Soun is the head of the Tendou household and one of the two families practicing Anything Goes Martial Arts. A widower, he is responsible for raising his three daughters alone. His large house often requires repairs due to the frequent martial arts battles that occur there. Though he owns a dojo, students are rarely shown. Community representatives frequently seek his help with unusual phenomena, which may provide some income, and he has rented out the dojo for social gatherings. However, he is quite frugal and gets upset when Nabiki spends his savings on expensive gifts or when Ranma wastes food.
In the anime, Soun spends much of his time playing Shogi with his old training partner, Genma. He eagerly awaits the day his daughter will express love for Ranma, or vice versa, to ensure the continuation of his martial arts legacy. If Ranma and Akane show signs of romantic involvement, he starts planning their wedding. When upset, Soun can manifest as a ghostly, floating oni head and often exclaims, "Oh, the humanity!" in the anime. He tends to blame most incidents on Ranma.
Extremely protective of his children, Soun becomes sad if their affection seems uncertain. Miss Hinako is attracted to him, but he remains loyal to his deceased wife and regularly visits her grave in memoriam.
