Yamantaka is the wrathful Buddhist deity known as the “Destroyer of Death” and, in a major Tibetan tradition, a manifestation of Manjushri.
The Sanskrit name combines Yama, the lord of death, with antaka, meaning destroyer or ender. Yamantaka therefore represents the defeat of death and the fear surrounding it. In Buddhist interpretation, this is not simply physical violence against a deity: awakening ends the cycle of death and rebirth, so Yamantaka symbolizes the enlightened mind overcoming samsara.
His best-known form is Vajrabhairava, a highly wrathful tantric figure with multiple heads, arms, and legs, often standing on Yama and other symbolic enemies. He may also ride or be associated with a water buffalo, deliberately echoing the imagery of Yama while presenting a more terrifying form.
The Manjushri connection is central in Tibetan accounts, especially those associated with the Vajrabhairava tantra. Other Buddhist traditions identify differently named forms of Yamantaka with Vajrapani or Amitabha, but those variations do not displace Yamantaka as the canonical answer here. Acala, Mahakala, and Hayagriva are distinct wrathful deities.