Takemaru

was a character who appeared in the third InuYasha movie Swords of an Honorable Ruler where he is one of the main antagonists.

Appearance
Takemaru first appears as a male human adult with fair skin and black hair tied up in a short fashion. When he was still alive, he wore traditional samurai lord armor featuring a distinct crimson sheen. After being revived as a specter, most of his armor has been worn down but his hair grew to its full length, much past his shoulders. After taking hold of So'ounga, Takemaru took on a slightly demonic appearance featuring blue spots and markings on the right side of his face and a long horn growing from his forehead along with his hair becoming red and shaggy. His eyes gained a yellow scelera and pupils became red. He wore a dark jacket, white hakama and crimson armor with spikes jutting out and a large blue jewel in the middle of his chestplate.

Personality
Takemaru was depicted as a man who appeared to care for Izayoi but his jealousy over the Dog General consumed so that he became a danger to all around him and attempted at Izayoi's life. When resurrected at the behest of So'ounga, Takemaru's jealousy gradually turned to insanity, wanting to slay each and every humans, no matter their age, if they shared a relationship with demons, causing him to view them all equally as Izayoi.

Overview
Takemaru no Setsuna was a jealous human Samurai lord who fell in love with Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi. His jealousy became so great at he attempted at her life and impaled her while she was in labor with Inuyasha. When Inutaisho, Inuyasha's father came to save her. Takemaru appeared before the yokai warrior and attempted to take him on but his challenge was easily brushed aside, costing him his left arm. Not wanting to let the Inu yokai take Izayoi away, he orders his soldiers to immediately burn down the castle. Takemaru's attempt to keep her for himself was in vain as the Daiyōkai utilized Tenseiga to revive Izayoi, allowing her to escape while he fought the desperate Takemaru to the death. Takemaru is killed offscreen when the Inutaisho draws forth Sou'unga and claims his life with the Dragon Twister.

Later on, the sword Sounga, free from Saya wanders around the land searching for a suitable host after it is driven away by Kagome calling Inuyasha to sit, attempting to save Inuyasha from Sesshomaru's poisoned claws. Reacting to the lingering thoughts of Takemaru, whose skeleton resided in the charred badlands. the evil sword revived him and fed on his desire for revenge against the Inutaisho and his kin. To further sweeten their vengeance, Sounga gives Takemaru Sesshomaru's left arm which lopped off during the Yokai's scuffle with his younger brother to wrestle control over Tessaiga. With blade in hand, Takemaru transforms into a Yokai of death and destruction and takes command of a nearby castle, killing its inhabitants and soldiers which then whose corpses he uses to raise an army of evil undead as he erects a dark castle to begin his conquest. As Inuyasha's and Sesshomaru's groups storm the castle, Takemaru comes face to face with Sesshomaru himself with Tokijin at the ready.

Though Sesshomaru is able to easily overpower him in terms of strength and even cuts him down, the Sounga simply regenerates him, mocking him that he can't be killed by another weapon already steeped in evil. It is from this realization that Sesshomaru instead draws forth Tenseiga and attacks again but still lives and continues to mock him, proclaiming that he is disappointing his father's fang. Inuyasha then arrives at the scene and does battle with him after a preemptive Wind Scar attack. Crossing blades, Takemaru looks at Inuyasha and sees his mother in him. Growing colder, he reveals to him that he was the one who had taken his mother's life, greatly angering the half-demon. While Sesshomaru and Inuyasha begin to bicker over fighting him, Takemaru tries to take this opportunity to kill them both with the Dragon Twister. Inuyasha however rushes forth and drives him back with an unprecedented amount of power. Takemaru is baffled by this and Inuyasha explains that it is his human side that gives him the persistence and willpower to fight to the end as well as the desire to protect those close to him. With one final push, he finally blasts him through a wakk, defeating him. His last thoughts are of Izayoi and regretting his mistakes as his body is reduced to bone once more before his skeleton is crushed by the temple's following transformation.

Later Takemaru tried to eliminate Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. But with the combined power of the Inuyasha's Backlash wave and Sesshomaru's Dragon Strike, he was vanquished.

Weapons and equipment

 * Warlord Armor - When he was still alive, Takemaru adorned a set of red armor, including cuirass, gauntlets, grieves and helmet. After his death, this was worn down but restored and transformed after taking a hold of So'ounga.


 * So'ounga - The third sword once possessed by the Dog General. It fed on Takemaru's lingering desires as a specter and restored him to life and gave him great power, promising him supreme conquest if he was to kill Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. While their swords, Tessaiga and Tenseiga could destroy a hundred demons in one swing and save a hundred lives in one swoop, So'ounga could summon forth a hundred corpses from Hell itself to serve the wielder. Unlike the other two swords, So'ounga is possessed by an ancient and malevolent demon spirit

Abilities
Setsuna No Takemaru
 * Expert Swordsmanship - Despite being a human, Takemaru possessed enough sufficient skill with a sword to go toe-to-toe with Sesshomaru and even hold both him and Inuyasha back. This is most likely due to being possessed by So'ounga.
 * Regeneration - As a result of being possessed by So'ounga, Takemaru is able to regenerate from even the most fatal of wounds and could even recover from a slash of the Tenseiga as his hate prevented him from passing on
 * Dragon Twister - As a result of wielding So'ounga, Takemaru can, at will, invoke the powerful Dragon Twister which allows him to summon forth the powers of a hell dragon and utilize its power in the form of a massive twister of demonic power strong enough to level a fully fortified castle single-handed.