Games - Japanese dragon

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A Japanese dragon (竜 ryū/日本竜 nihonryū) is a legendary creature with physical attributes and disposition similar to the Chinese and Korean dragons. There are a few major differences between the Japanese Dragons and those that are said to live in other parts of the world. One major difference is that, unlike Korean and Chinese Dragons, Japanese Dragons have three claws instead of four. Japanese Dragons are said to fly less than European Dragons, but unlike European Dragons, Japanese Dragons are more or less benevolent, though there are a number of exceptions, and sometimes said to grant wishes. Japanese Dragons do not always have wings, similar to Korean and Chinese Dragons.

Some say that dragon stories may come from sightings of large fish, like the Oarfish, that were blown out of proportion. Although no skeletal remains have ever been found of dragons, this explanation still continue into folklore.

Dragons are rarely mentioned in Japanese mythology. One of the most famous is Yamata no Orochi, a terrible monster with eight heads and eight tails slain by Susanoo, who afterwards found the sacred sword Kusanagi on his fourth tail. Another important dragon is the emperor-god of the sea, Ryūjin.

In popular culture

Modern Japanese popular culture often refers to dragons, ascribing to them magical powers such as healing, flying, or assuming a human form at will. Examples include:

In Dragon Ball, the initial plot is about magical balls which can grant wishes, given to mankind by the dragon Shenlong
.
In the Pokémon
series, dragons (Such as Dragonair and Salamence
) are a powerful Pokémon type.
In Spirited Away, one character is revealed to be the white dragon spirit of a river.
In the famous console RPG
series Dragon Quest
, there are many dragons throughout the game, designs vary from European dragons to Asian dragons.
In the famous console RPG
series Final Fantasy
, players can summon many dragons, such as Tiamat, Leviathan
, and Bahamut
. The latter often plays a role in the storyline as well.
The Breath of Fire
console RPG
series all have a dragon as the main character.
In the trading card game Magic: The Gathering
, the Legendary Dragon Spirit known as Kokusho exists as part of a powerful race of dragons found on the plane Kamigawa.

ja:竜

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Games - Japanese dragon

In popular culture

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