Teen Wolf's Inspiration For Its Scariest Villains Will Shock You

The kanima, sometimes known as canaima, is a South American myth that involves a shapeshifter in the form of a were-jaguar. A kanima can possess the body of another person or animal and their stare is fabled to make the recipient go insane.

Kanima carry a magical bow that shoots arrows dipped in poison. This is probably the origin for the kanima's special paralyzing venom in the Teen Wolf lore of season two. The kanima is known as a demon spirit that brings on death and misfortune, usually of its own making.

A looser application of the myth can apply to any sort of calamity that befalls a traveler in the rainforest. Invoking the canaima legend is way for South American native tribes to describe any misfortune that befalls you in the jungle. It's the spirit of bad luck. For instance, if a tree falls and crushes your leg, it's said the canaima is after you.