Sesshōmaru
Sesshōmaru
Nihongo	殺生丸
Rōmaji	Sesshōmaru
Name meaning	Killing Perfection
Biographical information
Age	19 (in appearance) 500 (chronologically)[1]
Status	Traveling
Occupation	Lord of the Western Lands
Physical information
Species	Dog Daiyōkai
Gender	Male
Height	178 cm (5'10")
Weight	76 kg (167.6 lbs)
Eye color	Gold
Hair color	Silver
Skin color	Fair[2]
Family
Inu no Taishō (father, deceased) Mother Inuyasha (half-brother) Kagome Higurashi (sister-in-law)
Skills information
Abilities	Flight, Superhuman olfactory senses, Superhuman strength [3]
Weapons	Tenseiga, Bakusaiga, Tōkijin, Poison, Claws
Affiliation
Team	A–Un, Jaken, Rin, Kohaku (temporarily)
Loyalty	Inu yōkai
Debut
Manga Debut	Chapter 12
InuYasha Anime	Episode 5
Movie Debut	Affections Touching Across Time
Voice Actors
Japanese Seiyū	Ken Narita
English VA	David Kaye (Original Series, Games, Movies) Michael Daingerfield (Final Act)

“

I seek nothing more than to battle the most powerful beings alive: which excludes the lowly likes of you.

”

—Sesshōmaru^[src]

Sesshōmaru (殺生丸, Sesshomaru, "Killing Perfection") is a powerful dog daiyōkai and feared throughout the feudal world as the ruler of the western lands. He was the half-brother of the half-demon Inuyasha and the successor to the Inu no Taishō, their father. Unlike many other demons, he had no interest in possessing even one shard of the Shikon no Tama to enhance his powers. On his journey, he was accompanied by a two-headed dragon named A–Un, a demon imp named Jaken, and an orphaned human girl named Rin.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Search for Tessaiga 1.2 Naraku's Assistance 1.3 Tessaiga And Tenseiga 1.4 Kaijinbō's Evil Sword 1.5 The Demon's True Nature 1.6 The Panther Demons 1.7 Naraku's Plan 1.8 Kōga and Sesshōmaru. A Dangerous Encounter 1.9 Mount Hakurei 1.10 The Woman Who Loved Sesshōmaru 1.11 Battle in the Borderland 1.12 Forever with Lord Sesshōmaru 1.13 Kagura's Death 1.14 Meidō Zangetsuha 1.15 Rin's Second Death 1.16 The Bakusaiga and the final battle with Naraku 1.17 The Epilogue 2 Appearance 2.1 Outfit 3 Personality 3.1 Growing Compassion 4 Powers and Abilities 4.1 Attacks 4.2 Powers 5 Weapons 5.1 Tenseiga 5.2 Tōkijin 5.3 Bakusaiga 5.4 Nintōjō 6 Relationships 6.1 Family 6.2 Traveling companions 6.3 Enemies 6.4 Naraku 6.5 Other 7 Manga vs. Anime 8 Quotes 9 Trivia 10 References 11 Navigation

History

He was the son of the Great Dog Demon and his mate. He saw his father as the ultimate opponent, wishing to defeat him in combat and take his two legendary swords, Tessaiga and Sō'unga, to begin his reign of Supreme Conquest. He talked with his father following the battle with Ryūkotsusei, demanding the two swords be handed over to him. However, when questioned if he had anyone to protect, Sesshōmaru told his father that he did not; little did he know, Sesshōmaru needed to have someone to protect as it would teach him the compassion needed to wield the Tessaiga. After his father died to protect his new half-demon half-brother, Inuyasha, and his human mother, Sesshōmaru began hating them. He was given the Tenseiga  instead of the other two swords, to teach him compassion.

Search for Tessaiga

Sesshōmaru began his quest for the Tessaiga by searching for the place that a short poem indicated it would be. "Seen yet never seen, protected, but never known to its protector" This was the only known clue as to Tessaiga's location,(which indicated that the gate to his father's resting place was hidden in the right pupil of Inuyasha). His imp yōkai servant, Jaken, suggested to go to his younger brother, Inuyasha, to ask where his father's grave located. Sesshōmaru and Jaken are then next seen riding on a huge ogre looking demon and attacks a woman in a flying carriage. Inuyasha tries to save the woman but Jaken tries to fry Inuyasha, gaining Inuyasha's attention. Sesshōmaru praised Inuyasha for him and taunts him for being a half demon. He then asked him where their father grave was, but Inuyasha told him that he doesn't know. Sesshōmaru proceeds to tell Inuyasha that if he doesn't answer, he will kill the woman in the carriage, Inuyasha's mother. Inuyasha at first doesn't believe that the woman is his mother. However, Sesshōmaru tells him that he resurrected her and gave her a new body, which later, we learn is actually quite possible due to Sesshōmaru's Tenseiga. After hearing from the woman that she is truly his mother brought back from the dead, Inuyasha attempts to attack the demon and save her. Sesshōmaru ordered the demon to attack them, but before they could get hurt, Inuyasha's Mother transported them to a different place. Sesshōmaru was annoyed by Jaken's bothersome plan, and tells him that if it should fail, he would kill him.

Jaken goes to where Inuyasha was located and it's revealed that the woman was not Inuyasha's mother, but a demon called the 'un-mother'. The un-mother was a spirit of a woman who had her children killed by war, to lure Inuyasha into revealing the secret to the whereabouts of the Tessaiga. Sesshōmaru then appeared and gloated that he knew where their father's tomb was. He grabs Inuyasha and pulls a black pearl from Inuyasha's eye. He then uses the staff Jaken carries to open a portal from the black pearl. He and others jump in, apparently traveling to the world between the living and the netherworld.

Sesshōmaru enters the skeleton of his late father and attempts to pull out the Tessaiga but, he is unable to pull out the sword due to a spell on the sword which prevents full demons full demons from touching it. Inuyasha arrives and tries but fails to pull it out. Sesshōmaru then attacks Inuyasha. Kagome, who was knocked back by Jaken, with the sword in her hand pulls it out by accident. Sesshōmaru, enraged by the fact that a lowly human could pull out the Tessaiga, demanded Kagome that she must submit the sword to him. However, Kagome refused, and threatened that she'd cut him with the sword. Inuyasha warned Sesshōmaru to stay away from Kagome for good. Sesshōmaru, who hated humans and half-demons alike, then sprayed toxic sludge upon Kagome, covering her alive. He also remarked to Inuyasha that Inuyasha's love for human was what made him weak, just like his mother. Inuyasha is furious and attacks him not only because of what he did to Kagome but also because Sesshōmaru insulted the memory of Inuyasha's human mother saying that she has dirty blood. Kagome pops out of the goo and is unharmed because the Tessaiga protected her. She gives it to Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru tests him and the sword by transforming into his demon form which is and giant white dog with all his distinguished markings.

Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha start to battle. Inuyasha uses the Tessaiga, which looks like a useless scrap of metal, and it doesn't work. Sesshōmaru begins to poison up the inside of his father, forcing Inuyasha and Kagome to escape outside. Inuyasha tells Kagome that she's crazy to think that he needs to believe in the sword to make it work. Kagome starts crying asking if she should give up hope and Inuyasha tells her to shut up so he can protect her. As Inuyasha approaches Sesshōmaru to get the fight over with, the sword starts pulsing and suddenly transforms into a huge fang-like sword. Inuyasha then slices off one of Sesshōmaru's arms, so he is forced to flee.

Naraku's Assistance

A band of outlaws, who had just raided a poor village, are riding through a land where demons supposedly come out at night. They see someone ahead and assume that it is merely a human and they start to attack. The man kills them all with one stroke of his arm. The man is Sesshōmaru. Jaken walks up to him through the grass and congratulates his master on destroying the men so quickly. Sesshōmaru throws his arm, that he used to defeat the men, on the ground. He had defeated a demon and had stolen it from him. Sesshōmaru cannot find a permanent arm to use after Inuyasha had cut off his arm. A man appears behind Sesshōmaru and offers him a human arm. It is Naraku. He says that Sesshōmaru could not touch the Tessaiga because he's a demon, but if he used a human arm he could. He also gives him a hive that would be used to block the hole in Miroku's hand. Naraku asks Sesshōmaru to use his gifts to defeat Inuyasha for him. Sesshōmaru agrees.

