| “ | Someone caused my premature demise. Would my murderer's death bring me back to life? The dead have but one wish- to walk amongst the living once again, a wish that will never be realised. | „ |
| ~ Kikyo stating the wish of the dead. |
Kikyō is a major character in the 1996 manga series, Inuyasha, by Rumihiko Takahashi, and of it's 2000 anime adaptation by Sunrise.
She was the Priestess that guarded the Shikon Jewel and purify it, and the former lover of Inuyasha. However tragically, Naraku used his own shapeshifting skills to have Kikyo and Inuyasha turn on each other, leading to Kikyo's death, her soul reincarnating to Kagome Higurashi. Kikyo was eventually raised from the dead, to which she goes rogue from Inuyasha's party in her own efforts to defeat Naraku when she learns the truth. She is also the older sister to Kaede.
She was voiced by Noriko Hidaka in Japanese, and by Willow Johnson in English.
What Makes Her Magnificent?[]
- Ultimately of everyone in the series Naraku faced, she is the hero he feared the most, as not only is she very powerful, but knows she is plotting against him by still can't understand how specifically until the end.
- When brought back from the dead to be under the control of a witch to hunt the Shikon Jewel fragments, she'd resist her attempts to control her.
- Successfully steals the Shikon Jewel fragments that Inuyasha's party collected from Kagome and gives it Naraku to manipulate him into reassembling the entire deal, and unwittingly seal his own fate as it now grants Kikyo the opportunity to seal him.
- When Naraku pierces her with his shoki and poison her with his miasma, Kikyo lays low, becoming undetectable and create 2 shikigamis as her avatars to interact with the physical realm:
- Saint Hijri, who Kikyo uses to dismantle several attacks Naraku and Princess Abi have planned in just one show of her arrow.
- Kocho and Asuka, who Kikyo uses to lure in Kagome and manipulate her into healing most of her grievous wounds.
- When Naraku tasks Hakudoshi to lure Kikyo out, Kikyo wards of his rat yokai attacks in one go using a Mayose spell.
- Ultimately manages to free Kohaku from Naraku's enslavement, even sacrificing an easy solution to purify Naraku to ensure Kohaku still lives, and convinces him to join by her side to defeat the nefarious hainyo.
- Even when mortally wounded in an effort to save a little boy's life, Kikyo is still able to send Naraku fleeing by purifying Kohaku and Koga's Shikon fragments.
- When facing death, she peacefully dies at Inuyasha's arms, content she can die a normal human without any burden of expectation.
- Kikyo had posthumously laid the ground for Naraku's defeat, sending Kagome to be trained in Mount Asura to succeed her, while trapping a speck of light inside the Shikon fragments Naraku stored on himself, which would be what allows the heroes to finally destroy Naraku.
What Makes Her a Baddie?[]
- Upon her resurrection she tries to kill Inuyasha in a murder-suicide.
- She would then frequently manipulate the heroes and risk their lives to stop Naraku, even going as far as to attack Kagome and steal their Shikon Jewel fragments.
- For her own rogue efforts to kill Naraku, she would absorb the souls of several dead women, essentially disturbing their peace.
- Callously dismisses when her attempts to ward of a priest's exorcism attempt on her (which was to let her rest in peace) ended up killing him.
Trivia[]
- Currently, Kikyō and Kagura are the only Inuyasha characters to be Magnificent Baddies.