Onryo (怨霊) are Japanese ghosts who can return to the physical world to seek revenge. There may be male Onryo, mainly from Kabuki theatre, but the majority are women. Powerless in the physical world, they often suffered in life from the capricious desires of their male lover, but after death their spirit becomes very strong.
Origin[]
The traditional Japanese spiritual world places the Yomi at one end and the physical world at the other. Between the two there is a kind of purgatory, an uncertain and ambiguous waiting area where spirits languish before moving on. Ghosts in this intermediate state who were influenced by powerful emotions such as resentment, love, jealousy, hatred or pain can return from this space to the physical plane, where they can frighten and inflict terror on their earthly tormentors.
Onryo's Revenge[]
Driven by their desire for revenge, they rarely follow Western ideals of justified revenge. For example, several stories involve abusive husbands, but these husbands are rarely the targets of revenge.
Appearance[]
Onryo appear as they did when they died, except their skin becomes a deathly pale white color, their eyes become mildly bloodshot and their hair appears to move in an ethereal manner. They at times also have light navy blue skin. Often they were victims of war, catastrophe, betrayal, murder, or suicide, and they usually display wounds or marks indicative of the way they died.
Modern Portrayals[]
Popular Onryo from modern works include Sadako Yamamura, Kayako Saeki, Samara Morgan, and Toshio Saeki.
Modern urban legend Hachishakusama may also have been inspired by Onryo.