Sango

The last one left from the Taiji clan of demon exterminators who were wiped out by Naraku. Is constantly searching for her brother, who was under the spell of Naraku.

It turned out that Naraku was behind all this. While the five strongest exterminators were away from their home village, Naraku ordered scores of demons to attack the village and in turn gain possession of the 5 pieces of the Shikon Jewel the exterminators had.

Sango, who miraculously survived, digs her way out of the grave, only to be found by the young lord Kagewaki who briefly tends her wounds. Naraku comes to the young lord and tells him about how Sango's village was raided by a demon named InuYasha while they were here fighting the false demon. Sango overhears this "news" and is heart-broken. She demands her weapon and swears to kill InuYasha at all costs. Naraku appears to be kind and "lends" her a piece of the Shikon Jewel to suppress the pain from her wounds.

Sango meets InuYasha and the group not long after she left the castle. Immediately she engages in a battle that InuYasha does not want to fight in. Naraku was watching closely with a remote-controlled puppet and sends the Saimy&#333;sho wasps to deter Miroku from using his Wind Tunnel. Sango is soon subdued due to her severe wounds and she is puzzled as to why InuYasha, Kagome and Miroku did not seem very hostile, contrasting to what Naraku had described.

Naraku's wasps escape with the Shard of the Jewel he lent Sango and she loses consciousness due to blood loss. When she wakes up, they make it back to her village, where Sango finds out that they had already paid proper respects to all the villagers, who died defending the village without their strongest warriors from the onslaught of demons.

The group learns from Sango that the Shikon Jewel has close ties with her village, and Sango in turn realized the true nature of Naraku and joins the group.

She is a valiant warrior in battle as she is the best demon exterminator from the village, and with her Hiraikotsu she is not an opponent to be taken lightly. She hopes to defeat Naraku and be reunited with Kohaku, who was resurrected by Naraku with a Shikon Shard to do his biddings.

Relationship to Miroku
She developes deep feelings towards Miroku and accepts his proposal that they should get married if they ever defeat Naraku, even though his lecherous behavior (which enhances Sango's jealously) is not likely to change and therefore, she might eventually dump him. Though we all know she never will and that they'll grow up and have babies together. In the last issue of the manga entitled "Tomorrow" it is reveled that Sango and Miroku did get marry and have twin daughters and a newborn son. Her brother, Kohaku does not live with them claiming that the space is minimum.

Weapons
Hiraikotsu: Her main weapon is a massive boomerang which is made of the bones of youkai that have been killed.

Dagger gauntlet: The dagger is hidden within her seleve and can be retracted. In one particular episode Sango who is possessed uses this weapon against Miroku, it is this same episodes that he proposes to her.

Wakizashi: A short one hand holding sword, some mistake it to be a katana.

Yōkai Paralyzing Poisons: A poisonous concoction that paralyzes demons. Numbing Potions: This is mainly used when she wishes not to kill a demon. The poison will numb the demon and she normally masks the poison by baking it into buns or donuts.

Chain: The chains are used to constrict her enemies.

Clothing
Sango normally travels wearing a traditional woman's Kimono of a style called Kosode, with a wide woman's Obi to tie it shut. Over this she wears a skirt, most likely Mo-bakama. She completes her outfit with tradiotional woman's arm guards and leg guards, and straw sandals.

Her Demon-Slayer outfit is most unique.. a black skin-tight suit that has a decided mainland flavor (especially the "toggle clasps"), and apparent armor-plates made of demon parts. She carries her Bone-Boomerang and a short sword (Wakizashi)

Historically, the "Demon Slayers" of Japan actually existed, known as Yamabushi or hermit-like wild Mountain Priests. The Japanese government was determined to have a category for the Yamabushi and thus they have been lumped under "Shinto". According to Lady Rain

"A 'yamabushi' is not a Shintoist and not a Buddhist either, in the strictest sense of the terms. They have a synthesized belief that is usually called 'the Way of the Mountain' -- 'Shugendo'."