A Study on Shinki: What is Karma?

When I started writing some notes on God’s Greatest Secret, Liberation and the different ways they affect Shinki, I certainly wasn’t expecting to end up burying my nose in books about Buddhism. This is the longest, most thought-out Noragami theory I have ever written. I’m not counting on everything in here to be correct, but hopefully it will still be an enjoyable read that will spark some interesting debates in the fandom.

So prepare a warm cup of your favorite beverage, and get comfy cause it’s about to get wild.



If you follow my blog, you probably already know by now that I’m very interested in God’s Greatest Secret and Liberation. They make up 80% of my speculation posts. As it turns out, Shinki are my favorite species in Noragami. Unlike other beings like Gods and Ayakashi, Shinki are Adachitoka’s original creation and so they’re not restricted by any lore or mythology (the only exception being the Three Imperial Regalia). However, even if I and many others have speculated a lot about Liberation and God’s Greatest Secret, I have seen very little talk on ‘Karma’ and what it’s supposed to be. As I began my research, I was surprised at how many other things in the series started to click.

This theory is divided in two parts. The first part focuses on the beings in Noragami, Shinki, Karma, and Liberation. The second part is all about Father and his potential end goal.

Last, but not least: A personal thank you to the amazing @fushiginokunino, who helped with some kanji translations, gave me the thumbs up for some of the assumptions I was making, and also added her own thoughts on some of the series’ biggest mysteries.



What is Karma?

In Noragami, a Shinki who’s seen a God’s Greatest Secret (GGS from now) transforms into what’s called ‘Karma’. Karma is like an Ayakashi, but waaaay bigger and uglier. And it’s also a reference to the Buddhist idea of Karma.

Karma (業) is a Buddhist concept that relates to Karmic Retribution and the endless cycle of rebirth (samsara). According to this belief, all living beings are reborn into different realms of existence based on their behaviour in the past life. Humans who do bad things collect bad Karma and are reborn in a lower realm. On the other hand, humans who do good things collect good Karma and will probably be reborn as humans again (or even go higher). Negative Karma can be anything from hatred and jealousy, to simpler things like materialistic needs or carnal desire. It is believed that beings with this type of Karma are reborn due to their dissatisfaction and constant need to be “renewed” and “perfected”. The goal of a Buddhist is to get rid of all their negative Karma in order to liberate themselves from this cycle and reach Nirvana.

You might be wondering: why all this talk about Buddhism? Buddhism is still one of the most prominent religions in Japan to this day. And even though Noragami is mainly focused on Shintoism, it also includes quite a few Buddhist elements. The second God with the most screen-time after Yato is Bishamon (Vaiśravaṇa), and as we have just seen, the concept of Karma also refers to Karmic retribution. So what role does Karma play in Noragami? A pretty big one.



Most of what I talk about in this theory is based on the Six Realms of Existence. According to Buddhism, all living beings are divided into six different levels of existence (there’s actually more, but they won’t be relevant until the second part). These levels are ordered by their levels of Karma. Beings in the lower realms are the ones with most Karma, while beings at the top, are the ones with the least Karma.



Beings in Hell. In Noragami: the creatures living in the Underworld (Shikome), as well as Ayakashi. Beings who have collected very bad Karma (murderers, people who have committed suicide, etc.) are sent here for eternal suffering. There’s no getting out of this realm.

Hungry Spirits. Ghosts of people who have died in very unfortunate circumstances or in violent ways. The definition fits the “only people who have died from unnatural causes can become Shinki” aspect (we have been been introduced to 'the Black Ones’ that are supposed to help Hiyori’s grandma cross over, so it’s safe to assume that humans who die from natural causes are just reborn in a different realm). Spirits in this realm either get named by a God, or end up being corrupted/devoured by Ayakashi. After being named, Shinki would still be in this realm since they haven’t died. It’s just that now they have a Shinki name that protects them against Ayakashi (eg: borderlines). Since Shinki become Hafuri vessels out of loyalty to their masters (=their relationship growing stronger), it could also be assumed that their given names get stronger, hence why they’re harder to break (stronger barrier against corruption).

Animals. Mostly bad karma because they act like cattle and are driven by instinct.

Humans. Human beings have both good Karma and bad Karma within them. Liberation from Karma through Buddhist practices is attainable for them.

Asura. Demigods, sometimes referred to as anti-gods. They’re beings who are angry, jealous and who constantly seek starting conflict. This realm is very vague, and there’s no general consensus in Buddhism either. It’s probably because of this that I cannot seem to find what the equivalent in Noragami would be. I thought maybe Hafuri would be in this level since Asura are also referred to as “semi-blessed” and Yukine technically “died” to become a Hafuri… but then, Kazuma didn’t.

