Absolute Anime

Len is a Shaman from China, one of the few remaining members of the Tao Family, who after their years of serving as the guardians of the Forbidden City, became outcasts and condemned as witches and devils. Those two centuries of suffering were the fuel of the hatred En Tao bared for those outside of their clan and even more for those of the Tao family who associated themselves with outsiders like his brother, Len's father (in the Japanese version, En Tao is Len's father, not his uncle).

Len was taught to hate and see the worst in people, with the Tao family Crest magically tattooed on his back by his uncle as a reminder of his "destiny" to be Shaman King so he can punish the world for what it did to the Tao clan. But that all changed when he met and fought Yoh Asakura, whose laid back nature and friends convinced Len that his uncle was wrong about people.

With his sister Jun and his new-found friends, Len confronted his uncle En and no longer dwells in his family's shadow. But he now intends to be Shaman King to restore his family's name and honor. Len's guardian ghost is a Chinese commander named Bason, whose loyalty know no bounds. Len's weapon of choice is a Kwan-Dao (looks similar to a spear), which he fuses Bason into during battles.

Len Tao also has a weapon called the "Sword of Thunder" that he got from his Uncle En after beating him. He uses it in the tournament and it makes Bason a whole lot stronger.

Len Tao's Age

In the American dubbed version of Episode 20: One, Two, Three, Draw, when Len is on a train heading back to his uncle, he makes the comment "humans really are warm creatures, Bason, and after 15 years I have not communicated with any of them" (if you have an audio clip of this quote, please contact me). In the Japanese version, the quote is "Hey Bason, humans are really warm-hearted. I hated all the humans that exist in this world."

The manga declares his birthday to be January 1st, 1986. In the first volume of the manga, Len is specified to be a year younger than Yoh, which would make Len 12 years old in the manga. However, because his birthday is on the 1st of January he's normally the "same age" as everyone else.

Express yourself! Post questions and comments in the Absolute Anime Forums, or contact me about any corrections.