Kuchisake-onna

Kuchisake-onna (which translates into "slit-mouth woman") is a demonic spirit from both Japanese mythology as well as urban legend - she is believed to be the disfigured ghost of a woman who was mutilated by her jealous husband and now seeks revenge upon the living.

According to the original myth the spirit was once a beautiful but vain woman who was married to a samurai - who in a fit of rage slashed her face from ear to ear screaming to her "who will find you beautiful now?".

Picking up on this tale urban legends began rising of a woman travelling by night, often wearing a surgical mask, when encountered she would ask travellers if she was beautiful - if her victim replied yes she would remove her mask and ask again, if the victim replied "no" she would brutally slay them.

If the victim replied that she was pretty (even after seeing her true form) her response could vary - often she would mutilate or kill them regardless but in some tales she would allow the victim to survive.

Although impossible to escape from legend claims that by answering "you are average" a person can avoid the spirit's violence - any other attempt to trick and/or overpower the spirit is usually seen as futile..

Bloody Mary is most likely the closest spirit the Western world has to this gruesome spectre and both are infamous for mutilating their victims.