Nue Yokai

**Nue Yokai** are hybrids between a monkey, raccoon dog, tiger and snake.

## Physical Appearance

Nue Yokai has the head of a monkey, the body of a raccoon dog, the legs of a tiger, and a snake as a tail. When transforming into a human disguise form, a part of their yokai form maintains such as the snake tail or the stripes of a tiger.

## Description

Nue Yokai are bringers of misfortune and illness. They have the ability to metamorphose into a black cloud and fly through the sky. Spreading misfortune and illness wherever they go. Little is known about the Nue Yokai's natural habitate and lifestyle. While sightings throughout history have been rare, these yokai are are considered to be pretty evil monsters. The few times that humans and Nue Yokai have crossed paths, the results have been disastrous.

## Abilities

Here are the abilities that Nue Yokai have in their arsenal:

* Chimera Physiology
* Claw Retraction
* Cloud Mimicry
* Curse Inducement
* Disease Generation
* Flight
* Prehensile Tail
* Venomous Fangs

### Associations

* Shinto Deity Physiology
* Yokai Physiology

## Pop Culture

* The Japanese band Kagrra, has an album titled *Nue*, containing the track "Nue no Naku Koro" (鵺の哭く頃, *When the Nue Cries*).
* The avex artist Tomiko Van has a song called "Nue no Naku Yoru" (鵺の鳴く夜, *The Night when the Nue Cries*)
* A Nue appears in many of the games in the Megami Tensei series, as a potential fight opponent.
* A Nue appears at the gate to the Dream (DC Comics)|King of All Night's Dreaming's castle in Neil Gaiman and Yoshitaka Amano's *Sandman: The Dream Hunters*.
* Zabimaru, the zanpakutō of Renji Abarai in the manga/anime series *Bleach (manga)|Bleach*, manifests itself as a nue.
* One of the monsters a player fights in the PlayStation 2 game *Genji: Dawn of the Samurai* is a Nue.
* In the Japanese version of the game Blood Will Tell, Kagemitsu Daigo transforms into a Nue during one of the final battles. However, in the English version, the monster is referred to as a chimera.
* In the game Breath of Fire III, the first *boss* is a Nue, which kills villagers to feed its young.
* Nue is the name of a Mikura (a yōkai turned blood-drinking machine) in the anime/CG 6-part OVA Karas (anime)|Karas voiced by Jay Hernandez. Unlike the other Mikura, he opposes Eko.
* Nue is a tiger monster in various Final Fantasy games.
* In *Monsterology: A Complete Book of Fabulous Beasts*, the Nue (*Chimera japonicus*), is depicted as a relatively small and misunderstood creature, whose reputation derives from the foul odor of the fumes in produces from its rear end when threatened.
* The anime series *Mononoke (TV series)|Mononoke* features a two-episode arc, titled "Nue," in which the mononoke is determined to have the form/shape (Katachi) of a Nue.
* Also in the new anime Boruto: Naruto Next Generation, Boruto ( Naruto's son ) and his friends are chasing a "ghost" which in their terms really mean monster that takes over people's bodies and sucks there life out. But recently we are told that someone his using a justu to revive a creature. That creature is Nue. "I devour opon the weak hearted," ominously spoke by Nue.
* In the video game Okami, there is a monster called a chimera but is actually a Nue with a giant blue kettle as a body.
* in the video game series Touhou Project, the Extra Stage boss of Touhou 12 (Undefined Fantastic Object) is a Nue in the form of a young looking girl named, obviously enough, Nue.
* In the video game Arknights, the character Utage is based on a Nue, possessing a snake's tail and rounded cat's ears; a Nue appears in the background of some of her art.

## Variations

### Raccoon Yokai

Nue Yokai has the body of a raccoon. Specifically a raccoon dog

## Life in the Hidden World

Nue Yokai are considered to be one of the most evil yokai in the Hidden World. This is due to them being the bringers of misfortune and illness. Affecting both human and yokai alike. The location of the Nues are unknown. Nobody doesn't know where they live specifically. This is due to them going from place to place via flying while in cloud form. Nue Yokai are quite secretive. They don't reveal anything to strangers as they don't want them to find out their home. However, if someone is able to gain trust of the Nue Yokai, said yokai will reveal everything to them.

## Symbolism

Nue tattoos could be a great symbol of mental health struggles- slaying one’s personal demons. It can be a great reminder that depression or illness are not your fault, they are a force that exists outside of you, and it is possible to overcome them. Others may want to signal to anyone seeing the tattoo that they are not one to be messed with.