Kodoku

Kodoku
Kodoku
Nihongo	蠱（こ）毒（どく）
Name meaning	Toxicity
Viz Manga	Kodoku
English TV	Kodoku
Biographical information
Status	Deceased
Death	Absorbed by Naraku (Original) Purified by Moroha (Second)
Physical information
Species	Various Yōkai
Gender	Male
Eye color	Red
Affiliation
Loyalty	Naraku
Debut
Manga Debut	Chapter 117
InuYasha Anime	Episode 32
Game Debut	InuYasha (PlayStation)
Voice Actors
Japanese Seiyū	Tadahisa Saizen
English VA	Trevor Devall

Kodoku (蠱（こ）毒（どく）, "Toxicity") is a type of sorcery. It is a magical art called fuko which is to close venomous insects or lizards in a vase and to make them kill each other. The only survivor turns into a creature called kodoku.

History

Naraku used this sorcery with demons imprisoned in a miasma, hoping to absorb the kodoku to create his new body, as his old one had been severely damaged by Kagome previously. However, Inuyasha arrived in the cave and gets into a fight with the surviving demon; causing him to be in danger of becoming a kodoku himself. Miroku was the first to realize that the battle between the demons in the cave was an attempt to create the kodoku and tried to warn Inuyasha against fighting it, but was ignored by him. Kikyō soon arrived to observe what was transpiring. She suddenly grew weak as a result of her collected souls leaving her body from the Shōki in the mountain. She fell in the pit where Inuyasha was fighting the Kodoku. It noticed that Kikyō was not human and was prepared to absorb her, but she was saved by Inuyasha.

Naraku creates his new body absorbing the kodoku.

Before he could destroy it, Kikyō intervened after Kagome jumped in to save her by shooting Tessaiga with her sacred arrow and then ricocheted upwards. It destroyed the seal that kept the demons there, thus saving Inuyasha, but Miroku quickly pointed out she could have shot the kodoku itself; Kikyō instead chose to provide Naraku with a new body.

Another Kodoku can be seen in Double-Edged Moroha. Moroha fights against him and can finally destroy him by purifying him with her spiritual powers.

Powers & Abilities

• Shōki: This yōkai has a poisonous breath that can be lethal for almost anyone
• Fire Breath: It is able to breath out from the ventral mouth on its body.
• Regeneration: It is able to instantly heal itself if it is injured. It can also regeneration any of its missing limbs.

Manga vs. Anime

• In the manga, it does not use the shōki to heal itself after Inuyasha wounded it with Tessaiga.
• In the manga, after the kodoku is released from the mountain by Kikyō's arrow (along with Inuyasha and the others), it implicates Naraku as the one who imprisoned all the yōkai and tears Naraku's body with his claws. Naraku survives the attack and reveals hidden tentacles from his wound. The rest rein the kodoku and pulls him into his body so that it will become part of it. In the anime, the kodoku tries to attack Naraku, but it is instantly absorbed into his body, without first blaming Naraku for his involvement in the ritual.

Trivia

• Kodoku has been referenced throughout Japanese folklore. The surviving creature of the mixed animals is used by the caster as a lucky charm to grant them great wealth. The owner, however, is required to feed the creature. Failing this would enrage the insect, if the owner does not equivalently repay the insect by placing all his or her riches beside a road, plus interest in gold and silver, the insect would devour its owner. The term "kodoku" also refers to the spirit which is the incarnation of this ritual. It usually appears in the shape of a worm or other animal. This concept has been referenced in various anime series as well.

Media appearances

Manga

• Chapter 117 (First appearance)
• Chapter 118
• Chapter 119
• Chapter 120

Anime

Inuyasha

• Episode 32 (First appearance)
• Episode 33 (Appears in a flashback)

Hanyō no Yashahime

• Episode 16 (Hanyō no Yashahime) (Appears in a flashback)