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InuYasha
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in: Humans, Individuals, Individuals from the feudal era
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Onigumo

Revision as of 07:29, 19 October 2017 by OPArchivist (Message Wall | contribs)
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“

My soul is rancid to the core, yet it still holds value. Feast on my flesh; I must possess my former mobility, then the jewel will be mine, not to the mention the lovely maiden Kikyō. Feast on me, demons. Devour me! And in exchange, bestow me with your mobility and strength!

”

—Onigumo[src]

Onigumo (鬼蜘蛛, "Demon Spider") was a bandit who was rescued by the priestess named Kikyō. He fed his body to yōkai and ultimately became Naraku.

History

Origins

Onigumo was an evil bandit who gained his injuries in a fire that was caused by Rasetsu who set the building that he was in a blaze because Onigumo had betrayed him and taken his men. Rasetsu then had his men throw Onigumo off a cliff to finish him but he managed to survive.

Kikyō found him, nursed his injuries in a cave, and occasionally, Kikyō's younger sister, Kaede took care of him as well, even though she didn't like doing it. Onigumo originally had difficulties accepting Kikyō's kindness, and told her to forget about the bandit when she visited him, but Kikyō's kindness had also made Onigumo fall for her. Onigumo gave up his body to demons in order to regain his strength, mobility, and power.

Onigumo did this because he desired Kikyō and the Sacred Jewel for himself, while the demons did it because they wished to get rid of Kikyō and obtain the Sacred Jewel. This created the evil half-demon, Naraku who then immediately tricked Inuyasha and Kikyō into becoming enemies so he could have the sacred jewel for even more power than he already had. His deceit led to Kikyō's death and Inuyasha's sealing to the Tree of Ages.

Reborn

When Naraku removed his human heart, he also removed Onigumo's soul in the process, which became Musō. Much later, Musō finally remembered about his past as a bandit and of his time with Kikyō within the cave. Musō was eventually absorbed by Naraku, becoming part of him again.

Final death

In one of Naraku's final moments, after Inuyasha destroyed forever his body with Meidō Zangetsuha, he recalled that Kagome had said the Jewel did not grant his real wish. Naraku recalled that what he really wished for was Kikyō's love, but it seemed that it was not granted to him. Before Kagome's arrow had pierced the jewel, Naraku's soul commented that he wouldn't be able to go where Kikyō had gone. It was presumed that Onigumo's emotions had somehow surfaced within Naraku as he recalled his true wish, thus proving what Kikyō had once stated to Naraku was indeed true: "You've disguised yourself well, but you're still that fugitive human, and who you once were can never be erased".

Naraku's soul was sealed inside the Shikon Jewel after his purification from the material world. In the manga, Naraku's soul was destroyed forever by Inuyasha when he cuts the point of light in the darkness inside the Shikon Jewel with Meidō Zangetsuha, which is the key to kill Naraku and destroy the jewelry evil. In fact, with Inuyasha's attack at this very point, the purity of the Jewel called Naohi annihilates the evil corrupting presence within it, then the Jewel's shimmering and voice completely stopped.

Instead, in the anime version, when Kagome wished for the Jewel to be destroyed, Naraku's soul was purified and went on to the afterlife. The Onigumo part of his soul seemed dominant at this point, and was finally at peace, where the demon half of Naraku's soul presumably separated from Onigumo to go to hell.

Quotes

Onigumo: "You, young lass.."
Kaede: "It's Kaede."
Onigumo: "Yes... Your sister possesses what is known as the Shikon Jewel, does she not?"
Kaede: "What would ye know about the jewel?"
Onigumo: "All who are wicked know of it, and pursue it."
Kaede: "Ye included?"
Onigumo: "I understand that the more evil the jewel absorbs, the more evil it becomes; outstanding."
Kaede: "My sister has it under her control, it won't be corrupted."
Onigumo: "Kikyō's manner is self righteous; for once I should like to see her apprehensive and frightened, that would bring me true pleasure."
―Kaede and Onigumo's chilling exchange[src]

Trivia

  • Onigumo had a spider mark on his back, even before he became Naraku.
  • Onigumo (鬼蜘蛛) can also be translated as the Araneus ventricosus, a particular species of orb-weaving spider.
  • It was Naraku's actions that brought some sense of irony with Onigumo's words of how he would have liked to see Kikyō "apprehensive and frightened," a facial expression that was made as Naraku struck down Kikyō, as he was disguised as Inuyasha, though Musō, Onigumo's later reincarnated form, expressed a large amount of anger and regret as he recalled that bitter memory as Kikyō had died from such a mortal wound due to Naraku's miscalculation.
  • As Musō, while Onigumo did remember about the Shikon Jewel, he apparently did not seem to desire the jewel as much as he did with Kikyō, which implied that Onigumo saw the Shikon Jewel as merely a bonus and his main objective was Kikyō.
  • The way Onigumo's irises are drawn makes them look like they contain a dark spider web.

Media appearances

Manga

Anime

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
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