Yaoguai

Yaoguai (Chinese: 妖怪; pinyin: yāoguài) represent a broad and diverse class of ambiguous creatures in Chinese folklore and mythology defined by the possession of supernatural powers and by having attributes that partake of the quality of the weird, the strange or the unnatural. They are especially associated with transformation and enchantment. They often dwell in remote areas or on the fringes of civilization where they produce all manner of unexplainable phenomena and mischief. They often have predatory or malevolent tendencies.

Yaoguai vary considerably from one another in appearance and powers, and depending on particular individual or type, as being capable of shapeshifting, creating illusions, hypnosis, controlling minds, causing disease, clairvoyance, and draining the life force of mortals.

While yaoguai are not evil in the sense Western demons are, they are usually weird and dangerous, tending to exert a baleful influence on mankind. In more superstitious times, confusion and bewilderment, strange and unexplainable disease, eerie sights and strange sounds, and cases of unexplained murders and missing persons were attributed to them, hence the folk saying: "出反常必有妖", which simply means "extraordinary occurrences are due to the yao [guai]".

Yaoguai are popular staples of modern Chinese fiction, appearing in books, movies and comics. They have also begun to appear in video games.

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