Youkai

Youkai (妖怪, "mystic apparition" or "mysterious calamity") is a term used to refer to Japanese folk creatures and ghosts, or to supernatural beings in general. Because there are thousands of stories of magical beings around the world, the different types of youkai are endless.

The term youkai is sometimes used interchangeably with obake (お化け, roughly "one that takes on a form"), meaning things which have undergone some kind of supernatural change, beings with shapeshifting powers, or phantoms and ghosts. It is a common Japanese belief that after a certain amount of time, ordinary objects and animals gain life and personality, becoming a kind of youkai. In some cases even a normal human can become a youkai under the right conditions or vice versa.

Youkai in Len'en

Youkai in Mugenri have varying locations. While some live within the dens or just out in the wilderness (such as Shou Amanomori), they are perfectly capable of residing in cities like Devanagara as well. It's rather uncommon (although not impossible) for youkai to mature after coming into existence.

The following is a list of youkai that have appeared in the Len'en Project, in order of appearance:

Fairy

Faries (妖精 or よーせい) are small, humanoid creatures that can be found roaming anywhere in Mugenri. They are the stage enemies most commonly found throughout the Len'en Project. The way they shoot danmaku all depends on what difficulty the player chooses and what stage they appear in. JynX has stated that information about them is currently a "secret".

Main article: Fairy

Tri-element

Tri-elements (トライエレメント) are generic stage enemies that are found in various stages throughout the Len'en Project. They are less common than fairies.

Main article: Tri-Element

Ink core

Ink cores (インクコア) are rare generic stage enemies presumably made from ink that are found only in Evanescent Existence and Book of the Cafe.

Main article: Ink core

Shikigami

Shikigami (式神) are godlike spirits that provide different services for an onmyouji master, some shikigami were originally youkai themself even prior to entering a contract with their master.

Main article: Shikigami

Phenomena-Based Youkai

Some youkai are based on or manifestations of various natural phenomena:

• Rain Youkai: Jun Amanomiya
• Sunlight Youkai: Lumen Celeritas

Animal Youkai

Certain youkai are based on various living beings, although it is unsure whether they are born youkai, or transformed from animal to youkai. They are capable of transforming between animal and humanoid forms.

• Sea Slug Youkai: Shou Amanomori
• Skylark Youkai: Hibaru Kokutenshi
• Slug Youkai: Kujiru Kesa
• Penguin Youkai: Medias Moritake

Orochi

The orochi (大蛇, lit. "Giant Snake") are a race of snake-like youkai who transformed out of the various body parts of the dismembered Adagumo clan leader.

Main article: Orochi (Species)

Gashadokuro

The gashadokuro (がしゃどくろ) is a large skeleton youkai born from a massive gathering of skeletons of those who died in war and didn't receive a proper burial, animated by their desire for vengeance.

In the Len'en Project, the only known gashadokuro is Sese Kitsugai. Unlike gashadokuro of real-life lore, Sese was apparently once the animated skeleton of a single human, but has somehow lost much of their bones and thus are thus far weaker than gashadokuro are traditionally said to be. They are capable of temporarily strengthening themself by absorbing souls or other people's bones.

Ghosts

Ghosts (幽霊, yūrei, lit. "ethereal soul/spirit") is a general term used to refer to incorporeal entities that are most typically tied to nature, a person's soul, or the afterlife.

Main article: Ghost

Oni

Oni (鬼, oni) are youkai in Japanese legends known for their immense strength, and are commonly portrayed as having horns on their head and carrying large iron clubs. Similar to ogres or trolls in western folklore.

Not much has been said about oni in the Len'en Project. Taira no Fumikado was once a human whose soul was transferred into a homuncular oni.

Tsukumogami

A tsukumogami (付喪神) is a type of youkai produced from a tool or object inhabited by a god or a spirit.

Main article: Tsukumogami

Other Youkai

• Youkai Haniwa (化け埴輪, Bake Haniwa): Sukune Katano is a youkai based on Haniwa (埴輪, lit. "circle of clay"), terracotta clay figures which were made for ritual use and buried with the dead as funerary objects during the Kofun period in Japan. It is unclear whether Sukune was born of a haniwa statue or is simply a youkai manifestation of the concept. It is said that the haniwa made by Sukune are perfect vessels for divine spirits (神霊, Shinrei).
• Tsugumi Umatachi: Tsugumi's race has been listed as both an "oseibo jockey" and a "harvest festival jockey", but it is unclear what type of youkai they are.
• The Harujion (ハルジオン): A youkai philadelphia fleabane that occasionally blooms within Mugenri.
• Shouyoukyou (照妖鏡, Lit. "evil-illuminating mirror"): Mitsumo is a youkai shouyoukyou, though not much is known about them otherwise. They resemble a tsukumogami, but it's unknown if they are actually one.
• Burabura (不螺々々, Lit. "not spiral shell"): Taira no Chouki employs an unnamed burabura as a shikigami. It is a lantern-type youkai with the ability to relay thoughts through words. It resembles a tsukumogami, but it's unknown if they are actually one.

Characters under this Bestiary

• Adagumo no Saragimaru (Orochi)
• Adagumo no Yaorochi (Orochi)
• Harujion (Youkai daisy flower)
• Hibaru Kokutenshi (Skylark youkai)
• Jinbei (Shikigami)
• Jun Amanomiya (Rain youkai)
• Kujiru Kesa (Slug youkai; Shikigami)
• Lumen Celeritas (Sunlight youkai)
• Medias Moritake (Penguin youkai)
• Mitsumo (Tsukumogami)
• Sese Kitsugai (Gashadokuro)
• Shion (Chimera soul)
• Shou Amanomori (Sea Slug youkai)
• Sukune Katano (Haniwa youkai)
• Taira no Chouki (Dead spirit)
• Taira no Fumikado (Homuncular Oni, formerly human)
• Tsugumi Umatachi (Oseibo jockey)

Additional Information

• Despite sharing many similarities with animal youkai, Kaisen Azuma insists that they are referred to as a sacred animal (霊獣, Reijū) instead of a youkai.

See Also

• Touhou Wiki's entry for Youkai
• Wikipedia's entry for youkai
• Yokai.com, a site listing and describing a large number of youkai.
• hyakumonogatari.com another similar site.