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This article is about one of Naraku's incarnations. You may be looking for the monk he stole the face and name of, Musō.


He is Naraku's; born of this abominable flesh. And yet, nothing like you've encountered before.

—Naraku

Musō (無双, "Peerless") was Naraku's seventh incarnation, and was ultimately the reincarnation of Naraku's human core, Onigumo.

History

Naraku cared so little for this incarnation that he gives it no name or face. Upon being separated, Naraku left the incarnation to fend for itself.[1]

Musō awoke confused as to his purpose and identity. He killed many local townsfolk and severed their faces from their heads. He tried each face on as he was born without one. However, each was too old or ugly for his use. He eventually met the monk, Musō, who attempted to attack him. After a brief battle, he overpowered the monk and began to wear his face. He took on the name of the monk as well.[1]

Musō ventured to Kikyō's former village, where he ran into Inuyasha's group. Inuyasha smelled the stench of Naraku on the demon. Inuyasha realized the demon was responsible for all the murders of local townsfolk. Inuyasha attacked Musō with the Tessaiga and ripped his arm off. However, they noticed his body seemed to be made out of some form of clay. A hoard of Naraku's poison insects suddenly filled the sky. When they attached to Musō's side, he regenerated his arm. Musō then asked Inuyasha what was in the village saying it was "calling" to him. He thought if he slaughtered the village people his memory would be restored. Inuyasha attacked him again but failed.[1]

Kagome then returned from her time but was unable to see what was going on. Musō spotted her and in return, it triggered a piece of his memory of Kikyō. Desperate to know who she was, Musō then grabbed Kagome and took her declaring she was the one he has been missing.[1]

Elsewhere, Naraku quickly realized that he could not abandon Onigumo. He attempted to touch Kikyō and his hand transformed into demons attempting to gain their freedom from his body. Naraku retreated to find Musō as he realized he still needed him.[2]

Soon after, Naraku re-absorbs Musō since he feels that he has not gotten completely rid of Onigumo; possibly the threat of his death. He decides to try again later when he is stronger.

Meeting Naraku

The poisonous insects take Musō to nearby forest where Naraku is waiting. For the first time ever Naraku and Onigumo come face to face with each other. Naraku tells Musō that Kikyō is alive again and she is as he remembers her. Before he can question Naraku about Kikyō, Inuyasha and Miroku appear. As Inuyasha starts a fight with Naraku, Musō runs away. Still angry at Naraku for his imprisonment he decides to go back to kill Naraku. He stabs Naraku in chest, however doing this allows Naraku to reabsorb him. Naraku revealed that he still needed Onigumo's heart as a connector for his body, which was why he needed to reabsorb him.

Reuniting with Naraku

Muso

Naraku absorbing Musō.

Realizing he was not yet ready to part with Onigumo's soul, Naraku confronted Musō and tried to absorb him back into his body. Inuyasha interfered, enabling Musō to run, but he foolishly went back to kill Naraku for revenge. Musō impaled Naraku but Naraku drew him in and absorbed him as he screamed for Kikyō, Kagura looking on as she thought, "If I'm not careful, that will be my ultimate fate..."

Physical description

Muso2

Faceless Musō.

Musō had the form of a faceless man with a spider scar on his back. He is faceless because Onigumo was badly burnt before becoming Naraku, even his face was burnt off. Therefore Musō receives the same outcome.

Powers & Abilities

  • Facial Theft: Having been created without a face, Musō can take on facial identities of others by apply faces to his head after ripping them off.[1]
  • Regeneration: Musō demonstrated infuriatingly powerful regenerative abilities, able to piece himself back together even after taking the Kaze no Kizu from Inuyasha. However, had his heart been destroyed, not only his but Naraku's downfalls would have been assured. He also demonstrated the ability to regenerate and shapeshift new limbs, spikes, multiple legs and arms, claws, and a tail.[1]
Musauce
  • Shape Shifting: Musō is able to transform part of this body into plant-like structures and manipulate them. He has transformed his arms into gigantic vines and used them to whip Inuyasha around. He has also created large thorn spikes out of his body as a defensive gesture.[2] When his powers matured further, he was able to transform into a gigantic scorpion like creature.
  • Enhanced speed: Musō is shown to be faster than an average human. he was easily able to dodge Sango's Hiraikotsu and could keep up with Naraku's speed.
  • Enhanced Strength: Musō was much stronger than a normal human, Musō was able to kill an entire group of bandits and was strong enough to give Inuyasha and his friends a hard time. Musō was also able to hold his own against Naraku for a while.

Weapons

Katana

Musō is charging to attack Inuyasha.

Katana: After Musō slaughtered the bandits and took the face of the monk, he had stolen the sword of a bandit that crossed his path. he used the sword to steal and raid villages but it was destroyed when his arm was incinerated by Inuyasha's Tessaiga. in the manga Musō acquired another katana but in the anime he did not.

Manga vs. Anime

  • In the manga, Musō is the seventh incarnation of Naraku. However, in the anime he is the sixth.
  • In the manga Musō instantly attacks Naraku and is absorbed almost immediately. The anime goes into further detail with the encounter.

Trivia

  • Muso's ability to regenerate and come back together after being blown to bits is similar to that of Majin Buu and his evil counterpart, Super Buu, in the anime Dragon Ball Z. In the Ocean dub aired in Canada, Super Buu and his previous form, Evil Buu, are also voiced by Brian Dobson. Ironically, while Super Buu absorbs victims, Musō himself ends up being absorbed.
    • Other parallels can be drawn in that both are a part of a demon split off while closely representing their former self which had been suppressed but still influenced them (Naraku is comprised of several demons and Onigumo's heart and soul, and Onigumo was split off from Naraku and reincarnated as Musō, while Super Buu is Majin Buu with very little good in him having been driven out of the original Majin Buu, who had been turned into a less evil creature after absorbing Dai Kaio), and both are reincarnated into a childlike form with different personalities (The Infant is essentially Musō reincarnated due to being Naraku's heart, while Super Buu is reincarnated as the human child Uub after his death, plus before his death he turns into Kid Buu who has a more psychotic personality much like the Infant does, though in quite the opposite way).
Naraku
Incarnations KannaKaguraGoshinkiJūrōmaruKagerōmaruMusōInfantHakudōshiByakuyaAkagane
Rejected parts Unnamed incarnationHair monsterEye monsterOnigumo (reabsorbed)Kugutsu
Allies SaimyōshōSesshōmaru (formerly)TsubakiHakushinShichinintaiAbiTekkeiMōryōmaruMirror demonMagatsuhi
Enemies KikyōInuyashaKagome HigurashiMiyatsuMiroku's fatherMirokuSangoKiraraKohakuKōgaSesshōmaru (currently)KaguyaMōryōmaruHitomikoKansukeKaedeMidorikoRinJakenA-Un
Miscellaneous Shikon no TamaKazaanaOnigumo's caveNaraku's castleMount Hakurei


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 InuYasha anime; Episode 69
  2. 2.0 2.1 InuYasha anime; Episode 70
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