Shiori



is a half-demon born from a human mother and a bat demon father. She made her first appearance in Chapter 214 from the manga and in Episode 73 in the anime. Her name means "Poem" or "Weave", whereas "Shi" means "violet", referring to Shiori's eyes.

Biography
Shiori’s father, Tsukuyomaru, came from a bat-demon clan that preyed on the blood of humans and animals; Shiori’s mother’s village was one of their hunting grounds. However, Tsukuyomaru was different than the others – he did not kill humans. After Shiori was born, the attacks ceased and the village was at peace until the untimely death of Tsukuyomaru.

In attempts to stop the attacks on the village, Shiori’s mother agreed to offer Shiori to her grandfather, Taigokumaru. Shiori at first refuses to leave as she was afraid of him but by the persuasion of the villagers she left hesitantly to Taigokumaru’s side.

Like InuYasha, Shiori was bullied constantly throughout her childhood for being a half-demon. Her mother too was discriminated against and they both lived secluded from the rest of the village. When Taigokumaru broke his promise, the angered villagers attacked Shiori’s mother only to be stopped by InuYasha and his friends.

Meeting InuYasha
InuYasha and his group came upon Shiori as they faced the problem of Naraku’s barrier. They learned from Myoga that the Tessaiga would be able to shatter barriers if he killed the current guardian of the barrier from the bat demon clan. InuYasha refused kill a young half-demon, let alone a little girl, and had to find another way. In gratitude of InuYasha reuniting her with her mother, Shiori allows InuYasha to break the red orb which allows him to gain the Red Tessaiga.

Abilities
Shiori, like her father and grandfather, has the ability to create barriers from a red orb, called the Blood Coral Crystal. This skill and duty is passed down from generation to generation as the ability to create barriers wanes with age and the ability is lost once the duty has been passed to someone else. The barriers created by the bat demons are impenetrable and even deflected Tessaiga’s Kaze no Kizu.

Relationships

 * Taigokumaru: Shiori was afraid of Taigokumaru and was very passive around him. When he was leading the attack on the village, he manipulated and threatened Shiori into protecting him with her barrier or else her mother would die. However, upon hearing that Taigokumaru killed her father she rejected him from the barrier, thus leaving him defenseless, and InuYasha was able to defeat him.
 * Tsukuyomaru: Shiori admired her father greatly and was angered to the point of rejecting her grandfather from the barrier once she heard that Taigokumaru killed her father. When Taigokumaru came back one last time from the red orb, Tsukuyomaru’s soul protected Shiori and her mother from his attack.
 * Shiori’s Mother: Shiori spent most of her childhood living with her mother and would do anything for her, even if it meant separating from her to protect the village, or to protect her grandfather with the barrier in order to spare her life.
 * InuYasha: As the two of them were both half-demons, InuYasha was able to relate to Shiori easily by the discrimination she faced. In fact Inuyasha also had a human mother who was his only human family. In gratitude for saving and reuniting her with her mother, she helps InuYasha make Tessaiga stronger.