Six-armed demon with flaming hair

Who is who in the universe of shadow puppet characters? A dalang (puppeteer) can have as many as two hundred puppets in their collection. Some figures (the main characters) are instantly recognizable, but other are more difficult to identify.

The wild flaming hair, bulging eyes, fangs, and snake jewelry of this puppet are characteristics of a fierce character, like a giant or ogre. But the puppet’s six arms indicate he may be even more powerful. Some characters in wayang kulit plays display an altered appearance to represent different emotional states. So when a character becomes angry, the dalang uses a different puppet to represent their demonic transformation. This puppet may represent the fierce manifestation of a god.