Big Book of Mythology (Yokai Edition)

Oni

Translation: Ogre / Demon

Other names: N/a

Type: Oni (obviously)

Prefecture: Found all over Japan

Habitat: Remote mountains, caves, islands, abandoned fortresses, or Hell

Diet: Omnivorous (livestock, humans, and alcohol)

Danger zone: Black (You're Dead)

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About Oni:
I'm pretty sure everyone has heard of this yokai, but I'm still gonna talk about them. Oni are a kind of yōkai from Japanese folklore, variously translated as demons, devils, ogres, or trolls. They are popular characters in Japanese art, literature, and theatre.

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Appearance:
Oni are one of the greatest icons of Japanese folklore. They are large and scary, standing taller than the tallest man, and sometimes taller than trees (which is already a problem for me). Depictions of oni vary widely but usually portray them as hideous, gigantic ogre-like creatures with sharp claws, wild hair, and two long horns growing from their heads. 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. Their skin may be any number of colors, but red and blue are particularly common. They wear loincloths made of the pelts of great beasts. They are often depicted wearing tiger-skin loincloths and carrying iron clubs called kanabō. 

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Behavior/Interaction:
All oni possess extreme strength and constitution, and many of them are accomplished sorcerers. They are ferocious demons, bringers of disaster, spreaders of disease, and punishers of the damned in hell Oni are born when truly wicked humans die and end up in one of the many Buddhist hells, which could explain why there are so many there. Transformed into oni, they become the ogreish and brutal servants of Great Lord Enma, ruler of hell. Wielding that great iron clubs, they crush and destroy humans just for the hell of it (XD I'm not sorry). An oni's job is to mete out horrible punishments such as peeling off skins, crushing bones, and rendering other torments too horrible to describe. All these tortures are for wicked sinners—but only those not quite wicked enough to be reborn as oni themselves. Hell is full of oni. They make up the armies of the great generals of the underworld. Occasionally, when a human is so utterly wicked that his soul is beyond any redemption, he transforms into an oni while still alive. He then remains on earth to terrorize the living. These transformed oni are the ones most legends tell about, and the ones who pose the most danger to humankind.

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Abilities:
*Supernatural Strength: Oni are known to possess extreme strength. 

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Target(s):
Anyone, mostly humans

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Escape plan:
Yeah...good luck with that....

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Origin story:
Originally, all spirits, ghosts, and monsters were known as oni. The root of their name is a word meaning "hidden" or "concealed," and it was written with the Chinese character for ghosts. In the old days of Japan, before the spirits were well-cataloged, oni could refer to almost any supernatural creature—ghosts, obscure gods, large or scary yōkai, even particularly vicious and brutal humans. As the centuries shaped the Japanese language, the definitions we know for the various kinds of monsters gradually came into being. Female demons are not called oni but are known by another name: kijo.

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NOPE rating:
5/5