Jibanyan’s name when he was Amy’s pet cat was Rudy. After Rudy died, he became the cat-like Yo-kai Jibanyan, retaining memories of his former owner and the traumatic event that transformed his existence.
In the English-localized story, Rudy is killed by a truck at an intersection while trying to protect Amy. As Jibanyan, he returns to that area and repeatedly challenges passing vehicles, hoping to avenge his death. His dramatic truck-fighting habit becomes one of the character’s defining jokes and traits.
The name can cause confusion because different versions use different localization choices. In Japanese, the cat is called Akamaru, while the English version uses Rudy and names his owner Amy. Jibanyan is also not simply a living cat with a costume: he is a nekomata-style Yo-kai, a supernatural cat figure whose backstory explains both his appearance and his fixation on traffic.