Kikyō

Kikyo (桔梗, Kikyō Kanji Meaning "Bellflower") was a Miko (巫女, lit. "Shrine Maiden") from a small Japanese village during the Sengoku Jidai period. During her life, she was a calm and reserved priestess who rigorously defended the village from yōkai who would otherwise wreak havoc on the tiny community. Kikyo serve as a rival with Kagome for InuYasha's affection.

Summary
During their youth, Kikyo and her younger sister Kaede attended Yōkai Taijiya (lit. demon exterminators), a school for priestesses. There, she met Tsubaki, who would later become a dark priestess. Kikyo's great spiritual power and purity became well known, and thus the Jewel of Four Souls (四魂の玉, Shikon no Tama) was entrusted to her, much to Tsubaki's dismay. It became Kikyo's duty to spend her life guarding the Shikon no Tama, protecting it from the wicked humans and demons who sought it for their own selfish means. However, her duty as the jewel's protector also meant that she could not show any signs of weakness, lest demons or evil men took advantage of her.

Kikyo spent most of her time killing off demons who tried to steal the Jewel. However, the one demon that she refused to kill was InuYasha, because she sensed that he was half human. She also tended to Onigumo, a paralyzed thief with terrible burn scars all over his body.

Later on, Kikyo confronts InuYasha and tells him about how she has to hide her real self in order to protect the jewel, and Inuyasha sympathized with her. Eventually, InuYasha and Kikyo fell in love. Sometime during this period, Tsubaki attempted to attack Kikyo, assuming that she was weaker after falling in love. However, Kikyo reflected the curse back to Tsubaki, and then ordered her to leave.

(Anime Only)

Kikyo and InuYasha sailed to an island that only appears 50 years, she was then attacks by an unknown demon and her DNA was stolen in the process.

Kikyo suggests using the jewel to turn InuYasha into a human, which InuYasha agrees to. Had that plan succeeded, the jewel would cease to exist, Kikyo would be relieved of her duty as the protector of the jewel, and she would be free to live as a normal human being with InuYasha. She promises to deliver the jewel to InuYasha on a certain day. However, the thief Onigumo, who desired both Kikyo and a corrupted Jewel, decided to use that day to gain control of both. He offers his body to a horde of demons, and the demon shape-shifter Naraku was born. Naraku, disguised as InuYasha, struck down Kikyo, and then attacked InuYasha as Kikyo. Kikyo, who thought that InuYasha had betrayed her, used the last of her powers to shoot a sealing arrow at InuYasha and pinned him to a tree, which effectively sealed him to the tree for 50 yrs, as he was left in a permanent sleep. She then order Kaede to burn her body with the Shikon Jewel. Unfortunately, because Kikyo was full of bitter hatred at the time of her death, the Shikon Jewel that was entrusted to her also became corrupted.

Resurrection
Fifty years later an Oni Witch named Urasue stole Kikyo's bone ash and her body was reborn from clay. However, the body needed Kagome's soul for it to be animated and brought back completely to life. When finally the lifeless body was infused with Kagome's soul, Kikyo was revived and her imidiate prirority was to kill InuYasha. She nearly succeeded until Kagome's body began recalling her soul back and effectively stopped her. Yet Kikyo had managed to retain a part of her soul, and thus escaped into the mist, where she was pursued by InuYasha. Quickly thereafter Kikyo fell off a neareby cliff, presumed dead by the group.

Kikyo is seen alive residing in a small village tending the wounds and curing the sick. She was loved by the children and the villagers respected her, however, a monk tries to send her back to hell as it is revealed that she is not really alive, nor dead, and as a means to remain a part of the world has to absorb the souls of deceased women. In order to achieve this, Kikyo makes use of her soul collecters, or the Shikigami. She was then confronted by the monk, who she quickly kills, and leaves the village. Kikyo laters confronts Kagome and InuYasha and tries to get InuYasha to join her forever as the dead, however, she was stopped by Kagome. Kikyo then leaves with a new goal, which is to die with InuYasha.

Kikyo resides in a temple healing the wounds of soldiers, when men from the palace ask Kikyo to heal their master's disease. Kikyo went and by time she went to the palace she notice the dark aura and it was then Naraku met her again. Kikyo tried to lose the palace, but couldn't and thus, Naraku erected a barriers that prevents her Shikigami from accessing which render her useless. Naraku set her up to battle Kagome, however, when Naraku gave her a soul attached with a Shikon Jewel, she strike Naraku puppet and going on her own command. When Kagome arrive, she attacked her and stole all her jewel shards and leaves while laughing at InuYasha as he couldn't fight a woman he once and still loves. Kikyo went back to the palace and break the barrier around it, she gave Naraku the shards and revealed to him that she knows that she's a half demon and departs. Kikyo now finally feel free from what she wasn't able to be before and also states that once Naraku gain all the shards, she'll kill him.

Kikyo appeared to warn Tsubaki about kagome's powers and leaves shortly afterwards. She reappeared again feeling sorry for Tsubaki and starts to realise her being the same.

