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...To live is to die. To die is to live. My name is Kikyō. I am a priestess who is unable to leave this world and reach the sacred place. No, that is not entirely the truth. Once I was a priestess. Now I am but a corpse with a cursed, false existence. No matter how much I desire to do good and help others, the truth is I live off the souls of the dead. Pure is Impure. Impure is pure. Good is evil. Evil is Good. Or is it? |
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—Kikyō[src]
Kikyō (桔梗, "Chinese Bellflower") was a miko during the Sengoku jidai and, at one time, Inuyasha's main love interest. She was entrusted by the yōkai taijiya to guard and purify the Shikon no Tama. Along with her younger sister, Kaede, Kikyō dedicated her life to protecting the jewel, slaying many demons in the process and thus could not live a normal life like other girls. It was not long until she met the hanyō Inuyasha, who also desired the mystical Jewel to become a full-fledged yōkai. Somehow, she sees him as a companion and desires to live a normal life with him. However, fate turns cruel against her when Naraku, a hanyō that coveted the Shikon no Tama, tricks them both into betraying each other. When she is led to believe that Inuyasha wanted nothing but the jewel, she seals him to the Goshinboku and dies a painful death. Before dying, she asks her younger sister, Kaede, to burn the jewel along with her body so that it would not fall into the hands of evil again.
Fifty years after the incident, she is resurrected by the demon ogress Urasue, using grave soil and the soul of her reincarnation, Kagome Higurashi. Shortly after, Kagome calls her soul back and Kikyō is forced to rely on the souls of the dead, collected by her shinidamachū, to sustain her fake body. Though she was initially cold-hearted and harbored deep hatred towards Inuyasha, this hostility gradually disappears and her love for Inuyasha returns. As she is already dead, she resolves to not rekindle her relationship with Inuyasha and pours all of her resources into helping others, destroying Naraku and purging the Shikon no Tama from the world. In the end, however, Naraku's darkness proves too powerful and overcomes Kikyō's power, completely corrupting the jewel. He strikes her down, wounding her fatally. After sharing one last kiss together with Inuyasha, her soul finally finds peace and her body disappears into a bright cluster of souls and light. The shinidamachū then carries Kikyō's soul into the star-filled sky.
History
Inuyasha and Kikyō happily together.
During their youth, Kikyō and her younger sister Kaede (whose parents died when they were younger) traveled through villages as a part of their training to become priestesses, and killed many demons as a part of it. While on their journey, they met Tsubaki, who would later become a dark priestess. Kikyō's great spiritual power and purity became well-known, and thus the Shikon no Tama was entrusted to her, much to Tsubaki's dismay. It became Kikyō's duty to spend her life guarding the jewel, protecting it from the wicked humans and demons who sought it for their own selfish means. However, her duty as the jewel's protector also meant that she could not show any signs of weakness, lest demons or evil men should take advantage of her.
Kikyō's untimely demise.
As a priestess, Kikyō spent her life fending off demons who attempted to steal the Shikon Jewel, as well as protecting the village from disease and famine. However, the one demon whom she refused to kill was Inuyasha because she sensed that he was only a hanyō (half-demon), and has lived an abnormal life of solitude, much like herself. She repeatedly warned Inuyasha to stay away from her if he valued his life but he repeatedly refused. During their first non-violent encounter, Kikyō developed feelings for him both from having common lives and from him saving Kaede from Mistress Centipede. She also tended to Onigumo, a paralyzed bandit with burn scars all over his body. Later on, Kikyō confronted Inuyasha and told him about how she had to hide her real self in order to protect the jewel, and Inuyasha sympathized with her. Eventually, Inuyasha and Kikyō fell in love. Sometime during this period, Tsubaki attempted to attack Kikyō, assuming that she was weaker after falling in love. However, Kikyō reflected the curse back at Tsubaki, and then ordered her to leave.
Kikyō after sealing Inuyasha to the sacred tree.
During her time with Inuyasha, Kikyō and Inuyasha had once sailed to an island that only appeared every fifty years. Kikyō suggested using the Shikon Jewel to turn Inuyasha into a human, an offer to which Inuyasha agreed. If this plan had in fact worked, it might have been possible for Kikyō to carry on the life of an ordinary woman alongside Inuyasha, and for him to finally feel like he belonged somewhere as a human. She promised to deliver the Shikon Jewel to Inuyasha on a certain day. However, the thief Onigumo, who desired both Kikyō and a corrupted jewel, decided to use that day to gain control of both. He offered his body to a horde of demons, and thus, the demon shape-shifter Naraku was born. Naraku disguised himself as Inuyasha and struck down Kikyō, and then attacked Inuyasha while disguised as Kikyō. He set the both of them against each other.
Thinking that Inuyasha had betrayed her, Kikyō summoned the last ounce of her strength and spiritual power to stop Inuyasha, who attacked the village for the Shikon Jewel. However, unable to kill the man she loved with her sacred arrow, Kikyō instead shot a sealing arrow at Inuyasha to pin him to the Goshinboku (the sacred tree or the Tree of Ages), where Inuyasha remained in slumber for fifty years. She then ordered her younger sister Kaede to burn her body along with the Shikon Jewel so that its immeasurable power would never be used for evil again. Because Kikyō was full of bitter hatred for Inuyasha at the time of her death, the Shikon Jewel became corrupted. However, because of her love, Kikyō wished to see Inuyasha again and the Shikon Jewel used this desire to return to the world through Kagome, Kikyō's reincarnation.
