The Four Gods: Difference between revisions

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Common variations of the above are Xuánwǔ actually being a two-headed turtle/snake hybrid or a [[Interspecies Romance|turtle and a snake having sex]] -- and Báihǔ and Huánglóng occasionally being replaced by Qílín/Kirin, a unicorn-like chimera.

Also of note is the fact that many people confuse [[The Phoenix]] with Zhūquè. While they seem similar, they are entirely different entities; in fact the [~~http://en.~~wikipedia~~.org/wiki/~~Fenghuang Fènghuáng] (Hōō) is a closer representation of [[The Phoenix]] in comparison.

Also of note is the fact that many people confuse [[The Phoenix]] with Zhūquè. While they seem similar, they are entirely different entities; in fact the [[wikipedia:Fenghuang|Fènghuáng]] (Hōō) is a closer representation of [[The Phoenix]] in comparison.

The remains of this belief system can be found in temples and shrines all over Japan, and even in the architecture of places like the city of Nara. It is part of the Japanese cultural heritage, although not always a prominent or even well-remembered part.

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* ''[[Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai (Anime)|Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai]]'' uses the Four Gods and [[Onmyodo]] mysticism as the foundation for its deceptively slapstick story.

* ''[[Tokyo Majin]]'' averted this, with the Yellow Dragon indeed represents Void/Destruction.

* Author Ken Akamatsu has noted that the Four Gods appear in ''[[Love Hina]]'' in the form of various pets: Genbu is Onsen Tamago, the hot springs turtle; Byakko is Kuro, Kanako's cat; Suzaku is Shippu, the mysterious bird owned by Tsuruko (Motoko's elder sister); and Seiryū is Leon, the chameleon owned by Ema Maeda (a manga-only [[Last Episode New Character|last-episode character]]).

* Author Ken Akamatsu has noted that the Four Gods appear in ''[[Love Hina]]'' in the form of various pets: Genbu is Onsen Tamago, the hot springs turtle; Byakko is Kuro, Kanako's cat; Suzaku is Shippu, the mysterious bird owned by Tsuruko (Motoko's elder sister); and Seiryū is Leon, the chameleon owned by Ema Maeda (a manga-only [[Last-Episode New Character|last-episode character]]).

* ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]]'', features "The Four Saint Beasts", a [[Quirky Miniboss Squad]] of demons based on the Four Gods. In sequence, they were:

** Genbu, defeated by Kurama

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* Four enemy characters from ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' are named after the Four Gods and each fights with an appropriate weapon and fighting style -- Seiryū uses a longsword and reads his opponent's attacks, Suzaku has twin shortswords and copies his opponent's moves, Byakko uses spiked bracers and relies on physical strength, and Genbu has a sectional staff and uses strategic planning to play the long game.

* In ''[[The Slayers]]'', the good dragon-gods of the world, as opposed to the evil chaos-demon-gods, are based on this pattern: four gods, each representing an element, and the supreme (actually, penultimate) god Ceipheed. The evil demon gods are based on Goetic demonology.

* Each of the girls in ''[[Hyakko]]'''s [[Four Girl Ensemble]] corresponds to one of the four gods. A broader [[Theme Naming]] based on the twelve animals of the Zodiac is present in the rest of the cast.

* Each of the girls in ''[[Hyakko]]'''s [[Four-Girl Ensemble]] corresponds to one of the four gods. A broader [[Theme Naming]] based on the twelve animals of the Zodiac is present in the rest of the cast.

* The B'ts of the four Spirit Knights in ''[[Bt X]]'' correspond to the Four Gods, with the slight variation of the Spirit Knight of the West having a Kirin (Horse) B't instead of a Byakko.

* The main characters of ''[[Beyblade]]'' all have bit beasts that are based on the Four Gods. In the Japanese version, they were named after them as well.

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* In ''[[Mega Man (Video Game)|Mega Man]] 10'', the [[Dual Boss|Dual]] [[Mini Boss|Minibosses]] of Solar Man's stage are two phoenixes. One of them is named "Suzak".

