Princess Abi[Note 3] (阿毘, あび (阿毘姫, あびひめ), Abi-hime, "Assisting Corner") was a humanoid looking female Phoenix-Daiyōkai who made her debut in the episode titled: "The Fiery Bird Master, Princess Abi" (episode 146) and was present in most of the episodes up until the episode titled: "The Demon Linked with the Netherworld" (episode 154) where she and her mother Tekkei were slain by Naraku to open a path which would lead Naraku into the Netherworld. As far as it is known, Abi lived on a mountain with her mother, a giant phoenix daiyōkai by herself, who was connected to the other-realm. Abi herself was in control of large flocks of phoenix demon birds, although they resembled pterodactyls more than actual birds, who had the ability to "suck" blood then somehow regurgitate it and withstand being lit on fire as seen when they burned through houses.
History
Princess Abi and her mother became Naraku's pawns for getting the final shard of the Shikon to Tama the minute Naraku learned of them. At the time Abi and her mother appeared in the anime, Abi's mother was sick from consuming a poisonous demon, which looked like a quad-pedal goblin/spider that has three toes on each foot and an olive/forest green color to its skin (with the exception of the "spider half" which was a seemingly furry yellow). Abi had been using her demon bird flocks to attack and suck the blood from humans in the surrounding villages, using the human blood to dilute the demon poison that was harming her mother. Both Inuyasha's group and Naraku heard of the destruction she caused in her search for human blood and while Inuyasha's group goes from village to village finding more victims of Abi's birds, Naraku goes to meet Abi and puts his plan in motion. He offered to help Abi collect more human blood then she could ever manage on her own, as well as a three-point trident made from his bones and an unmentioned as well as unknown reward, in exchange for creating a path to the netherworld for him.
They were seen discussing the matter back at Abi's nest and Naraku inquireed about Abi's mother. They were interrupted by the apparent "sons" of the demon Abi's mother consumed, Naraku took the liberty of destroying them himself, then returned to talking with Abi. Before Naraku left, he gave Abi a Saimyōshō hive, stating that they would help her (Meaning against Miroku's Kazaana) and leaves.
In the other episodes that Abi was involved in, she fights Inuyasha several times, all resulting in her retreat, and continuously collecting more human blood. It was also during this time that she and her mother decided to betray Naraku, and seize their chance when they realize Naraku had ties with a human castle.
During Abi's attack, Inuyasha's group goes to confront her. This ends in her fleeing again and returning to her, now well, mother. Naraku then appeared and Abi's mother, Tekkei, revealed herself. About the size of the mountain she had been hiding in, Abi's mother was a colossal bird demon, looking vaguely like a giant white chicken with a green beak, yellow legs, red markings around each eye as well as a red tail and claws, and surrounded in blue flames. She, like her daughter, can fly and attacks with fire. After a bit of fighting between Naraku and the pair of bird demons, he is swallowed, barrier and all by Abi's mother. Little do they know that they had fallen into Naraku's trap. Inuyasha's group arrived at the scene and a bit of dialog passes between the two groups, which leads to fighting. Not long after a few blows are exchanged, tentacles appeared as they gorge a hole in Tekkei's head. Naraku emerged and more dialog ensues, and when Abi tried to attack him, Naraku withdrew his trident back into his body, taking Abi's right arm with it. In a blind rage Abi continues her attack on Naraku, and Naraku revealed the final reward for helping him.
He then stabbed her through the chest with multiple grey tentacles, effectively killing her. Abi disappears, seeming to disintegrate into black dust and then into nothing.
Only after her and her mother's deaths in the next episode, is Naraku's gate revealed. He beheads Tekkei and her blood flows down the remains of their mountain like a river. By merely following this river one can go to the land of the dead, the Netherworld since Tekkei was linked to it. But as soon as the blood stops flowing, the gate would be shut, so Naraku followed it, hovering above it while surrounded by his barrier, with Inuyasha's group following soon after.
Powers & Abilities
- Enhanced Demonic Claw: Like most great demon who can unleashed powerful slashed. It is unknown if she could use it, since it was showed only for a few scenes.[2]
Abi's demon face.