During the story
Kikyō is resurrected.
Fifty years later, an Oni witch named Urasue stole Kikyō's remains and some graveyard soil to create a new body for her out of clay and bones. However, Urasue was disturbed to find out that the body she created would not entirely animate without its spirit and soul. She quickly realized that it was because her spirit and soul had already been reincarnated into another body, and that Kagome's soul, being the reincarnation of Kikyō, was needed in order to completely animate Kikyō's clay body. When the lifeless body was infused with Kagome's soul, Kikyō was revived, immediately turning on Urasue and burning her to death. Having yet to discover what truly happened fifty years before, her immediate priority was to kill Inuyasha. She nearly succeeded in this task until Kagome's body began recalling the soul back to her own body, which effectively stopped Kikyō from completing her goal. Kikyō managed to retain a part of her soul though, and thus was able to escape into the mist, where she was pursued by Inuyasha. Quickly thereafter, Kikyō fell off a nearby cliff, presumed dead by the group.
The miko with her shinidamachū.
Kikyō survived the fall and moved to a small village, tending to the wounded and curing the sick. She was loved by the children and the villagers respected her. However, she was faced with an internal struggle with what she had become, not a living woman, nor a dead person, but the walking dead. She wanted to live peacefully in the village, but was troubled by the thought that even such a simple existence may be forbidden. A curious monk sensed something abnormal about the resurrected priestess and intended to find out her true nature. He spotted her absorbing the souls of deceased women as a means to sustain her clay body, using her soul collectors (Shini-dama-chuu). The monk tried to lay her soul to rest by attacking her with one of his spiritual demons called the "Demon binding spell", but Kikyō used her spiritual power to blast the demon to pieces. The monk was killed by a piece of the demon that struck him in the neck. Before he died, the monk asked Kikyō why she continued to wander this earth as the walking dead. He told her that time continues for the living, but it does not continue for the dead, thus the dead do not belong in such a place, and such an existence is tragic. While Kikyō pondered on what the monk had said, she discovered that Sayo, a child who was very fond of Kikyō, had watched the entire scene and was now terrified of her. Saddened, Kikyō gave up on living in the village and left, apologizing to Sayo for scaring her.
After leaving the village, Kikyō tried to spend the night alone in a forest, placing a barrier around her to prevent being noticed. However, Kagome was able to cross Kikyō's barrier. Filled with jealousy towards her living reincarnation, Kikyō paralyzed Kagome with her touch and bound her to a tree so that Inuyasha could neither see nor hear Kagome when he arrived. When Kagome tried to explain to Kikyō the true circumstances of her death, Kikyō dismissed her, saying whoever caused her death is unimportant, as it cannot bring her back to life. A dead person like herself wished only to live again, which cannot be granted, so she instead wished not to be forgotten. This can be achieved through deepening bitterness, enabling the dead to live in the heart of the living. Before Kagome could convince Kikyō otherwise, Inuyasha arrived. Kikyō told Inuyasha he must despise her for collecting souls to drive her vengeance, but Inuyasha told her he could not stop loving her, even if she hates him. Moved, Kikyō kissed him and professed her love in his arms. Sensing that Kikyō's body lacks warmth, Inuyasha realized that he could not help her and wished time stopped, to which Kikyō responded by attempting to take him with her to the Netherworld. However, Kagome was able to reach Inuyasha with her voice in time, and Inuyasha left Kikyō to free Kagome from the tree. Kikyō, heart-broken, asked if Kagome was more important to him than herself, and left with her soul collectors, telling Inuyasha not to forget that her feelings when they kissed were true. Afterwards, she visited Kaede and learned that Naraku was responsible for her death and separation from Inuyasha.
Inuyasha hugs Kikyō.
Kikyō then moved to a temple, healing the wounds of soldiers. When men from the palace asked her to heal their master's disease, Kikyō unwillingly accompanied them to the palace, only to discover a dark aura around the castle. Kikyō was disturbed to find that the master of the castle was already dead from the neck and down. As it turned out, the master of the castle was the man who once called himself Onigumo before he was born as Naraku. Kikyō tried to leave the palace, but couldn't and thus, Naraku erected a barrier that prevented her Shikigami from accessing it, which rendered her powerless.
Under the assumption that he could control Kikyō, Naraku attached a corrupted fragment of the Shikon Jewel to a soul and placed it within the priestess before sending her after Kagome. The corrupted shard is not enough to control Kikyō, however, and she destroys Naraku's golem. When Kagome arrives, she is subdued by Kikyō's Shikigami. Kikyō tells Kagome that Naraku fears her and wished to control Kikyō and force her into fighting Kagome, but that she had not fallen so low that she, the keeper of the Jewel of Four Souls, would be controlled by a mere fragment. Kikyō then forcefully takes Kagome's Jewel shards, and pushes her down a hole onto the roots of the trees that reveals a person's darkest fears. Once Inuyasha arrived to save Kagome, she left while laughing at Inuyasha, as he could not fight a woman he still loved. Kikyō returns to Naraku's castle, breaking the barrier he had erected to keep Inuyasha away. She then mocks him, explaining to him that his petty feats of minor sorcery does not work on her, and willingly hands over the shards that she had stolen from Kagome, further mocking him by saying that he needs the power of the jewel shards more than anyone due to being a half demon. Kikyō, now finally feeling the freedom that she did not have in her past life, stated that once Naraku gained all of the shards of the sacred Shikon Jewel, she would purify him along with the Jewel and send his evil and corrupt spirit to the Netherworld.