A huge shadowy claw then zooms across the sky and starts wreaking havoc on a town. It turns out to be another of Sesshōmaru's shadow beasts, and the villagers fled in fear. Sesshōmaru is releasing poison from his hand and Inuyasha covers his nose with his sleeve. And coughs, while Kagome, Miroku and Shippō back away. Sesshōmaru says that he came to claim the Tessaiga.(although he should know that it will never he his.)They go outside to find Sesshōmaru, Jaken, and their big ogre demon. Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru fight for a while and Sesshōmaru uses his human arm to take the Tessaiga. He shows Inuyasha how to kill a hundred demons with one stroke of the blade. They fight for a while before Miroku steps in and uses his wind tunnel. Sesshōmaru releases the hive and the insects from hell (which look like huge wasps) fly at Miroku's hand (not sucked in!). Miroku is poisoned and he cannot fight. Kagome runs to get him an antidote. Inuyasha continues to fight with Sesshōmaru while Miroku and Shippō fight Jaken, who uses his Nintōjo, tossing fire at them.

Sesshōmaru is about to kill Inuyasha with the Tessaiga when an arrow comes flying at it and reverts it's transformation. Kagome is seen standing on a hill with her bow and arrow out. She says the next one will go in his heart and warns Inuyasha to move away. Sesshōmaru charges at Kagome but Inuyasha jumps in front of him and takes the blow for her. Later on in the battle, Inuyasha manages to tear off Sesshōmaru's arm, but gets stabbed by Sesshōmaru's poison claws in the process. Sesshōmaru & Jaken leave and the insects retrieve the jewel shard in Sesshōmaru's arm.

Tessaiga And Tenseiga

Sesshōmaru, dissatisfied with his sword Tenseiga, wishes to have the old, absent-minded sword smith Tōtōsai make him a new one. The unwilling Tōtōsai has Inuyasha defend him, causing the brothers to fight. Tōtōsai reveals the heritage of Sesshōmaru's sword before creating a diversion to allow Inuyasha and the rest of his companions to escape. Soon after leaving Inuyasha and his companions, Tōtōsai is attacked by Sesshōmaru. Once again, Inuyasha battles his brother as Tōtōsai's protector, but must now face Sesshōmaru's newest defense: a dragon's arm. As Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru continue to duel for possession of Tessaiga, both brothers discover the unexpected power of their respective inheritances, as Inuyasha discovers the true power of his sword, and Sesshōmaru, who called his sword useless, is saved by his father's heirloom. After the fight, an injured Sesshōmaru is helped by the orphan Rin, whom he revives with the Tenseiga after she is killed by Kōga's wolves. He then sets off and Rin follows him, becoming his companion.

Kaijinbō's Evil Sword

Finding the corpse of the fallen Goshinki and detecting Inuyasha's scent on it, Sesshōmaru takes the demon's head to Kaijinbō, the rogue sword smith and former disciple of Tōtōsai, in order to commission a sword made from Goshinki's head. On the same day Kaijinbō arrives, possessed and wielding his newest creation Tōkijin, Inuyasha has transformed into his human form being defenseless. Then luckily Tōtōsai appears and gives Inuyasha his sword which is too heavy for him to lift. Kaijinbō is destroyed by his own creation, the sword Tōkijin, because it is too evil for its maker to wield. Kagura directs Sesshōmaru to Tōkijin and watches as the demon claims his sword and wields it against his brother. While Inuyasha and his friends escape before they feel the full brunt of Sesshōmaru's new weapon, Kagura decides that Sesshōmaru may be strong enough to destroy Naraku.

The Demon's True Nature

Inuyasha's demonic transformation gives him great power, but no sense of control over himself as he kills indiscriminately, which Sesshōmaru discovers when he arrives to gauge his younger brother's power after listening to the wisdom of Bokusenō, a demon-tree and friend of the Inu no Taishō.

The Panther Demons

A group of panther demons come after Kagome for her Shikon Jewel shards, but seem more interested in attacking Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru. Seeking revenge for the defeat of their master at the hands of Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru's father, they kidnap Kagome.

Inuyasha breaks into the Panther demon's barrier using Tessaiga's new ability. After Myōga reveals why the demons are seeking revenge, everyone splits up to confront the panthers separately.

To resurrect their master, the Panther demons have captured entire villages to sacrifice. However, when the master is revived, he unexpectedly kills three of them to return to life and Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru end up working together to defeat the Panther demon leader.

To defeat the panther demon's master, Sesshōmaru uses the Tenseiga to bring the rest of the panther demons back to life. Sesshōmaru understood that the other three panther demons lives were taken by the master in order for the master to heal, and thus the master died when they were resurrected.

Naraku's Plan

Kagura kidnaps Rin, and threatens Lord Sesshōmaru with her life unless he kills Inuyasha, an ultimatum Sesshōmaru ignores. Inuyasha breaks through Naraku's Barrier with his newly gained power, the red Tessaiga. Meanwhile, Kagome and the others pursue the lone Shikon shard Kagome senses, which is Kohaku, who has been charged with guarding Rin.

Naraku is forced to fight both Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha, who work together to seriously wound Naraku until their sibling rivalry gets the better of them. The fight is halted when Naraku remotely orders Kohaku to kill Rin before vanishing, which forces Sesshōmaru to leave and save the girl's life.

Kōga and Sesshōmaru. A Dangerous Encounter

Sesshōmaru and Kōga are both still looking for Naraku. Ginta & Hakkaku are fishing on a stream when Rin and Jaken run across them. Rin is scared because she was attacked by Kōga's wolf clan. They are scared off by Sesshōmaru and they flee to find Kōga. They come upon Kōga and Inuyasha fighting. After finding out about Sesshōmaru from Kagome, Ginta and Hakkaku decided to keep Kōga away from Sesshōmaru (they think Kōga will want to defeat Inuyasha's brother). Of course this does not work out and Sesshōmaru and Kōga meet but don't fight each other. Instead, they each help each other out by saving the other's respective parties and go their separate ways. These events only occur in the Anime.

Mount Hakurei

When Sesshōmaru arrives on Mt Hakurei, he saves Kagome Higurashi, Miroku and Sango from the poison user Mukotsu, one of the Shichinintai , however when confronted with the fact that he saved Kagome and the others, he merely says, "I only killed him because he wouldn't answer my questions."

Later on, Shippō tells Inuyasha that Kagome, Miroku and Sango stopped breathing due to the poison. Inuyasha is shocked and starts to cry, for he was unable to protect them. Inuyasha goes off to be alone, and starts cutting down trees and yelling in frustration, seeking vengeance on the Band-of-Seven and on Naraku. In his daze of anger, Sesshōmaru appears and asks him why he's so inconsolable. Inuyasha explains, and Sesshōmaru tells him that a half demon can barely protect themselves, let alone others. Inuyasha, tired of being mocked, says that if he kills Sesshōmaru, he would have the Tenseiga and could revive his friends, to which his brother says a half demon could never master the sword. Inuyasha starts to strike Sesshōmaru but the illusion disappears, suggesting it was all in Inuyasha's head to begin with.

After Mukotsu's death, Naraku orders the five remaining Shichinintaito kill Sesshōmaru as well. So, Jakotsu and Suikotsu go after him, former noting that protecting Rin is Sesshōmaru's weakness. Later on in the same arc, Suikotsu and Jakotsu had Sesshōmaru cornered and they threatened to kill Rin if Sesshōmaru made a move. Sesshōmaru pulls an impressive maneuver, tossing away his sword behind him and impaling Suikotsu with it, then dashing ahead into the path of Jakotsu's snake-sword and plunging his claws into Jakotsu's heart. However, Sesshōmaru, thinking that was enough to kill them, lets his guard down, and as Rin runs away from her captors, Suikotsu grabs her and gets ready to kill her. Jakotsu tells Sesshōmaru he'll be too late to save her, but suddenly Kikyō arrives manages to stop Suikotsu with her sacred arrow.

He later watched as Naraku's miasma destroyed the vegetation on Mount Hakurei and several demons escaped from the destroyed barrier. Possibly watching Naraku's attempt to kill Kikyō, Sesshōmaru appeared before him; he believed that since he's emerged from hiding, he has grown stronger. Testing his theory, Sesshōmaru destroyed Naraku's body, but the force of Tōkijin was sent back by Naraku's barrier. He made one final slash that ripped Naraku's head in half. However, he had no success in destroying him for good, watching as he fled once more. When Inuyasha arrived to see Kikyō's broken bow, Sesshōmaru berated his brother for not being able to save her, telling him to chase Naraku instead of yelling at him.

