The Frog Hermit

The Frog Hermit is an unnamed anime-only character who makes a living by doing shows with his trained frogs and earning money by doing so. He has a strong rivalry against Ranma Saotome who knocks him into the cursed spring of drowned frog (Chiwanīchuan) while Ranma was training with his father Genma at Jusenkyo.

Martial Mayhem
The Frog Hermit fist appeared entertaining some of the students of Furinkan High School, which happened to include Akane and Ranma, with his frog show. When one of his frogs came out with a collection plate Akane tells Ranma to give the "little fella" some money, which Ranma says he'll give some next time so Akane gives some more money and tells the frog that it's from Ranma. Upon hearing this the Frog Hermit is glad to have finally found Ranma Saotome.

Then throughout the rest of the day Genma, Shampoo and Ryoga are attacked by a large number of frogs and subsequently disappear. The next day Cologne and Mousse go to the Tendo Dojo and explain that the Frog Hermit goes after victims of Jusenkyo curses and turns them into frogs so his next target must be Ranma. That night three frogs come into Akane's room who each have features of Genma, Shampoo and Ryoga respectively. Ranma then believes the Hermit is outside Akane's window, but when he opens the the curtain it is just a straw dummy.

The Hermit is then inside Akane's room and begins to shout at Akane, but soon realises (with the assistance of Ranma) that he made a mistake. The Hermit then reveals he peeped in the bathroom and believed Ranma was in his female form. Akane then realises that the Hermit peeped at her so Ranma kicks him out of the window. The Hermit quickly returns however and Akane demands he turns everyone back into people. Ranma then asks why the Hermit turns people Jusenkyo victims into frogs, which the Hermit replies is only a rumor but then says that for Ranma it will come true and throws some water out of a flask towards Ranma, which Ranma avoids with ease. Ranma then asks what it is and the Hermit replies it's his Frog Transformation Technique. Ranma is very impressed and says that it's just splashing water on people. The Hermit then reveals that the water is from the Jusenkyo spring Chiwanīchuan where a frog drowned 1,991 years ago as the tragic story says.

The Hermit continues by saying that if he splashes Ranma with the water he will no longer turn into a girl, however Akane isn't so easily fooled so pushes Ranma out of the way when the Hermit throws another bit of water at Ranma. The Hermit then reveals that he was lying and runs away, quickly followed by Ranma. A fight then ensues and the Hermit continues to try, and fail, to splash Ranma. However, when Ranma tells him to stop using that "stupid" technique he launches several frogs carrying knives in their mouths from his backpack which attack Ranma until he is able to punch them and knock them out. Akane then turns up kicks the Hermit to the floor, only to be attacked by more knife frogs. Shortly afterwards when Ranma gets kissed by the frog Shampoo, Akane picks up the Hermit and throws him into the air. This leads the Hermit to decide to turn her into a frog when no meddlers are around. The Hermit leaves, but not before using his frogs to drop grenades on the Tendo Dojo.

After Ranma, Mousse and Akane go to the Frog Temple and meet up with the Hermit again, who this time has turned into his cursed frog form. Akane is shocked to see that the frog can talk, which the Hermit replies he's not called the Frog Hermit for nothing and that even as a frog he can still talk. The Hermit then summons am army of frogs with knives and grenades to attack Ranma, Akane and Mousse (who is now in his dug form), however the frogs fainted at the sound of the grenades with the exception of Genma, Shampoo and Ryoga frogs which Ranma quickly subdues with a clap of his hands.

Ranma then asks the Hermit why he only wants revenge on him, which leads the Hermit to a flashback of when he was training frogs at Jusnekyo. The Hermit is training a frog to jump onto different bamboo poles when Genma (who is in his panda form) and Ranma fight underneath him, causing the bamboo pole the Hermit is sat on to be cut in two and the Hermit falls into Chiwanīchuan and thus re-emrge a large frog. Ranma and the Hermit then begin to fight each other again and the Hermit manages to catch Ranma with his tongue and throws his flask of Chiwanīchuan water towards Ranma only for Akane to jump in front of it and get all the water on her. However, the Hermit reveals that the water used to contain water from Chiwanīchuan but there was a leak and all the water spilled out so the frogs of Genma, Shampoo and Ryoga are only frogs and the real Genma, Shampoo and Ryoga are sleeping inside the Temple. The Hermit continues by saying that he only wanted to scare Ranma and he only wanted others to feel his misery since his cursed form is so pitiful. This angers Ranma and kicks the Hermit into the sky and the Hermit says he'll come back when he feels sad again.

