Monkey Yokai

**Monkey Yokai**, sometimes called **Sarugami Yokai**, is a variation of the Primate Yokai who are known for their knowledge of the forest.

## Physical Appearance

Wild Monkey Yokai have very similar appearances to their Surface World counterparts. But they are physically bigger then the Surface World monkeys. The civilized Monkey Yokai are anthropomorphic beings. They have five fingers on both hands and five toes on both feet. They're usually covered in fur with the exception of their face, ears, the palm of their hands and the sole of their feet.

## Description

Wild Monkey Yokai are also known as the Sarugami. The Sarugami look just like the wild monkeys that are found across the Japanese islands. However, they are bigger, more vicious, and much smarter. They can speak, and sometimes they are seen wearing human clothes as well. They're known for being wicked yokai who would attack any Human who comes to the mountains where they live.

The civilized Monkey Yokai live in large communities in the forests and jungles of the Hidden World. They live in large treehouses that has ropes, nets, pulleys and ziplines among other things. They're very tolerant with most Yokai species and are known to adopt orphan Yokai who aren't the same species. Monkey Yokai would work together as a pack to gather necessities and protecting each other from any Yokai who attacks their treehouse homes.

## Abilities

Here are the abilities that Monkey Yokai can have in their arsenal:

* Brachiation
* Climbing
* Enhanced Agility
* Enhanced Balance
* Enhanced Combat
* Enhanced Intelligence (Orangutans, Gorillas and Chimpanzees)
* Enhanced Dexterity
* Enhanced Durability
* Enhanced Endurance
* Enhanced Strength
* Knuckle-Walking
* Powerful Bite
* Prehensile Feet
* Prehensile Tail (Monkeys)

### Variations

**Catarrhini Physiology (Old World monkeys and apes)**

* **Cercopithecidae Physiology (Old World monkeys)**
	+ **Cercopithecinae Physiology (baboons, macaques and vervet monkeys)**: Environmental Adaptation
		- **Papio Physiology (baboons)**: Decelerated Aging, Enhanced Bite, Enhanced Combat

* **Platyrrhini Physiology (New World monkeys)**: Climbing
	+ **Atelidae Physiology (howler, spider, woolly, and woolly spider monkeys)**: Prehensile Tail
	+ **Aotidae Physiology (night monkey)**: Night Vision
* **Strepsirrhini Physiology (Lemuriform primates)**: Climbing
	+ **Galagos**:Enhanced Senses
	+ **Lemurs**: Enhanced Dexterity, Enhanced Leap
	+ **Loris**: Poison Generation
	+ **Potto**: Power Neckbutt

### Extinct Simians

* **Australopithecus Physiology**
* **Gigantopithecus Physiology**: Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Endurance, Unnatural Size

### Mythical Simians

* **Agropelter Physiology**: Enhanced Violence, Limb Extension
* **Vanara Physiology**: Demigod Physiology, Shapeshifting, Size Manipulation, Supernatural Condition

* Animal Imitation
* Animal Morphing
* Mammalian Physiology
* Primate Manipulation
* Sasquatch Physiology

Primates are associated with a great number of mystical and supernatural abilities and connections in mythology and folklore, this user with this power may have access to: Adoptive Muscle Memory, Enhanced/Supernatural/Absolute Combat, Knowledge Replication, Trickster, Reactive Attribute Enhancement

## Pop Culture

Monkeys are one of the most common animals that are seen in pop culture media. They're usually depicted as being mischievous and playful. Having the typical comic relief archetype that are seen in cartoons. The most well-known is the Monkey King. Also known as Sun Wukong, the Monkey King is a legendary mythic figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West (西遊記/西游记) and many later stories and adaptations. He's known for wielding a staff as his main weapon of choice. There has been many versions of the Monkey King. Even having movies about him. In the game Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, the character SonSon III is described as the granddaughter of the original SonSon who is based on the Monkey King.

## Variations

### Primate Yokai

Monkey is a common name that may refer to certain groups or species of simian mammals of infraorder Simiiformes. The term is applied descriptively to groups of primates, such as families of New World monkeys and Old World monkeys.

## Life in the Hidden World

Sarugami Yokai behave for the most part like wild monkeys. They live in the mountains and tend to stay away from human-inhabited areas. When sarugami interact with humans it almost always ends in violence. Most legends follow a similar pattern: a sarugami kidnaps a young woman from a villager, and heroes are called upon to go into the wilderness and exterminate the sarugami. Like oni, giant snakes, and other monsters, sarugami are beasts meant to be slain by brave samurai according to the stories involving these yokai.

Monkey Yokai are generally mischievous. They don't use violence when interacting with the Humans unlike the Sarugami. Instead, they play harmless pranks on the humans when they're visiting the Surface World. They can freely leap about between trees with their light body and dexterous hands and feet. They use their long tail for maintaining balance in the treetops, and other than that, they can use it to hang by wrapping it around a branch; they also specialize in a form of martial arts using this durable tail. Monkey Yokai are known for practicing monkey-style kung fu which focuses on fast, explosive, elusive and changes levels via rolling and jumping. Monkey Yokai can get along with most yokai species. Though their mischievous nature does get them into trouble with some yokai.

## Symbolism

The monkey symbol is often associated with entertainment and joyfulness. Due to their energetic and mischievous nature, monkeys were seen by various cultures as tricksters.

However, the monkey represents much more than fun and play. The symbolism of the monkey is connected to deep knowledge and intelligence.