Rokurokubi
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The rokurokubi (ろくろ首) is a kind of Japanese yokai, or folklore creature. Rokurokubi appear in all three entries in Daiei's Yokai Monsters series of films, as well as their 2005 spiritual successor, The Great Yokai War.
History
Showa Series
Yokai Monsters: One Hundred Monsters
The rokurokubi appeared in a folktale about two masterless samurai fishing in a cursed lake. Taking the form of the elder samurai's wife, she scared the two. However, in reality, the pair had simply been struck by lightning.
Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare
Appearing in an old shrine along with several other yokai, rokurokubi was asked to help evict the Babylonian demon Daimon from the territory of the kappa. At first, she didn't believe that such a thing like Daimon could exist. Eventually, she and the other yokai encountered Daimon. She extended her neck to coax the demon in to trying to suck her blood so that she may frighten him, however he instead tied her neck in to a knot. Later, rokurokubi took part in trying to find the real Daimon among the clones he had made of himself.
Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts
Briefly appearing as a shadow, a rokurokubi could be seen in the background among the yokai taking revenge against the humans who disrespected them.
Millennium Series
The Great Yokai War
The rokurokubi was once again appealed to by kappa and begged to join the cause to fight against the threat invading Japan. She didn't believe the water imp at first, choosing to remain in the background. However, when all of the yokai, demons, and other spirits converged on a single place for a festival, rokurokubi attended.
Abilities
- The rokurokubi's primary trait is her ability to stretch her neck to great lengths.
- The rokurokubi which appeared in Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare possessed the ability to teleport long distances.
Filmography
- Yokai Monsters: One Hundred (1968)
- Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare (1968)
- Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts (1969) [silhouette]
- The Great Yokai War (2005)
Trivia
- The rokurokubi is one of the only yokai to appear in all four of the Yokai films.
- A rokurokubi can be seen dancing in a yokai club in the 2007 film, Gegege no Kitaro. The long necked yokai's fame extends well into the depth of the Gegege no Kitaro's many manga and anime iterations, even being on Kitaro's side during the crossover with Akuma-kun.
- A modern rokurokubi appeared in the Super Sentai series, Kakuranger, where it's long neck was replaced by the head being a detachable octopus.
Gallery
- Main article: Rokurokubi/Gallery.