Gashadokuro
Also known as: Starving Skeleton, Giant Skeleton
A towering skeleton formed from the bones of the unburied dead, rattling through the night to bite off heads.
Heian period folklore, popularized 1844
Japan, widespread
15+ meters tall
Hostile, predatory
Cultural legend, no physical evidence
The Lore
The gashadokuro is a massive skeletal figure from Japanese folklore, said to be fifteen times the height of a person. It forms from the gathered bones of those who died in famine or battle without proper burial. The creature roams after midnight, invisible to most, and its approach is signaled only by a ringing in the ears. It seizes lone travelers and bites off their heads. The legend gained visual fame through Utagawa Kuniyoshi's iconic 1844 woodblock print.
Body Type
Folklore Origin
Media Appearances
- Nioh 2 (video game)
- Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
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