Godai Myōō, the "Five Great Wisdom Kings," are a group of wrathful deities in Japanese esoteric Buddhism (Shingon and Tendai traditions), each regarded as a fierce manifestation of a Buddha or Bodhisattva tasked with subduing evil and protecting the Dharma. Fudō Myōō typically presides at the center, flanked by Gōzanze, Gundari, Daiitoku, and Kongōyasha Myōō, and their fearsome imagery—flames, weapons, and wrathful expressions—is traditionally understood to represent the destruction of ignorance and obstacles rather than malice. They are widely invoked in rituals associated with purification and the removal of negative or demonic influences, though the specific efficacy of such practices reflects religious belief rather than verifiable claims.