Gargaros

is a Fire-attributed Boss Yo-kai, and the first/main boss of Terror Time, a sub-dimension that can overlay over the real world with little warning beyond a countdown, where he and his Oni brethren inhabits.

In Yo-kai Watch 2, Gargaros is now able to be befriended. Gargaros' befriendable Yo-kai form retains his elemental attribute and is a S-ranked Yo-kai of the Tough tribe.

Appearance
True to his name, Gargaros is an oni-like creature with red skin, a single golden horn on his head, clawed hands and feet and curved fangs. He wears a brown loincloth with black trousers below and carries a black kanabou (iron studded club).

Personality
Gargaros is ruthless and terrifying, relentlessly hunting down those who misbehave and attacking them with his club.

Abilities and Powers
As a boss, Gargaros is incredibly powerful, being able to wipe out an entire party of six Yo-kai with little time offered for resistance for those who are not powerful enough to take him on. He often cannot be successfully confronted until the post game, but his defeat causes Ogralus and Orcanos, his even more powerful brothers, to appear in his stead.

History
In the game, once Baku takes the place of the Player in their bed at night by impersonating them, they run the risk of being drawn into Terror Time while still in the waking world. The first time this happens, it's Gargaros who starts hunting them down. Gargaros will be the one to appear in Terror Time until he is defeated by the player several times.

In the show, Gargaros has come after Nate on two occasions after the latter left his home despite his mother telling him not to. The first time, Gargaros flattens Jibanyan and Whisper and chases Nate back to his house. The second time, due to interference by Captain Bully, Nate is forced to confront Gargaros, but the prolonged strategical discussion bores Gargaros, and he simply leaves Nate alone.

Origin
Gargaros and other Yo-kai similar to him are based on oni, a popular creature in Japanese folklore. Their name is often translated as "demon" or "ogre", but their origin differs a lot from that of Western devils.

Originally oni were the invisible forces behind natural disasters (their name coming from on, or "hidden"). Through the influence of Chinese Buddhism, they absorbed traits from rakshasa and preta (see Tantroni) and solidified as caretakers of Hell, or dangerous brigands that terrorize villages. Also from China came the idea of kimon ("oni's gate"), the unlucky northeast direction from which spirits enter the human world: it corresponds to the Ox and the Tiger of the Chinese zodiac, and that created the definite image of oni as huge, powerful horned beings that wear tigerskin clothes. They also typically wield massive iron clubs, though it's often humorously pointed out that creatures so strong don't need a weapon, thus the phrase oni ni kanabou ("oni with an iron club") meaning "overkill" or "superfluous advantage".

At their least dangerous, oni are portrayed as boisterous brutes that are nonetheless honest to a fault, and enjoy sake, partying and brawling. The best way to impress them is to match them in a show of strength, or proving one's courage and determination.
 * The word oni is written with the Chinese character for "ghost" (鬼), which appears on the Yo-kai Watch's face when Terror Time begins in the Japanese version. In the English version, it's replaced by the silhouette of a horned demon.
 * Gargaros' facial expression and that of his brothers (one eye squinted, mouth twisted into a snarl) resembles closely that of Acala (or Fudo-Myouou in Japanese) a Buddhist deity that belongs to the so-called "Wisdom Kings". His role is to protect Buddha and their precepts, and to punish sinners who won't yield to reason or kindness. He's always wreathed in karura 's flames (see Flengu) and his face is constantly twisted with rage. In one hand he carries a sword to smite demons, in the other a lariat to subdue mundane desires. His Japanese name translates as "Wisdom King of Unyielding Faith".

Name Origin

 * Gargaros and Ogralus's Japanese names, "Aka Oni" and "Ao Oni", meaning "red oni" and "blue oni" respectively, based on the fairytale The Red Oni Who Cried, where a red oni desires to make friends with humans and goes along with a plan that his friend the Blue Oni comes up with, which unfortunately ends their friendship in the process.
 * "Red Oni/Blue Oni" is also a common comparison between a person who is passionate and emotional and a person who is calm and logical.


 * "Gargaros" might be a combination of gargantuan (meaning "gigantic" and derived from Francois Rabelais' Gargantua), and rosso, Italian for "red".

Easter Egg
If you change the system clock settings on the 3DS, you might expect a weird, scary visit from this Yo-kai.