The Woman Who Loved Sesshōmaru

Sesshōmaru came accross Sara Asono, a woman who had been watching him recover following his first attempt to take Tessaiga. She offered to grant his wish (to possess Tessaiga), not knowing that his main desire now was to find and slay Naraku for using him. Sesshōmaru told her to do as she wished, believing she may be useful. When Jaken questioned him as to who she was, Sesshōmaru told him him that Sara was human once, but never fully became a demon. He later appears when Sara successfuly stole Tessaiga, destroying the crow demon she used for transport. Sesshōmaru refused to accept Tessaiga from Sara as he does not need help in defeating InuYasha especially from her and fled into the forest. Sara followed him and found him at the same tree where he laid injured from his first battle from InuYasha and where Sara came upon him. Listening to her tale of how she came to know him, Sesshōmaru noticed the demonic side of her had emerged. Inuyasha arrives to reclaim the Tessaiga. Sara attempted to restrain and kill him, but Sesshōmaru steps in the way and strikes her and revealed that the demons she made a pact with were using her spiritual powers as a bridge so they can absorb him. Learning Tōkijin's hatred feeds the demons, he temporarily managed to weild Tessaiga and destroy her. As Sara faded into golden dust, he listened to her declare love for him. Once she passed, Sesshōmaru placed Sara's flute in her remains, saying "Go play your flute in the netherworld."

Battle in the Borderland

Sesshōmaru followed the scent of a flood of blood to the decapitated Tekkei and wondered what had happened. Kagura appeared and informed him Naraku had gone to the Border Between the Living and the Dead to retrieve the final jewel shard. She lead him to the Gate in the Land of Fire; there, he drew Tenseiga, pacifying Gozu and Meizu, and allowing him to enter the gate without being turned to stone. He flew to his father's grave once more and tried repeatedly to break Naraku's barrier; Naraku taunted him by allowing superfulous limbs to be destroyed. However, once Inuyasha gained and used the Diamond Spears that broke Naraku's barrier, Sesshōmaru's attack tore him to pieces. Seeing Naraku had fled back to the World of the Living, Sesshōmaru headed back to the gate with Inuyasha's group.

Forever with Lord Sesshōmaru

While searching for Naraku, Sesshōmaru came across a village under attack by bandits, slaying them once they attack him. Monks arrived shortly after and questioned if he was responsble for attacking the village; Sesshōmaru created distraction and left. During his absence, Rin was kidnapped by Ongukoki. Sesshōmaru tracks him down, but finds the very same monks he encountered earlier have rescued her and several other children. Knowing that Rin should live with humans, Sesshōmaru was willing to allow her to leave, but intervened when the monks refused to let her decide for herself. Holding back, Sesshōmaru destroyed their charms and told Rin to follow him if she choose to do so; she did. Sesshōmaru is later taken off guard by a question from Rin: "When I die, will you always remember me?" Though masking his true feelings, Sesshōmaru says don't say such silly things.

Kagura's Death

Kagura, one of Naraku's incarnations, later betrays Naraku to obtain her freedom. She believes that only Sesshōmaru can defeat him; she also harbors romantic feelings for him, just like Sara. After trying attack Goryōmaru's temple and getting injured, she fell into a river near Sesshōmaru's group. Recovering, she explains Naraku is using an orb known as the Fuyōheki to hide his heart; Sesshōmaru is given crystal shards of demonic energy to help him find Naraku's heart. Sesshōmaru entrusts Jaken to look after the crystals.

During a battle with Mōryōmaru, Sesshōmaru catches the scent of Kagura's blood and Naraku's miasma. Mōryōmaru insults her, infuriating Sesshōmaru and quickly concludes the quarrel, breaking Tōkijin in the process. He leaves the sword behind, choosing to obtain a new one instead of reforging Tōkijin.

Jus

t as Kagura thinks she'll die alone in the field of flowers, Sesshōmaru appears before her, much to the wind soreceress's surprise. Sesshōmaru tells Kagura that he picked up the scent of blood and miasma. Kagura replies, "I see, you thought I was Naraku. Are you disappointed that I'm not Naraku?" Sesshōmaru replies to her, "I knew it was you." He reaches for Tenseiga but then realizes at that moment that she can't be saved. Kagura is happy she got to see Sesshōmaru one last time. She looks up at him and smiles as she dies before him dissolving into the wind. When Inuyasha comes right after Kagura dies, he asks Sesshōmaru if she suffered. Sesshōmaru simply looks toward the sky and says, "She was smiling," and then walks away.

Meidō Zangetsuha

Tenseiga calls out to Tōtōsai at that time and he states that the sword told him that Sesshōmaru's heart had never before felt compassion, and that meant Sesshōmaru was ready to learn how to wield Tenseiga as a weapon. In this way it was Kagura who taught Sesshōmaru how to have compassion in a way he never had before.

When Sesshōmaru learns how to perform Meidō Zangetsuha, he reflects on Kagura's death, and how Mōryōmaru told him that she had died for nothing. He then thinks to himself, "I, Sesshōmaru, will be the one to decide if she died for nothing." The wind then blows, which Rin points out, and the group of three leave Tōtōsai. The wind is meant to represent Kagura's spirit.

Rin's Second Death

In effort to strengthen and enhance Tenseiga's powers even further, Sesshōmaru visits his mother in search of answers to make a complete Meidō. He ventures into Hell after a demon from the underworld grabs Rin and Kohaku is sill alive (do to the jewel shard in his back) but Rin did not wake up do to her long time in the underworld he stated regret in how he should never have brought her along and should had left her in a human village(in a flash back of when Rin was first revived), frustration in that he blames himself for her death. Sesshōmaru's mother offers him a way out which he declines; this offends her. Sesshōmaru finds Rin in the grasp of the master of Hell. After he slays the demon he realizes Rin isn't reviving, and states that enhancing and strengthening his sword is not worth the price of Rin's life. Dead bodies in Hell surround them, and with his grief for Rin he uses Tenseiga to purify them. When he returns to the living world with Rin's body, his mother scolds him for thinking he was a god who could control life and death, and tells him Tenseiga can only revive the same person once, and tells him that when his heart wishes to save his "loved one" (in reference to Rin), he must also at that moment feel both sadness and fear; this is what it means for him to have "a compassionate heart."

Sesshōmaru could only learn to understand the worth of a life and gain a truly compassionate heart when lost the life that was worth the most to him (which is Rin), and "a compassionate heart" is what is necessary for the one who wields a destructive Tenseiga, wh

ich can dispatch enemies to the Meidō.

His mother tells him not to expect her to do this twice, placing the jewel around Rin's neck. Much to his relief and happiness, Rin is revived once more (his mother asks Jaken if Sesshōmaru is happy when she revives Rin, and Jaken responds that it most likely he is "extremely so".)

The Bakusaiga and the final battle with Naraku

Sesshōmaru realizes his true potential as a greater demon after Tenseiga's fighting technique, Meidō Zangetsuha is given to Inuyasha. Sesshōmaru lets go of his obsession with Tessaiga in a battle with Magatsuhi, and regains not only his left arm, but also his own sword, Bakusaiga.

He later uses this sword fighting Naraku along with Inuyasha's group in the final battle, aiding in the final destruction of the evil hanyō by destroying large amounts of Naraku's body.

The Epilogue

Three years after defeat of Naraku, Sesshōmaru visited Rin who is under care of Kaede with gifts and was annoyed when Kagome called him "big brother."

Appearance

Humanoid form

Sesshōmaru appears as handsome and frail-looking at the same time^[4] and fairly tall and lean-built. He was light-skinned with pointy ears, golden amber eyes and knee-length silver hair with short bangs. He has a Prussian blue crescent moon on his forehead that can be seen beneath his bangs. There are two magenta stripes on each cheek and on the sides of his wrists, as well as one magenta stripe on each of his eye lids. However, when he regained his left arm, the magenta stripes are not there. Most of the time, Sesshōmaru appeared in this form.

True form

Sesshōmaru's true form is a giant white dog with markings similar to the ones he has in his human form. He transforms surrounded in a bright red/pink aura or has a tornado circling around him.^[5] His sclera becomes red, and the pupils blue; the yōkai marks on his body widen and become more apparent the stripes on his cheeks which are usually smooth become jagged and change into a somewhat fiercer color. He has acidic saliva, so when he breathes out, he spreads poison in the form of mist, melting anything nearby. He only fully transforms to his original form three times: during a battle with Inuyasha which results in the loss of his left arm^[6], when he meets his mother^[7], and during the battle against Magatsuhi which eventually leads to his arm regenerating and the formation of his sword Bakusaiga.^[8]

Outfit

Sesshōmaru's armor includes a spiked pauldron that covers his left shoulder attached to the upper section of his cuirass. When damaged, his armor automatically regenerates itself using yōki.^[9] Both his armor and his long flowing sash have a decided Chinese influence, as opposed to the customary Japanese armor and sash. His Kimono is mostly white with a red and white^[10] cherry blossom flower crest at the collar and sleeves,showing that he is of royal birth. He wears Sashinuki Hakama, (a type of traditional flowing Japanese pants), which are gathered at the ankles producing the "ballooning" effect. His footwear consists of flat pointed ankle-high boots (instead of sandals), also reminiscent of Mainland influence. The left side of his collar features the crest of the Azai clan. On his right shoulder is a white object that appears to have a fluffy appearance. It is his mokomoko. It give him defense and constrict people. It is, in fact, part of his body (as you can see it bleeds).

