History Main / StringyHairedGhostgirl

* One of the "contestants" in ''{{Gantz}}'' is a young woman who looks like one of these. It's even {{lampshaded}} by the young model whom she is stalking, who calls her {{TheRing "Sadako"}}. [[spoiler:It turns out she's really beautiful under all the hair]].

An entity often seen in Japanese horror movies is a ghost, usually that of a young woman, with long, stringy black hair [[[[BlindingBangs that covers her face]], clad in a [[WomanInWhite white burial kimono or shroud]]. Her face itself is often quite ghastly to look upon.

An entity often seen in Japanese horror movies is a ghost, usually that of a young woman, with long, stringy black hair that covers her face, clad in a [[WomanInWhite white burial kimono or shroud]]. Her face itself is often quite ghastly to look upon.

!!Examples:

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

* The story that Doumeki tells about his grandfather's encounter with a ghost during the Hundred Ghost Story Ceremony in ''XxxHolic'' features one of these, albeit one wearing a simple dress as opposed to a burial kimono or shroud.

* He's not a ghost and he's not a girl (well, at present), but [[{{Naruto}} Orochimaru's]] design is clearly based on this.

[[folder: Card Games]]
* The Tenth Edition version of [[http://ww2.wizards.com/Gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?id=129491 Bog Wraith]] in ''MagicTheGathering''. Appropriately enough, the flavor text refers to a location in Kamigawa, the Japan-inspired part of Magic's multiverse.

[[folder: Film]]

* ''ATaleOfTwoSisters'' has the scariest damn one you can ever imagine.

* The short Japanese film ''{{Black Hair}}'', from the anthology ''Kaidan'', is a classic example.
* ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JWIqZuvMj0 Hair Extension]]'' - Yes, it's exatly what the title sounds like. All dedicated to haunted hair!!! It's like the film makers weren't even trying to hide it anymore!

[[folder: Literature]]
* The "creeping woman" from Charlotte Perkins Gilman's ''{{The Yellow Wallpaper}}'', who is actually a hallucination appearing to the narrator, who has been forced to stay in a room with no intellectual stimulation, or any exciting activity at all, to 'calm her nerves.' Liberal doses of nerve tonic was also prescribed; probably containing significant quantities of opium and alcohol. (Note, this was the prescribed remedy to women suffering "hysteria" in the 19th century.) [[spoiler: The narrator eventually thinks there's a woman creeping behind the odd, vine-like pattern of the wallpaper, and eventually, sees her crawling about. Then she thinks she sees a lot of them. Then she thinks ''she's'' the creeping woman.]]
* [[spoiler: Kuyou Suou]] in ''SuzumiyaHaruhi''. [[spoiler: An interface, similar to [[TheStoic Nagato]], but ''worse''. Apart from being a StringyHairedGhostGirl, she actually seems to be invisible to unimportant persons.]]

[[folder: Live Action TV]]
* River Tam from ''{{Firefly}}'' doesn't wear white, and indeed isn't actually dead, but otherwise she can look eerily similar to this trope when she's in one of her ... moods.
* Bloody Mary from the fifth episode of season one of ''{{Supernatural}}''.

[[folder: Music Video]]
* The German techno-goth group {{ENomine}}'s music video for "Mitternacht" features one of these.
* {{Disturbed}}'s video for "The Animal" also feature one (technically a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontianak_(folklore) pontianak]] but still similar) with red cross-shaped make up. Who later paints a cross on top of a lamb and enjoying a bloody feast before sending her wolves in an attempt to kill the band.

[[folder: Theater]]
* First and foremost is the original onryo herself, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yotsuya_Kaidan Oiwa]]. And yes, it is just as bad as you can imagine it.

[[folder: Video Games]]

** ''HouseOfTheDead: Overkill'' features a boss named Screamer, which appears to be an homage to Alma, as it shares both Alma's appearance and mimics some of her appearances [[spoiler: such as appearing briefly in windows or sitting in the corner of the elevator]].

* {{MUGEN}} has two amongst its huge, ever-growing cast of characters-Ella and Noroko. Ella is based off a ton of horror movies and is more comical than horrific-Noroko is a more traditional ghost girl, with the ability to crawl on the ceiling, spew blood from her wrists, and a complete lack of a face.

[[folder: Webcomics]]

* Aradia Megido from ''{{Homestuck}}''. WordOfGod has stated that her design is inspired by "basically every Japanese horror movie ever." [[spoiler:And then we find out that she [[DeadAllAlong is actually a ghost...]]]]

[[folder: Western Animation]]
* In the HiccupHijinks episode of ''{{Phineas and Ferb}}'', the Haunted House the title characters build for Isabella feature Stringy Haired Ghost Girls.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Web Original]]

[[folder: Folklore]]
The long haired onryo isn't just seen in Japanese culture. Similar variations occur in other Asian countries as well, like China, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea.