Deva. Gods. Despite being heavenly beings, they also have some Karma in them. It is said that their power can blind them to the world of suffering and fill them with pride (which sounds very familiar to what is happening in the series right now). The negative Karma in them could also have something to do with the composition of a God’s soul, their 'mitama’. The mitama is usually in its nigimitama state (the peaceful, normal side of a God), but can turn into aramitama (violent, aggressive) in times of war and desperation.

As you might have already noticed, concepts like ‘Karma’ and ‘Liberation’ are often associated with Father. And it’s really no coincidence he’s the one to introduce the concept of ‘Karma’ in the series:



(Notice the disgust in Father’s words when he talks about Karma)

With the Six States of Realm we have just seen, we are now given a context as to how Kama and corruption works in Noragami. Yato describes Ayakashi as “incarnations of emotional energy” (emotional energy = Karma) and, according to these 6 realms, every living being has some bad Karma inside them. For example, when a Shinki becomes very corrupted, their negative Karma takes over them and they start getting Ayakashi-like features (eg: Yukine’s Ayakashi eyes and wings when he blights Yato). And when Hiyori’s soul leaves her body, she becomes a half-Ayakashi, representing the negative karma in her human nature. Furthermore, when she gets really stressed out in the Hospital Arc, her negative Karma starts overtaking her, which is represented by her appearance becoming more Ayakashi-like. Once again, Father is the one commenting the following:

Animals don’t get much focus in the series, but we have seen that humans have bad Karma in them. Ayakashi storms form around places where there are a lot of negative emotions (”smells good…”). For example, a huge Ayakashi appears at Mutsumi’s school in Yato’s first gig in the series because everyone is stressed about exams. And in Episode 3 of the anime, we see Ayakashi both influencing AND feeding off students who are worried about their grades.

However, there’s no bigger Ayakashi than the one we see when a Shinki’s GGS is revealed. And it’s really no wonder: the Ayakashi that comes out of a Shinki who is breaking is probably A LOT of negative Karma (they’re only in the second realm, after all) amplified by 100% due to all the angst and anger caused by remembering their deaths. The only thing a Shinki has going for them when it comes to beating Karma is probably their strength (Hafuri would be at an advantage) and their willingness to move on and accept their new life. For example, Nana is not very affected by her memories because not only is she really strong, but she also doesn’t fear death (she hasn’t seen her name, though). If this is true, then the odds are looking good for Yukine. But then again, it’s all relative. Yukine is still a kid (a very emotional one) and his death is supposed to have been very tragic. Not to mention that he’s in A LOT of distress inside that box right now.

Being a Shinki is hard

When you think about it, Shinki and Gods playing in the same ground seems quite unfair. While spirits are in the lowest realm and have a lot of Karma in them, Gods find themselves at the top, and hence have very little Karma. Gods get to do as they please. They can get away with anything (as long as Heaven allows it) because they either blame their Shinki for not controlling their nature, or get reincarnated because humans keep praying to them. See Father’s problem?



Names play a huge role in Noragami, and the naming process actually says a lot about the hierarchy of living beings. Even though the most common case involves a God making a human spirit their servant, we know that it’s also possible to name Ayakashi, as both Ebisu and Father have done it. Strangely enough, naming spirits is seen as normal, while naming Ayakashi is totally prohibited. It’s a grey area that’s explored when Ebisu decides to control Ayakashi to do good.

Naming someone also causes a link to be established between the one who names and the one who’s being named. Through this connection, negative Karma can travel, but it can only go in one direction: down to up. Ayakashi blighted Ebisu, and Shink blight their Gods. The explanation that Yato gives for this is that, while humans commit sins, Gods can do whatever they please. This is a statement that I’m sure not only Father, but many of us could question given the recent events involving Heaven. And I’m sure it’s no coincidence that Yato was portrayed as scary and intimidating while saying this:



Let me put it another way: would Yato be saying this now?

“An affliction in the Shinki’s heart pains the master as well”, says Father. Shinki not only have it harder because they have more Karma, but because they’re also closer to the Ayakashi realm. Mayu adds “Shinki are easily corrupted if they don’t maintain their borderlines. Ultimately, we’re still Far Shore beings who dwell alongside Ayakashi. You must be careful - the darkness is always with you”. Meaning, one of Shinki’s duties is to repress their emotions. Because if they don’t, they get punished. Shinki are, in fact, the biggest case of “conceal, don’t feel” I’ve ever seen.