Personality

Sesshōmaru, born of a great demon bloodline, possesses the perfect power that many demons desire. Because of this he is always composed and confident in his power.

His air of aloofness and indifference is a product of dignity that only one of such rare demon power may possess. Sesshōmaru is more or less emotionless, only anger, annoyance, and dissatisfaction showing on his face. Because both his heart and body are so strong, he had no desire whatsoever for the Shikon Jewel. He had absolute confidence in his power, so he did not need the Shikon Jewel and doesn't have to conspire with allies. Sesshōmaru even responded sarcastically towards Naraku, who had assumed an air of impudence due to his increased demon power. In battle he judged his enemy's power level and attacked with the minimum power necessary. He dealt with his enemies after determining their power. Once he had realized their weak point, their attacks were futile.

Sesshōmaru is obsessively proud of his father Inu no Taishō, of whom the whole demon world was in awe. Because he respects his bloodline so much, he despises Inuyasha as well as Inuyasha's human mother Izayoi. He insults Naraku, who tried to take advantage of Sesshōmaru's power. All that his father left him was a dull sword that wouldn't cut anything. Anger welled up in his heart for not being able to use Tenseiga, which was left by his father, whom he highly respects. Sesshōmaru held resentment towards his father for having left Tessaiga to Inuyasha, whose power was weaker than his own. However, over time, Sesshōmaru comes to grasp why his father gave him Tenseiga and lets go of his disgust towards his half-brother, even showing concern for him in rare moments. He was also secretly angry that Naraku, who was assembled by demons far lower in level than Sesshōmaru, used abusive language and disrespect towards him. Sesshōmaru had stated that he seeks to only fight the strongest beings alive and how he had wanted to fight his father and defeat him.

Sesshōmaru felt nothing for others, sneering and dismissing humane feelings. Anyone in his way is an enemy whom he will exterminate without hesitation. He does not hold back his power, even against women. He rationalizes that all his prey is the same and defeats them accordingly. For one with such pride in his power, cooperation is proof of weakness and being alone is a condition for the strong. Once he judges someone as a obstacle, he is quick to kill without hesitation.

He used to feel nothing for anyone, but meeting various people, such as the ever-changing Inuyasha, Naraku with his numerous proposals, and all-alone Rin had brought change to his heart. After he saved Rin and became a true owner of Tenseiga, he started to show feelings behind his heartless and cruel words. He stopped the demonic Inuyasha's wildness by controlling his power and he looked at him like an older brother reprimanding a younger brother, though claimed he would kill Inuyasha despite his actions showing the opposite. He even refrained from killing Kohaku when he could easily do so, when he looked in his eyes and saw emptiness and that he had given up everything.

Sesshōmaru has a very inquiring mind when there is something he cares about, but at the same time, he had almost no tenacity of purpose. If he becomes interested in something else, he will arbitrarily turn his back on what he's doing, even during battle. Just like his fighting style, he is quick to make decisions and act on then immediately.

The encounter with Rin awakened him as the true user of Tenseiga. The smile and fleeting life of this young girl who tried to save him caused Sesshōmaru to change for the first time. The will of his father, who cared for humans, has finally been passed to his oldest son. Sesshōmaru used to leave anything behind that might bind him but he has slowly but surely changed. Sesshōmaru genuinely cares about Rin and Jaken and while he rarely shows it, he does appreciate their loyalty. Sesshōmaru originally held much contempt towards protecting the weak, seeing it as a waste of time and ridiculous. Unlike Inu no Taishō and Inuyasha, Sesshōmaru has trouble admitting he had people to protect(Rin and Jaken) and out of pride, would never admit that he does as Sword of An Honerable Ruler showed. Another trait of Sesshōmaru is one he shares with his younger brother. Both have tempers and are very easy to annoy(Inuyasha being loud in his anger, Sesshōmaru being subtle) as he has been known to hit Jaken when he says something that displeases him, similar to how Inuyasha is with Shippō.

Growing Compassion

Sesshōmaru, who previously was a cold-hearted, arrogant, and extremely powerful daiyōkai was humbled by his "worthless half-breed" brother, Inuyasha, who used the sword to cut off his left arm. In another incident, Sesshōmaru had used his poison claws against Inuyasha, temporarily blinding him. Having sensed the clashing of the two yōki, Inuyasha unknowingly used the Wind Scar against Sesshōmaru. The Tenseiga prevented a possible fatality and transported the daiyokai's battered body. Sesshōmaru quickly rested for the time-being in a forest near a village, where he first met the orphan girl, Rin.

He was cared for by Rin during his rehabilitation from injury. He was initially hostile to the mute girl, who offered him food, by refusing to eat and telling her to "mind her own business." However, the little child continued to serve him. Once he recovered, he set off with Jaken, but he sensed Rin's blood scent when she was attacked and mauled by Kōga's wolves; he used Tenseiga to resurrect her, whereupon she began to follow him. This incident proved to be the turning point in his life as it dramatically transformed his attitude towards everyone else. This was apparent when Rin was seen wearing new and colorful kimono later. When Rin falls off to the cliff in the process of getting life-saving herbs for Jaken, Sesshōmaru comes in a bolt of light to save her after she called out his name. In Forever With Lord Sesshōmaru's episode (anime special), After Sesshōmaru saves Rin, he ask Rin to do what she wishes. This is not at all typical of Sesshōmaru, as he was usually shown to leave Jaken at times before he met Rin. Jaken is even shown to be mumbling that "Lord Sesshōmaru will kill him if something happens to Rin," obviously showing his concern for the girl's safety. Sesshōmaru, while fighting Jakotsu, rushes off to rescue Rin, who fell when the bridge broke. Jakotsu notes that Rin is Sesshōmaru's weak point. Exploiting this fact, Suikotsu and Jakotsu threatens to kill Rin when they are cornered. Sesshōmaru even saves Kohaku, Rin's best friend and protector, who was under Naraku's control, under the behest of Inuyasha and his friends. These are some of the many traces of compassion that Sesshōmaru displays.

Sesshōmaru's compassion for Rin is evident, but he prefers to disguise it, because it would taint his pride. However, he shows his love and concern for Rin when she appears to be dead due to her time in Hell. Sesshōmaru enters Hell for the purpose of rescuing her, but upon learning that he cannot save her life, he is crushed. When he realizes that it was his urge to strengthen Tenseiga which brought them to Hell and ultimately killed her, he casts the sword aside and says that for the sword to gain power at the expense of Rin's life means nothing. However, when Sesshōmaru's mother revives Rin, he is seems to be relieved. Finally the will of his father, who cared for humans, has been passed to his son.

When Kagura was injured, Sesshōmaru originally intended to leave her in the river she was drowning in, but when Rin falls in trying to save her and Jaken follows Rin, Sesshōmaru pulls all three from the river. Later however, before Kagura's death, Sesshōmaru seeks her out and considers using the Tenseiga, only to conclude that Tenseiga cannot save her.

He has also been shown saving Inuyasha's friends on several occasions. On his way to Mount Hakurei, Sesshōmaru saves Kagome, Miroku, and Sango from the poison master Mukotsu, one of the Shichinintai but only claims that he killed Mukotsu because he would not answer his questions. He also revives a young otter yōkai's father, claiming that it was the will of Tenseiga.^[11] Another example is when Inuyasha and his companions are involved in a fight with the "water god" Numawatari: when Sesshōmaru arrives, he insults Inuyasha's inability to kill a "low life yōkai," and then easily dispatches Numawatari using his Meidō Zangetsuha ability, leaving straight after.^[12]

Also, when Byakuya, Naraku's newest incarnation, is about to take Kohaku, who had one of the last three shards of the Shikon Jewel, back to Naraku, Sesshōmaru appears and launches a ranged Meidō-Zangetsuha (still in the crescent moon shape), barely missing him. Byakuya flees, claiming that he does not want to die, and comments on how it is so unlike Sesshōmaru to save someone. Thereafter, Sesshōmaru seems to have taken Kohaku under his protection, albeit in his typical grudging demon-slayer fashion. Later, when Kohaku's shard gets tainted by Magatsuhi, Sesshōmaru attempts to save Kohaku at the expense of great injury to his arm.^[13]

It is his compassion that caused the Tenseiga to be reforged as a weapon. Its offensive powers were locked until Sesshōmaru was able to show true compassion. In battle with Mōryōmaru, the villain insulted the deceased Kagura, which angers Sesshōmaru and he shatters Mōryōmaru's indestructible shell (and his only weapon in the process). Acknowledging the yōkai's growth because he is defending a dead person, Tenseiga called to its creator to reforge it as a weapon. Later, to show his compassion and respect for his father, he gave the offensive powers of his sword to Inuyasha (albeit in his typical fashion) in accordance with his father's wishes and recognizing his brother's worth as the heir to the sword.

