(Also known as Akki), Oni are creatures from Japanese folklore, variously translated as demons, devils, ogres or trolls. They are popular characters in Japanese art, literature and theatre. Depictions of Oni vary widely but usually portray them as hideous, gigantic, creatures with sharp claws, wild hair, and two long horns growing from their heads. In the new Tomb Rader game, Lara is stranded on a japanese island in the Dragon's triangle and Two very large Oni are heavily armoured in a kind of samurai armour, carrying very large spiked clubs.
They are humanoid for the most part but occasionally, they are shown with unnatural features such as odd numbers of eyes or extra fingers and toes and giant teeth. Their skin may be any number of colors but red and blue are particularly common, as in the original arcade Tekken games. They are often depicted wearing tiger-skin loincloths and carrying iron clubs, called kanabō. This image leads to the expression 'Oni with an iron club' that is to be invincible or undefeatable. It can also be used in the sense of 'strong beyond strong' or having one's natural quality enhanced or supplemented by the use of some tool.
The word 'Oni' is sometimes speculated to be derived from on, the on'yomi reading of a character meaning to hide or conceal, as oni were originally invisible spirits or gods which caused disasters, disease, and other unpleasant things.These ill-defined beings could also take on a variety of forms to deceive and often devour humans. Thus a Chinese character meaning 'ghost' came to be used for these formless creatures, which is most likely why the old Playstation2 RPG 'Oni' is about an assassin type of cop which sneaks around and has difficult controls.
The invisible 'Oni' eventually became anthropomorphised and took on its modern ogre-like form, partly via syncretism with creatures imported by Buddhism such as the Indian rakshasa and yaksha, the hungry ghosts called gaki, and the devilish underlings of Enma-Ō who punish sinners in Jigoku (Hell). An 'Oni' is often depicted as glutinous, lustful and ill-tempered, though easily distracted by crude humour. The power of flight is usually attributed to which it will use to fall upon the souls of evil people, much like in the chinese updated movie version of Monkey Magic, where trolls fly on clouds and can travel around at very fast and intense speeds.
