Tao Yuan is the father of Tao Ren (known as Len in the English anime) and Tao Jun. In the English adaptation, he is introduced as the uncle of Len and Jun. Born on November 30, 1956, with blood type A, he is a formidable shaman who commands an army of jiang-shi.
Yuan appears as a colossal figure, embodying sadism and malevolence. He is first seen during flashback sequences involving Ren and Lee Bailong, both times shrouded in shadow. His true introduction occurs in volume 7 when Ren and Yoh Asakura battle for the final spot in the Shaman Fight. Due to Yuan, both Ren and Jun endured harrowing childhoods filled with daily exposure to violence and severe physical abuse.
When Jun confronts him about his treatment of Ren, pleading for her brother's freedom, Yuan laughs and punishes her by sealing her in a dungeon for ten days, the duration of Ren's absence after his fight with Yoh. To meet Ren, Yuan creates an army of Jiang-Si from recently deceased corpses, which Ren easily defeats. When Ren faces Yuan, he finds himself unable to harm his father even with the Golden Vorpal Dance. Yuan then punishes Ren by torturing him and locking him in the dungeon with Jun. Eventually, Ren's friends arrive and, through their collective efforts, they tear Yuan apart.
At the brink of defeat, Yuan's concentration falters, revealing that his fearsome appearance was an illusion created by his Oversoul. In reality, he resembles an older, mustachioed version of Ren. He explains that his obsession with family tradition stems from bearing the weight of two thousand years of Tao family souls (in mortuary tablet armor). He unveils his second Oversoul, an oriental dragon resembling his first Oversoul's head. Ren ultimately defeats his father, and during a moment of revelation, Yuan passes him the Thunder Sword (Houraiken).
Following this, Yuan is depicted as a more supportive father, such as cheering Ren on at the Patch village during his team's match, much to his son's embarrassment.