He refused to use Bakusaiga on Inuyasha when even Magatsuhi noted it was the obvious choice to make and in the third movie "Swords of an Honorable Ruler" it is hinted that he actually does care about Inuyasha but refuses to admit it when he is protecting him from the Sō’unga's "Dragon Twister" attack.

Despite his growing compassion, he, like his brother, uses impolite Japanese. He addresses strangers or people he does not like with "kisama," which, like "temee," is an offensive form of "you," though still more formal. He addresses himself with the polite "watashi", signifying his high rank and power. Other than "kisama," he uses "omae," either to Jaken or to Inuyasha, the latter being occasionally and not rarely. Thus, he can be insulting while retaining the dignified speech pattern of a lord, as opposed to the rougher speech used by Inuyasha.

Powers and Abilities

As a full blooded demon, Sesshōmaru is overwhelmingly powerful, being a match for any opponent he encounters. He has exhibited senses much more powerful than that of humans and even many demons and a plethora of powerful techniques at his disposal. Many of Sesshōmaru's innate abilities are a result of his lineage, being the son of two extremely powerful demons. Naraku has referred to Sesshōmaru as "the perfect demon"; the natural 'completion' of Sesshōmaru's demonic aura may be the reason why the Shikon Jewel appears to have no effect on his demonic abilities, and thus would explain why he has no interest in obtaining its shards. In contrast, nearly every other sentient demon, save those affiliated with Sesshōmaru's father in some way, seek its power relentlessly.

Attacks

• Dokkasō (毒華爪, Toxic Luster Claw): Sesshōmaru's claws release deadly acidic poison which can melt or rot flesh and virtually anything else very quickly and he can also spray the poison from his claws. They can fire large blades of energy similar to Inuyasha's "Sankon Tesso". He is also shown to transfer poison into his punches. As he did so with Inuyasha, thus temporarily blinding him.

• Poison Whip: It is only in the anime, Sesshōmaru can generate a thin, whip-like strand of yellow-green energy from his fingertips that can slice through almost anything.^[14] The whip also displays characteristics of poison akin to the burning effect it has on contact. It is used often in combat not only as a weapon, but at a utility tool as well. The whip can extend great distances and retrieve people or objects in motion. It can also puncture armor and human flesh with intense energy similar to a projectile. And it has often aided Sesshōmaru in the place of his missing arm. The first time Sesshōmaru used this attack (by spinning like a top to make the whip shred his foes apart) is often considered mimetic due to it looking rather feminine and out-of-character for him.

• Sōryūha (蒼龍破, Pale Dragon Blast) Dragon Strike in the English Dub: It is his signature move but it is mainly seen in the movies (three times in the third and twice in the fourth). Its strength is comparable, if not greater, to his brother's Bakuryūha. The Dragon Strike takes on the form of a dragon-like lighting by Sesshōmaru waving his sword in the air and from there it takes form. He can also put in the ground which allows him break an enemy's barrier. Unlike the Wind Scar or Backlash Wave, however, this attack is born of Sesshōmaru's own power rather than that of a sword, as he is seen using it with both the Tōkijin and Tenseiga in the third movie. In the second episode of Inuyasha: The Final Act, Sesshōmaru used the Dragon Strike on Mōryōmaru with the Tōkijin at point blank range.

• Mokomoko: The white fluff on Sesshōmaru's shoulder can be extended to great lengths and used to whip, or to constrict people. Sesshōmaru used the Mokomoko to fling Inuyasha around in their father's grave.^[15] During an interview with Rumiko Takahashi (the creator of Inuyasha) she revealed that she drew it to look like a boa, but she drew it too big. After a while, she thought it looked fine, so she left it like that. It has also been shown bleeding, after Sesshōmaru attacked Jakotsu head-on. In Inuyasha profiles book Rumiko Takahashi stated that it is in fact a part of his body .^[16] Jaken has been seen clinging to it whenever Sesshōmaru takes flight.

Powers

• Flight: Sesshōmaru has the ability to float in the sky;^[17] however, in the anime, he can sometimes ride upon a sparkling dust cloud. The latter method of flight enables him to bring others along with him while flying by riding the cloud along with him.^[18]
• Immunity: Sesshōmaru is immune to diseases, poisons, and gases that can paralyze or kill humans and animals, as well as weaker yōkai. His greatest resistance seems to be toward holy and divine powers; his resistance to purification powers was so strong that he was able to enter Mt. Hakurei's purification barrier, by far the strongest of its type in the series, without being purified. He was somewhat weakened, however, though not significantly so, and it negated his sword's powers. In another instance, Sesshōmaru catches one of Kagome's purification arrows barehanded and to no ill-effect; (in the manga) any other demon would have been severely injured, if not outright purified. Monks who try to purify him to 'save' Rin are totally ineffective, (special anime episode) and Sesshōmaru's yōki destroys their relics merely by being released. It seems that the only mystical powers that Sesshōmaru is not resistant to is yōki such as Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu. Another example of his strong body is seen in Naraku's inability to absorb him. Because of Sesshōmaru's demonic purity, his aura emanates around his body in perfect "completion", making it almost impossible to compromise.^[19] Inuyasha states that human attacks will not harm Sesshōmaru, and true to this, none ever have; barring one incident in Mt. Hakurei, which is excusable because of the barrier. Thus far, the only damage he has sustained throughout the series has been from yōki-powered attacks. Even Inuyasha was lucky cutting Sesshōmaru's arm . And giving him a punch in the stomach. when Sesshōmaru was distracted by Kagome. But soon recovered, and swung Inuyasha towards Kagome.
• Super Endurance: Sesshōmaru is able to resist pain better than most demons. Sesshōmaru has shown general fatigue as his power had diminished near the end of the third movie, but it is still only speculation whether Sesshōmaru can even experience the sensation of pain at all.
• He might react slightly startled or in shock. Especially at the times Inuyasha manages to punch him or even touch him.
• Super Speed: Sesshōmaru can move faster than the eye can see, both on land and through the air. He leaves behind a fast-moving blur and in some cases, after-images.^[20] He can also instantaneously close long distances without being detected by others. He is capable of moving so fast that he can decapitate an entire army of samurai without they even having time to react.^[21]
• Super Strength: Sesshōmaru possesses physical strength far beyond that of a normal demon; he was able to easily lift InuYasha by the throat into the air with one hand in one of their earlier encounters. In addition, Sesshōmaru was seen carrying the boulder-sized demon head of Goshinki in one hand with little to no effort.^[22] He has Herculean strength, even with only one arm; his strength with only one arm is equal to Inuyasha's full strength; Inuyasha's strength allows him to lift a 9 to 10 ton boulder using one arm with little effort, so Sesshōmaru would naturally be capable of lifting double that or far more with the same amount of effort.^[23]
• Senses: Due to his lineage, Sesshōmaru exhibits extremely heightened senses, particularly his sense of smell. He can discern characteristics of most objects through scent, such as the undead Band of Seven through the scent of graveyard soil and pure-demon blood from half-demon blood (such as when InuYasha's demon blood takes over). Through smell alone, Sesshōmaru can follow events transpiring far away or which have already transpired; for example, he learned of everything that had happened during Inuyasha's confrontation with Goshinki by simply sniffing the area in which they fought at least several hours, if not days, after the battle.^[24] Besides the five basic senses, Sesshōmaru's ability in sensing other's auras are exceptional.
• Exceptional Reflexes: Sesshōmaru, with his heightened senses, also possesses astonishing reflexes, as shown when he was battling Jakotsu; he managed to deflect the latter snake-like sword at the very last second with Tōkijin and even hurl it back in front of Jakotsu himself. Sesshōmaru has also shown to have extremely fast reactions when he was surrounded by an army of men with rifle guns which he was able to deflected every bullet shot at him simultaneously at the men firing them.
• Intelligence: Despite his vast overall intelligence, Rumiko Takahashi reveals that his intellect is actually one of his weakest points (despite it being considerably high, it pales in comparison to his other capabilities). With this attribute, he was able to correctly deduce that Magatsuhi can be slain with Tenseiga. Only being wrong once, in the 3rd InuYasha movie, Sesshōmaru cut Takemaru in half with Tenseiga, but because of So'unga's ability to bring back the living dead, it did not work.
• Teleportation: Sesshōmaru can morph into a ball of energy and move himself, as well as others,over great distances in a short amount of time.^[25]
• Psionics: Though Sesshōmaru's psionic capabilities have never been specifically quantified, he has demonstrated exceptionally strong and powerful feats of both telepathy and telekinesis. Examples being his ability to levitate and toss skulls at Inuyasha and Kagome through telekinesis ,^[6] and the ability to telepathically overcome Tōkijin's telepathic aura.