Let’s see some examples of this. Even though many people disliked Yukine in the beginning, there’s also those who believed what he was feeling was natural, and that everyone else was being unfair by making him take all the blame. No one explained to Yukine how the Shinki system works, and Yato’s attitude at that point needed a lot of work. Granted, Yukine was being very bratty and he was guilty of giving into temptation. However, the fact that Yukine had to be put through the whole cleansing ritual (which Hiyori deemed as “cruel”) and make him take all the blame didn’t sit right with many people. Let’s look at it from another perspective: would Yukine have been punished if he wasn’t a Shinki? Would it be fair to put a 14-year-old through that amount of pain just because he got aroused or stole some cash money? Does the punishment fit the crime (especially when Yukine never asked to be turned into a Shinki)? On top of that, a Shinki getting corrupted is very contagious, as seen with when some of Yukine’s corruption transferred to one of Tenjin’s Shinki, resulting in her cutting her wrists. She was banished for that (and that was seen as an “act of generosity”!). Yukine apologized to Yato when he cried at the thought of Hiyori forgetting about them. I’m sure he also felt somewhat guilty for grieving Suzuha’s death. Bishamon’s Shinki had to force a smile so that they wouldn’t hurt their master. Even now, while he’s in the box, I’m sure Yukine would still hate the fact that he’s hurting Yato this much. Just what kind of existence is this?



It’s also been a plot point in the series how some Gods treat their Shinki as tools, while others treat them as people. In that regard, Yukine is very lucky to have Yato as a master, and their relationship has been used as a contrast to Takemikazuchi’s relationship with his Shinki (Kiun literally sees himself as an “object”). It also seems like the higher you go in the Heaven ranks, the worse it gets for Shinki and their Gods. An even more extreme case would be Heaven using Shinki as dice in the covenant, or the fact that they send Shinki kids as bombs. (Thank God they have that Shinki magazine, though!)



Regardless of how well a Shinki has learnt to control their emotions, there are some that seem to act as robots. Mainly, Heaven’s Shinki. Heaven has a large amount of Shinki (mainly, children) who act as beings with no drive or emotion. It’s also important to note that most kid Shinki seem to be in Heaven. Even Daigo was sent there because dealing with his questions became too hard for Daikoku and Kofuku. This fact alone makes me wonder if Heaven does anything to make sure these Shinki behave, just like they “brainwash” guideposts for newly reincarnated Gods. Unlike adults, children, preteens and teens find it harder to control their emotions. One of the reasons why Adachitoka wrote Yukine being so whiny at first (besides showing the Shinki-God dynamics) was to make it a point that he’s still a kid, a kid who has been given a big responsibility. Yato comments on multiple occasion what a pain it is that Yukine’s in puberty. Even if he matures with the passing of time, his age will still cause him to prioritize emotions over logic. echodrops also talks about how Yukine is still too young to be guiding a God. While he’s doing an excellent job at it, there are moments where it shows that he’s still immature. Kiun also comments on it at some point, as if it was unusual for a young Shinki to not harm their master.

Hafuri: ‘Blessed’ in good times, ‘Burial’ in bad times

What about Hafuri Shinki, a type of Shinki that is supposed to be extremely rare and mysterious? I already said I believe these are Shinki whose emotions and name are even stronger due to their undying loyalty for their masters. These are also emotions that have been criticized by Kiun many times. And, at the same time, it almost seems like all the recent events are trying to condemn Kazuma and Yukine for “caring too much”. Hafuri are not only Blessed Vessels, but also Burial Vessels (a reference to the box of doom?). They are by all means a double-edged sword. They’re excellent in good times, but they can lead their masters astray when put under a lot of pressure or conflicting emotions. In this arc, these emotions have led Kazuma to betray Yato, and Yukine to betray Bishamon. Kazuma and Yukine’s Hafuri status is ultimately what has caused the (temporary?) end of their friendship.

I don’t think this ultimately changes anything in regards to the size of their negative Karma, though. However, it’s true that they feel more strongly about things, especially if they regard their master, so that could be a factor.



What’s the deal with Nora?

Going back to the Six Realms of Existence, you probably have noticed that other living beings like trees don’t appear in it. And you might also be thinking about nature spirits like Tsuyu. In this case, Tsuyu being inmune to GGS supports the Six Realms of Existence theory. Based on this Buddhist classification, nature spirits do not have Karma. Tsuyu had no good, nor evil Karma in her. But what about Nora/Mizuchi? It’s clear that she’s not a normal Shinki, but she’s not quite like Tsuyu either. There are a few possible explanations for her water affinity.

