TV-Series
Description
Jakotsu-Baba, the Snake Bone Hag, originates from Japanese folklore before appearing in adaptations. Her folkloric roots depict her as a shamanic figure from the mythical land of Bukan. She carries a blue snake in her right hand and a red snake in her left, guarding her husband Jagoemon's grave at the "snake mound." Her name evolved from "Jagobā" (Jago's wife) to Jakotsu-Baba, though some dialects call her Jagoba or the Five-Snake Woman. As guardian, she attacks intruders near her territory using her snakes, primarily to frighten them.
In the 1968 anime, she first appears as "Obaba," advising the antagonist Nurarihyon about Kitarō. She later assists Nurarihyon by using a mystical urn to extract Kitarō's spirit, revealing the urn's power to trap living beings through its aroma. Her plan to lure Kitarō with the urn backfires, transporting them to the Mesozoic era via a time-machine cottage.
The 1985 anime expands her role. She collaborates with Nurarihyon and Shu-no-Bon to trap Kitarō in a bottle by intoxicating him, demanding payment. This scheme fails, stranding all three in the past. Later, during the Jigoku Arc, she transforms into a horse-like yōkai, devours Kitarō, and attacks another character. Kitarō restrains her, splits her in half, and defeats her.
The 2007 anime introduces a new weapon: a cursed arrow from Backbeard designed to infest targets with a rampaging Western yōkai spirit. Tasked with shooting Kitarō, she instead hits Sunakake-Babaa, who is later cured by exploiting the spirit's weakness to water.
Across adaptations, her abilities include snake manipulation, transformation into monstrous forms, and using enchanted objects like the urn and arrow. Her physical appearance varies slightly but consistently features an elderly woman with wrinkles, drooping eyes, and gray hair in a bun, often wearing traditional clothing like a kimono with monpe pants or an apron.
Her character remains aligned with antagonistic forces, typically under Nurarihyon's command, and her motivations often involve financial gain or loyalty to his schemes.
In the 1968 anime, she first appears as "Obaba," advising the antagonist Nurarihyon about Kitarō. She later assists Nurarihyon by using a mystical urn to extract Kitarō's spirit, revealing the urn's power to trap living beings through its aroma. Her plan to lure Kitarō with the urn backfires, transporting them to the Mesozoic era via a time-machine cottage.
The 1985 anime expands her role. She collaborates with Nurarihyon and Shu-no-Bon to trap Kitarō in a bottle by intoxicating him, demanding payment. This scheme fails, stranding all three in the past. Later, during the Jigoku Arc, she transforms into a horse-like yōkai, devours Kitarō, and attacks another character. Kitarō restrains her, splits her in half, and defeats her.
The 2007 anime introduces a new weapon: a cursed arrow from Backbeard designed to infest targets with a rampaging Western yōkai spirit. Tasked with shooting Kitarō, she instead hits Sunakake-Babaa, who is later cured by exploiting the spirit's weakness to water.
Across adaptations, her abilities include snake manipulation, transformation into monstrous forms, and using enchanted objects like the urn and arrow. Her physical appearance varies slightly but consistently features an elderly woman with wrinkles, drooping eyes, and gray hair in a bun, often wearing traditional clothing like a kimono with monpe pants or an apron.
Her character remains aligned with antagonistic forces, typically under Nurarihyon's command, and her motivations often involve financial gain or loyalty to his schemes.