Sacred Arrow

are arrows imbued with spiritual power, and a tactic most often used by someone with high-level spiritual powers. Although sacred arrows are not always considered a very accurate attack, they can be very powerful and deadly coming from the hands of an experienced archer.

History
The Yumi-&-Ya, the Japanese longbow and arrow, became a weapon against evil, according to a Japanese legend; at that time, the Imperial Palace was taken over by an evil demon, which caused the Emperor to fall ill with great anxiety and suffering. When the Imperial High Priests tried and failed in their efforts to destroy the demon and dispel the Imperial household of its influence, they were at a loss. Finally, an archer, Yorimasu Minamoto, was summoned to the Imperial Palace in the hopes of slaying the demon with his bow and arrow, ridding the palace of this plague. With a steady hand and a virtuous heart, Yorimasu Minamoto vanquished the demon with the first arrow, and his bow was declared to be a Hama Yumi, an "Evil-Destroying Bow" (and the first arrow, a Hama Ya, an "Evil-Destroying Arrow").

While the founder of this spiritual technique in the series is unknown, the Miko, Kikyō, is the earliest known user of sacred arrows seen. According to InuYasha, Kikyō, was a master archer. Her skills as a priestess and great spiritual power earned her renown, and her usage of sacred arrows were trademarked as well. Slaying numerous troublesome demons with her sacred arrows, Kikyō would go on to teach her younger sister Kaede the proper use of sacred arrows too.

After Kikyō became the guardian of the Sacred Jewel, she eventually sealed away a minor yōkai called Ne no Kubi. Before her premature demise, Kikyō used the last vestiges of her strength to bound the half-demon Inuyasha to a tree with a sacred arrow. Fifty years later, Kikyō's reincarnation, Kagome Higurashi, broke this seal and became proficient in the use of sacred arrows herself.

Effects
Sacred arrows, when charged with spiritual power, can have a devastating effect and pulverize even demons. Depending on the archer's spiritual power, the arrow's power becomes such that it can destroy buildings in a combustible manner. Sacred arrows can also blessed/anointed prior to being charged with spiritual power, intensifying their effects. They can even be made to be fine-tuned against a specific opponent, as seen when Kikyō used soil from the cave where Onigumo became Naraku on her arrows, making them effective against him; although Naraku became powerful enough to be unaffected, his incarnations were still vulnerable.

Certain arches, namely Kikyō, can control the extent of their spiritual power at will and seal enemies in perpetual sleep with their sacred arrows instead of exterminating them. Such arrows are referred to as the "arrow of sealing," and are used for demons who are otherwise invincible. Only when the one who sealed the demon wishes for said demon to be revived will the spell be broken. Furthermore, exorcism arrows can be used beyond the simple expedient of exterminating or sealing a demon; they can be also be used for other tasks such purification or breaking barriers. Moroha has the ability to shoot a sacred arrow in the air, which then creates a barrage of sacred arrows that rain downward on her enemy. She calls this technique the Heavenly Arrow Barrage.

Trivia

 * Naraku has referred to these arrows as an "enchanted arrow."
 * The greater the archer's spiritual power or the more spiritual power imbued within the arrow, the greater the aura of energy surrounding said sacred arrow.
 * In the anime, sacred arrows were often surrounded by pinkish-purple auras, whereas in the movies this aura was colored blue.
 * While it is hinted at in Kagura's Dance and Kanna's Mirror that arrow shafts intended for use as exorcism arrows are made from the fallen branches of spiritual trees such as the Goshinboku, there are several indications that this is untrue. Most notably, the supply of which would not necessarily meet with the demands seen throughout the series; this is seen in the times that Kagome and Kikyō were both able to use ordinary arrows laying around and channeled their spiritual power through them to great effect.
 * In the manga version, upon Kikyō's resurrection, Inuyasha is able to cut Kikyō's sacred arrow in half, while keeping the Tessaiga in the transformed state. Instead, in the anime version, Tetsusaiga's transformation is disabled, with Inuyasha being hit by it.

