Suiko

Suiko (水虎 Suiko, lit. Water Tiger) is a water Yōkai with various different appearances including Kappa-like figure, tiger-like figure, and a humanoid-like figure.
==Appearance==
In the 2007 anime, Suiko takes the form of a kappa-like creature made of dull green water with a dull blue undertone. His head has pointy ears and is topped with a white plate, surrounded by long, moss green hair. While his face has a prominent snout, sharp white teeth and red pupilless eyes. He has webbed hands and feet, the former having claws, bumps appear over his thigh area and his dark blue shell has blue marginal scutes and matching bumps spread across it.
Within the 2018 anime, Suiko takes the form of a giant blue tiger, with dark stripes and a lighter underside. Additionally he has yellow eyes with purple sclerae. Because he is made of water, his entire color scheme consist of different shades of blue.
In Mizuki's books, Suiko originally take a Yangtze Suiko-like form and turns into kappa-like form when they get old.
==Personality==
The Suiko behaves like that of a beast, communicating only in growls and roars. After being awakened it goes after those who disturbed its resting place, hunting them one by one. It will go after its targets if they are near water and even if one manages to escape, will pursue them later on.
==History==
===Manga===
Suiko makes a cameo appearance in Chapter 2 of Saishinban GeGeGe no Kitarō. He's one of the many evil yōkai that Nurarihyon rallies together.The Yōkai Seven Mysteries, Saishinban GeGeGe no Kitarō He would later appear once again in Chapter 11, along with multiple other yōkai that'd been summoned using the Yōkai Incense Burner. He's defeated after being hit by a blinded Wanyūdō.The Revived Yōkai Army's Counterattack!, Saishinban GeGeGe no Kitarō In both instances, his appearance is similar to his true form from the 1985 series.
Suiko appears in in Kitarō Kunitori Monogatari as one of the competitors in Boze's sumo tournament. He faces off against Hihi in the first round, but is attacked by the yōkai's hidden weapon, making him lose the match. He taught Kitarō the over-the-shoulder throw that he would later use to defeat Backbeard in the sumo tournament.Yōkai Sumo, Kitarō Kunitori Monogatari Here, his appearance more closely resembles a kappa.
===1968 Anime===
He appears in episode #14 of the first anime adaptation, Suiko.GeGeGe no Kitarō (1968): Episode 14
===1985 Anime===
He appears in episode #9 of the third anime adaptation, Immortal Yōkai Suiko.GeGeGe no Kitarō (1985): Episode 9
===1996 Anime===
He appears in episode #56 of the fourth anime adaptation, Water Transformation! Yōkai Suiko.GeGeGe no Kitarō (1996): Episode 56
===2007 Anime===
A Suiko was sealed in a stone stand by a lake. One day it is awakened when a group of boys disturb the stone stand it rested in. Angered it goes after the boys, starting with Aoki who was bathing that night, leaving algae behind. The next day it captures Akai in a park's restroom, flooding it and once more leaves algae. He goes after Shiraishi the next day, pulling him into the gutter of an alley, but is stopped by Kitarō with his Hair Needles and pulls the Yōkai boy instead. It escapes after Kitarō uses his Internal Electricity on it. It later swallows Kuroda at the same park restroom.
It goes through the sewers to an elementary school pool, revealing itself and chasing after Shiraishi to the roof. He is hit with Kitarō's getas and is told that it has no means of escape, making it reveal its true form. It charges towards the Yōkai boy but its covered by his Chanchanko. It is then held down by Konaki-Jijii and is covered in Sunakake-Babaa's sand, bringing it pain and weakening him. Just as they are about to seal the water Yōkai it begins to rain, empowering it. It sprouts water tendrils from its body and grabs onto them. The floor breaks because of its weight, causing it to crash down through the other floors. It tries to pierce through Kitarō's Chanchanko as it covers the roof and swallows the Yōkai boy. Because of the dragon essence mixed in the sand Kitarō's Internal Electricity is more effective, the moisture evaporates and the Suiko's power is lost once more becoming a small ball. They gather around the ball as Medama-Oyaji puts the seal on it. Kitarō holds it as he tells the boys to fix the stand and place it back there. The next day the ball containing the Suiko sits in the stand once more as the boys clean it.GeGeGe no Kitarō (2007): Episode 1
===2018 Anime===
A Suiko appears in the 35th episode of the sixth anime adaptation, The Witches of Destiny. He is among the crowd gathered around the GeGeGe House, trying to drive Agnès out of the forest. He listens to Medama-Oyaji as he warns them that if they drive her out then the tragedy Malay Yōkai will only repeat elsewhere. Soon followed by Kitarō as he explains how grave the consequences are if Japan becomes a part of Backbeard's empire, causing the crowd to look at one another. Until their attention is drawn to Kitarō as he stands on his resolve to fight.GeGeGe no Kitarō (2018): Episode 35
Another Suiko appears in The Heart's Darkness the Suiko Reflects.GeGeGe no Kitarō (2018): Episode 64
===The Great Yōkai War: Guardians===
Suiko appeared in the manga adaptation of the film.
==Powers and Abilities==
Water Body: The Suiko's body is made of water, thus is able to live anywhere so long as there is water. It is able to change its shape into an amorphous mass of water and grow tendrils to grab its target. The Suiko is also capable of absorbing people into itself. Its power grows from the amount of water it has, becoming stronger the more it absorbs. Water absorbents can counter this and it is harmed by electricity. In the 2018 anime, as he is completely made of water, all physical assaults are ineffective. However if he comes in contact with a coolant, then his body will start to freeze.
*Water Absorption: He is able to absorb all the water within a living being's body, leaving them as dried up husks. Capable of doing so by simply touching them.
==Legend==
The Suiko is a kappa-like yokai that lives in and around the Chikugo River (Kyushu), Lake Biwa (Shiga prefecture), and other bodies of water across Japan. It can also be found in China. However, the suiko is a different beast altogether and must not be confused with the kappa.
In addition to prowling around at night and making mischief, the suiko has the power to possess people. Those possessed by a suiko descend into a temporary state of madness, but they recover quickly after the creature withdraws.
At least once a year, the suiko drags a human victim into the water, sucks out his blood, and returns the body to shore. It is best not to have a funeral for the victim of a suiko attack. Instead, the body should be left on a wooden plank inside a small thatched hut in a field. If done properly, this course of action causes the flesh of the suiko perpetrator to slowly rot until it dies.
==See also==
*Yangtze Suiko - A Chinese Suiko who appears in the story Yōkai Rally.
==References==
==Navigation==
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Category:Characters
Category:Males
Category:Yōkai
Category:Spirit-like Yōkai
Category:Water Yōkai
Category:Kappa
Category:Animal-like Yōkai
Category:Antagonists
Category:Feline Yōkai
Category:Turtle Yōkai
Category:Jūjin
Category:Races
Category:Japanese Mythology
Category:Chinese Mythology
Category:Antagonist (1985)
Category:Antagonist (1996)
Category:Antagonist (2007)
Category:Antagonist (2018)
Category:The Great Yōkai War characters