- Great Demonic Power: As Abi is the princess and second-in-command of the Demon Birds, she was no doubt a powerful demon though given that she's only the princess her mother, Tekkei, is much more powerful than she is. Abi had proven herself to be capable of great threat to many human populace and was able to easily combat against Inuyasha and his group with some of her demon birds (though she had help from Naraku).[Note 4]
- Pyrokinesis: Abi was able to shoot streams and balls of fire from her hands and set her demon birds on fire with a wave of her hand. Being an experienced fire user she showed great proficiency.[2]
- Flight: Abi was able to fly with flames under her feet similar to Kirara.[2]
- Transformation: Abi was able to undergo a transformation where her hands became claws with huge talons and her eyes became blood red; the area around her eyes became darker similar to when Sesshōmaru gets angry. All of her attacks became drastically increased in power. It was also possible that she hadn't fully transformed and her true form was much larger than she appears, similar appearance to her mother.[2]
- Enhanced Durability: Abi was somewhat durable as she showed little reaction other than surprise when the trident she was holding on to exploded which destroyed her right arm when Naraku destroyed it by his will.[1]
Weapons
- Trident (Temporary): A three-pronged spear lent to her by Naraku after having separated some of his flesh that would serve as an effective tool in combating Inuyasha and his group as Naraku was well aware that Abi would eventually run into them. After Inuyasha and his group arrived at the mountain range, Naraku revealed himself to be alive within Tekkei whom he killed from the inside out which enraged Abi into attacking with the trident but he destroyed it through his will along with her right arm.
- Barrier: With Naraku's trident she was able to put up the same barrier that Naraku had. Whether her barrier has the same strength as Naraku's is unknown but it was likely as it was able to block both Inuyasha's Wind Scar and Red Tessaiga.
- Shōki: The trident was also capable of allowing Abi to produce and control miasma like Naraku, though as this is not her specialty and the trident is only a fragment of Naraku's flesh it was unlikely to have as much power as Naraku himself.
Trivia
- Her seiyū, Saeko Shimazu, voiced characters from previous works of Rumiko Takahashi. They include Miyake Shinobu from Urusei Yatsura, Sayoko Kuroki from Maison Ikkoku and Kodachi Kuno from Ranma ½. The later also bares a resemblance to Abi and both of them share the same English voice actress as well.
- She is similar to Bankotsu of the Shichinintai: Both are fairly long-running villains whom Naraku used as expendable pawns as part of his plan. Neither really trusts Naraku, and Inuyasha is enraged at Naraku for betraying them, despite the fact that he himself killed Bankotsu and had intended to do the same to Abi, as Naraku points out both times in response.
- Princess Abi appeares in her official color scheme given by Rumiko Takahashi on the front-cover of volume 17 of the manga's Wide ban edition.
Media appearances
Manga
- Chapter 301 (First appearance)
- Chapter 302
- Chapter 303
- Chapter 304
- Chapter 306
- Chapter 310
- Chapter 311
- Chapter 312
- Chapter 314
- Chapter 315
- Chapter 316
- Chapter 317
- Chapter 352 (Appears in thoughts)
Anime
- Episode 146 (First appearance)
- Episode 149
- Episode 150
- Episode 152
- Episode 153
- Episode 154
- Episode 155 (Appears in a flashback)
Notes
- ↑ Naraku explicitly referred to her as The Bird Master Abi as they first met in the end of Chapter 301
- ↑ Naraku killed Tekkei by beheading her in Chapter 316, she finally died in Chapter 317.
- ↑ Naraku mentioned Abi by her name in Chapter 301.
- ↑ This was first mentioned in Chapter 301 and first seen in Chapter 302.
References
| Naraku | |
|---|---|
| Incarnations | Kanna • Kagura • Goshinki • Jūrōmaru • Kagerōmaru • Musō • Infant • Hakudōshi • Byakuya • Akagane |
| Rejected parts | Unnamed incarnation • Hair monster • Eye monster • Onigumo (reabsorbed) • Kugutsu |
| Allies | Saimyōshō • Sesshōmaru (formerly) • Tsubaki • Hakushin • Shichinintai • Entei • Abi • Tekkei • Mōryōmaru • Mirror demon • Magatsuhi |
| Enemies | Kikyō • Inuyasha • Kagome Higurashi • Miyatsu • Miroku's father • Miroku • Sango • Kirara • Kohaku • Kōga • Sesshōmaru (currently) • Kaguya • Mōryōmaru • Hitomiko • Kansuke • Kaede • Midoriko • Rin • Jaken • A-Un |
| Locations | Onigumo's cave • Naraku's castle • Mount Hakurei • Naraku's hideout • Naraku's mountain base • Naraku's cave |
| Miscellaneous | Shikon no Tama • Kazaana • Onigumo's cave • Naraku's castle • Mount Hakurei |