When Naraku confronted Kikyō again and threatened to kill her, she announced that he could not kill her, as Naraku still had the heart of Onigumo and Onigumo loved her with all his wicked heart. Naraku sent a giant soul collector to steal the souls that Kikyō used to sustain herself in order to kill her indirectly, but Kikyō managed to escape, and Inuyasha found and saved her. When Kikyō told Inuyasha that Naraku still harbored feelings for her, a disgusted Inuyasha takes her into his arms and tells her he is the only one who could love and protect her. Though Kikyō pretended to comply, she later wielded a knife to his neck and left after telling Inuyasha that she would use Naraku's weak spot in order to purify him and the Shikon Jewel. Watching Inuyasha call after her, Kikyō thought to herself that the string of fate (with Inuyasha) could not be rejoined since it had already been cut, implying that she could no longer return to him.[3]
Later, Naraku made a second attempt to kill Kikyō by prematurely getting rid of his human heart, but he stopped himself, realizing that he was much weaker without his human heart. Some time afterwards, Naraku left to Mount Hakurei in order to strengthen himself, and succeeded in both completely removing his human heart and becoming much stronger. He confronted Kikyō, and when she asked him what his true objective was, he responded by wounding her chest, belittling her inability to bleed, and pushed her into a river of his poisonous miasma, presumably killing her.
Kagome purifies Kikyō.
Much later, villagers told Inuyasha's group of a mysterious person known as Saint Hijiri who was rumored to be extremely powerful. Inuyasha encounters her with two Shikigami that had human form: Kochō and Asuka, who told him that Kikyō survived but her body was ravaged by miasma and her voice was lost. Kochō and Asuka assisted Kikyō by bringing Kagome to a waterfall, where Kikyō's severely injured and weakened body lay submerged under the water. They told Kagome that she was the only one able to save Kikyō, and stated that by rubbing some of the soil from Kikyō's grave site into her wounds, she would successfully save Kikyō's life. Kagome agreed to perform this task, and in doing so, witnessed in a dream the events that occurred between Inuyasha and Kikyō fifty years previously. She passed out during the process of purifying the wounds Naraku had inflicted upon Kikyō, but seemingly saved Kikyō by temporarily purifying the wounds in Kikyō's chest. Recovering, Kikyō had Kochō and Asuka bring Inuyasha to her, giving him an arrow covered in Onigumo's cave dirt to be used against Naraku. She would later be forced to create a Mayose spell to kill demon rats released by Hakudōshi to drive her out for Naraku once he realized she survived the attack at Mount Hakurei.
Kikyō gave her shikigami a lock of her hair to find Naraku's heart; they nearly succeeded, only for Kohaku to destroy them before they could reach the Infant. She saw his heart was his own, yet followed Naraku's orders. Questioning him, Kikyō came face-to-face with Naraku, who she couldn't sense approaching thanks to the Fuyōheki. She was nearly decapitated by Kohaku on Naraku's order, but Inuyasha's arrival forced him to retreat. Both she and Inuyasha exchanged intel about Naraku, and she left to find the Infant. She came across it and Kanna, realizing the Fuyōheki was the blue stone the Infant held. However, Mōryōmaru attacked her, and left with her targets. Kikyō would later come across Mōryōmaru again, when he was trying to take Kōga's shards (in the anime), firing an arrow that severed his lower body. When the demon took off, Kikyō noticed two things: Mōryōmaru seemed to have a soul now, and that she was exhausted after firing a single arrow. This meant something was wrong. Night, she was amazed to see two novice monks get past her barrier. She collapsed, realizing she didn't have much time.
In truth, Kagome's purification powers proved insufficient and Kikyō's wounds reopened. This drove Kikyō to fuse the soul of Midoriko, the all-powerful priestess who created the sacred Shikon jewel, into her own body to close her wounds and hold out the miasma until she could defeat Naraku before she died. Inuyasha arrived to witness the wounds in Kikyō's chest healing very quickly, and she explained to him that since Midoriko was also a priestess who died fighting yōkai, she would understand Kikyō's desire to defeat Naraku. She also told Inuyasha that Naraku could not be killed with the Tessaiga; the only way to completely destroy Naraku was by purifying both his soul and the Shikon Jewel the instant Naraku completes the entire jewel. Kohaku, arriving at the scene by Midoriko's will, overheard what Kikyō told Inuyasha and decided to follow Kikyō in order to aid Kikyō's plan to defeat Naraku. She left promptly saying she had no time hesitate, leaving Inuyasha to think to himself that Kikyō's plan involved removing Kohaku's life-sustaining shard, and that Kikyō could not be capable of doing such a thing.