* Traditionally in Korea, ghosts tend to follow the same archetype as the fiend in "The Ring". Female ghosts look bedraggled with hair in their face, and they are always clad in white (the color worn in funerals). The maiden ghost is the most common and fearful in Korea.
* Of all the ghosts in Thailand, the most famous is "Nang Naak". The story varies, but it's usually like this: An ordinary farm girl named Naak from a village falls in love with a handsome young man named Nai Maak. Despite their economical backgrounds, they eventually manage to be together. Shortly after marriage, Nai Maak is conscripted for military service and leaves Naak behind, who dies during labor along with her unborn child. Although they are buried according to local tradition, the spirit of Naak refuses to perish. When Nai Maak returns from the war, the ghost disguises herself and her child as humans to him. The revelation itself provides one of the most memorable scenes in the story when Maak sees his wife grotesquely stretching her arm through the floorboard of their elevated house to pick up a fallen lime, or a knife in another version, on the ground. The terrified husband runs away and the ghost follows him. There are many gory accounts of how Nang Naak chases, harasses, or even kills whoever comes between Maak and her. Your going to have to go on this link to learn what happens afterward - http://asiarecipe.com/thainangnak.html Here are the examples:
** Cursed Hair. Another horror movie specifically about evil hair. Here's [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8zLd-5NNAY the trailer]].
** ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDqew5U68Q4 Nang Naak]]'': It wouldn't be long until they turned the story into a movie.
** ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjtDhiSTOi0 Muoi (Legend of a Portrait)]]''
* In China, the classical image of ghosts are young woman whose faces are covered by long black hair, who dies due to misfortune, then comes back for revenge. http://gc.nuaa.edu.cn:8080/nanhangwy/zuopin/PPT/ppt/Culture.ppt#257,2,Slide 2
** Sigaw ("The Echo")
** The Ghost Inside - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgIP-MArHWg
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona La Llorona]], the "weeping woman" of Latin American myth, has elements of this.

[[folder: Real Life]]
* The painting "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_of_Oyuki The Ghost of Oyuki]]" is believed to be one of the earliest examples of this trope, dating back to 1750, making this OlderThanSteam.
[[/folder]]

<<|AlwaysFemale|>>
<<|UsefulNotes/{{Japan}}|>>
<<|HorrorTropes|>>\

An entity often seen in Japanese horror movies is a ghost, usually that of a young woman, with long, stringy black hair that covers her face, clad in a [[WomanInWhite white burial kimono or shroud]]. Her face itself is often quite ghastly to look upon.

While there are a few male onryo in kabuki, the vast majority are female.

This trope has become insanely popular recently. Compare with BedsheetGhost, UndeathlyPallor and PaleSkinnedBrunette. Contrast with CuteGhostGirl. Usually comes with a side serving of ScreamerTrailer. See also UndeadChild.

* The "Witch" zombies in ''Left4Dead'' appear at various points in the level curled up and crying (with a distinctive, creepy sound and [[RedEyesTakeWarning Glowing Red Eyes]]) and resemble this trope with a pair of claws to boot. If a player startles one, (by shining their flashlight on her, getting too close or attacking her) she goes into a frenzy and knocks them into negative health. To make matters worse they're the fastest non-mook zombie and they have extremely high health (players are supposed to avoid them, indeed there's an achievement for avoiding provoking any of the witches you encounter in a campaign).

[[folder: Real Life]]
* The painting "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghost_of_Oyuki The Ghost of Oyuki]]" is believed to be one of the earliest examples of this trope, dating back to 1750, making this OlderThanSteam.
[[/folder]]

* {{Disturbed}}'s video for "The Animal" also feature one (technically a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontianak_(folklore) pontianak]] but still similar. With red cross-shaped make up. Who paint a cross on top of a lamb and enjoying a bloody feast before sending her wolves to attempt to kill the band.

* {{Disturbed}}'s video for "The Animal" also feature one. With red cross-shaped make up. Who paint a cross on top of a lamb and enjoying a bloody feast before sending her wolves to attempt to kill the band.

* [[Disturbed]]'s video for "The Animal" also feature one. With red cross-shaped make up. Who paint a cross on top of a lamb and enjoying a bloody feast before sending her wolves to attempt to kill the band.

* AJ Annila's ''Sauna'' features a rare blonde example of the trope, though the black filth she oozes obscures this detail much of the time.

[[folder:TVTropes]]
* Take a good look at the new icon for HighOctaneNightmareFuel. [[ParanoiaFuel She's]] [[TVTropesWillRuinYourLife heeeeere...]]
** The Terminator is a ghost girl?!
*** Well, the flesh and stringy hair must have been burnt off by all the flames. Do I have to [[WildMassGuessing figure everything out]] myself?
[[/folder]]

*** Well, the flesh and stringy hair must have been burnt off by all the flames. Do I have to [[WildMassGuessing figure everything out] myself?

* He's not a ghost and he's not a girl (well, at present), but [[Naruto Orochimaru's]] design is clearly based on this.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Llorona La Llarona]], the "weeping woman" of Latin American myth, has elements of this.

* The German techno-goth group E Nomine's music video for "Mitternacht" features one of these.

* In the HiccupHijinks episode of ''Phineas and Ferb'', the Haunted House the title characters build for Isabella feature Stringy Haired Ghost Girls.

* Aradia Megido from ''{{Homestuck}}''. WordOfGod has stated that her design was inspired by this trope. [[spoiler:And then we find out that she was DeadAllAlong...]]