Kayako Saeki

Kayako Saeki (佐伯 伽椰子 Saeki Kayako), née Kawamata (川又 Kawamata) born April 8, 1966 in Tokyo, Japan. She is the main antagonist appearing in the Ju-On franchise, having been portrayed by eight actresses. Director Takashi Shimizu created and originally voiced her death rattle himself. Takako Fuji played Kayako from the short film Katasumi until The Grudge 2. Kyōka Takizawa played a young Kayako in The Grudge 2. Actress Anna Moon plays the character for the Tales from the Grudge short segments, and Aiko Horiuchi takes over the role from Fuji in The Grudge 3, the third installment of the western film series. Junko Bailey played Kayako in the sidequel The Grudge. Misaki Saisho played the character in Ju-on: The Beginning of the End and Ju-on: The Final Curse, the tenth and eleventh installment of the franchise. Runa Endō played the character in the crossover film Sadako vs. Kayako, the twelfth installment in the franchise. Tomoko Satō played the character in the parody film Scary Movie 4. Kayako, alongside her ghost son Toshio, have become a icon of Japanese horror, as well as the horror genre in general.

Although her background is significantly different between them, in all versions Kayako is an onryō - the furious, spiteful spirit of a Japanese housewife who was brutally murdered by her husband, Takeo, after his discovery of her secret feelings towards another man. This insane act gathered a grudge curse at the murder setting, their house, that condemns anyone who steps inside to succumb under Kayako's spreading anger.