Rion

Rion is a supporting character in Hanyō no Yashahime’s second season. She is the only child and daughter of Kirinmaru the Beast King of the East, and the niece of Zero. Six centuries ago, she was used as leverage against her father and was killed by a vengeful half-demon named Sakasa.

History
Rion had accompanied her father when he was fighting enemies that came to challenge him. Even though, he took her around the world like, in the ,  in ,  in  and other places. On one occasion, she watched as Tōga the Beast King of the West defeated her father by cutting his horn and right arm in one fell swoop. This made her at a young age to see the ugliness of fighting. Tōga, not wanting to kill her father in front of her decided to spare her father and warn him to "never bring a child in the battlefield." After the battle, they returned to the ship as Zero was surprised that she was scared. She had a first met with his father's first incarnation Riku. Not too long after, Rion and Zero accompanied Kirinmaru as he slaughtered an entire kingdom as the samurai tried to kill him by the orders of. Rion was hiding behind Zero and clutching her robes when a vengeful Sakasa, bent on avenging his master's death grabbed her and held his sword to her. Kirinmaru effortlessly decapitated Sakasa, but Sakasa was a half-demon, who could still control his headless body and his head has his body stab Rion through the chest, killing her. Unable to accept his loss, Kirinmaru bound his late daughter to a doll made out of her bones and grave soil and sealed her inside Mount Musubi to keep her from passing on.

For the next six centuries, she had been secretly placed in a deep sleep on the shielded demon mountain Musubi at the behest of her own father. Her father forged a connection using the Dream Butterfly to communicate with her. Once finally awakening, she befriends the Half-Demon Princesses and gifts Towa with her mystical flute Hoshikiri no Fue- by willingly presenting the half-cousins with a mystical demonic Kyūyōkon Root that she had held in her possession for many, many years after she dismantle the barrier. She asks the girls to put a stop to his plan to alter time. But a demon spirit beast have come, so she told Towa to play the Star-Slicer Flute, and it turned into a fully demonic-empowered weapon- the sword Zanseiken. She saw that Towa used her Sōtō no Sōryūha to defeat it and it was amazing, but she was surprised that Setsuna was killed before by her father at the ruin of Izayoi's mansion.

After that, she left the mountain with them as she rode on Towa, until she had a first met with Towa and Setsuna's father Sesshōmaru and his vassal Jaken. She was surprised to see the Dream Butterfly out of Setsuna, then he uses the Tenseiga to cut it to make her choice. She and the others learned from Jaken that the Dream Butterfly possessed Setsuna was delivering sleep and dreams to Towa's and Setsuna's mother Rin, to kept her alive by holding the silver-scale curse in check (in which that the curse has placed by her aunt Zero). Sesshōmaru tells Setsuna that if he cut it down, Setsuna will sleeps again, but also Rin will covered by silver-scale curse and soon dies, which makes her mouth open wide and Towa surprised. Setsuna said "My mother... I want to save her." So Sesshōmaru cut Dream Butterfly and tells her that it's up to her, and they leaves. As they head back to Kaede's village with Rion, Towa stop by as she saw Riku on the mountain corpses of oni, Rion saw Riku too. Rion asked him how he's doing, and Riku going to answer but he turned away because of the look of her father from him. Rion, along with Setsuna and Moroha were surprised that Towa shouts to Riku to gives the message to Kirinmaru back at his ship. After that, Riku took Rion on the boat as she waves to the Half-Demon Princesses as she'll see them again.

Personality
Rion is a kind and considerate individual, even more so than her own father and aunt.

Physical description
Rion appears as a young woman with short rubine red hair with bangs, verdigris eyes and fair skin. She has a pair of brown fawn ears resting atop of her head from the cream maid headband she dons, sizzling red stripes beneath each eye, and salmon pink lips.

She also walks barefoot, similar to Tōkotsu, Kyūki, Tōtetsu, Tōtōsai, Inuyasha, Moroha, Dai, Roku, Ai, Asagi, Moegi, Shion, and Kagura.

Outfit
Rion wears a white hakui with yellow sode-kukuri laced on the cuffs, a sleeveless light yellow yukata over it, a pink sash tied in a large ribbon (or bow) at the front, a white sashinuki hakama, and small light yellow bows on each side of her hair.

