Noppera-bō appear much like regular humans, especially when viewed from behind. However, they lack facial features. While they can sometimes appear with the illusion of facial features, the truth is quickly revealed when the yōkai wipes away its fake face to reveal the completely smooth skin underneath.
This yōkai is mostly harmless. It merely enjoys pranking people by surprising them with its lack of a face. Sometimes it will take on the appearance of a loved one to startle people more effectively. They have also been known to prank people in groups. After a person flees from one noppera-bō, another will listen to the terrified person recounting what they saw before saying "You mean like this?" and wiping away their fake facial features, scaring the person even more.
FUN FACT: It is common for other yōkai such as kitsune and tanuki to disguise themselves as noppera-bō in order to play pranks on people, as depicted in Pom Poko.
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Examples in various media:
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Unnamed noppera-bō appearing as samurai and ninjas (AdventureQuest Worlds)
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Blanca (Animal Crossing)
In some games, she disguises herself as other villagers on April Fool's Day. In others, the player gets to draw her fake facial features for her.
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