History Main / Nurikabe

A {{Youkai}} from Japanese folklore that takes the form of [[LivingStructureMonster an animate section of wall]]. It has the power to turn invisible, and likes to use this power to impede travelers. Interesting enough, its common depiction of being an animated wall is somewhat of [[NewerThanTheyThink a modern representation]]. Originally during the Edo period, one of its early depictions was that of a three-eyed grotesque vaguely dog-like creature. Over time, its depiction changed to a literal wall with limbs and very vague features.

* One ''Manga/AyakashiTriangle'' chapter is about Soga and Matsuri needing to get a sleeping nurikabe off a road before cars crash into it because it's InvisibleToNormals. It's basically a three-eyed [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1b.jpg segment of a fortress wall with canine features]], where even the "stone" is solid clumps of fur (which Matsuri gets stuck in). [[spoiler:It turns out it was just there to block an upcoming landslide from crushing a village.]]

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Bastiodon series resembles the early depictions of nurikabe, being a stocky dinosaur with a large, flat face that acts as a shield.

** ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'': Brick Bully is based on the nurikabe, since his counterpart in ''Series/NinjaSentaiKakuranger'' was one.
** Forcefear from ''Series/PowerRangersNinjaSteel'' was also a nurikabe in ''Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger''. Befitting of the mythical youkai's ability to block one from passing, he is a BarrierWarrior and is instead based on a railroad gate.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': Whomps, Thwomps and Wallops are based on nurikabe, being animated blocks of stone that make themselves a nuisance by getting in Mario's way -- or by attempting to crush him under them. In the ''VideoGame/MarioParty'' series, they often block pathways just like the real Nurikabe. In the main games, the Wallop is the closest in behaviour, as it will mimic Mario's movements to obstruct his path (including jumping when he does), and needs to be tricked in order to pass.

A {{Youkai}} from Japanese Folklore that takes the form of [[LivingStructureMonster an animate section of wall]]. It has the power to turn invisible, and likes to use this power to impede travelers. Interesting enough, its common depiction of being an animated wall is somewhat of [[NewerThanTheyThink a modern representation]]. Originally during the Edo period, one of its early depictions was that of a three-eyed grotesque vaguely dog-like creature. Over time, its depiction changed to a literal wall with limbs and very vague features.

* ''VideoGame/Nioh2'' see them return with a slight redesign but serving the same function. They can no longer be appeased, however, and have to be defeated to reach whatever they guard.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': Whomps, Thwomps and Wallops are based on nurikabe, being animated blocks of stone that make themselves a nuisance by getting in Mario's way -- or by attempting to crush him under them. In the ''VideoGame/MarioParty'' series, they often block pathways just like the real Nurikabe.

* ''Videogame/MonsterRancher'': Monols are a breed of monster that resemble large, flat, rectangular walls made of black stone. Strangely, they can morph their surface to resemble a face, or use it as a weapon by creating spikes or tendrils. Monols excel in defense but have very poor speed because they move by gliding slowly over the earth, using their powers over gravity and electromagnetism.

* ''Manga/MononokeSharing'' has Oi-chan, who spends most of her time acting as a section of wall in the cast's appartment building (since she can't hold a human form for long periods of time).

* In ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', there's a family of nurikabe that go by the name "Blockhead." They claim to be "the only one", though.

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[[folder:Traditional Games]]

* The game Nurikabe - invented by the same company as Sudoku - where the player begins with a grid with scattered numbers and must black out tiles such that each number is alone on a white island of the appropriate size - is named for the youkai.

[[folder:Traditional Games]]
* The game Nurikabe - invented by the same company as Sudoku - where the player begins with a grid with scattered numbers and must black out tiles such that each number is alone on a white island of the appropriate size - is named for the youkai.
[[/folder]]