Shuten-dōji was born as an orphan child in Japan long ago. Despite being incredibly large, strong, and far beyond average intelligence, he was troubled. Some believed his parentage was beyond ordinary humans, and it was proposed that one of his parents was a demon or even a dragon.
When he was young, he joined a temple to become a monk but hated it. He was irreverent and rebellious, causing conflict with his fellow monks, and all-around, didn’t seem to care much about his studies. The young man became consumed with love for alcohol, constantly drinking sake to excess. His drinking would earn him his name, Shuten-dōji, which, when translated, means “little drunkard.”
Shuten-dōji marching to terrorize ancient Japan
Shuten-dōji was also a prankster. At a festival, he became incredibly intoxicated, then put on an oni (Japanese demon) mask and hid in wait for unsuspecting people to frighten them as he jumped out from hiding spots. He had a wonderful time terrifying people, greatly delighting in the fear he inspired in others. However, at the end of the evening, he was exhausted, and his drinking caught up to him. But, when he tried to remove the mask, he was astonished that he could not take it off. The demon mask had fused to his face!
Greatly distressed, he sought help. Instead, the monks mocked him, taunted him, and even his teacher would not assist him. Everyone at the temple scolded him for his bad habits, evil mind, and drunken pranks. The disregard infuriated Shuten-dōji, which cultivated his heart to grow darker than it already was, and the man became utterly consumed in anger. Now disfigured and shunned, the young monk walked away from the temple, never to return.
He journeyed into the wilderness and there planned to live as a hermit. The young man could no longer live among the ordinary people of ancient Japan with the demon mask fused to his face. And oddly enough, a mystical change slowly altered the very essence of Shuten-dōji. It was only a matter of time before he could no longer call himself human but, instead, an oni.
Shuten-dōji in his debauchery
The solitude slowly drove Shuten-dōji insane. He grew to detest the world and all who dwell in it. But he did not despair and instead embraced the wickedness and evil that emanated within him. In doing so, Shuten-dōji became obsessed with the occult and began an intense self-education in black magic. He would then use his new dark powers to spread suffering. Anyone Shuten-dōji encountered was in danger, and he often sought out victims to torment. He had no remorse for abducting men, women, or children, then murdering them to drink their blood and gorge himself on their organs.
Slowly those with a like-minded nature came to him and joined his cause of destruction and pain. Just like Shuten-dōji, these followers of his were slowly transformed into oni (demons). All of Japan was prey to his small army of demonic minions, and the wails of suffering echoed across the land.
This entity is genuinely evil and manipulates the lost to become the damned
He and his army of demons became so powerful they turned their eyes towards all of Japan with a desire to rule as tyrants. The world itself was their enemy, and they would torment the society that was so cruel to them. Shuten-dōji had a castle built, and when it was finished, he began his conquest of Japan.
When not in his palace, the demon king would spill forth with his army and attack those who stood in his way. The country’s capital was his main target, and he attacked the city frequently, slowly weakening it. Not only this, but he and his followers continued to attack the innocent and unprotected civilians of the country at will.
The samurai v.s. demons
The Japanese Emperor sought to stop the demon king’s path of destruction before he grew too powerful to defeat. He called a great hero named Raikō to journey to Shuten-dōji’s castle and bring back the demon’s head. Honor-bound and without fear, the samurai and his men traveled to the demon’s lair.
Outside the castle, they found an army of demons drinking sake and reveling in debauchery. Using stealth and wit, Raikō and his men poisoned the vats of sake, which caused the demon army to fall into a drunken, poisoned slumber, allowing the brave samurai to sneak into the castle.
They encountered many demons, killing them one by one in honorable combat. Then they finally came upon Shuten-dōji. The battle was one of brutality and elegant blade skill. But in the end, Raikō slew the demon king.
However, Shuten-dōji had become so powerful not even death could claim him. The demon’s head levitated off the ground and continued to attack the samurai. Eventually, the head was buried deep in the earth where it could do no more harm. And there the adversary remains, waiting for the day he may rise again and continue to bring pain and suffering to the world.
The battle against Shuten-dōji’s head
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