Kohaku later offered Kikyō his shard to use against Naraku, and Kikyō allowed him to travel by her side, but wished to herself that they had met on different terms so that she could have nurtured his scarred soul and encouraged him to live. While traveling with Kohaku, she kept the Shikon Shard in Kohaku's neck extremely pure, rendering it untouchable to Naraku. During her journey, she saved Kōga and asked that he hand over his shards to her, telling him her plan to purify the Shikon Jewel once it is complete, but Kōga refused. She later encountered Sango and Kagome, who begged Kikyō not to take Kohaku's life and trust in Inuyasha, who was continually working to strengthen his sword, to defeat Naraku.
Naraku tried capturing her in spider webs, resorting to capturing an innocent child in them to force Kikyō to touch them. She sent Kohaku away with her shikigami to keep Naraku's contamination from defiling his shard. She attempted purifying the webs, but found herself unable to while being shown the day she died repeatedly. Meanwhile, Miroku and Inuyasha battled Naraku, during which Miroku opened his Wind tunnel and sucked in an enormous amount of miasma. Miroku was near death, but Kikyō saved him by absorbing and purifying the miasma in her body, although this greatly worsened her own body's condition.
Kikyō and Kohaku encountered Naraku's spiderwebs during their travels together. He used these spiderwebs as a way to contaminate and weaken Kikyō. However, Kikyō had already realized Naraku's plan and remained under her own incredibly strong and powerful spiritual barrier. However, she contaminated herself when she attempted to save a child from the webs. She summoned her Shikigami Kochō and Asuka to place a barrier over Kohaku in order to protect him from Naraku's reach, however, due to the fact that she was entangled in Naraku's spiderwebs, she became defiled and the barrier over Kohaku was broken by one of Naraku's incarnations, Byakuya and Kochō and Asuka is destroyed by Byakuya. She told Kagome, who had also been defiled by Naraku's webs, that the only way to save her life was by acquiring the longbow from the sacred Mount Azusa, but only if it was truly what she wished. Kagome traveled to Mount Azusa, where she was tested by an illusion cast upon her by the Spirit Guardian of the sacred mountain. After passing the test, Kagome and Inuyasha returned to find that Naraku had already captured Kikyō.
The strong connection between Kagome and Kikyō was shown when Kagome was successfully able to tell Kikyō's thoughts by shooting her with the longbow and arrow she had obtained from Mount Azusa at the right time. Kikyō, shot by the sacred longbow from Mount Azusa, fired the sacred arrow from her own body at Naraku. The Jewel was purified before it entered Naraku's body, but Naraku won against Kikyō's powers and successfully contaminated the Shikon Jewel, rendering Kikyō completely powerless and on the verge of death.
Inuyasha and Kikyō spend time together before her death.
Though Naraku declared his victory and Kikyō's defeat, Kikyō thinks to herself that Naraku will find out about that after he dies, as she had let a sliver of purifying light in the Shikon Jewel. While Kagome grieves that her powers were insufficient to save Kikyō, Kikyō told Kagome in her spirit that she was able to save her soul.
The wounds Kikyō sustained from saving Miroku from Naraku's miasma spread, and she lay in Inuyasha's arms until night fall. They talked about their past, and how Naraku poisoned their love for each other. She then saw something she had never seen before: Inuyasha was crying. Inuyasha told Kikyō she was the first person he ever cared for or loved, making him feel terrible for being unable to save her. However, Kikyō tells him that the fact he came is all that matters. They share a final kiss before she dies, turning into a luminous sphere of light. Rather than return to Kagome's body, Kikyō's spirit was gathered by her Soul Collectors and ascended to the twinkling stars, finally able to rest in peace.
The speck of purity Kikyō had left in the defiled Shikon Jewel remained after her death, and this prevented Naraku from taking the last shard out of Kohaku's neck, until Magatsuhi defiled it and sealed Kagome's spiritual powers, preventing her from purifying it again. He was possessed by this demon and left in order to give Naraku the last shard, meanwhile being forced to relive his painful past through an illusion in his sleep. In this illusion, one of Kikyō's soul-collectors lead Kohaku out of his past, to his sister, who asks for his help and encourages him. He was successfully brought out of this illusion and released from Magatsuhi's possession, and Kohaku gained the strength to stop running from his past and continue to live. However, after a struggle with Naraku, Kohaku has his shard removed, killing him. Naraku mocks Inuyasha's inability to prevent the deaths of both Kikyō and Kohaku, and Sango holds him in tears. At that moment, Kikyō decides to leave the task of defeating Naraku to Inuyasha's group and removes her speck of purity from the complete Shikon Jewel into Kohaku, so that he may live.
Personality
Kikyō was known as a compassionate woman before her death. Kind, caring, and considerate, she was very sympathetic toward everyone, even her enemies. This was seen when she tended to Onigumo's well-being despite him being a bandit. She also had compassion toward Kansuke, and sympathy toward Inuyasha. She offered help to anyone in need. Kikyō was also very good with children during her lifetime; no matter what village she went to, the children were always fond of her. However, Kikyō, after her resurrection, was not always as kind as she once was. She had developed a new-found hatred that she never had when she was alive. This freedom to hate satisfied her, as she never was granted this when she was alive. At first, she wanted revenge on Inuyasha, believing him to be her murderer. However, she eventually found out the truth and turned her hatred toward Naraku. Slowly, she started to become more like her former self. Despite her compassion, before meeting Inuyasha, she rarely, openly showed any emotions, always maintaining a calm, seemingly apathetic composure, akin to Sesshōmaru. Unlike him however, Kikyō did not hide the fact she cares for others, especially her younger sister, Kaede.
