Live action TV
Description
Nurikabe is a large, wall-shaped yōkai who serves as one of Kitaro's most dependable companions. He appears as a massive rectangular earthen wall with sleepy eyes, short limbs, and, in most anime portrayals, a gray or light blue body. His design is drawn from an old Japanese folk belief about an invisible wall that blocks travelers on dark roads, but in the Kitaro series he becomes a heroic and loyal ally rather than a mere obstacle.
In terms of background, Nurikabe first appeared in the original manga during the Great Yōkai War, where Kitaro chose him as part of his team to fight against Western yōkai. In that early story he was killed after a swarm of vampires drained his blood, but he later reappeared without explanation and gradually became a regular member of Kitaro's group. From the second anime series onward he is firmly established as one of the recurring companions, and in the fifth anime series he is shown to have a wife and children, collectively known as the Nurikabe family.
His personality is gentle, relaxed, and good-natured. He is slow to anger and described as a pure and trusting soul who rarely doubts others. He speaks very little and often only utters variations of his own name, such as a drawn-out "Nurikabe" or simple sounds like "nuri, nuri" when acting or reacting. Despite his quiet nature, he is deeply loyal and protective. He readily puts his body in danger to shield Kitaro and the others, and he can become genuinely furious when an enemy harms or mistreats his friends. He also has a soft, romantic side and is known to be vulnerable to the kindness of gentle women. He enjoys food and sake, has a notably large appetite, and favors wild mountain grapes.
His central motivation is protective duty. He sees himself as a wall whose purpose is to stand between danger and the people he cares about. He does not seek conflict for its own sake and shows little interest in harming humans, but he will fight without hesitation when his companions are threatened. His loyalty to Kitaro in particular is essentially unwavering, and he is willing to endure serious injury, poison, or even death in battle if it means protecting the group.
In the story, Nurikabe functions as the team's shield and heavy frontline fighter. He is the physical barrier who blocks enemy attacks, absorbs damage, and creates openings for the others. Beyond combat, he also handles physical labor, such as moving heavy objects, clearing obstacles, repairing buildings, and using his ability to shape his own body to patch damage or seal gaps. Because of his enormous size and strength, his presence often decides the outcome of battles, though he is also vulnerable to surprise attacks and to enemies that bypass his durable exterior.
His key relationships are built around this protective role. He is closest to Kitaro, serving as one of the most trusted members of his inner circle, and he also watches over Medama-Oyaji. He works alongside other companions such as Sunakake Baba, Konaki Jijii, Ittan Momen, and Neko Musume, usually as the silent, steady anchor of the group. Nezumi Otoko teases him, particularly about his eating, but their interactions are mostly comedic. In the fifth anime series, his wife and children appear, showing him as a devoted family yōkai who carries the same gentle, supportive manner into his home life.
Over the course of the series, his role deepens from a minor supporting yōkai into a full regular character. Early portrayals emphasize his raw physical power and occasional comic clumsiness, while later ones give him more personal stories, including romance and family life. He remains consistent in nature throughout, always calm, quiet, and dependable.
His notable abilities all stem from his wall-like body. He is roughly three meters tall and weighs about one ton under normal conditions, though he can greatly change his size, growing to dozens of meters or shrinking to a very small scale. His body is extremely durable, allowing him to withstand fire, lava, and heavy attacks, and he retains flexibility despite his bulk. In combat, he commonly falls onto enemies to crush them, pins them down, or traps them by turning his body into a mud-like plaster that hardens around them. He can control the plaster that forms his body and even produces a trowel to work with it, letting him build or repair structures. He can store water and oil inside himself and spray them out forcefully as a water gun, and he can release mist to conceal allies. He also has remarkable leg strength for jumping and can move through the ground or appear suddenly from above. His body is mysterious in construction, but some anime scenes reveal a bamboo-like internal framework, and he is shown to have blood or a similar fluid, since vampires can drain him. While his speech is limited, his abilities and his physical presence make him one of the most reliable defenders among the yōkai who fight alongside Kitaro.
In terms of background, Nurikabe first appeared in the original manga during the Great Yōkai War, where Kitaro chose him as part of his team to fight against Western yōkai. In that early story he was killed after a swarm of vampires drained his blood, but he later reappeared without explanation and gradually became a regular member of Kitaro's group. From the second anime series onward he is firmly established as one of the recurring companions, and in the fifth anime series he is shown to have a wife and children, collectively known as the Nurikabe family.
His personality is gentle, relaxed, and good-natured. He is slow to anger and described as a pure and trusting soul who rarely doubts others. He speaks very little and often only utters variations of his own name, such as a drawn-out "Nurikabe" or simple sounds like "nuri, nuri" when acting or reacting. Despite his quiet nature, he is deeply loyal and protective. He readily puts his body in danger to shield Kitaro and the others, and he can become genuinely furious when an enemy harms or mistreats his friends. He also has a soft, romantic side and is known to be vulnerable to the kindness of gentle women. He enjoys food and sake, has a notably large appetite, and favors wild mountain grapes.
His central motivation is protective duty. He sees himself as a wall whose purpose is to stand between danger and the people he cares about. He does not seek conflict for its own sake and shows little interest in harming humans, but he will fight without hesitation when his companions are threatened. His loyalty to Kitaro in particular is essentially unwavering, and he is willing to endure serious injury, poison, or even death in battle if it means protecting the group.
In the story, Nurikabe functions as the team's shield and heavy frontline fighter. He is the physical barrier who blocks enemy attacks, absorbs damage, and creates openings for the others. Beyond combat, he also handles physical labor, such as moving heavy objects, clearing obstacles, repairing buildings, and using his ability to shape his own body to patch damage or seal gaps. Because of his enormous size and strength, his presence often decides the outcome of battles, though he is also vulnerable to surprise attacks and to enemies that bypass his durable exterior.
His key relationships are built around this protective role. He is closest to Kitaro, serving as one of the most trusted members of his inner circle, and he also watches over Medama-Oyaji. He works alongside other companions such as Sunakake Baba, Konaki Jijii, Ittan Momen, and Neko Musume, usually as the silent, steady anchor of the group. Nezumi Otoko teases him, particularly about his eating, but their interactions are mostly comedic. In the fifth anime series, his wife and children appear, showing him as a devoted family yōkai who carries the same gentle, supportive manner into his home life.
Over the course of the series, his role deepens from a minor supporting yōkai into a full regular character. Early portrayals emphasize his raw physical power and occasional comic clumsiness, while later ones give him more personal stories, including romance and family life. He remains consistent in nature throughout, always calm, quiet, and dependable.
His notable abilities all stem from his wall-like body. He is roughly three meters tall and weighs about one ton under normal conditions, though he can greatly change his size, growing to dozens of meters or shrinking to a very small scale. His body is extremely durable, allowing him to withstand fire, lava, and heavy attacks, and he retains flexibility despite his bulk. In combat, he commonly falls onto enemies to crush them, pins them down, or traps them by turning his body into a mud-like plaster that hardens around them. He can control the plaster that forms his body and even produces a trowel to work with it, letting him build or repair structures. He can store water and oil inside himself and spray them out forcefully as a water gun, and he can release mist to conceal allies. He also has remarkable leg strength for jumping and can move through the ground or appear suddenly from above. His body is mysterious in construction, but some anime scenes reveal a bamboo-like internal framework, and he is shown to have blood or a similar fluid, since vampires can drain him. While his speech is limited, his abilities and his physical presence make him one of the most reliable defenders among the yōkai who fight alongside Kitaro.