Powers & Abilities

 * Superhuman Hearing: Rion has been shown to have sensitive hearing.
 * Flutist: Rion has been shown to have some flute playing skills when she played the Star-Slicer Flute, until she gave it to Towa.

Weapons

 * Kyūyōkon Root: Considered to be the ultimate weapon, it is stated to be the only thing that Kirinmaru fears the most.
 * Spyglass: From the clear crystalline orb, Rion showed Moroha where her twin half-cousins were since they didn't get pass through the demonic energy barrier.
 * Portal: Rion opened a portal, the red vortex and purple on the outside, that lead to either the Border of the Afterlife or the Sacred Tree of Ages.
 * Demon energy absorption: As mentioned by Rion, the root can absorb and release exhausting amounts of demon energy.
 * Hoshikiri no Fue : A mystical flute forged from the Kyūyōkon Root that she dissolves the around the mountain. After Rion plays it, she gave it to Towa.
 * Zanseiken : A legendary sword bestowed by the God of Stars, it is summoned when Rion plays the flute, until she gave it to Towa.

Blood Relatives

 * Kirinmaru

Her estranged overprotective father. The two had a healthy relationship until it became complicated, as she was disgusted and horrified at just how far her own father was willing to go to achieve his selfish needs upon the physical world that she most cherishes.


 * Zero

Her paternal aunt. They seemed to have a close relationship, as Zero was quite kind to her and disapproved of Kirinmaru bringing her into battle and making her see his might. When she learned that Rion had been the sole witness to the fight between the two beast kings of the East and West provinces within the two major realms dominated by incredibly strong demons of all sorts, she admonished Kirinmaru for not taking her advice and gently comforted her, patting her head and expressing relief she was okay, with Rion seemingly being comfortable with the gesture.

Six centuries later, she finally decides to make contact with her aunt via water where she and Riku are and enthusiastically referred to her as Aunt Zero and trusted her to help in defeating her father. Although shocked to see that Rion escaped from Mount Musubi and that she was trying to bring down Kirinmaru, Zero seemed amused and pleased to see her again, admitting although her body was now a doll, she really liked seeing her face one last time and not dismissing her appeal to stop Kirinmaru, stating she'll keep it mind. Rion however was horrified to hear she intended to kill Towa.

Acquaintances

 * Riku

Her father's first incarnation via the horn that was cut off during the battle that she herself had witnessed from afar. Six centuries later, she is finally reunited with him. She agrees to accompany him and promises to return to help the Half-Demon Princesses from time to time.


 * Towa, Setsuna, & Moroha

Upon her reawakening from the glowing green scale, on which she had slept deeply for six hundred-and-fourteen long years, Rion had befriended Moroha the Demon Killer, of whom she was immediately interested in meeting. She tried to reassure the quarter-dog demon girl that the others would be fine; yet if they did not prove themselves worthy to the unusually strong demonic energy shield all around Mt. Musubi, the half-demon twins would not be capable of penetrating the shield, let alone leave Mount Musubi. She advised Moroha to utilize her ever-developing/magnifying spiritual powers that she, Rion, had detected within the feisty quarter-dog demon girl to easily penetrate the demonic barrier to pass her own personal trial to find her precious twin half-cousins. Once they had overcome the personal trials that the autonomous demonic shield had presented them with, Rion expressed at how pleased she was to see them. She introduces herself as the daughter of none other than Kirinmaru himself, yet willingly gives Towa one of the ancient and powerful mystical Kuyokyuton roots she had kept which turns into a golden flute. After presenting it to Towa, she reveals that she believes that Towa is the only one worthy of wielding a cosmic demon sword of such power to put an end to father's ambitions.

After failing to convince her aunt, Rion and Riku come to where Towa is and warn her of Zero targeting her life.

Trivia

 * Rion is the second humanoid character to have animal ears, the first being Inuyasha.
 * She is the second specter shown in the sequel. The first is Tōkotsu.
 * Her method of returning to life is similar to how Kikyō was forcibly revived but without the need for Soul Collectors.
 * According to Hishida-san in the Animage December 2021 issue, Rion doesn't have a mother.

Media appearances
Rion