Nekomata (猫又, lit. Forked Cat) are one of the species of Youkai featured in High School DxD.
Summary
Nekomata are a species of cat Youkai that specialize in using ki. Most reside within the East Youkai Faction, who are under the rule of Magari, the leader of the Nekomata. The Nekomata mainly consist of females, with male Nekomata being rare among their species.[1]
Female Nekomata generally mate with the males of different races, mainly with Human males, due to the traditional teachings.[1] Female Nekomata have a "mating season" where they go into heat, as seen by Koneko Toujou, who went into heat and attempted to seduce Issei Hyoudou in order to have his baby. The childbearing age range appears to differ compared to Human women as seen with Koneko, when Kuroka stopped her from mating with Issei, explaining she was still too small to give birth to a child despite being 16.
The child born between a Human and a Nekomata will always be a Nekomata. If a Nekomata breeds with another species, their child will also inherit the characteristic of that partner's species, as demonstrated by Kuroka's desire to bear the child of a Heavenly Dragon like Vali Lucifer or Issei Hyoudou.
Appearance
Nekomata in their human forms bear a striking physical resemblance to Humans, albeit possessing a set of cat ears and most commonly two tails which they can hid when transformed. They also have eyes with slitted pupils. Certain Nekomatas such as Magari, has appearance which is completely that of a cat, albeit with multiple tails.
Abilities
Being a cat Youkai species, Nekomata naturally have great speed, reflexes and heightened senses.
Nekomata are capable of a transformation to appear more human, however, this supposedly limits their natural capabilities to a certain degree until they regrow their ears and tails, it's not specified if they can fully transform into cats.
Nekomata are also capable of performing Senjutsu and Youjutsu techniques. A Nekomata's power level seems to be determined by the number of tails they have, as exemplified by when Koneko grew a third tail and surpassed her sister in terms of strength, this also would explain how Magari has seven tails.
Matured Nekomata have control over their mating season, as was shown by Kuroka, who didn't let her desire for mating cloud her mind, but young Nekomata like Koneko do not. A experienced Nekomata can also control the mating season of other Nekomata, since Kuroka was able to "switch off" her sister's heat, while Magari was able to force Koneko and Kuroka to enter their mating seasons from a short distance.
Variants
Nekoshou
The Nekoshou (猫魈, Nekoshō) is a special variant of Nekomata and are the strongest among their kind. Nekoshou are a high-level Youkai species that are capable of mastering both Youjutsu and Senjutsu. The only known Nekoshou are Kuroka and Koneko Toujou, as the Nekoshou are stated to be extremely rare and on the brink of extinction.
Known Nekomata
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| Deceased Nekomata | |
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Trivia
- In Japanese mythology, Nekomata are stated to have a tail that is partially split in two, like Kuroka, but Koneko has been shown to have only one tail, mostly due to the fact that she is still young and has yet to fully mature. Later in the series, however, she was shown to have two tails and later obtained a third tail during her fight with Kuroka.
- Currently all known Nekomata has been reincarnated into Devils with the exception of Magari, the leader of her species, and Fujimai, who is deceased.
- Nekomata have a special characteristic where they can reproduce with other supernatural beings, but if it was with a Human, then that child would be a Nekomata. However, if they were to mate with a different species other than a Human, then the child would also have the characteristic of that species.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Light Novel Volume 7, Life 1
| High School DxD | ||
|---|---|---|
| Species | ||
| Non-Supernatural Species | Human | |
| Supernatural Species | Devil • Angel • Fallen Angel • God and Buddha • Dragon • Vampire •  Walkure • Grim Reaper • Youkai • Nekomata • Kitsune • European Monsters
| |
| Species by Origin | ||
| Human World | Human | |
| Christianity | Devil • Angel • Fallen Angel | |
| Divinities | God and Buddha | |
| Norse Mythology | Walkure
| |
| Greek Mythology | Grim Reaper | |
| Youkai | Nekomata • Kitsune | |
| Other Species | Dragon • Vampire • European Monsters | |