* ''[[Bloody Roar]]'' played with this a little throughout the series. The tiger came first in Beastorizor ([[Market-Based Title|later renamed Bloody Roar 1]]) through [[Bare-Fisted Monk|Long]] (who is a [[Voluntary Shapeshifting|zoanthrope]] of a tiger), whom later had an evil clone in the form of [[All Girls Want Bad Boys|Shenlong]] ([[Evil Albino|who is an albino tiger]]) with a [[Balance Between Good and Evil|yin-yang theme between the two]] (before [[Draco in Leather Pants|Shenlong eventually grown more compassionate and less evil]]). Next came Primal Fury (Technically Bloody Roar 4 and the same as [[Updated Rerelease|Extreme]]) which had [[White-Haired Pretty Boy|Cronos]], who, [[Everything's Better With Penguins|besides being a penguin]], [[The Phoenix|is also a flame-covered phoenix]]. Then comes [[Four Is Death|Bloody Roar 4]] (which is actually 5) there was [[The Dragon|Ryoho]] who was a water dragon of Gaia that was [[Game Breaker|so]] [[God Modders|powerful]] his dragon form had to be sealed off every so often. Finally, in the [[No Export for You|rediculously rare manga Bloody Roar The Fang]] (which takes place along Primal Fury's time), the trope is played straight with powerful zoanthropes representing the four gods, among the prominent ones being a tortoise zoanthrope with a snake for a tail. Out of them, only Long and Shenlong aren't considered as godly in status.

* ''[[Tokimeki Memorial|Tokimeki Memorial 2]]'' has the local [[Delinquents]] gang, the Four Heaven Kings, using the Four Gods themes, each of them wearing on their coats' back a symbol of the respective god they represent : [[Knight Templar Big Brother|Sou-Banchou]], the leader, is Seiryū ; [[Giant Mook|Kinniku-Banchou]] is Genbu ; [[Hot Blooded|Hi no Tama-Banchou]] is Suzaku ; and [[The Dragon|Kogarashi-Banchou]] is Byakko. [[Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?|Baito-Banchou]], on the other hand, being the [[Sixth Ranger]] in the gang {{spoiler|and the only one of the Four Heaven Kings you don't have to win against, [[Hopeless Boss Fight|just survive until she goes for her next part-time job]], as she's [[Nigh Invulnerable]]}}, doesn't have a Four Gods theme.

* ''[[Tokimeki Memorial|Tokimeki Memorial 2]]'' has the local [[Delinquents]] gang, the Four Heaven Kings, using the Four Gods themes, each of them wearing on their coats' back a symbol of the respective god they represent : [[Knight Templar Big Brother|Sou-Banchou]], the leader, is Seiryū ; [[Giant Mook|Kinniku-Banchou]] is Genbu ; [[Hot-Blooded|Hi no Tama-Banchou]] is Suzaku ; and [[The Dragon|Kogarashi-Banchou]] is Byakko. [[Why Do You Keep Changing Jobs?|Baito-Banchou]], on the other hand, being the [[Sixth Ranger]] in the gang {{spoiler|and the only one of the Four Heaven Kings you don't have to win against, [[Hopeless Boss Fight|just survive until she goes for her next part-time job]], as she's [[Nigh Invulnerable]]}}, doesn't have a Four Gods theme.

* In ''[[Digimon World 3]]'', the four cities of Asuka Server are named Seiryū City (East Sector), Suzaku City (South Sector), Byakko City (West Sector) and Genbu City (North Sector). [[Dark World|Amaterasu Server]] names its counterparts of the same cities using their Chinese names - Qing Long, Zhu Que, Bai Hu, Xuan Wu. The actual [[Mons]] based on the Four Gods (see above) don't make an appearance, though, but they do show up in most other ''[[Digimon]]'' games past that point.

* ''[[The Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask]]'': The four giants of Termina. They don't line up perfectly with the four gods, but there is one of them in each direction:

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[[Category:Motifs]]

[[Category:The Four Gods]]

[[Category:Trope]]