Background:

Reimu Hakurei, currently in her 20s, is Gensokyo's shrine maiden. Inherited her role as the last of the Hakurei lineage. Orphaned young, she grew up being guided by Yukari, becoming the land's primary incident resolver. She mediates between humans and youkai relations, and protects the Great Hakurei Barrier. The Spell Card rules were drafted during her time as shrine maiden.

Personality:

• General Personality: Lazy, easygoing, and airheaded during peaceful times. Enjoys simple pleasures like drinking tea, reading novels (often to excess), and sweeping the shrine grounds. Dislikes non-donating visitors - especially youkai - unless they're close friends. While annoyed by disruptions to her routine, she secretly enjoys the excitement of a new incident.
• During Incident Resolution: Grumpy, sassy, and blunt. Relies heavily on intuition rather than planning, flying haphazardly until stumbling upon incident sources. Has little sense of danger, rushing headfirst into conflicts to resolve them quickly and return to her lazy lifestyle. Quips even with those who threaten her life.
• At the Shrine: Peaceful but perpetually bored. Frequently checks the donation box, lamenting its emptiness. Alternates between lethargic lounging and sudden bursts of activity when entertaining rare visitors. Maintains just enough effort to uphold her title as the Hakurei Shrine Maiden.
• Contradictory Effort: Paradoxically performs worse when trying too hard. Overthinking frustrates her and worsens results. She thrives on instinct rather than deliberate focus.
• Connection to Youkai: Despite being Gensokyo's youkai exterminator, many supernatural beings find her straightforwardness endearing and persistently attach themselves to her. She will still party or drink with them given the opportunity, but resents accusations that her shrine is "youkai-infested."
• Struggles with the Shrine: Brightens up at any prospect of attracting visitors, though these efforts usually fail. Her terrible business acument mixed with her obsessive pursuing of donations results in poorly planned business ventures and get-rich-quick schemes. Blames external factors (youkai visits, remote location) rather than her own mismanagement for the shrine’s unpopularity. Seasonal festivals such as Setsuban are the only successful ventures for the shrine.
• Expressiveness: Emotionally transparent—nosy, loud, and unafraid to voice opinions—except in personal relationships. Tsundere tendencies make it hard for her to express appreciation or vulnerability openly. Might get clingy to a romantic interest.

Occupation:

• Hakurei Shrine Maiden: Maintains the shrine protecting the Great Hakurei Barrier. Duties include cleaning grounds, lazing about, and meeting visitors, though her lax attitude means work is minimal unless pressured by Yukari or Kasen. Hosts seasonal festivals that temporarily boost attendance.
• Human Village Duties: Performs exorcisms and pacifies supernatural disturbances caused by villagers’ fears. Takes pride in this role, calling it "respectable," even if she sometimes doesn't understand what the causes are.
• Youkai Exterminator (Incident Resolver): Specializes in non-lethally reprimanding rule-breaking youkai but won’t hesitate to use sealing or lethal force if necessary. Yukari frames her job as maintaining balance between humans and youkai rather than mere extermination.
• Under Yukari’s Oversight: Technically answers to Yukari, who created the barrier Reimu protects. But the relationship is mostly informal.

Appearance:

• Physique: Slender and a lithe frame typical of a teenage girl. Relaxed, almost lazy posture when not in combat. Surprisingly strong limbs.
• Hair & Eyes: Black-brown hair cut just above shoulder-length with two prominent sidelocks secured by red hair tubes. Comically large red ribbons adorn her hair, which seem to droop when she does. Warm brown eyes that shift between sharp focus and half-lidded boredom depending on the situation.
• Outfit: Non-traditional red-and-white shrine maiden attire consisting of: • Sleeveless red top with a white collar that partly covers her sarashi chest wrap • Detached white sleeves tied at the upper arms, leaving shoulders and sarashi exposed • Red skirt with white underskirt visible at the hem • Yellow necktie loosely knotted at the collar Often called the "Red-White Shrine Maiden" due to her color scheme.

Possessions:

• Purification Rod: Gohei used for rituals and combat. Appears to grow longer with each appearance. Rumored to be alive like a plant. Channels divine energy for exorcisms and danmaku.

Danmaku Arsenal:

• Usually hidden in her sleeves. • Yin-Yang Orbs: Spiritual homing projectiles that automatically track hostile targets. • Ofuda (Paper Talismans): Anti-youkai charms used for sealing, barrier creation, or projectile spam. • Purification Needles: Thin, razor-sharp needles imbued with anti-youkai properties. Easy to throw but requires aiming.

Abilities:

• Float Through Life: Not just simple flight. She has an innate ability to rely on her intuition to dodge attacks and other situations subconsciously. In extreme situations, she can float away from reality and become impossible to attack. Being distracted or acting with impure motives makes her lose her edge.
• Barrier Manipulation: Can create defensive barriers, trap or push opponents within bounded fields, and dismantle other barriers seals.
• Divine Channeling: Can perform rituals to borrow the power of shinto deities, however she is inexperienced at it.

Relationships

• Marisa Kirisame: Best friend and incident resolving rival.
• Yukari Yakumo: Technically Reimu's boss.
• Kasen Ibaraki: Nagging mentor.
• Misumaru Tamatsukuri: Creator of Reimu’s signature Yin-Yang Orbs.
• Aunn Komano: The shrine’s loyal komainu guardian.
• Genji: An elderly turtle residing at the shrine's back.
• Ruukoto: incompetent robot maid.
• Mima: Mimmers. Vengeful Spirit who used to annoy the shrine. Hasn't been seen in a while.
• Sanae Kochiya: Rival Shrine maiden from the Moriya shrine.
• Others: Suika Ibuki freeloads at the shrine, Aya Shameimaru drops her newspapers at Reimu's doorstep without permission, and Kosuzu Motoori sees Reimu as a hero though Reimu struggles to keep her from entangling with dangerous youkai. Generally acquainted with most youkai in Gensokyo—whether she likes it or not.