When Naraku confronts Kikyo again and threaten to kill her, she annonced that he couldn't kill her as Naraku still has the heart of Onigumo and Onigumo loves her. Due to this, Naraku sent a giant Shikigami to steal the souls that Kikyo uses inorder to kill her, however, Kikyo manage to escape and InuYasha manage to save her.

Throughout the story, Kikyo would always use Onigumo as an excuse for Naraku not willing to kill her face to face, however, when Naraku got rid of his heart he confronts Kikyo and tries to kill her, but stopped after he finds that he is weaker without his heart.

Later, after a failed attempt by Naraku to kill her at Mt. Hakurei after creating a new body, she is seen with two Shikigami that have human form: Kochou and Asuka.

Kikyo is finally killed by Naraku when she blocks an attack meant for Kohaku. She dies in InuYasha's arm and her souls returns back to Kagome.

Reincarnation as Kagome
Kagome Higurashi, the main protagonist of Inuyasha and a miko just like Kikyo, is the modern reincarnation of Kikyo's spirit. The Tree of Ages is in her backyard, as is the Bone-eater's Well, which becomes the portal between her time and the Sengoku period (Feudal Era of Japan) approximately 500 years ago. She is able to free Inuyasha from the tree to which he had been bound by Kikyo, has the power to purify the Shikon no Tama and fires sacred arrows from her bow.

She unwillingly helps revive Kikyo into human form when an ogress pulls out a small part of her soul, filled with the memories and quirks of Kikyo that still lingered inside Kagome.

Relationships
At first after her resurrection, she is spiteful and angry towards both Inuyasha and Kagome. She tries to kill InuYasha several times, and once, Kagome; however, after learning the truth behind the circumstances of her death, her assaults substantially decreases and focuses her attention to Naraku. She possessed a condescending personality in the beginning, as shown when she laughed at InuYasha who was unable attack her due to his lingering feelings toward her, and Naraku, containing the heart of Onigumo who loves Kikyo. She continues to act independently, unwilling to accept assistance from others. She willingly remains in solitude, containing a more solemn and cold outer shell. Despite her cold exterior, she evidently is willing to save others even if it withers her life away, as long as it is possible. This is shown in chapter 448 when she purifies the Naraku's shouki from Miroku's body despite her body being deteriorated by Naraku's shouki as well. As well as in chapter 449 she expresses her reassurance to Kagome that she would save Kohaku, if there is an alternative method. Eventually, she returns back to her post-death state of compassion and kindness, protecting others and eventually dying in Inuyasha's arms after protecting Kohaku from an attack by Naraku. Kikyo is confident in her abilities and is intellegent.

Appearance
Kikyo is clearly wearing the tradional dress of a Miko, which has remained essentially unchanged to this day, except for the lack of the archaic slit-shoulder seam.

Kikyo wears a white jacket with sode-kukuri (cords) through the sleeves and the open shoulders similar to Inuyasha's and Jaken's. Strings called muna-himo are attached to each lapel, and are tied in front to keep the garment closed.
 * Jacket

Kosode (literally: "little sleeve") were originally worn as underwear but by the Kamakura era, became accepted outer layer garments; more dressy with less sculpted sleeves. Kosode of the Heian and Kamakura Periods were always white. Kikyo's kosode would be very much like a modern Kendo or Naginata Keikogi, with the sleeve fitting somewhat closely like a modern  loose shirt, and extending to slightly past the wrist.
 * Kosode

The slits in the side of the hakama show the white kosode, and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of the hitoe (jacket) show  it as well. This is a deliberate fashion effect.

Kikyo wears bright red hakama, which include the small board at the lower back.
 * Hakama

On her feet, Kikyo wears common tabi (socks) and rice straw sandals.
 * Tabi

Kikyo wears a red Obi, or belt, over the other garments.
 * Obi

Powers and Abilities
Kikyo carries a traditional red Saigu-Yumi (literally Priestess Bow) and a quiver of Hamaya ("evil-destroying arrow" or "demon-breaking arrow") fletched with white feathers. She has the ability to imbue each arrow with great spiritual power that has destroyed, disabled or sealed any Yokai or other evil to date.


 * Sacred Arrow: Kikyo shoots a sacrad arrow that can easily destroy demon and break barriers.


 * Arrow: Kikyo shoots a normal arrow.
 * Sealing Arrow: Kikyo shoots an arrow that once it strikes a foe it places them under a spell and forces them to fall asleep. It's said that these arrows are meant to seal demons that can't normally be killed by priestesses to a tree until their bodies wither away in coma like state.


 * Spiritual Powers: Kikyo has the power to break seals, barriers, spells, etc.


 * Cut: Kikyo is shown to have a high level of strength as she was able to just use her hand to slice the Naraku's puppet in half with ease.


 * Reflect Curse: Kikyo reflects any incoming curse with a bow.


 * Shikigami Control: Kikyo controls Shikigami, a demon which collects soul for her to use, she's able to fly away with them.


 * Ironically, despite considered as a antagonist, she's really an Anti Hero.