History Main / Youkai

* ''Manga/{{OnePiece}}'': [[spoiler:Jaygarcia Saturn's Zoan Devil Fruit allows him to turn into an Ushi Oni, with the ability to kill people just by staring at them and melt other objects upon touching them with his poisonous spider legs.]]

* ''Manga/{{OnePiece}}": [[spoiler:Jaygarcia Saturn's Zoan Devil Fruit allows him to turn into an Ushi Oni, with the ability to kill people just by staring at them and melt other objects upon touching them with his poisonous spider legs.]]

妖怪 (''[[InconsistentSpelling Youkai/Yokai/Yōkai]]'', roughly "bewitching spectres") are a grand collection of various supernatural creatures and phenomena that pop up in UsefulNotes/{{Shinto}} religion, their spelling derived from the Chinese pinyin ''Yaoguai''. They have a lot in common with TheFairFolk--some youkai are good, others are evil, and many have [[BlueAndOrangeMorality their own alien set of values]]. Some are mischievous, others avoid humans entirely. Shinto is an animist religion, and youkai are often associated with natural features such as forests and mountains. While sometimes glossed as "[[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]]",[[note]]A word which is usually translated into Japanese as ''akuma''[[/note]] a closer Western equivalent is probably the [[AncientRome ancient Roman]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius_(mythology) genii]], [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent spirits]] or "monsters" (in the MonsterMash sense).

[[InconsistentSpelling Youkai/Yokai/Yōkai]] (also known as "Yaoguai" in Chinese pinyin, from which the Japanese term originates, literally meaning "bewitching spectres") are a grand collection of various supernatural creatures and phenomena that pop up in UsefulNotes/{{Shinto}} religion. They have a lot in common with TheFairFolk--some youkai are good, others are evil, and many have [[BlueAndOrangeMorality their own alien set of values]]. Some are mischievous, others avoid humans entirely. Shinto is an animist religion, and youkai are often associated with natural features such as forests and mountains. "Youkai" (literally "strange apparition") are often called "[[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]]" in Western translations, but that word's connotation of purely evil entities make it an inadequate description.[[note]]A better Japanese word for "demon" would be "''akuma''"--this refers to ''the'' Devil and Abrahamic demons generally, as well as Buddhist demons. Although the original Greek word "''daemon''" from which "demon" is derived was similarly neutral.[[/note]] As noted before, they are closer to TheFairFolk, spanning the entire moral range between good, mischievous, neutral, and actually evil. The closest true Western equivalent is probably that of the [[AncientRome ancient Roman]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius_(mythology) genii]] or [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent spirits]].

'''Tsukumogami''': [[AnimateInanimateObject Inanimate objects]] that come to life after a hundred years. These can range from weapons to clothes to household items. Well-known traditional examples include '''{{karakasa}}''' (paper umbrellas), '''ittan-momen''' (a floating strip of cotton cloth), '''biwa-bokuboku''' and '''koto-furunushi''' (stringed musical instruments) and '''burabura''' (lanterns). Strangely, they avoid electrical energy in common folklore from the 1940s, and it is said that no modern object could ever become a Tsukumogami.

* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'': The Bull Chargers can be best described as something between [[MixAndMatchCreatures a bull]], [[OurCentaursAreDifferent a centaur]], and a GiantSpider.

* ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'': The Bull Chargers can be best described as something between [[MixAndMatchCreatures a bull]], [[CentauroidForm a centaur]], and a GiantSpider.

'''Nukekubi and Rokurokubi''': These two creatures are {{humanoid|Abomination}} monsters, usually but not always female. The Nukekubi can detach their heads from their necks and float away in search of human flesh and blood, as well as vermin and lamp oil; while Rokurokubi are human by day, but have extremely elastic necks during the night. In some depictions, Rokurokubi aren't a true species, but the PartialTransformation form of a snake youkai. Sometimes they enter AmbiguouslyHuman territory, being treated as humans afflicted by a strange {{curse}} or [[FictionalDisability medical condition]].\\

[[SpellMyNameWithAnS Youkai/Yokai/Yōkai]] (also known as "Yaoguai" in Chinese pinyin, from which the Japanese term originates, literally meaning "bewitching spectres") are a grand collection of various supernatural creatures and phenomena that pop up in UsefulNotes/{{Shinto}} religion. They have a lot in common with TheFairFolk--some youkai are good, others are evil, and many have [[BlueAndOrangeMorality their own alien set of values]]. Some are mischievous, others avoid humans entirely. Shinto is an animist religion, and youkai are often associated with natural features such as forests and mountains. "Youkai" (literally "strange apparition") are often called "[[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]]" in Western translations, but that word's connotation of purely evil entities make it an inadequate description.[[note]]A better Japanese word for "demon" would be "''akuma''"--this refers to ''the'' Devil and Abrahamic demons generally, as well as Buddhist demons. Although the original Greek word "''daemon''" from which "demon" is derived was similarly neutral.[[/note]] As noted before, they are closer to TheFairFolk, spanning the entire moral range between good, mischievous, neutral, and actually evil. The closest true Western equivalent is probably that of the [[AncientRome ancient Roman]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genius_(mythology) genii]] or [[OurSpiritsAreDifferent spirits]].