'Mizuchi’ (蛟) is the name of a Chinese water dragon . For fans of the Nora-is-a-kappa theory, kappas were also called in variants of the name 'Mizuchi’ in some regions. While a tree is part of nature, dragons and kappas are mythological creatures, which makes me wonder whether they would have a place in the 'Animal’ or 'Asura’ realms.

. For fans of the Nora-is-a-kappa theory, were also called in variants of the name 'Mizuchi’ in some regions. While a tree is part of nature, dragons and kappas are mythological creatures, which makes me wonder whether they would have a place in the 'Animal’ or 'Asura’ realms. 'Mizuchi’ is also used to refer to dangerous water snakes, which would make more sense in this case, placing Mizuchi’s spirit in the Animal realm. This would explain why, despite showing inhuman, fish-like characteristics, Mizuchi does still have karma, albeit not having human emotions.

These two options would imply that Father can make a Shinki out of any living being. Another theory that has recently come up (check out echodrops’ thoughts on Nora for more on this) is that she’s a Funayūrei. Funayūrei are vengeful spirits from people who have drowned. Some reasons to believe this is the case are that these ghosts are described as fish-like humanoids. Nora’s white kimono and hitaikakushi, as well as the fact that she appears to be always floating, are things that are also associated with ghosts. Funayūrei are also called 'Ayakashi’ in some regions, so that would be another nod at Father’s hobby of naming and controlling Ayakashi. But why add all these extra “ghost aesthetic” when we already know all Shinki are technically ghosts?

Regardless of what she is, Father has stated that Mizuchi already knows her final moments. He could have kept quiet, or even said something enigmatic as usual. Instead of that, he seems to imply that Mizuchi has survived Karma. I understand stronger Shinki/Hafuri might have higher resistance, but would Father really risk telling Mizuchi (his most powerful, loyal Shinki) her previous name without a guarantee that she would be OK? If we’re going with the “animal” theory, it’s possible that she wouldn’t be able to feel too sad about it (also, she’d have no previous name to remember). But if she really is a human who drowned, is it possible that she saw her death, but not her name? After all, she seemed to be pretty surprised at what happened when Yaboku said Sakura’s real name:

I have frequently speculated that Father has the cure for his Liberation attack. While we might have a clearer idea as to what the Karma in Noragami is supposed to mean, there’s no way to be sure whether there’s any way of dealing with the Ayakashi-like form it takes without having to kill the Shinki. So far, we have only seen two Shinki being turned into Karma: Sakura and Tsuguha, and they’ve both been put down by others. However, is that really what should be done in this case? In Buddhism, Karma is supposed to be the purest part of the self, as it’s the only thing that stays through reincarnations. So killing the Karma does, in essence, kill the Shinki. Isn’t there a way to control or repress the Karma without having to kill the Shinki? And who do we know that could do such a thing?

That’s right: Father. Father controls Ayakashi, so it’s not too far-fetched to assume that he’d be able to control the Karma Ayakashi inside a Shinki, or even suppress it like he does with names. Nora would be at risk of remembering her past at some point, so it’s a possibility that he forced her to remember her past, and then repressed the Karma within her somehow after she’s come to terms with it.

By all means, if Mizuchi has learnt to control her Karma, she has become liberated. Enlightened. Both in the manga and in the anime, Nora is often associated with lotus. Specifically, open lotus buds. In Buddhism, a fully bloomed and open lotus represents full enlightenment and self-awareness. In fact, the lotus is seen as an actual metaphor for the Buddhist path, as it grows from the mud (samsara), emerges clean on the surface (purification), and finally produces a beautiful flower (enlightenment). It’s also a sign of purity (hence why there’s always open lotus buds in Bishamon’s cleansing baths). In one panel where Yato is talking about Nora, we can also see a frog. Frogs are a symbol of 'transformation’ and 'rebirth’. This would all support the fact that Nora has been transformed and been born again as a liberated being.

Father - Liberating the Karma within Shinki

All of the above seems to imply that Father doesn’t necessarily have bad intentions when using Liberation. Hell, the name itself has positive connotations, as it signifies breaking free from something. If you think about it, Father has not killed any Shinki “just cause”. Sakura died because of Hiiro (and Yaboku), not Father. Father used Liberation on Yukine shortly after he said he wanted to make him his, which seems to imply that his plan was to have Yato go back to him if Yukine ever broke, and then blackmail him to share Yukine. Even when he used Liberation on Tsuguha, it was intended to be as a warning to Bishamon (and everyone else) to not get involved with his plans. In fact, he seemed to feel regret for Tsuguha’s death.



