More Than Just Skills or Agents: An Introduction to Han Claude Plugins

When you first hear about Han, you might think it's just another collection of prompts or agents for Claude Code. But Han is something more - a complete plugin ecosystem that transforms how you work with AI-assisted development.

What is a Han Plugin?

A Han plugin is a packaged bundle that can include any combination of:

Skills: Specialized knowledge domains that Claude can invoke
Agents: Autonomous workflows for complex multi-step tasks
Commands: Quick slash commands for common operations
Hooks: Automatic validation that runs at key development lifecycle points
MCP Servers: Bridges to external tools and services

Most importantly, these components work together as a cohesive system, not just isolated features.

The Plugin Families

Han plugins follow Japanese martial arts naming conventions, organizing by purpose:

Core - The Foundation

The core plugin (also known as han-core) is the essential infrastructure that powers the Han marketplace:

Quality enforcement through validation hooks
Metrics tracking and calibration
Context7 integration for up-to-date library documentation
Universal programming principles (SOLID, DRY, composition over inheritance)
All core skills, commands, and slash commands
MCP servers for hooks and metrics

Think of Core as the technical foundation that makes everything work.

Bushido (武士道) - Optional Philosophy

The bushido plugin adds a philosophical layer based on the seven Samurai virtues. If you choose to install it, these principles guide how Claude approaches development work:

義 Righteousness: Transparency in reasoning
勇 Courage: Challenge and recommend improvements
仁 Compassion: Assume positive intent
礼 Respect: Honor existing work
誠 Honesty: Truthfulness over comfort
名誉 Honor: Quality ownership
忠義 Loyalty: Long-term thinking

This is purely cultural - you get all the technical capabilities from core regardless. Install bushido only if this philosophical approach resonates with you.

Jutsu (術) - Technical Skills

Jutsu plugins are "techniques" - deep knowledge of specific technologies with automatic validation:

jutsu-typescript: TypeScript expertise + type checking hooks
jutsu-playwright: E2E testing knowledge + test validation
jutsu-nextjs: Next.js patterns + build verification
jutsu-biome: Code formatting + automatic linting

Each jutsu plugin not only teaches Claude the technology but ensures quality through hooks.

Do (道) - Specialized Disciplines

Do plugins provide specialized agents for specific workflows:

do-frontend-development: UI/UX-focused agent with accessibility expertise
do-technical-documentation: Documentation agent following best practices
do-accessibility-engineering: Multiple agents for inclusive design

These agents have deep expertise in their domain and can handle complex, multi-phase tasks autonomously.

Hashi (橋) - External Bridges

Hashi plugins are MCP servers that connect Claude to external services:

hashi-github: GitHub Issues, PRs, code search, Actions
hashi-playwright-mcp: Browser automation and testing
hashi-blueprints: Codebase documentation and knowledge management

These turn Claude into a universal interface for your development tools.

How They Work Together

Here's where Han becomes more than the sum of its parts. Let me show you a real example:

Scenario: You ask Claude to "Add user authentication to the app"

What happens:

Core provides the infrastructure and quality enforcement
jutsu-nextjs provides deep Next.js knowledge for implementation
jutsu-typescript ensures type safety throughout
do-frontend-development agent handles the UI components
Validation hooks automatically run (via core):
- TypeScript compilation check
- Next.js build verification
- Test suite execution
Core code review analyzes the result
hashi-github can create a PR with the changes

(If you've installed the optional bushido plugin, its seven virtues also guide the overall approach.)

All of this happens automatically. You make one request, and the entire system ensures quality from planning through delivery.

Why This Matters

Traditional AI coding assistants give you suggestions. You're responsible for:

Running tests manually
Checking types yourself
Remembering to lint
Hoping you didn't break anything
Following up on quality issues

With Han plugins:

Quality checks run automatically
Specialized agents handle complex tasks
External tools integrate seamlessly
Validation happens in real-time
You get confidence, not just code

Getting Started

The beauty of Han's plugin system is that you can start simple and layer on complexity:

Day 1: Install the core infrastructure

han plugin install core

Optional: If the Bushido philosophy resonates with you, add it:

han plugin install bushido

(Not required - core provides all the technical capabilities.)

Day 2: Add your stack's jutsu plugins

han plugin install jutsu-typescript
han plugin install jutsu-react

Day 3: Add specialized agents as needed

han plugin install do-frontend-development

Day 4: Connect external tools

han plugin install hashi-github

Each addition enhances the system without adding complexity to your workflow.

Real-World Impact

I built the Han marketplace website using Han plugins. Here's what that looked like:

Asked Claude to "create a plugin marketplace website"
Core provided the infrastructure and quality enforcement
jutsu-nextjs provided App Router expertise
jutsu-typescript caught type errors immediately
jutsu-biome kept code formatted
Validation hooks ran after every change
Result: Production-ready site with 100% type coverage in hours, not days

The difference wasn't just speed - it was confidence. Every change was automatically validated. Every feature was properly typed. Every commit was reviewed.

Not Just Another Tool

Han isn't trying to replace your tools or your judgment. It's a framework that:

Captures expertise in reusable packages
Enforces quality automatically
Connects your development ecosystem
Scales with your needs

Skills teach Claude what to do. Agents handle how to do it. Hooks ensure it's done right. MCP servers connect it all.

That's what makes Han more than just skills or agents - it's a complete development enhancement system.

Try It

Start with the core infrastructure:

han plugin install core

Then ask Claude to help with something. You'll notice the difference immediately - not just in what Claude can do, but in the confidence you have in the results.

(If you'd like to add the Bushido philosophy, you can install it anytime with han plugin install bushido)

Want to explore the plugin marketplace? Check out the 140+ available plugins or dive into the documentation.