Naginata of Kenkon



The Naginata of Kenkon (lit. "Pole sword (なぎなた, 薙刀)" of "Heaven and Earth". The word "kenkon" does not appear to transliterate as "heaven/earth". Rather, it could be interpreted to mean a "trial of great difficulty or hardship". Ref: The Japanese Kanji Dictionary)

History
The "Naginata of Kenkon" is based on an actual single-bladed weapon known as a naginata used in classical Japanese warfare. It consists of two sharp-edged curving blades going into a tsuba, or hand-guard on either end of a long wooden rod. Unlike the European halberd, the naginata strongly resembles the "yari" or long spear, also in use during the Sengoku Jidai ("Warring States Period").

Appearing in the anime only, the Naginata of Kenkon was made by order of the youkai, Hoshiyomi. Consumed by the fear of losing his beloved Tsukiyomi, (a human warrior priestess who was in danger of severely overtaxing her powers due to fighting youkai), he had the powerful two-bladed weapon made so that neither of them would have to live their lives constantly fighting and slaying other youkai. In commissioning the evil youkai weaponsmith, Kaijinbo, to create this weapon, he was required to kill two hundred and twenty two youkai and present the essence to the smith.

Upon taking possession of the completed weapon, Hoshiyomi basked in its power, feeling confident that he had secured Tsukiyomi's safety. However, she came to see that the weapon was in fact evil and feared Hoshiyomi's increasingly manic behavior, having seen a terrible bloodthirsty glint in his eyes. One day, she called Hoshiyomi, and having set up an ambush, unleashed a sealing spell on him, allowing her to separate him from the Naginata. Weary, she then approached the weapon, trying to use her own abilities to purify and dispel the evil, but the horrifying aura was too great. Thus, she split the Naginata into two halves, sending one into a far off land, to be guarded by the Hojo clan, and the other to the bluff of Mount Hakurei.. Having expended her energies without consideration for her own safety, Tsukiyomi dies just as she attempts to release Hoshiyomi from the seal she had placed on him. An unknown number of years pass, and finally Hoshiyomi breaks free. Being distraught at her death and her percieved betrayal, Hoshiyomi resolves to regain the Naginata and take his vengeance on all humankind.

By the time of InuYasha, Hoshiyomi had already obtained the Kon blade; the other half being still in the custody of Hojo family. However, with the help of his ninja/youkai, Hoshiyomi manages to wrest the Ken blade from Ashitaka Hojo and bring the two together to complete the Naginata. Once again in possession of the complete weapon, he clashes with Inuyasha and manages to absorb Tessaiga's youkai energies and quell him. He then goes on a rampage to destroy the world, summoning a void to suck everything into oblivion.

Kagome, having been possessed by the spirit of the long dead priestess Tsukiyomi, takes the Naginata away from him and tells him that what he had seen as betrayal was actually her efforts to protect him from the inherent evil the Naginata of Kenkon possessed. The weapon is then destroyed, along with Hoshiyomi when they are both engulfed together by the Bakuyuha ("Backlash Wave") combined with the sacred power of Kagome's arrow. Shortly after the destruction of the weapon, and before he dies, he realizes his mistake after seeing a glimpse of his love one last time.

Special Abilities

 * Aura: Giving off a dark purple malevolent aura, the demonic essence of the Naginata was powerful enough to corrupt (and possibly possess [as Tsukiyomi suspected]) Hoshiyomi, forever changing his personality until his death. In one particular scene of note, InuYasha is exposed to the unshielded aura of the Ken blade, while it is still in the possession of Ashitaka Hojo. In that scene, it appears that InuYasha loses himself completely to the evil influence of the blade, unable to hear the voices of his friends calling his name. It isn't until the blade is covered again that InuYasha returns to himself, unsure of what had just occurred. This event demonstrates the evil corrupting power of the Naginata, and shows exactly the kind of influence that Hoshiyomi has fallen under.
 * Barrier: Even with just the Kon blade, Hoshiyomi is still able to erect a yellowish barrier, exceedingly strong and powerful enough to withstand the power of Inuyasha's Kaze no Kizu (Wind Scar).
 * Energy Absorption: At least attributed to the Kon blade, the Naginata is able to absorb both demonic energy (as in the instance with the Tessaiga) and spiritual energy (such as the instance with Kagome). In addition to this, the Naginata is able to emit this energy as a Kenatsu (see definition below), shown when Hoshiyomi fired a blast at Inuyasha right after absorbing much of the Tessaiga's demonic energy. The energy absorbed from Tessaiga was comparable to Sesshomaru's first use of the Wind Scar.
 * Kenatsu: Kenatsu is the special ablitiy that allows the Naginata to cut a opponent without touching them.


 * Crimson Sphere: Quite possibly the Naginata's most powerful attack, it takes the form of an extremely huge crimson sphere of pure energy and can be directed at an opponent. If said attack connects with someone, the sphere engulfs them and quite possibly exterminates them into nothingness. Hoshiyomi uses this as a seeming last measure attack to kill Inuyasha and his band.


 * Spherical Shockwave: Similar to Sesshomaru's spherical shockwave with the sword, Tokijin, a highly destructive sphere of demonic energy is created on the tip of the blade and dispersed in a spherical fashion. Hoshiyomi used this attack to slay a large number of youkai in one stroke after they had surrounded him. (This event is similar to the Kaze no Kizu ("Wind Scar") which can destroy "a hundred youkai in a single swing".)
 * Nether Vortex: Quite possibly the Naginata's most powerful attack, and quite similar to the "Meido Zangetsuha", the "nether vortex" is a form of red kenatsu burst that theoretically creates a portal to the invisible void between Heaven and Earth.  This portal, however, also acts similar to a black hole in that it sucks in everything around it with irresistable force. (See also Kazaana.)