Movies

 * Affections Touching Across Time (first use by Kagome)
 * The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (by Kikyo and Kagome)
 * Swords of an Honorable Ruler (by Kagome)
 * Fire on the Mystic Island (final use)

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon

 * InuYahsa: Since Then (first use; flashback)
 * The Cat Juan at the Old Temple (first use by Moroha)
 * Meeting Through an Apple
 * Meifuku the Meioju
 * Curse of the Man-Eating Pond
 * Night of the New Moon and the Black-Haired Towa
 * Double-Edged Moroha

InuYasha

 * "Hand me your arrows!"
 * "Give me those arrows!!"
 * "It has overcome the Tetsusaiga!"
 * "That woman's arrow cancelled Tetsuaiga's transformation?"
 * "The transformation was stopped my an arrow, of a mortal girl, no less."
 * "Your arrow undid Tetsusaiga's transformation."
 * "In the end, it was your arrow that helped me."
 * "This is exactly like Kikyo's enchanted arrow!"
 * "But, Kagome's arrow, it really did him some damage."
 * "You shot him with your arrow, remember?"
 * "Kagome, shoot me with your arrow!!"
 * "That's Kagome's arrow!!"
 * "It'll fire back at you exactly like the Tetsusaiga did!"
 * "My arrow only strikes evil."
 * "The arrow is starting to pierce the mirror!"
 * "Why did it not strike back at her!!?"
 * "The arrow is made up of souls."
 * "Isn't the sacred arrow able to break the barrier?"
 * "Kagome, don't plan on shooting me with your arrow."
 * "Let's see if my arrow will."
 * "You didn't shoot that arrow."
 * "I drove Kagome to shoot the arrow."
 * "A sacred arrow?"
 * "The Holy One took out a whole flock of birds with a single arrow."
 * "That was a sacred arrow that broke through Hakudoshi's barrier."
 * "You know the arrow that broke Hakudoshi's barrier? There was some drift left on the arrowhead, and it came from Onigumo's cave."
 * "The arrows. Give this arrow to Kagome. Only Kagome herself will be able to determine whether or not she will be able to use it."
 * "An arrow? Hey, this is Kikyo's."
 * "It's been rubbed with drift from Onigumo's cave. She said it should work on Naraku."
 * "Kikyo's arrow rejected her?"
 * "As long as we have Kagome's arrow, we'll be fine."
 * "The arrow I used was my last one."
 * "There's another one right in your quiver."
 * "That's one no good. Kikyo's arrow is rejecting me."
 * "Does this mean I should use it now?"
 * "I can shoot this arrow. This one arrow can finish Naraku."
 * "This arrow. Kagome was the one who shot it, but it's spiritual power belongs to Kikyo."
 * "It's because of that arrow. That very same arrow broke my barrier once before, you know."
 * "A sacred arrow!!"

Movies

 * "Next shot won't be so lucky."
 * "Only by combining the Wind Scar and Kagome's arrow, we might stand a chance."
 * "Kagome's arrow?"
 * "A sacred arrow. Interesting."
 * "Who shot that arrow?"
 * "Where'd that sacred arrow come from?"
 * "Move back or I'll fire another one!"
 * "Kagome, where are your arrows?"
 * "Where did I put them?"
 * "Is she taking about those?"

InuYasha: The Final Act

 * "Isn't that the sacred arrow?"
 * "I can't believe how much spiritual power I used up in just one shot."
 * "Kagome's arrow lent power to his ancestors."
 * "A priestesses barrier can only be broken by a priestess."
 * "Kill Kagome and absorb her spiritual power."
 * "He wants me to take the spiritual power that resides within that bow."
 * "You merely aim and release with it, unable to harness the bow's spiritual power."
 * "If I combine the spiritual power of this bow with my own, I can save her."
 * "The arrow disappeared!"
 * "However, it was only in the moment you released the arrow that your power became visible."
 * "Even the sacred arrow doesn't work."
 * "Light is flowing from the arrow."
 * "My sacred arrow, powerless as it may be, can still show Inuyasha the way."
 * "My arrow will hit Naraku."
 * "Naraku is afraid of my arrow."
 * "The arrow disappeared!"
 * "Please. Pierce the Jewel."
 * "Kagome's arrow pierced the Jewel and purged Naraku."

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon

 * "Why did she seal it away when instead she could have purged it with a sacred arrow?"
 * "Hit the mark, Sacred Arrow!"
 * "Then try this! Sacred Arrow!"
 * "With spiritual power this weak, you can hardly call it sacred."