• Daiyōkai: As the son of a daiyōkai, Sesshōmaru has inherited similar levels of power and thus is a daiyōkai in his own right — endowed with heightened senses, intelligence, strength, and a myriad of yōkai powers. While he appears to be an elf-eared human bearing splendid clothing and armor most of the time; he can transform into his true form at will, which is that of a gigantic, acid-breathing, crimson eyed, canine with white fur. With the acquisition of Bakusaiga, Tōtōsai has stated that Sesshōmaru has exceeded his father as a daiyōkai.^[26]

• Immortality: Being a yōkai, Sesshōmaru does not suffer from old age the way humans do. He appears to be around 19 to 20 years old. However, he has been around for at least over two hundred years. In the third movie, Swords of an Honorable Ruler, a flashback from the day InuYasha was born - 200 years prior to the Sengoku Jidai - shows Sesshōmaru as, physically, only a few years younger than his current appearance (with considerably shorter hair and different Kimono and sash). This suggests that Sesshōmaru could easily be over 400 years old or likely even 500 years old. But since the movies and specials are non canon. He could be along the lines of 200 years.

• Regeneration: During his battle with Magatsuhi, Sesshōmaru's right arm was badly injured. By beginning to transform into his daiyōkai form, the pure fighting spirit and eminence output of his demonic aura allowed Sesshōmaru to completely regenerate the injuries to his right arm.^[27] In the same battle, he is also able to restore his left arm, which is cut off by InuYasha at the beginning of the series.^[28] Sesshōmaru's body is in a continuous state of regeneration while possessing the Tenseiga. Sesshōmaru was impaled also but was still able to recover instantly.

• Yoki Release: During Sesshōmaru's second battle with Kyura (one of the four war gods), the war god shot fire at Sesshōmaru which then spiraled around him like a vortex and then being compromised by white energy emerging from Sesshōmaru, destroying the fire. This is also shown when Sesshōmaru first picked up the Tōkijin. His Yoki was able to completely overtake and suppress the swords demonic aura with little effort, even when the demon sword smith Tōtōsai said that it was impossible. This has led many to speculate that the demon sword Sō’unga would have also fallen under Sesshōmaru's power.

• Hand to Hand Combatant: Although rarely engaging in barehanded combat, Sesshōmaru demonstrated highly capable skill in it. During various scuffles with Inuyasha, Sesshōmaru was able to easily counter his brother's wild strikes and find an opening to quickly pummel him. He was also able to easily knock Inuyasha to the ground at the Demon Lord's Grave.

• Swordsmanship: Even with swords new to his possession, Sesshōmaru was able to quickly adept to their unique shape and powers to effectively use them in battle. In melee combat, he showed superb skill in his ability to fend off and strike down opponents with deadly speed and accuracy in his attacks. He is also able to effectively block projectiles with his blade.

Weapons

Tenseiga

Main article: Tenseiga

The Tenseiga is a sword that can revive the dead. It does this by letting Sesshōmaru see the pall-bearer imps that take away the souls of the dead so that he may destroy them with Tenseiga. In extreme cases, the Tenseiga also protects Sesshōmaru from potentially lethal attacks. When in use, the Tenseiga has a blue aura. Later in the manga, the Tenseiga is reforged by Tōtōsai to become a weapon, allowing Sesshōmaru to use the Meidō Zangetsuha. It is later revealed that the ability and the sword itself is merely a cast off of the Tessaiga; his father wanted Sesshōmaru to master the Meidō Zangetsuha. Sesshōmaru becomes quite angered because of this,but eventually Sesshōmaru discards the sword as his father wished, giving the ability back to the Tessaiga and making the Tenseiga only a healing sword once again.^[29]

Tōkijin

Main article: Tōkijin

Tōkijin was a sword crafted by the evil sword smith Kaijinbō from the fangs of Goshinki as part of Sesshōmaru's continued efforts to obtain Tessaiga or a sword matching it in power. It can fire off extremely powerful blasts of pure evil energy, but because it is filled with Goshinki's malice, only Sesshōmaru can wield it without being controlled by it. Tōkijin can be used to blow back and injure an enemy with a powerful pinkish-purple aura, generated as the manifestation of pure hatred. It can also be used to slash at an opponent either directly or with kenatsu, and, like Tenseiga, can perform Sōryūha; however, being "only an Oni's fang", Tōkijin initially could not withstand repeated uses of Sōryūha the way that Tenseiga could. But later, in the 4th InuYasha movie, Tōkijin seemed capable of being a conduit for the attack with no ensuing refractory period. Later in the manga, Sesshōmaru broke Tōkijin while battling Mōryōmaru, and afterwards abandoned the broken pieces with no further interest in keeping the sword. He instead searched for a replacement, which he found in the Meidō Zangetsuha ability of the Tenseiga.

Bakusaiga

Main article: Bakusaiga

Bakusaiga was Sesshōmaru's signature weapon once he acquired it. The Bakusaiga manifested itself in the hand of Sesshōmaru's fully regenerated, and longtime-severed, left arm during his battle with Magatsuhi. The sword is the polar opposite of the Tenseiga, as it has an immensely strong power with the ability to eradicate and decompose any organic material that its blade comes in contact with, nullifying any regenerative capabilities while doing so. Miroku comments that Naraku would suffer the same affliction should he absorb any demons wounded by Bakusaiga.^[30]. The blade itself is the manifestation of Sesshōmaru's own true demonic powers and abilities, born from his detachment of Inuyasha's Tessaiga. Its birth signifies Sesshōmaru's graduation into a full-fledged dog demon, which was long compromised by his obsession with Tessaiga. Tōtōsai comments that his ability to manifest his own blade suggests his strength and power has far surpassed that of his father's and connotes his growth through the many trials he endured to emerge as a daiyōkai, with the Bakusaiga serving as the product of this 'rite of passage'.

Much like the Tessaiga's Wind Scar attack, the Bakusaiga can also unleash massively strong and powerful amounts of yōki, enough to slay thousands of demons with one swing.^[31] Though similar, Rumiko Takahashi stated that Bakusaiga's demonic wave attack, which is similar to the Wind Scar, possesses much greater strength and power than a full power blast from the Backlash Wave attack from Tessaiga.

Nintōjō

Main article: Nintōjō

The Nintōjō was a staff that could locate his father's grave or perhaps Tessaiga itself. It can produce long streams of flame, and generate large floods of water. The staff is usually held by his assistant Jaken. Also, it has been shown that the Staff of Two Heads can be used to summon yōkai. It features an old man's and a woman's head. They can speak when the staff is used. When attempting to find his father's grave, if the woman cried, that meant he had to keep searching. If the old man laughed, that meant he had found the grave.

Relationships

Family

Inuyasha

Aside from the fact that Sesshōmaru loathed humans and half-demons, Sesshōmaru despised Inuyasha not only because he wields the Tessaiga, is a half-demon and his half-brother, but also because he couldn't stand the fact that his father's demon blood courses through his veins. Although he'll never admit it, he begins to grow and start to care for Inuyasha over time. While Sesshōmaru continues to make rude comments to Inuyasha, their relationship eventually improves, and they appear to look out for each other in battle, as shown when they join forces to battle against Naraku.

