They are shown as war gods, the same as the statues of the Shitenno (four guardian kings), and in many works each of twelve characters is distinguished by its facial expression or pose, and they vary widely as a group.
四天王像などと同様、甲冑を着けた武神の姿で表され、12体それぞれの個性を表情、ポーズなどで彫り分け、群像として変化をつけた作例が多い。