Yokai, for those who don't know, are mythological creatures who are an important part of the Shinto religion. Japan's religious background is mostly made up of Shinto before the influx of Buddhist thought made its way in from India, through mainland China. Shinto is an animist religion, meaning that at its base, everything is alive in some way or another. Trees have inhabiting spirits, or rather are spirits, as do rocks, rivers, and caves. Playing Pokémon, it's fairly easy to see how this could play into the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:character designs.
While some of them are just variations on everyday animals, a lot of them are based on these mythological creatures and some of the creatures are inanimate objects that have come to life. Regardless of which kind of Yokai they're based on, these Pokémon are some of the most direct adaptaꦫtion of the concꦬept.
10 Slowking
Slowking is based on the Sazae-Oni, which translates to "Turban shell demon". Traditional depictions of this Yokai appear as a vaguely human-shaped torso, coming out of a large shell that's enveloped its bottom half. Slowking isn't really particularly humanoid, but it's easy to see how an animal could have been eaten by the turban shell and turned into a Sazae-Oni.
Another theory is that if the Sazae snail lives for over thirty years, it'll turn into a Sazae-Oni. They're also not malicious whatsoever. The only time they really leave the ocean is to dance around in the👍 surf.
9 Dusknoir
Dusknoir belongs to a class of Yokai referred to as 🌄tsukumonogami. When an inanimate object goes long enough without being destroyed or gains some other sort of significance, it become♒s sentient and gains Yokai status. Chochin Obake are just such a Yokai.
They're essentially paper lanterns that have gained sentience and while they don't hurt people, they're defi🐠nitely spooky! They fly around, wagging their tongues out of🌟 their mouth to frighten people, especially during festivals.
8 Phantump
If you've played any of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Legend Of Zelda franchise, you're probably familiar with Skull Kid. He's part of a group of minor characters in Ocarina Of Time and the main antagonist in Majora's Mask.
The legend behind the Skull Kid is that he's a young boy who's been wandering in the Lost Woods and since he went so long without food or water, he died and became a forest 𒊎spirit. Phantump's origin is likely the same, and as such, he becomes a spirit of the forest known as a Kodama.
7 Shiftry
Shiftry is a Pokémon you get after you've evolved your Nuzleaf with a leaf stone. Shiftry is technically based on royalty, the king of the Tengus. He usually looks🐻 more human and less bird-like than Shiftry does but the big nose is a constant from depiction to depiction.
The gr꧂eat tengu is usually described as a Buddhist monk who spends all of his time meditating in the mountains, obtaining great knowledge. This is similar to the god Shiva from Hinduism, who disappears to meditate in moun𒁃tain caves.
6 Mawile
Mawile is based on a creature called the Futakuchi Onna. The Futakuchi Onna is a creature that looks very much like Mawile🌜. She has two mouths, one is hidden in a long black ponytail.
S💎he appears to be a normal woman, but when you live with one without your knowledge, you'll find the pantry const🎐antly empty since she sneaks out at night to feed with her second, hidden mouth. While Mawile appears cute, her giant mouth filled with sharp teeth isn't something to mess with.
5 Drowzee
Have you ever had a nightmare that ruined your whole day? You couldn't ask for a better friend than a Drowzee. He'♛s based on a Yokai called a Baku. The Baku is a creature that's based on the real-life animal the tapir. The Baku can be summoned to eat the nightmares🅘 of children before they happen, or after they wake.
The Baku, however, does also have a dark side. The Baku can also consume one's hopes and dreams. This makes the Baku someone you don't want to mess with, and by extension, is maybe responsible for Drowzee's image as a ♋bit of a troublemaker.
4 Snorunt
Snorunt's origins are quite a bit morওe melancholy than one might imagine. The cute design of the creature is deceptively innocent. Snorunt is based on the Yuki-Warashi. It translates in Japanese to "Snow Child".
The Yuki-Warashi comes to life when an old, childless couple ☂decides to build a snowman. After the snowman is done being built, the spirit inhabits it and allows for the old couple to finally form a family.
3 Whiscash
When Japan warns residents about coming earthquakes, the animal used as a picture is a giant catfish. What? Why? Onamazu. Apparently back in the Edo period of Japa๊n, fishermen noted that catfish were a lot more mobile and visible before earthquakes.
Ev💟entually, after a centuries-long game of telephone, it was decided that there must be a giant catfish somewhere, struggling to break free of the chains that bind it. This is what causes earthquakes, tsunamis, and a whole manner of other disasters.
2 Absol
Absol is based on the creature the Hakutaku. While Absol's usually seen as a good creature, reading its Pokedex entry reveals that he might cause disasters and plagues if it p💫leases him.
The Hakutaku's wheelhouse is actually a lot more innocent since he comes to inform💯 rulers of impending threats to their kingdoms. The description of Absol kind of flips this on its head, implying that Absol may have a hand in causing the disasters.
1 Ninetails
Fans of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Naruto will be familiar with Ninetails since the same Kitsune creature living inside of Naruto is the basis for the Pokémon. Foxes are🌠 such a ubiquitous part of Japanese folklore that one could write for hours and hours about them. Foxes in Japane🐽se myths are shapeshifters, growing more and more powerful as they get older.
The most powerful and wise of these foxes have nine tails, hence the name of the Pokémon. Kyubi No Kitsune specifically t﷽ranslates to "nine-tailed fox", which is the specific Yokai this Pokémon is based on.