* Nebula Oblongata in ''VideoGame/{{Puppeteer}}'' is a highly melodramatic rokurokubi inhabiting Hallowee Ville.

** Toko Fukawa is a Kuchisake-onna[[note]]she was originally possessed by the spirit of a SerialKiller until the author was informed of the UnfortunateImplications of trying to "play off" Toko's DID for a monster form[[/note]], fitting with her alter Genocide Jack's wide mouth and use of scissors as a weapon.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'': The imps with horns and cards in front of their faces are amanojaku. Ranked from weak to strong, they come in the colors green, blue, yellow, and red. The green one attacks with a paddle. The blue one is female, scratches her opponents, and flies a kite to boost her allies' speed. The yellow one rides a drum and either throws his drumsticks or beats a tune to up the chance for his allies to land a critical hit. The red one is pure brawn. He throws his entire body into an attack or spanks his own butt to direct fire his way and force the enemy into using normal attacks.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'': Aobouzu are human-looking monks dressed in blue and white, which becomes red, black, and green if awakened. He combats with seals that can cure allies and harm enemies and his quotes are all about Buddhist philosophical considerations.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}: Heian Tales'': In Episode 2, Futakuchi-onna has to deal with social rejection because her second mouth has a will of its own and its will is to eat. She's a sweetie who doesn't ask for much and she's barely aware of her monster mouth and the large tongue that sprouts from it, so she doesn't understand why people keep their distance from her. To gain populairty, she resolves to go on a diet and she's doing well at it until one night her other mouth has had enough and breaks open the food storage to dine. Futakuchi-onna is confused when the next day she sees back to before she started dieting.

%%* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'': Appears as an NPC, monster and attainable ''shikigami''.%%ZCE

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'': Jizo Statue is one of the souls that can be linked to a creature for combat benefits. It grants a health boost and shields its allies from the full force of enemy attacks.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'': Yuki-Doji's eternal companion is the snow rabbit Yukimaru. Yuki-Doji keeps a layer of snow circling around him to prevent Yukimaru from melting.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'', there is a creature called No-neck (''kubinashi'') whose head floats over his body. Appears as NPC, monster and attainable ''shikigami''.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'': A large portion of the cast, but the only time the term is actually used is by Seimei regarding Onigiri, the [[spoiler:pseudo-]]personification of the (real) Minamoto treasure sword Higekiri/Onigiri (Yasutsuna)/Tomokiri/Sunnashi/Shishinoko.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'': In a play on "sea monk", umibouzu are FishPeople in priest clothes. They have an undeserved bad reputation, because they try to protect people but people only listen when they threaten them. Their attacks are water-based and can both harm enemies and heal allies.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'' is about, well, an ''onmyōji'' named Abe no Seimei who, along with his companions, prevents ''yōkai'' from causing troubles to humans.

* ''Franchise/MegaMan'': [=IceMan.EXE=] is an ice-based [=NetNavi=] with a green suit and a curl on his cap reminiscent of the korpokkur's leaf.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZelda'':

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'': The Minish are largely based on the korobokkuru from ''Korobokkuru Monogatari'', with their Japanese name Pikkoru being a portmanteau of "pygmy" and "korobokkuru". Other sources include the small people from ''Literature/TheElvesAndTheCobbler'' and ''WesternAnimation/SnowWhiteAndTheSevenDwarfs''. The Minish are mouse people who leave gifts for humans to find and who can only be seen by children and animals. The Forest Minish are associated with clovers the same way korpokkur are associated with butterbur leafs. The Hurdy-Gurdy Man may be a Minish living in the human world, although by what means he got and stays human-sized is unknown. Both Link's hat Elzo and BigBad Vaati are Minish too.

* ''VideoGame/{{Kuon}}: Utsuki's unique summon Saiga takes the form of a medium-sized white wolf with bristled fur and paper talismans covering parts of his body. It's a loyal creature and easily the strongest summon in game, except for [[spoiler:[[{{Oni}} Zenki and Goki]] in the Kuon chapter.]]

* Appears as a MonsterOfTheWeek in ''Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger'', serving as a negotiator for the villains when they manager to gain control of the SixthRanger's mecha. She cameoed in ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel'' as Jabberon, one of the Gruesome Grunts in the HalloweenEpisode.

* ''VideoGame/KikiKaikai'': The fifth level boss is one of these, dressed as a monk using prayer beads [[WhipItGood as a whip]].