Inu no Taishō

His relationship with his father is distant and estranged due to the fact that his father had left his wife (Sesshōmaru's mother) and fallen in love with a mortal woman named Izayoi; who became the mother of his younger half-brother, Inuyasha. In Inuyasha: Movie 3, Sesshōmaru only seems to want to gain power, something his father finds disappointing. Inu no Taishō asks him if he has someone to protect. Sesshōmaru knew this was his father's final test for him. He answer's "no", finding the idea of protecting someone ridiculous. It seemed at that moment, he was ready to slay his father for not entrusting Tessaiga and Sō'unga to him. At the beginning of the series, Sesshōmaru despised humans and considered them as weak and useless. 200 years later, he would realize that his father's words would echo, because he did have someone to protect: his companions Rin and Jaken (and at times, his younger brother Inuyasha). During his battle against the Sō'unga with Inuyasha, Sesshōmaru is able to release an immense amount of power that along with his brother's attack aids in the destruction of the sword after recalling the numerous times he had protected Rin and Jaken, though he verbally exclaims that he protects no one.

Sesshōmaru's mother

Only shown for a small amount of time, Sesshōmaru's mother's name is never stated. She is a full-youkai who is devilishly similar to her son - the moon upon their forehead, their attitudes, and how they despise humans. When Sesshōmaru went to visit her, it was to make his power of Meidō Zangetsuha stronger and more mature. She knew he would come to do this seeing he was finally able to unlock the new power, thus stating that in order to do so, the power was to be exchanged with Rin's life. Her attitude changes from generous to irritated when Sesshōmaru ignores her offer to bring him before before he was able to save Rin, making it seem she didn't care about him anymore. Even though she ignores the fact that Rin's a human, she still has motherly feelings toward Sesshōmaru. Concerned with her son's sadness, Sesshōmaru's mother resurrected Rin with the Meidō Stone. When Rin is revived, Jaken says she's an honorable mother for doing so. She asks Jaken if he's happy this way, and he says it's most likely extemely so. She later states, "All this fuss over one human girl... He's becoming like his father in the strangest ways," referring to his father's kindness to humans. ^[32]

Traveling companions

Jaken

Sesshōmaru encountered Jaken when he was passing through a distant land. A large demon was wreaking havoc amongst Jaken and other demons resembling him when Sesshōmaru killed the demon with his mere claws. Despite Jaken's display of immense gratitude, Sesshōmaru claimed he was only passing through. Sesshōmaru walked to a nearby waterfall and pulled out the Staff of Two Heads. He told Jaken that if he was able to wield the weapon, he may follow him. Jaken deeply respects and always praises Sesshōmaru, much to Sesshōmaru's annoyance. At times, he gets too carried away and winds up insulting Sesshōmaru, which usually leads to a couple bumps on the head. Jaken is condescending to all but Sesshōmaru. When Jaken belittles Rin, Sesshōmaru will usually yell at him and tell him to knock it off. Because Jaken is (reluctantly) aware of Sesshōmaru's compassion toward Rin, he knows that he, too, must responsibly protect her or else face the wrath of his master.

Rin

Rin is a young orphan who becomes the traveling companion of Sesshōmaru and Jaken. When Sesshōmaru was injured by the Wind Scar after trying to steal the Tessaiga again from Inuysaha, Rin bravely attempted to care for him as he lay near a tree, bringing him water and food. Sesshōmaru initially rejected her kindness, telling her generosity was a waste, as he does not eat human food. She continues to bring him things and he is caught off guard by her smile. After letting his wolf pack hunt, Kōga's wolves killed Rin. Sesshōmaru, recognizing the scent of Rin's blood, stumbled upon her dead body in the forest and decided to resurrect her with the Tenseiga as a "test", as the sword became insistant on him drawing it. To his surprise, her heart began to beat again and she is revived. From that day forward, she would be by Sesshōmaru's side along with Jaken and a two-headed dragon demon known as Ah-Un.

Throughout the series, Rin's warmness and kindness play a significant role on Sesshōmaru. His growing compassion for her allows him to advance in battle. He constantly rescues her and looks out for her despite claiming he did not care for her. He often instructs her to stay in a safe place with A-Un when he knows he is going somewhere dangerous. He often avoids killing in front of her, unless it is the only way to protect her. In The Final Act, Sesshōmaru wished to improve his Meidō Zangetsuha technique but it unfortunately came at the cost of Rin's life. He finally felt sorrow from the loss of his beloved companion. Concerned with her son's sadness, Sesshōmaru's mother ressurected Rin with the Meidō Stone.

Following Naraku's defeat and after some input by Kaede, Sesshōmaru agrees that Rin needs to reside in a village to get used to living with humans once again and where she is safe from potiential harm. When the time comes, Rin will decide whether to stay in the village or go with Sesshōmaru. He continues to pay her regular visits often bringing presents with him hinting that he actually cares for her. She is last seen receiving a kimono from him.

Kohaku

Naraku abducted Rin by using Kagura and had Kohaku serve as her guard. After seriously injured by Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha at his castle, Naraku had fled and ordered Kohaku to kill Rin. Mind-controlled, Kohaku was ready to kill Rin but Sesshōmaru arrived at the scene, deciding not to kill Kohaku, knowing that was what Naraku wanted him to do and he does not play by Naraku's rules.

After Kikyō died, Kohaku decided to follow Sesshōmaru, who didn't seem to be against the idea also protects him too. Kohaku forms a great friendship with Rin and protects her in times of trouble. In his battle with Magatsuhi, Kohaku attempts to protect Sesshōmaru. Eventually, Kohaku would part with Sesshōmaru and remain with his sister, Sango, and the rest of Inuyasha's gang prior to the battle with Naraku, where he would then leave with Jaken and Shippō to fight.

Enemies

Naraku

Naraku has been seen a few times throughout the series trying to use Sesshōmaru to kill Inuyasha for him. The first time was when Naraku offered Sesshōmaru the human arm with the shard of the shikon jewel in it, along with the hive of poisoness insects that would block Miroku's wind tunnel. After Sesshōmaru disposed of the sacred jewel shard he confronted Naraku. And at the end of the confrontation Naraku spoke of how he might call on Sesshōmaru again if a chance shall arise to kill Inuyasha. This of course hurt Sesshōmaru's pride, beind used by a half demon like Naraku. But Naraku and Sesshōmaru become real enemies when Naraku orders his incarnation Kagura to abduct Rin. He then tells Sesshōmaru that if he heeds his request he shall return Rin in good health. This of course insults Sesshōmaru's pride even further. Sesshōmaru rips off the head of the demon puppet and heads towards Naraku's castle. Naraku and Sesshōmaru start to fight at the castle and Naraku attempts to absorb Sesshōmaru into his body. But his attempt is thwarted by Inuyasha who breaks Sesshōmaru free. Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru then severly injure Naraku and he gets away by using Kohaku and telling Kohaku to kill Rin. Sesshōmaru then rescues Rin and begins to pursue Naraku to get back at him for not only insulting his pride but abducting Rin as well.

Then Sesshōmaru tracks Naraku all the way to mount Hakurei where they meet moments after Kikyō falls into the river of miasma. Naraku tests his power against Sesshōmaru and retreats. Sesshōmaru then keeps learning more and more about Naraku's heart. He almost destroys Naraku's heart which was hidden inside the infant that was left with Kanna. But Kanna escapes with the infant. The infant then creates itself a shield using parts of different demons and humans. The infants shield is named Mōryōmaru. Sesshōmaru then obtains Bakusaiga which allows him to help Inuyasha and the others destroy Naraku.

Kagura

At first, Sesshōmaru appeared to be annoyed with Kagura's constant appearances because he felt as though he had no obligation to be "used" to fight Naraku so that she could be free. Eventually, her visits would be useful as she provided him with information on Naraku's whereabouts.

After getting injured by Goryōmaru's light cannons, she falls into a river near Sesshōmaru. Initially, he rejects Jaken and Rin's proposal of helping her but after both of his companions fall into the water in an attempt to save her, he saves all three of them. It is hinted that Kagura had romantic feelings for Sesshōmaru, as she landed in the spot that she did to see him "one last time before she died."

When fighting against Mōryōmaru, both he and Sesshōmaru pick up on the scent of Kagura's blood. Mōryōmaru laughs and jokes about how Kagura will have died in vain. This notion angers Sesshōmaru and gives him the energy to break free from Mōryōmaru's grasp. After Mōryōmaru flees, Sesshōmaru finds Kagura, who is slowly dying in a field of flowers as a result of Naraku's miasma. Feeling as though it is too good to be true, Kagura asks Sesshōmaru if he thought he would find Naraku there but Sesshōmaru responds that he knew it was Kagura. After hearing this, Kagura was able to die in peace, knowing that in that instant, Sesshōmaru had cared about her well-being. While it is unknown as to whether or not Kagura's feelings for him were unrequited, Sesshōmaru's concern for her after smelling her blood in battle with Mōryōmaru triggered his Tenseiga to become ready to be forged into a weapon. Tōtōsai explains that something in Sesshōmaru's heart had changed as he felt the sorrow and anger of losing someone. After learning the Meidō Zangetsuha for the first time, a breeze blows and Sesshōmaru closes his eyes and decides that he, Sesshōmaru, will decide whether or not Kagura died in vain.

