Birds of Paradise

The Birds of Paradise.

The Birds of Paradise (極楽鳥（ごくらくちょう）, "Gokurakuchō") are vicious demons that are the archenemy of the wolf-demon tribe. They live in groups on top of a huge mountain which is their nest. They are led by a siamese bird that has a Shikon Jewel shard. They appear as large pigeon-like birds with harpie-like bodies from the waist-up jutting from their bodies.

Kōga kidnaps Kagome for the main purpose of finding the Bird of Paradise that has a sacred jewel shard.

Inuyasha's Tessaiga destroys a large number of the Birds of Paradise, killing their leader with Wind Scar, after it steals its second jewel shard from Kōga. Also the rest of it have been sucked by Miroku's Wind Tunnel, and it is revealed in a conversation between Ginta and Hakkaku that all the birds had been killed, suggesting there was only the one nest to begin with.

In episode 16 of Hanyō no Yashahime, Moroha fights these demons in a flashback. She transforms into Beniyasha and gets into a fighting rage until her powers run out. Yawaragi then has to use the armor of the Iron Rat's "Scattering Winds" to destroy the rest of the swarm.

Media appearances

• Episode 36 (First appearance)
• Episode 37
• Episode 38 (appears in a drawing)
• Episode 39 (Appears in a flashback)
• Episode 83 (Appears in a flashback)
• Episode 84 (Appears in a flashback)

Trivia

• The name "Birds of Paradise" is never used in the manga, instead they are called "Harpies".
• Their design is likely based upon the creature from Daijiro Morohoshi's 1978 manga Adam's Rib. Rumiko Takahashi is a longtime fan of that work and drew Moroboshi's monster on the obi of a collection of his work.