When she was alive, Kikyō was completely devoted to her duties as a priestess and was completely uncorruptible, not even using the Shikon no Tama to save her life when she could have, instead instructing Kaede to burn it along with her body to prevent it from falling in the hands of those that would abuse it.
Kikyō was a very wise woman for her age, and quite deceptive. Kikyō devised cunning plans to destroy Naraku, although she went about it in strange ways. For a time, Kikyō seemed to be on Naraku's side since she handed him Kagome's Shikon jewel shards, to which this action caused Inuyasha to accuse Kikyō of betrayal. However, she explained that she gave him the shards to cast Naraku toward death and that she would never allow him to take Inuyasha's life. She wanted revenge just as much as he did and desired to end Naraku's life. She figured out that Naraku was a half-demon and that he still possessed Onigumo's heart, whose owner still had feelings for her. Kikyō found his feelings for her ironic and ludicrous, and felt much contempt toward him. As a Specter, Kikyō has shown more of a sadistic side of her than she was alive as she laughs at Naraku and taunting him, in regards to Naraku's possession of Onigumo's heart, whenever she gets the chance as Naraku spies on her. She was never intimidated by Naraku and was bold whenever she faced him.
After Kikyō's resurrection, she developed a strong attachment to life that she didn't have when she was alive. Refusing to die alone, she decided she would take Inuyasha with her to hell. However, this goal eventually faded as she learned more about the circumstances behind her death. Kikyō's feelings for Inuyasha were complex and strained. At first, Kikyō's pure love for him turned to deep hatred (although deep down, part of her still had some feelings for him). As the series progressed, Kikyō's hateful feelings toward Inuyasha disappeared. Although Kikyō and Inuyasha's feelings were mutual, their relationship was awkward and strained because of Kagome, her 20th century reincarnation. Kikyō was well aware of Kagome's love for Inuyasha (as well as his for Kagome), and the situation did not sit well with her. Because of this, Kikyō was jealous of Kagome, believing that she was replacing her, and as a result, was not very fond of her. Despite her hidden discomfort over this, Kikyō came to accept the fact that Kagome was taking her place in this world and in the anime, would go as far as to protect Kagome since Inuyasha would be heartbroken if she died. She has been surprised by Kagome's unflinching kindness towards her, despite Kikyō's cold demeanor towards her.
Physical description
Kikyō's outfit.
Kikyō was often described as a very beautiful woman. She had flawless alabaster-white skin and long, rich black hair that fell past her slim waist, which was often tied into a loose ponytail with a ribbon. She stood around five foot two, and had big, brown eyes.
Outfit
Kikyō wore the traditional dress of a miko, which has remained essentially unchanged to this day except for the lack of the slit-shoulder seam. Kikyō wore a white jacket with sode-kukuri (cords) through the sleeves and open shoulders (similar to Inuyasha's and Jaken's outfits). Strings called muna-himo were attached to each lapel and tied in front to keep the garment closed. Kikyō's kosode would be very much like a modern Kendo or Naginata Keikogi, with the sleeve fitting somewhat closely like a modern loose shirt and extending slightly past the wrist. The slits on the side of her hakama, and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of her hitoe (jacket) showed the white kosode she sported. This was a deliberate fashion effect. Kikyō wore a bright red nagabakama (a very long hakama), which included the small board on the lower back. Like a majority of other characters, she also was perpetually barefoot throughout the series, however this was changed in the anime where Kikyō wore common tabi (socks) and rice straw sandals. Kikyō sported a red Obi, or belt, over all her other garments.
Powers & Abilities
Master Archer: Coming from an era of endless wars, Kikyō has fully mastered the art of archery. She can easily and swiftly shoot enemies from long or short distances and has the uncanny ability to strike demons from much longer and greater distances. Kikyo can even accurately hit Inuyasha near the heart with one arrow despite being fatally injured which would normally impede such an activity even when Inuyasha was moving at high-speed through the air. Kikyo was able to teach her younger sister, Kaede, the skill of archery that led to her being a powerful priestess and archer herself.
Master Healer: Kikyō is an extremely skilled and experienced healer and is able to treat and save even those on the brink of death. She is able to see the beings from the Netherworld and can dispose of them with a single touch by purifying them.
Immense Spiritual Power: Kikyō is a highly respected priestess with tremendous skills and powers. Her sister Kaede noted that Kikyō is exceptionally powerful even for a priestess. She was one of the only people Naraku was scared of, going to extreme lengths to kill Kikyō. She is able to erect unusually strong and powerful spiritual shields and perform several mystic spells or enchantments that can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes. Likewise, Kikyō has the ability to break seals, shields, barriers, spells, and detect fragments of the Shikon Jewel wherever they may be. Kikyō can also combine Shikon jewel shards into one shard. Her spiritual powers manifest as a light lavender glow of light in color though it is light blue on a few occasions.
