Category:Gedoushu & Ayakashi

The Gedoushu (外道衆 Gedōshū?) whose name roughly translates as "Heretic Party" are fictional characters, who are the antagonists from the 33rd Super Sentai Series Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. They are malevolent spirits living in the Rokumon Junk (六門船 Rokumonsen?) that sails along the Sanzu River (三途の川 Sanzu-no-kawa?) in the land of the dead, dependant on its waters for surival and cursed to be in state between life and death. Able to enter our world through cracks and narrow gaps, they set up a plan to terrorize humans in anyway possible so that the river overflows to point of flooding into the mortal realm in order for them to invade in full fury. The Gedoshu can also become powerful during the time of Bon Festival. Though defeated and sealed by the previous generation's Shinkengers, the Gedoushu reawaken in present time to resume their havoc, only to face the Shinkengers. In the world of Shinkenger, the Gedoushu are the basis of all the yōkai in Japanese mythology.

The Ayakashi (アヤカシ Ayakashi?) are ancient spirits with nightmarish forms that serve the Gedoushu, dwelling within the depths of the Sanzu River until being summoned to go through the gap. However, they can only remain in the mortal world until they begin to dry up, returning to the Sanzu River to regain their moisture. Each Ayakashi has two lives, the second life allowing them to grow giant once they are slain in human-size battle. The term ayakashi refers to a damned soul lost at sea in Japanese myth. It is also homophonous with ayakashi (怪士?), a mask used to represent a ghost in Noh theater.