The Mirror demon (鏡の妖怪, "Spector of Mirror") was the living incarnation of Kanna's mirror. In unleashing it, Kanna revealed how truly powerful she could be. It was used as a last-ditch attempt by Naraku to destroy Inuyasha's sword, the powerful Tessaiga: in fact, Kanna and her mirror were created with that only purpose.
History[]
During the story[]
Presumably, the Mirror demon could be summoned by Kanna any time she chose. However, Naraku still had use for the mirror to spy on his enemies and steal souls from those who saw where he was hiding his heart, the Infant.
After Kikyō's death, Naraku sent Byakuya to Kanna, with the order to summon the Mirror demon. Kanna sank beneath a pond while her mirror remained flat on the surface. In a blinding light, the Mirror demon emerged the moment Inuyasha's group arrived at the pond. Having caught Tessaiga's reflection, the Mirror demon stole the blades powers and transferred them into its own copy of Tessaiga. The Mirror demon's use of Tessaiga's powers for Inuyasha's group to flee.
Once Kanna found the group hiding inside a barrier within a cave, the Mirror demon used the Red Tessaiga's power to break the barrier. Inuyasha fought the Mirror demon, which proceeded to use the Adamant Barrage. Inuyasha landed a blow on the demon's left shoulder, but it healed; however, a crack appeared on Kanna's left shoulder. Something that confused Byakuya. Kagome shot an arrow at the Mirror demon's neck, but a wound appeared on Kanna's instead.
At that moment, everyone realized the Mirror demon healed by transferring its injuries to Kanna. Inuyasha told Kanna not to interfere, saying he had no desire to kill her. Byakuya, who had accompanied Kanna, noted that the more direct, efficient way for Inuyasha to fight the Mirror demon would have been to strike at Kanna herself, and destroy the demon immediately. However, Inuyasha insisted on persuading Kanna to stop fighting, feeling pity her since he knew that Naraku was prepared to use her as a sacrifice to take out his enemies.
Once Kanna had lost her right arm and left hand along with the Mirror demon, the fight had ended. When it seemed Kanna would now have freedom, Naraku told her to explode along with the Mirror demon to take Inuyasha with them. However, Kanna refused, prompting Naraku to shatter her heart. With Kanna's heart gone, she and the Mirror demon began bursting with light at the cracks in their bodies. They shattered into several shards of glass, then all pulverized.
Naraku managed to retrieve a fragment of the mirror demon and instructed Byakuya to give it to Sesshōmaru. Once the shard was crushed and sprinkled over Tenseiga, it allowed the mystical blade to copy/steal Tessaiga's abilities just as the Mirror demon itself had done. However, the last shard was blasted away by Sesshōmaru breaking Tenseiga against Tessaiga, which then absorbed Meidō Zangetsuha technique. This was Kanna and her mirror demon's spirits final death after they were reborned in the form of Tenseiga against Tessaiga, and their fate with Inuyasha's sword is broken.
Physical description[]
The Mirror demon appears in a form similar to tribal warriors with decorative jewelry and a headpiece. Its body is light blue in color. However, its eyes are completely black, or are simply holes in its head. It wears the enlarged frame of its mirror form on its back. It has a spiral pattern on its stomach.
Powers and abilities[]
- Power absorption: The Mirror demon could seemingly warp reality by copying a weapon, effectively taking its powers and leaving the original weapon itself the "reflection". Destroying the Mirror demon's copied weapon is the only way to reclaim the stolen powers.
- Beam of light: Creating a shadow of its mirror form's frame, the Mirror demon can shoot beams of energy at the target the shadow is surrounding. However, it creates a portal in the sky that is linked to its abdomen: if the blast is reflected back, its abdomen will crack.
- Healing/walking voodoo doll: The Mirror demon can heal any injury inflicted upon it by enemies. However, it would have to transfer these injuries to Kanna, maiming her in its place. The Mirror demon's ability to heal is based on Kanna's own well-being; if she had already lost an arm to save one of the Mirror demon's, it would lose that arm in a second attempt to cut it off.
- Self-destruct: If willed by Kanna, or by Naraku destroying her heart, the Mirror demon will explode along with Kanna, shattering into several hundred shards of glass.
Trivia[]
- Kagome believed the Mirror demon might be destroyed if she shot an arrow into the mirror's shadow.
Media appearances[]
Manga
- Chapter 475 (First appearance)
- Chapter 476
- Chapter 477
- Chapter 478
- Chapter 479
- Chapter 480
- Chapter 481 (Appears in thoughts)
- Chapter 499 (Appears in a flashback)
- Chapter 500 (Appears in a flashback)
- Chapter 501 (Appears in thoughts)
- Chapter 503 (Appears in thoughts)
Anime
- Episode 177 (First appearance)
- Episode 178
- Episode 182 (Appears in a flashback)
- Episode 193 (Credits only)
Naraku | |
---|---|
Incarnations | Kanna • Kagura • Goshinki • Kagerōmaru • Jūrōmaru • Musō • Infant • Hakudōshi • Byakuya • Akagane |
Rejected parts | Unnamed incarnation • Hair monster • Eye monster • Onigumo (reabsorbed) • Kugutsu • Kodoku |
Allies | Saimyōshō • Tsubo Tsukai • Sesshōmaru (formerly) • Jaken (formerly) • Ryūkotsusei • Tsubaki • Hakushin • Shichinintai • Salamander • Entei • Abi • Tekkei • Mōryōmaru (formerly) • Gorai • Mirror demon • Magatsuhi • Demon of the Shikon no Tama |
Enemies | Inuyasha • Kagome Higurashi • Kikyō • Miyatsu • Miroku's father • Miroku • Sango • Kirara • Kohaku • Kōga • Ginta • Hakkaku • Kai • Shinta • Sesshōmaru (currently) • Kaguya • Mōryōmaru (currently) • Hōsenki I • Hitomiko • Kansuke • Kaede • Midoriko • Shippō • Jaken (currently) • Rin • A-Un • Janis |
Locations | Onigumo's cave • Naraku's castle • Mount Hakurei • Naraku's cave |
Miscellaneous | Shikon no Tama • Kazaana • Onigumo's cave • Naraku's castle • Mount Hakurei |