- Immense Purification: These powers and abilities come in a variety of different forms when used by Kikyō. When she was resurrected, she used her purification powers to strike Urasue as well as Inuyasha with light purple-colored glowing bolts of purification. These powers killed Urasue and injured Inuyasha during this occasion along with being able to temporarily purify Tessaiga itself. When confronted by the priest Seikai she was able to create a shockwave to destroy the dragon from Seikai's Soul Binding Spell. During her attempt to drag Inuyasha to Hell she was able to fire a bolt that could destroy a tree in order to intimidate Kagome who was bound to it. On another occasion, when Kikyō and Kagome were trapped alone in a cave together, Kikyō used these abilities to create a large glowing orb of light purple-colored light from her hands in order to destroy insects that were attacking Kagome. She can also purify the Shikon Jewel Shards by just touching them. Her purification are as such that the light imbued into Kohaku's Shikon Jewel shard is still effective enough to threaten Naraku despite having already died and only the likes of Magatsuhi (the evil of the Shikon Jewel) could corrupt it.
- Spiritual Immobilization: Kikyō is able to stun someone and make them invisible to everyone else but her, she does this by touching someone with two of her index fingers. She used this skill on Kagome.
- Mayose: The Mayose is a high-level mystical spell cast on a twig that can only be performed by a highly skilled and experienced priest or priestess with exceedingly strong and powerful spiritual power and knowledge. The twig grows into a huge tree that reaches the clouds once it is enchanted with a special spell. It is used to lure demons of a specified type and purify them when the demons climb to the top.
- Shikigami Creation: She is able to create human-like Shikigami that she uses to perform various tasks for her, which she used most when she hid herself; these specific Shikigami are called Kochō and Asuka. Another Shikigami Kikyō had created was Saint Hijiri, who much like herself, contained immense spiritual power. She used Hijiri as a distraction so that she could take time to fully recover from the miasma-filled wounds Naraku had inflicted upon her at Mount Hakurei. Kochō and Asuka originally stayed by Hijiri's side, but after St. Hijiri was destroyed by Kagura, they went on to help Kikyō directly.
- Resurrection: Kikyo's residual spiritual powers that were imbued into Kohaku's Shikon Jewel shard was capable of resurrecting him when Naraku took it back despite Sesshomaru's mother stating that even Tenseiga couldn't revive him when his life is sustained by the shard.
Shinidamachū Command: These serpent-like creatures collect the souls of the recently departed to sustain Kikyō's body. They can also steal the souls of the living, making them her mindless slave. Additionally, soul collectors enhance Kikyō's spiritual powers by delivering souls to her.
Enhanced Eyesight: Kikyō is able to see things that are or may seem invisible to the human eye.[citation needed]
Immense Endurance: Despite being fatally injured by Naraku disguised as Inuyasha, Kikyo was able to muster the strength in order to seal Inuyasha before ultimately dying in spite of having to walk a considerable distance with the wounds being open and bleeding profusely. When resurrected by Urasue, Kikyo returned in her injured state but was still able to put up a considerable fight against Inuyasha despite bleeding profusely from her open wounds.
Immortality: Upon being resurrected by Urasue, Kikyo gained a form of immortality since being a specter of a deceased human she was unable to die by normal means. As such Kikyo is unaffected by diseases, poisons, and other ordinary fatalities for humans as she survived falling from a great height right after being resurrected though strong poisons such as Naraku's improved miasma can impede her. This is shown by the fact that despite having been blown into a river of Naraku's powerful miasma and having it infect her body, she managed to survive (albeit she was incapacitated until temporarily purified by Kagome). However the drawback to this immortality of Kikyo is that she must periodically absorb the souls of deceased maidens through her Shinidamachu or else her existence can't be maintained in the mortal world as Kikyo finally died when she willingly gave up her remaining life force to the Shikon Jewel in an attempt to kill Naraku.
Invisibility: Kikyo can turn herself and others invisible but to a miko like Kagome.
Weapons
Kikyō's Sacred Arrow.
- Bow and Arrows: Kikyō often carries a traditional red Saigu-Yumi and a quiver of Hamaya. She has the power to imbue each arrow with great amount of spiritual power and has destroyed, disabled, purified or sealed many demons.
- Sacred arrows: The sacred arrow is an arrow used by high-level priestesses like Kikyō and Kagome. It can easily break through barriers, destroy spells, obliterate demons, and even deal fatal blows to powerful demons. Kikyō's Sacred Arrows are too powerful and contains enough spiritual powers to penetrate Naraku's Barrier and damage him with ease.
- Arrow of Sealing: The Arrow of Sealing is a sacred arrow that places a demon under a spell of eternal sleep. It is said that these arrows are meant to seal demons that are utterly invincible. If a demon is sealed onto the Goshinboku (the sacred tree or Tree of Ages) the demon's body with remain perfectly intact. They will only awaken when the one who shot the arrow desperately wishes for the demon to be revived.
- Reflection: This ability was once used on Tsubaki the dark priestess when Kikyō was still alive. She infuses her spiritual power into her longbow, which will reflect any oncoming demonic energy back at the demon or person.
Relationships
Last kiss before Kikyō's death.
