Onikuma

Onikuma are a type of animal-spirit found in Japanese folklore and are one of innumerable spirits said to occur when an animal reaches a great age, transforming the animal into a yokai (or lesser deity) with supernatural abilities and heightened awareness as well as an insight into the yokai world.

Onikuma are seen as massive bears who are much more animalistic than most other yokai, largely behaving much as a bear would before transformation - however they also displayed unusual qualities beyond just their massive size, for example they are said to have inhuman strength even for bears and can lift boulders that ten full-grown men failed to budge or crush an entire monkey with the palm of their hand.

Onikuma, despite their name translating as "demon bear" are not entirely malicious and tend to stay in the wilds as omnivorous creatures of opportunity - yet there often came times when Onikuma would perform raids on local villages, walking in and capturing livestock before exiting, these bold raids forced humans into conflict with the bear-spirits and like many other yokai it would often be the task of a brave hero or demigod to seek out a troublesome Onikuma and dispose of it.