Character Creation

A yamabushi would not fit neatly into the rigid hierarchy of the Japanese feudal system, as their role was distinct and outside the typical social structure. The Japanese feudal system, particularly during the Heian through Edo periods (roughly 12th to 19th centuries), was organized around a strict class hierarchy: the emperor and nobility at the top, followed by the samurai (warrior class), then peasants, artisans, and merchants, in that order. This structure, often referred to as the shi-nō-kō-shō system, was formalized under the Tokugawa shogunate.
Yamabushi, however, were ascetic mountain hermits and practitioners of Shugendō, a syncretic spiritual tradition blending elements of Buddhism, Shinto, and indigenous folk beliefs. They were not bound by the feudal class system in the same way as samurai or peasants. Instead, they existed on the fringes of society, often living in remote mountainous regions like Mount Kumano or Mount Ōmine, where they pursued rigorous physical and spiritual training, such as meditation, fasting, and enduring harsh natural conditions.
In terms of their societal role, yamabushi were respected—and sometimes feared—by all classes for their perceived spiritual power. They acted as healers, diviners, and guides, offering blessings or exorcisms to villagers and even samurai. During times of war, some yamabushi served as spies or warriors due to their knowledge of rugged terrain and physical prowess, aligning temporarily with samurai lords (daimyo), though they didn’t formally belong to the samurai class. For example, during the Sengoku period (1467–1600), certain yamabushi groups, like those from Mount Hiei, were known to clash with or support warring factions.
Their ambiguous status meant they operated outside the feudal obligations of land and loyalty that defined the samurai-peasant relationship. They were not tied to a specific lord or fief like vassals, nor were they taxed producers like peasants. Instead, their authority came from their religious and mystical reputation, placing them in a liminal space—neither fully within nor entirely separate from the feudal order.
So, while a yamabushi didn’t have a fixed "rank" in the Japanese feudal system, they interacted with it tangentially, wielding influence through spiritual rather than secular power, and their position was more akin to an outlier than a cog in the hierarchical machine.