Nue

Japanese

Japan (Heian period, imperial court lore)

Yōkai (Beast)

Aggressive

2 m (6.6 ft)

800 CE

yōkai chimera Japanese folklore monster night field-note

"Nue dwells in Japanese as a beast yōkai of <a href="/bestiary/chimera" class="text-blue-400 hover:text-blue-300 transition-colors hover:underline hover:decoration-blue-500/50 decoration-1 underline-offset-2">Chimera</a>."

AffinitiesNight, Illness, Roofs

Nue Lore & Origins

Nue is a Hostile (Monster): a Chimera-like yōkai—commonly described with the face of a monkey, the body of a raccoon dog, tiger-like limbs and a snake for a tail. In the field it announces itself before it is seen. Smell: a sharp, acrid musk undercut with river-mud and wet fur, the scent of an animal that has spent nights in rain. Sound: a low, quavering cry at dusk — a hollow mix of primate chitter, distant birdcall and a wet hiss — the infamous "nue-no-koe" that unsettles both people and beasts. Temperature: its presence brings an oppressive, damp warmth, like a trapped animal pressing close; the air feels heavy and humid, skin prickling under its gaze. Notes: sightings are often from rooftop silhouettes or as a shadow that slips along eaves; it rarely walks openly in daylight.

Origin: Japanese • Japan (Heian period, imperial court lore)

Classification: Yōkai (Beast)

Nue Encounter Protocols & Field Notes

Observations

A low, mournful cry at dusk paired with a dark, chimera-shaped silhouette on rooflines or a sudden hush among nearby animals.

Encounter Advice

avoidance: Avoid solitary travel at dusk and night; do not investigate an unanswered, mournful cry. Keep hearths lit, dogs or watch animals alert, and place lines of salt or cedar at thresholds and under eaves where it likes to perch. Leave roofs and high perches undisturbed after sunset.
defense: Tradition favors two-pronged response: ritual and force. Call a Shinto purification (norito/expulsion) to break its influence; daylight and open sun seem to weaken its hold. In lore, hunters drove it off with arrows—practical defenders should seek to drive it from perches rather than tempt a prolonged struggle. Iron trinkets, salt, and burned cedar are used to bind or repel. If the creature is dispatched, memorial cleansing and disposal by trusted ritual keep its malice from returning.
offering: Optional: salt, iron trinkets, or burned cedar placed at thresholds can ease passage and reduce curiosity; offerings are precautionary rather than a true appeasement.

Nue Abilities & Powers

Nue-no-Naki (Cursed Night Cry)
Emits an eerie nocturnal wail that induces fever, nightmares and lingering misfortune in those who hear it.
Chimera Physique
A composite form—monkey head, tanuki/raccoon-dog torso, tiger legs and snake tail—enables unpredictable, multi-vector attacks and resilience to mundane weapons.
Roofborne Haunt
Perches unseen on roofs and eaves to focus its curse on sleeping occupants and infest households with malaise.

Weaknesses & How to Defeat the Nue

Sacred Arrow (Yorimasa's Bow)
Vulnerable to consecrated archery—righteous, blessed arrows can penetrate its resistance and fell it outright.
Dawn / Sunlight
A night-born entity whose curses and presence wane with dawn; direct sunlight disperses its power.
Imperial Exorcism / Onmyōdō Purification
Court purification rites or onmyōji exorcisms can break active curses and bind or banish the creature.