Kikyō and Inuyasha met when she first started guarding the jewel. At first they battled each other, but as time went on they both fell in love. Wanting to be a normal human, Kikyō asked Inuyasha if he would use the Shikon no Tama to become a human and to be with her. Naraku then takes action by causing to get Inuyasha and Kikyō to turn against other ending in Inuyasha being sealed to the Tree Of Ages and Kikyō's death. However, both Inuyasha and Kikyō would meet again after the demon Urasue brings Kikyō back to life and the seal on Inuyasha is broken by her modern reincarnation, Kagome. All Kikyō wanted in the end was to live together with Inuyasha as a normal woman, but in the end, she was killed by Naraku. However, after a long period of suffering, she said her soul was saved by Kagome, so she shared a final kiss with Inuyasha and died in his arms. Although she died, her light saved Kohaku instead of destroying Naraku after her death. Inuyasha suffered a heartbroken depression of losing Kikyō, as he wanted to protect her forever.
Kagome carries Kikyō on her back.
Kagome is Kikyō's reincarnation, even though their personalities are very different. Kikyo is vengeful, distrustful, and stoic, while Kagome is forgiving, open-hearted, cheerful, and kind. At first, Kagome's body is used by a witch to revive Kikyō. However, not much later after Kikyō is reanimated, Kagome begins to call back her soul. Kikyō eventually escapes the scene with a small fragment of her soul intact. Early into the series, Kikyō has a confrontation with Kagome. Kikyō tried to kill Kagome (which she tells to Inuyasha afterwards). Both of them care and are in love with Inuyasha and several times they've work together and helped each other out and both have saved one another on numerous occasions throughout the series. Kagome and Kikyō have jealousy of one another as both share a special bond with Inuyasha, although Kikyo has shown her jealousy to be greater. Right before Kikyō's death Kikyō gives Kagome her own bow and wishes Kagome well, asking her not to cry as Inuyasha takes her off. Kikyō also entrusts Kagome with the duty of destroying Naraku and the jewel, as well as keeping the "light" in Kohaku's shard. Unable to save Kikyō from Naraku's spiderweb's wounds, Kagome sheds tears and wishes she could have somehow done more to save her. Kikyō also has a high opinion of Kagome, telling Tsubaki her curse would not affect Kagome and would not interfere with Tsubaki's attempt to kill Kagome, apparently wanting her to get stronger from the experience.
Kikyō with her sister Kaede.
Kikyō was fond of her younger sister Kaede. The two were very close at the time that Kikyō was alive. During the time she was young, Kikyō accidentally shot a demon within close proximity of Kaede and a part of the demon flew at Kaede, blinding her in one eye. At the time of Kikyō's resurrection, Kikyō could not recognize Kaede (mainly due to her now being an older lady) but as the story progresses, Kikyō visits Kaede occasionally. At Kikyō's final death, Kikyō's soul visits Kaede and bids her last apologies and farewell to her younger sister, showing her great love for her younger sister.
Kohaku was found sometime later that year by Kikyō who felt pity for the boy. During her journey, Kikyō would try purifying Kohaku. During the last season, Kohaku would be Kikyō's travel companion after being freed from Naraku's corruption. Kohaku, believing that his shard would help in destroying Naraku, decides to sacrifice his shard and dies. As her last act of compassion for Kohaku, Kikyō withdrew her spirit and power from the now-contaminated Shikon Jewel and instead use it in resurrecting Kohaku.
Naraku is the man who tricked Kikyō into betraying Inuyasha. While Kikyō harbors an obvious hatred for him, Naraku is mixed between hatred and love for Kikyō due to his human heart that once belonged to a bandit named Onigumo. Onigumo had once been in love with Kikyō when tended to him. Throughout the series, Kikyō and Naraku interact on several occasions. At one point, Kikyō gives Naraku sacred jewel shards. It is misunderstood at the time that Kikyō had formed an alliance with Naraku, however in truth, she had been planning to purify the Shikon jewel along with Naraku once it was completed. Naraku also attempts to kill Kikyō on many occasions because she is one of his largest weaknesses, eventually succeeding . At the end of the series, it is revealed that Naraku's true wish on the Sacred Jewel had been to have Kikyō's love but it was not granted.
Quotes
- "I must show my weaknesses to no one. I must never have doubts or demons would overtake me. I am human yet I cannot be human. We are quite alike, you and I. You half-demon... That is why I could not kill you."
- ―Kikyō
- "It's possible. It's true that you are half-demon, but you are also half-human. If the Sacred Jewel of the Four Souls fell into the hands of a demon, their powers would undoubtedly increase. However, if it were used to turn you into a human, it would be purified. The Jewel of the Four Souls would probably cease to exist."
- ―Kikyō
- "Liar! I was a fool beyond compare in believing your farfetched tales and wishing to live together with you. I despise you with my last breath. My spirit cannot forget that all-consuming hatred. So as long as you live, my spirit cannot be freed."
- ―Kikyō
- "You are saying you wish for me to die, is that it? For if my soul were to return to the girl, then I would cease to exist forever. You must know that. Is that what you desire, Inuyasha? I refuse to die. My spirit cannot rest in peace until I see you dead!"
