). They have mastered all five Immortality Training Methods. Tensens have power over the lower level Doshi and are in charge of instructing them in Tao practises. 

A hidden trait is that all Tensens share the same facial features and voices, whether in Yin or Yang form. It is difficult to tell the Tensens apart after they wore identical clothes and assumed their Yang forms during a rite.

Who is Lord Tensen of Shinsenkyo?

Viz Media

Shinsenkyo is ruled by Lord Tensen, a group of seven immortal deities. They are led by Rien, the true ruler of Kotaku. Throughout history, the members of Lord Tensen spent their time practising Tao in order to achieve perfect immortality and create the legendary Elixir of Life. The Hoko (wood people from Kotaku) worshipped Lord Tensen as gods. They believed that the seven members were created when Sennin split himself into seven beings after attaining enlightenment. 

However, Lord Tensen admitted that this was a fabricated legend created as part of their research on the Hoko. Lord Tensen’s purpose is to carry on the studies of the previous king, Jofuku, in creating an Elixir of Life, as well as to achieve perfected immortal bodies via diligent training in the ways of Tao. 

Once the elixir is completed, the group would travel to Japan to make more elixir by releasing Paradise Butterflies and turning every human into Waitanhua flowers through Arborification — the process of sprouting flowers from people. 

As a result, the bloomed humans will cluster to form the Banko, allowing Lord Tensen to collect more of the elixir. However, as Lord Tensen’s leader, Rien’s secret mission is to transfer the stolen Tao to Jofuku’s preserved corpse in order to resurrect him.

Hell’s Paradise can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll. In the meantime, check out our other TV hubs below:

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