It could even be read as “she didn’t have to die - you could have saved her from Karma without killing her”.

I believe Father has a distaste for the concept of Shinki: Gods naming human spirits and using them to fight while locking/ignoring their Karma. The way Father emphasizes the 'use’ Gods give to their Shinki…



… along with how they use them as disposable tools…

…seems to imply Father disapproves of how Gods appropriate these spirits. I don’t think Father has anything against Shinki on a “personal” level. They don’t have much say in becoming a Shinki, after all. He doesn’t care about them either, though. Even though he’s shown some care for Mizuchi at times, he can also be very mean to her. It’s like he doesn’t like the fact that Shinki exist in the first place because they’re not natural. Because of all this, I believe it’s possible that Shinki are a creation by Shinto Gods, and that they might not have always been a thing. Shinki play a very important role in the series. They always seem to be at the core of every single conflict. During the Hospital fight, right after Yato protects Yukine from being hit by Chiki/Liberation, Father laughs and says “you get it, don’t you, Yaboku?”…



They were interrupted by Bishamon, but we already know Father was going to say “Heaven”. So why would he say that right after attempting to reveal GGS if it weren’t because the whole naming-spirits-and-locking-their-Karma system was something Heaven invented in the first place? Father certainly seems to enjoy exploiting the connection between Shinki and Gods too, as if mocking them for the system being flawed:



You might be thinking “Well, what choice did the Gods have? Becoming a Shinki is certainly better than being consumed by Ayakashi!”.

And it’s true. When naming Mine, the corrupted girl that turns into a broken mirror, Bishamon is described as “kind” for turning her into a Shinki despite being already so corrupted. Bishamon says it’s the least she can do since she failed to protect her as a human in the first place. I’m sure Father would disagree with this. Father would probably say that, since it’s her fault she ended up in that realm in the first place, she should be left alone instead of turning her into a servant via something disguised as a “second chance”. This is actually the root of the conflict in Bishamon’s arc: Kugaha despises the idea of Bishamon collecting “junk Regalia” and calling them “family” (don’t forget Kugaha was already working for Father back then). Despite Bishamon having solved this problem, this is something that still causes conflict as she struggles to find the balance between “protecting” and “being protected”. This is actually a major theme in Chapter 68, a chapter that is all about Bishamon realizing she cannot keep playing house and Father calling her out for this attitude and adding that he’s gonna have to punish her:

(Notice how Father positions himself above Gods. I will expand on this on the second part).

The ideas of “family” and “home” have always been associated with Bishamon’s Ha clan. Bishamon has always been seen as the “mother” of the Ha clan (with Kazuma possibly being the “father”, for Kazubisha shippers). Similarly, Yato and Yukine have also been referred to as “family” by Hiyori, and it’s pretty much canon that they share something resembling a father-son relationship. Interestingly enough, Bishamon, Yato, and their “families” have been paralleling each other all arc, while serving as a contrast for Takemikazuchi’s “lack of family”. They also operate in a different way from Tenjin or Ebisu, for example. Even though Tenjin and Ebisu appreciate their Shinki, they didn’t hesitate to use their guideposts as tools in the covenant to save a friend. Can you imagine Yato or Bishamon willingly risking Yukine or Kazuma respectively? It’s unthinkable. Chapter 68 is titled “The Road Home” and ends with the sentence “You can never go home again”. In many ways, Bishamon and/or Kazuma’s death in this arc would represent the death of that familiar relationship between Gods and their Shinki.

Since Shinki are an original, “unnatural” creation by the Gods, they do not appear in the Six Realms of Existence. Meaning, they’re not reborn into a different realm, and so they die forever. Tsuyu, who’s not a Shinki and doesn’t appear in any realm either, is also gone forever. The only possible exception here would be the Three Imperial Regalias. We still don’t know much about them or how they fit into the ‘Shinki existence’, but it’s possible that they can reincarnate since it’s unlikely this is the first time Heaven has been wrong in a covenant.

Father’s 'Liberation’ could be interpreted in many ways, but it’s still interesting that when a Shinki is hit by it, they’re technically liberated from something bad (whether they survive or not). Now, if you know anything about Buddhism, you probably already knew many of the things I said here about Karma. And even if you don’t, you probably have an idea as to where I’m going with this. The second part of this analysis will be mainly focused on Father and, yes, even more Buddhism.