Familiar

This article may contain spoilers for the main plot of Witch Watch.
Proceed with caution.

An ogre, a tengu, a werewolf and a vampire alongside a witch in their ancient forms.

Familiars (使 (つか) い魔 (ま) たち, Tsukai Matachi^?) are the bodyguards/servants of witches or warlocks.

These are usually animals but due to the use of their magical powers some familiars acquired human form, thus creating the current species.

Overview

The Current Throwback Generation: Morihito, Kanshi, Miharu and Keigo/Wolf.

In each generation, the power of the familiars decreases but sometimes a member is born whose abilities surpass those of the previous generations, because of this several familiars of the same generation can come together to protect a witch or warlock. This phenomenon is known as Atavism/Throwback. It's later revealed that this phenomenon is due to Nico's birth, as the strongest familiars of each race are destined to become the protectors of hers.

Due to the passage of time, most species were losing one of their characteristics, for example, ogres lost their horns, tengus their wings, werewolves their ability to change shape and vampires the ability to absorb blood.

History

Centuries ago the familiars used to be animals who were chosen by the witches at the end of their training, some time later some familiars used their magical powers to obtain human form, some mixed their blood with human blood resulting in evolution.

During the witch hunt from a distant place, the witches fled to Japan around the year 1600 with their familiars, among the familiars who accompanied them was a horned monster (which would adapt to the legends of that country and would become known as Ogre), a winged familiar (later to be known as Tengu) and a wolf-like familiar (later to be known as Werewolf).

Types

Animals

Today, some witches still hired animals to be familiars. Despite being animals, they are all capable of understanding human language to some extent and some are capable of speaking it like Cheke.

1. Canaries
2. Monkeys
3. Rabbits
4. Horses
5. Tigers
6. Bulls
7. Snakes
8. Frogs

Yokais

Due to the fact that several familiars obtained human form, this gave the creation of different species. Unlike other familiars, these types of familiars retain their human form permanently. They are known as human-form familiars.

Ogres

Main Article: Ogre

Coming from a mix between the Bulls Familiars (牛 (うし) の使 (つか) い魔 (ま) , Ushi no Tsukaima^?) and Tigers Familiars (虎 (とら) の使 (つか) い魔 (ま) , Tora no Tsukaima^?). The mixture between some of these familiars and humans resulted in the creation of the ogres, over time the ogres obtained human form but retaining their abilities such as super strength and enhanced reflexes.

Tengus

Main Article: Tengu

Coming from the Crows Familiars (カラスの使 (つか) い魔 (ま) , Karasu no Tsukaima^?), they are a species capable of controlling the wind and speaking with crows.

Werewolves

Main Article: Werewolf

Coming from the Wolf Familiars (オオカミの使 (つか) い魔 (ま) , Ōkami no Tsukaima^?), they are a species capable of becoming a wolf by increasing and improving their abilities. They are a territorial species so they have developed their fighting skills. They are currently considered extinct.

Vampires

Main Article: Vampire

Coming from the Bat Familiars (コウモリの使 (つか) い魔 (ま) , Kōmori no Tsukaima^?), they are a species capable of absorbing the magical/vitality energy of a person. Due to their weakening most of these became exorcists.

Kappas

Main Article: Kappa

Coming from the Turtles Familiars (亀 (かめ) の使 (つか) い魔 (ま) , Kame no Tsukaima^?), they are a species with aquatic abilities. Known specimens live in isolation from society.

Kitsune

Main Article: Kitsune

Coming from the (apparently) Fox Familiars (狐 (きつね) の使 (つか) い魔 (ま) , Kitsune no Tsukaima^?), they are a rare species which are known for their illusory abilities and ability to control fire.

Mythological

They are mythological beings known as legends, they are rare to have as familiars so they cannot be obtained by any witch. By coming from a high plane they are capable of obtaining human form.

Dragons

Main Article: Dragon

Known as legends, ultra-rare familiars that are not easy to find.

Artificial

This type of familiar is created from magic or some supernatural element.

Shikigamis

Main Article: Shikigami

Unlike the other familiars, these are created by humans and are usually familiar with the Onmyoji.

Others

Genies

Main Article: Genie

They are ghostly-looking familiars who are also human-like beings. They can only be seen by people related to magic, such as witches.

Recruitment

Wolf's Familiar's Pact

At the end of their training the witch can choose a familiar. When the familiar is chosen the Familiar's Pact (使 (つか) い魔 (ま) の契 (けい) 約 (やく) , Tsukaima no Keiyaku^?) is created which is a contract between the familiar and the witch that binds the familiar to obey the witch's orders, when the witch dies the familiar will also suffer the same fate. It's not necessary to make a Familiar's Pact for a familiar to be hired, which is the case of Nico and her familiars.

There are two ways to make a contract with a familiar:

Negotiation

Negotiation (交 (こう) 渉 (しょう) , Kōshō^?) is a type of contract where the witch chooses a specific familiar, where both parties reach an agreement. This type of contract is typically used with human-form familiars.

Summoning

Summoning (召 (しょう) 喚 (かん) , Shōkan^?) is a type of contract where the witch performs a ceremony where they can summon a familiar that fits their personality. Ban and Cheke have this type of contract.