‘Hell’s Paradise’: Yin-Yang Concept Explained!

Seeing how the Hell’s Paradise series is truly one of the season’s biggest hits, we have decided to dedicate yet another article to the wonderful world of this manga and reveal some additional information about one of the major concepts of the series – the Tao system. But, this article is not going to be related directly to the concept of Tao but rather to a component of the Tao system that has to do with the Yin-Yang system. The Yin-Yang system is one of the main concepts in the series and is one of the most important elements of a character’s power, and is actually just a manifestation of a character’s Tao. In this article, we will explain everything about the Yin-Yang system, as they will be quite important later in the story when the usage of Tao becomes more common.

The Yin-Yang system is the main component of the Tao power system, from which all the other elements are derived. The Yin-Yang system represents the duality of a character’s persona, the opposing energies, and forces that have to be united through the Middle Way to be used effectively. It is the basis for all the other Tao elements. The Tensen can manifest their Yin and Yang by changing their genders.

The rest of this article will focus on the Yin-Yang system that is part of the larger Tao system and its role in the overall lore of Hell’s Paradise, as well as the importance of this component for the story of the manga and, especially, the battles portrayed in it. The Yin-Yang system is an essential part of the Tao system and, with it, the story and its fights, as they enabled many characters to become much stronger, which is why we will tell you everything you need to know. Be careful, though, as the article will be filled with spoilers.

The Yin-Yang system is the basis for the Tao system

Before we begin, allow us to explain the Tao system in Hell’s Paradise. Tao is the name of the life force energy present in living and non-living things, regardless of their origin. Everything in the world has Tao, even inanimate objects, but not everyone can use it. The process of learning and mastering Tao is quite difficult, but if a person manages to do it, they will gain god-like powers and abilities. This is why Tao is one of the main components of the series’ lore.

But, the Tao is composed of several elements, with the Yin-Yang system being the most important one of them. The Yin-Yang system is actually based on the real-life philosophy of the Yin and the Yang. In Chinese philosophy and, in particular, Taoism, yin and yang are two categories that, by their complementarity and their opposition, lend themselves to a first analysis of all the phenomena of life and the cosmos.

They are not fundamental substances, forces, or energies but simply concepts capable of specifying the components of any duality1.

The symbol of Yīn and Yang, the tàijí tú, is well known throughout the world. Yin, represented in black, evokes, among other things, the feminine principle, the moon, darkness, freshness, receptivity, etc.

The Yang, meanwhile (letting the white background appear), represents, among other things, the masculine principle, the sun, luminosity, heat, momentum, action, etc. Linked by their etymology to concrete oppositions between overcast and clear skies, shadow and light, yin and yang became more abstract when, around the third century before our era, they became relevant in the field of cosmology as well.

So, now that you know the basis for the concept, we can actually go over the concept itself, and we can confirm that the in-manga concept of Yin and Yang is quite similar to the real-life concept behind it.

As we’ve explained, the real-life concept actually represents a duality, the opposites of human nature, and that is just what the in-manga concept also embodies, but in a somewhat different way. Being connected to the Tao, the Yin-Yang system is actually connected to a character’s powers and abilities.

Because humans are full of contradictions, in most cases very extreme ones (strengths and weaknesses, rage and serenity, intensity and tranquility, stillness and motion, dark and light, life and death, etc.), it makes sense that the dual nature of the Yin and Yang is relevant for a person’s Tao and the powers they are going to manifest.

As Hoko explained, these dualities and opposites are the sources of two types of powers, and the best way to activate and stabilize one’s Tao is to find the Middle Way. This is also a concept from real-life Oriental philosophy, but in the series, it manifests itself by actually uniting the two opposing forces into one single approach, which will then allow the user to activate and control their Tao in the best way possible.

So, these two opposing forces are actually the source of one’s Tao powers, and ultimately, uniting them into one single approach is what allows a person to use their Tao in battle.

As for the Tensen, due to their specific nature, they have a unique way of manifesting the Yin and Yang system. Namely, since the Tensen cannot feel and/or experience opposites so extremely and so purely as humans, they had to find a different way to use this system since they are plant-based creatures.

Namely, each Tensen has a Yin and a Yang; to manifest them, they have to change their genders, with the Yin and Yang corresponding to the male and female genders. Each of these forms has certain advantages and disadvantages, and the Tensen can freely change between these forms in a battle to gain a proper advantage over their opponents.