Other

Kagome Higurashi

Because of her affiliation with Inuyasha, and his hatred for all humans in general, Kagome is generally disliked by Sesshōmaru. While he doesn't grow to like her, eventually throughout the series, he looks out for her; protecting her from enemies, such as Mukotsu and Naraku. Three years after Naraku's defeat, Kagome became his sister-in-law, though he finds the idea somewhat annoying, as seen by his glare when she shouts out "brother-in-law" to him on his way back from visiting Rin.

Sara Asano

After having his left arm severed by Inuyasha as a result of his attempt to claim the Tessaiga for his own, Sesshōmaru sought a place to recover and passed through the Asano Castle (a two episode anime special). The Asano Clan happened to be on the brink of losing to an enemy, however, Sesshōmaru easily cut though the enemy lines with this claws on his way to find refuge. Princess Sara fell in love with Sesshōmaru at first sight when their eyes met as she saw him defeat her clan's enemies. As he rested, Sara hid behind trees and gazed at Sesshōmaru, often listening to his unconscious mutterings about wanting the Tessaiga. Later on, Sara became terminally ill and spent her final days in a convent with nuns after the Asano Castle was burnt down by her own father, who was driven insane after witnessing Sesshōmaru's strength. Like Onigumo, in Sara's final moments, she was visited by demons who explained to her that if she gave them her body, they would help her destroy Inuyasha, whom she had heard outside and recalled Sesshōmaru's previous words about wanting the Tessaiga. She gave into the demons and asked Sesshōmaru that if she were to fulfill his wish, that he would acknowledge her feelings for him. Sesshōmaru told her to do as she pleased. After presenting a stolen Tessaiga to Sesshōmaru, he rejected the stolen sword and revealed that he had no interest in such a thing. The demons then took over Sara's body and aimed to kill Sesshōmaru. Showing compassion, Sesshōmaru destroyed the demons within Sara, allowing her soul to be saved. He placed her flute in her ashes and told her to continue playing her flute in the netherworld.

Kikyō

There is barely any interaction between Kikyō and Sesshōmaru, however in Affections Touching Across Time, they briefly encounter and Sesshōmaru asks her if she loathes Kagome or if she is "testing her". Kikyō responds that she despises all things and living creatures bound to time. Sesshōmaru tells her to do as she sees fit but states that he will be the one to kill Inuyasha. On Mount Hakurei, Kikyō shoots an arrow into the evil form of Suikotsu, saving both his good side and Rin.

Sango

There was barely any interaction between the Dog Demon Lord and the demon slayer, however in episode 20 (FA), Sango was the one to inform Sesshōmaru that Rin was unconscious because of Magatsuhi's poison making him hurry back to Rin's side. Then in episode 23 (FA) during the final battle with Naraku he becomes very angry with her after overhearing how she was willing to kill Rin in order to defeat Naraku and save Miroku in the process. She begs him to wait to kill her until after Naraku has been defeated. It seems that Sesshōmaru was indeed going to tear her apart after the fight, but decided to spare her life after seeing her give Rin her gas mask to protect her from the poison and apologizing to her.

Koga

It was Kōga's wolves that killed Rin, Sesshōmaru's traveling companion who he brought back to life. There was barely any interaction between Sesshōmaru and Kōga until episode 99, during which they almost fought when Kōga stated that he smelt like his brother, Inuyasha. This made Sesshōmaru mad and, if it hadn't been for the two demons that were about to attack their friends, they would have fought each other. However, upon defeating the two demons, they gained a mutual understanding (it has been stated that the one thing they have in common is that neither of them can stand Inuyasha).

Manga vs. Anime

The stripes on Sesshōmaru's wrists are only in the Anime.

The energy whip of light was only exclusive in the Anime

Quotes

• "All that for a memory and a dead mortal girl? If I'd have known that's what it would take for you to fight, I would have killed her sooner."
• "Big words, for such small vermin."
• "You fool! Don't think you could ever escape my grasp!"
• "What are you smiling about? I simply asked a question. I don't care, I'm just curious."
• "Do you dare imply that this useless sword is worthy of me?"
• "You should be grateful. You will be destroyed with my Father's fang."
• "Whats the matter Inuyasha, have you altered your battle strategy? Usually you blindly rush towards me with great haste."
• "I couldn't save her? Tenseiga. I let you die for this thing. Nothing is worth the cost of Rin's life!"
• "I have never considered that half-demon my brother!"
• "The time has come. Die."
• "The scent of the wind has changed..."
• "Your primitive concoctions are no match for my superior powers."
• "Certainly these feelings of mercy of yours is not something I inherited from our great and terrible father."
• "I walk the path of supreme conquest, and it is power that will reveal the way for me."
• "You were born ignorant, and you live as a miserable half-demon."
• "Give me the Tessaiga and die!"
• "You haven't even released the full power of the Tessaiga. Watch as I, Sesshōmaru, destroy 100 demons with one sweep."
• "And you call yourself a god? Ridiculous."
• "She was smiling." (On Kagura's death, to Inuyasha)
• "Do as you see fit. Though I warn you, I shall be the one who destroys Inuyasha."

Trivia

• The kanji of "Sesshō" means "killing or destruction.". The suffix "Maru" is usually a suffix that is often added at the end of a Japanese name for young males in samurai families. They would use this name until they were recognized as adults, whereupon they would adopt a new name. However, it is said that "maru" can also translate as the word for "circle or perfection", which is a common Japanese motif for what in the West is called "the circle of life." It is revealed in one of Rumiko Takahashi's InuYasha Guides that his name means "killing perfection," which best describes his usual personality. Also early Japanese Emperors who were too young or were in any other way unfit to rule were called 'Sesshō' (摂政), they usually had a regent from a noble clan (mostly the Fujiwara).^{[citation needed]}
• He makes an appearance as a concept art in the front pages of Chapter 9, before he was introduced as a character. ^[33]
• Sesshōmaru started out as an antagonist, but as the series progressed he became a protagonist and became one of the most important key players in beating Naraku (his Tenseiga being the only thing to be able to kill Magatsuhi and his Bakusaiga for preventing Naraku from regenerating his body).
• Throughout his life, he has only saved four humans, including Kagome and Rin.
• Sesshōmaru was seen to have an unnamed ability. As shown in the second ending, he was seen flying on a red streak and the fur on his shoulder was also red. This ability was never seen in the series or manga.
• Sesshōmaru's appearance changes as the story progresses. Comparing his first appearance in Chapter 13 with the last in Chapter 558, he appears very young in the beginning, but by the end, looks more mature; the armor and clothes he wears changes slightly overall compared in Chapter 13, page 5 with chapter 468, page 1)
• Early in the manga he was appearing smiling a lot. But as the manga goes on, he hides his emotions and rarely smiles, becoming more like his character is portrayed in the anime.
• The pattern on Sesshōmaru's kimono is based upon an actual crest of a samurai clan known as the Azai. Their most famous member, Azai Nagamasa, was married to Oda Nobunaga's sister Oichi a while before he was killed by his brother-in-law.
• In The Holy Pearl, a Chinese live action loosely based off of InuYasha, Sesshōmaru is paralleled by a character named Wu Dao
• In the Inuyasha profiles book the title states Beautifully chilling. The strongest demon in the Warring States era about Sesshōmaru.
• In episode 163 Jaken stated that Sesshōmaru is going to establish his own empire but it would take a very long time for even someone great as him.
• It's interesting to note that while both of Sesshōmaru's parents each have a single blue/magneta stripe on either cheek, Sesshōmaru has two magenta stripes on either of his cheeks. It could be theorized that these traits come from a biological grandparent.
• In the Manga version, Sesshōmaru's cheek stripes appear more jagged like his father's than they do in the anime.
• In the manga and anime a lot of people said Sesshōmaru is a very attractive man.
• He lost his left arm since the ending of episode 5 by Inuyasha.
• Author Rumiko Takahashi stated in an interview that Inuyasha is an akita inu. Because he is Sesshōmaru's half-brother that would make Sesshōmaru an akita inu. Despite this, when Sesshōmaru appears in his dog-demon form some of his features don't have the appearance of an Akita (ex. Ears and Tail). It is unclear if his mother is an akita inu.

References

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