Rabou is a special character created just for the Noragami anime. He was once a human named Misaki, who did dirty jobs and was killed as a way to keep things quiet after his missions. People became afraid of his possible curse and ended up worshipping him, turning him into a god of calamity called a Magatsukami. Rabou is obsessed with his old friend Yato and will do anything to face him, even use curses to keep his body going or blend with monsters. He stands out for his creepy half-mask with an eye pattern and his wild white hair. Deep inside, Rabou fears being forgotten and wants someone who truly knows him, like Yato, to put an end to his existence before he is erased from memory.
Rabou has long white hair and covers half his face with a black mask that has a big eyeball design on it.
The mask is very creepy, but Yato jokes and calls it a "sun-visor."
Rabou looks slim and usually wears dark clothes, matching his mysterious and scary presence.
Rabou is cold and determined.
He can be ruthless, especially when completing a mission.
However, underneath his tough side, Rabou is scared of being forgotten.
He wants someone close to him, like Yato, to end his life instead of vanishing without trace.
Rabou was once a human named Misaki.
He worked as a spy, sneaking into enemy areas for dangerous missions.
After a mission, his boss killed him for silence.
People who worried his angry spirit would curse them started to worship him.
That’s how he became a Magatsukami, a god born from grudges and bad feelings.
His job as a god is to answer the dark wishes of people who want to hurt others.
Rabou can handle curses and use them to keep his body going, even when he should be gone.
He does not mind mixing with monsters (ayakashi) to fight stronger.
He also granted Nora the bucket name "Reiki," letting her serve as his tool.
"Before I am killed by being forgotten, I want to be killed by Yato, who knows me so well."
"... Because I am afraid of being forgotten ..."
The Human Past
Rabou started out as a human by the name of Misaki.
He did secret missions as a spy in enemy lands.
Once his work was done, his master killed him to tie up loose ends.
After death, people worshipped him from fear, turning him into a Magatsukami.
God of Calamity
As a Magatsukami, Rabou answered the dark wishes of people.
He would kill anyone people wanted — humans, monsters, even other gods.
He used to fight side-by-side with Yato, who was also a Magatsukami at the time.
Fading into Memory
When fewer people needed gods of calamity, Rabou was slowly forgotten.
His power faded and he went into a deep sleep for 500 long years.
Awakening and Revenge
Rabou was woken up by Nora after all those years.
He saw that Yato had become a "good god" and stopped being a god of calamity.
Rabou was sure that Hiyori Iki was the reason for Yato’s change.
He asked Nora to steal Hiyori’s memory, hoping to bring Yato back to his old self.
The Final Battle
In the end, Rabou fights Yato, trapping monsters inside his own body to become stronger.
Even with all this, he loses the fight.
It is revealed that Rabou’s true wish was not just to defeat Yato, but to have Yato — who really knew him — end his life before he disappeared through being forgotten.
His body had already been rotting for a long time, and only magic and his mask were keeping him around.
Rabou is an anime-only character created by Adachitoka, the author of Noragami.
His name, mask, and origin story do not appear in the manga.
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