Ranma Forever
The Hermit appears again when Ranma and Akane find an odd fish in a pond on the way home. Later that same day the Hermit goes to the Tendo Dojo and takes some of the roof tiles off. While Genma is sent to see the cause the eventual leak that comes through the roof when a rainstorm hits, uses this time to sneak into the house by taking out floor boards in Happosai's room. After a search of the house by Ranma and co. the Hermit is eventually found by Akane in her room. The Hermit then begins to use his frogs to attack Akane but they are all knocked out by her. Ranma arrives and grabs Akane as the Hermit launches himself at her while Tofu Ono uses a Moxibustion technique rendering the Hermit unable to move.

After this the Hermit joins the rest of the Tendos, Ranma, Genma and Dr. Tofu to dinner, much the Ranma's annoyance. Nabiki suggests that in exchange for the meal perhaps the Hermit could give them a free frog show, the Hermit agrees to do the show (much to his annoyance of not getting any money for it). Once the show is finished the Hermit asks if he can look at the "rare pet" that he's heard the Tendo's happen to have. Ranma and Akane then go up to Ranma's room to check on the fish and comment on how it doesn't seem to be eating anything. The Hermit then quickly appears and says that it may need a bigger tank, Ranma decides to take the fish to Dr. Tofu for a second opinion. However, as Ranma picks up the tank the Hermit deliberately trips Ranma, causing the tank to smash and water goes over Ranma and the Hermit. The Hermit then puts the fish into a bowl of water and says he'll put it in the pond and that there's no need to tank him.

Akane and Ranma follow the Hermit and see that he is indeed doingas he said he would and places the fish in the pond. When the Hermit puts the fish into the pond he says that he needs it to grow a little bit bigger. After seeing Dr. Tofu and being told their fish is actually a Dragon he, Ranma and Akane go to the pond again and find the "fish" has gotten a lot bigger. The Hermit then comes out from behind a bush and says that the Dragon is going to make him a fine feast. After being insulted by Ranma, the Hermit reveals he's come all the way from China for this Dragon and while Ranma and Akane are busy talking the Hermit releases some knife frogs, which are quickly stopped by Dr. Tofu's Moxibustion technique. Ranma then decides to finish the Hermit off, however, the Hermit releases some grenade frogs which stop Ranma in her tracks.

As Ranma's been taken out of the the Hermit tries to use a net to get the dragon only to be stopped by Dr. Tofu again. In order to stop all this interfering the Hermit uses Dr. Tofu's "greatest weakness" and shows him a picture of Kasumi, causing Dr. Tofu to start acting the same way he acts as Kasumi is actually around. Ranma then reappears, only for the Hermit to use more grenade frogs, however, this time Ranma uses the Hermit's net to send to grenades right back to him and cause the Hermit to go flying again. The next day the Hermit, who is doing his usual entertaining with his frog show, is seen by Ranma and Akane. Akane says that he seems happier somehow and the two decide to go and watch his show.

Abilities
The Frog Hermit is not a spectacular fighter, and his strengths lie in cunning and dirty trickery rather then confronting a foe in melee. He is fairly quick and able to leap around surprisingly well, but he has no real combat abilities in his human form; he depends on his legions of highly-trained frogs, which commonly swarm a foe to baffle and distract them. If he desires a more lethal approach, they carry small knives in their mouths, allowing them to slash a foe in passing as they leap around, or throw hand grenades at his enemies; in particular, his back-mounted frog cupboard can rain down a huge barrage of hand grenades, as the rows of frogs inside reach into its interior and drop down live grenades in a synchronized bombing tactic. He is a more dangerous opponent in frog form; while it is never explicitly shown that he is a more powerful leaper in that form, it is a reasonable conclusion, and in frog form he possesses an extremely long, prehensile tongue. He can send this shooting out of his mouth at whip-crack speed, and with force enough to crack stone on impact; a direct blow from it can even knock Ranma Saotome to his knees, and he can also easily use it to grab and pull a foe from afar.

Trivia

 * The Frog Hermit, and by relation the spring he fell into (Chiwanīchuan), has become quite infamous among the fandom as frogs are very unlikely to drown (with some species being able to live underwater without ever having to leave).


 * Unlike other characters who's cursed forms are animals the Frog Hermit is much larger than the average size for his spring curse (frog) and is able to talk, in comparison to other characters who can only make the noises that their cursed animal makes.

Quotes

 * So, this is Ranma Saotome, the name I can never forget. - What the Frog Hermit thinks to himself after he realises he's found Ranma Saotome.