- ―Kikyō
- "This is the second time you've asked me to die, Inuyasha. So then why do you look so sad? Is it because you feel the heat from my hand? The heat of anger? The flames of vengeance?"
- ―Kikyō
- "Inuyasha, after meeting you I renounced my position as a shrine priestess. I became an ordinary woman. I longed to embrace you like this when I was alive. We are unable to turn back the hands of time. So please, allow me to embrace you a little longer."
- ―Kikyō
- "Inuyasha, never forget. Remember the feel of my lips against yours, for it was real. Never forget."
- ―Kikyō
- "If I had lived, it would have been I who tended to the wounds in his soul."
- ―Kikyō
- "Go, Naraku... Gather the shards of the Jewel. And once you've found them all, then I will send you to Hell. I am free to hate. My soul is so much freer now than it was then. Free to hate. Free to love."
- ―Kikyō
- "Inuyasha, Naraku will only grow stronger and stronger. You mustn't allow him to kill you. Until I am able to cast both Naraku and the Shikon Jewel from this world, your life belongs to me. No one else will have you."
- ―Kikyō
- "He is reluctant to admit it, but I am certain that he has a lingering desire for me. And in an effort to ease that feeling, he's trying to get rid of me."
- ―Kikyō
- "Tsubaki, do as you please with Kagome, I have no intention of interfering. But if you should ever do any harm to Inuyasha, I will personally see to your demise!"
- ―Kikyō
- "You can never be with Inuyasha again. Nor I, for I am one of the dead and as such... I too don't belong here."
- ―Kikyō
- "I choose to stay here. I want to stay close to those children for a while. Besides, even if I wish to, I cannot go. Inuyasha, you saw them. You saw my soul collectors being repelled by the aura of this land. It took everything I had, just to stand at the base of the mountain."
- ―Kikyō
- "The battle continues. The fact that I walk this path once more only serves to confirm my wretched fate. And what awaits me beyond this darkness. Once more, just once more, I must ascertain the whereabouts of those mortals resurrected from the grave."
- ―Kikyō
- "No! Why are these memories coming back to me now?"
- ―Kikyō
- "Nothing's stopping me. I will put an end to Naraku's life. That's what this means."
- ―Kikyō
- "I'm surprised you allowed yourself to be distracted by that abomination. How pathetic."
- ―Kikyō
- "I loathe all things. I despise every living creature who's bound to time."
- ―Kikyō
- "Naraku, I will not die now. Do you expect me to die in your filthy arms!?"
- ―Kikyō
Trivia
- Noriko Hidaka who voiced Kikyō also voiced Akane Tendo in Ranma ½, another series by Rumiko Takahashi.
- Willow Johnson also voiced Kasumi Tendo in Ranma ½.
- In the Korean dub, her name was changed to Geumgang.
- Of all his enemies, Naraku considers Kikyō his only serious threat, the only one who scares him.
- Rumiko Takahashi once stated in an interview that Kikyō had died around the age of 17, but this wasn't a direct statement. Plus, it seemed to contradict her official character profiles book, which states she was 18.[4]
- Rumiko Takahashi stated that she chose Kikyō's name basing on the language of flowers, as the Chinese Bellflower's meaning is "unchanging love."
- Kikyō's arrows are always changing amount from one scene to the next. And sometimes when she uses one, not long after, she will still have the same amount.
- Both Kikyō's and Kagome's spiritual aura changed from a blueish color, to a pinker one.
- In Affections Touching Across Time, a number of instances occur where Kikyō seems to have irrationally omniscient knowledge for the purposes of exposition. Firstly, Kikyō refers to Menōmaru by name, despite never meeting him or learning his name from anyone who had. Although it is possible she knew his name from before his resurrection, this is unlikely, as Menōmaru's presence in Japan was not known to humans and he had been sealed away for two whole centuries prior to his return. Confusingly, when referring to him she alternates between both "Menōmaru" and "Hyōga", suggesting she learned of his latter name shortly after he assumed it or even less likely, that she knew of the naming traditions of the Hyōga clan, which supposedly only Myōga and Sesshōmaru (both of whom were actually alive at the time of the Hyōga clan's invasion) were aware of. She also had extensive knowledge of how Menōmaru was using the Tree of Ages to increase his power, despite the tree never having been used in such a manner before, though it is somewhat possible she simply gained such insights through observation.
- In the same movie, Kikyō sends Kagome back to the future with a shard of the Sacred Jewel, intending for her reincarnation to remain there forever, away from Inuyasha. However, Kikyō's primary strategy throughout the entire series is to allow Naraku to gain all shards of the Sacred Jewel so that she can purify both Naraku and the jewel simultaneously. Yet, if Kagome had really been trapped in the future and unable to return to the Sengoku era, Kikyō's other plan would have been ruined. This was either a plot inconsistency on the part of the filmmakers, or else an instance of Kikyō being uncharacteristically illogical. Luckily for Kikyō's plans, though, her attempt to trap Kagome was rebuffed and the jewel was allowed to return to the past.
References
- ↑ BS Manga Yawa (BS Manga Night Talk) [1]
- ↑ Zusetsutaizan Ōgikaiden, page 136
- ↑ InuYasha anime; Episode 47
- ↑ Rumiko Takahashi Backstage 1
| 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 |