Sesshōmaru

—Sesshōmaru^[src]

Sesshōmaru (殺（せっ）生（しょう）丸（まる）, “Destruction of Life”) is a powerful Inu-Daiyōkai, feared throughout the Feudal Era. He is the older half-brother of the hanyō Inuyasha and the first son of Tōga.

Unlike many other yōkai, Sesshōmaru had no interest in possessing even a single shard of the Shikon no Tama to enhance his powers and considered yōkai who sought its abilities only to strengthen themselves as pathetic and weak. Despite the lack of interest towards the Shikon no Tama, he longed to end Naraku’s life due to personal reasons. On his journey, he is accompanied by a two-headed dragon named A-Un, a yōkai imp named Jaken, an orphaned human girl named Rin, and eventually Sango’s younger brother Kohaku. On several occasions throughout the series Sesshōmaru’s group happened to encounter Inuyasha’s group while both teams were hunting down Naraku and Sesshōmaru more or less willingly helped out Inuyasha and his friends which he always claimed as not have been his actual intentions in any of such situation.

History

Sesshōmaru is the son of Tōga and another Inu Daiyōkai. He saw his father as the ultimate opponent, wishing to defeat him in combat and take his two legendary swords. He talked with his father following the battle with Ryūkotsusei, demanding the two swords be handed over to him. However, when questioned if he had anyone to protect, Sesshōmaru told his father that he did not. After his father died to protect Sesshōmaru’s new hanyō half-brother, and his human mother, Sesshōmaru began to hate them, considering such an act as pathetic and unworthy for a great yōkai such as Tōga was. Due to his father’s will, he was given Tenseiga instead of the other two swords to eventually teach him compassion. He met Kujaku and Seiten that they told him to fight the Four War Gods from his father’s last words, but he refused. When Sesshōmaru saw they were killed, he encountered Kyōra until he got caught by the Mark of the Shitōshin.

On his journey, Sesshōmaru passes the plains of Musashi Province where Jaken and imp tribe was under attack by a powerful yōkai. After saving them, he was highly admired by Jaken who decided to leave the tribe and follow him. Sesshōmaru first ignores him but eventually accepts Jaken’s request to become his servant. He grants Jaken a weapon, Nintōjō which is used as a detector and flamethrower.

50 years prior to the beginning of the series and shortly after Inuyasha was sealed to the sacred tree, Sesshōmaru was encountered by Panther Devas of the Panther Demon Tribe (Tōran, Karan, Shunran and Shūran). The Panther King was defeated by Tōga 150 years before Inuyasha was under spell. Sesshōmaru was joined by an army of yōkai that his father saved during the battle, however, they were all slained by Panther Demon Tribe. The battle ended as Tōran fled during a fight with Sesshōmaru.

Search for Tessaiga

Sesshōmaru began his quest for Tessaiga by searching for the place described by a short riddle: “Seen, yet never seen, protected, but never known to its protector.” This was the only known clue as to Tessaiga’s location. First, he had arrived at his father’s stone tomb and even though his imp servant, Jaken said that his Nintōjō says that it’s not the right way, then he suggested they go to his younger brother, Inuyasha, to ask where his father’s grave was located. Sesshōmaru and Jaken were then next seen riding on a huge Oni, attacking a shackled woman in a flying carriage. Inuyasha tried to save the woman, but Jaken attacked Inuyasha with the Nintōjō, getting his attention. Sesshōmaru taunted him for being a hanyō, and asked him where their father’s grave was, only to be told that Inuyasha didn’t know. Sesshōmaru proceeded to tell Inuyasha that if he didn’t answer, he would kill the woman in the carriage, Inuyasha’s mother. At first, Inuyasha didn’t believe that the woman was his mother. However, Sesshōmaru told him that he had resurrected her and gave her a new body, which later, was shown to have been quite possible due to the power of Sesshōmaru’s Tenseiga. After hearing from the woman that she was truly his mother brought back from the dead, Inuyasha attempted to attack the yōkai and save her. Sesshōmaru ordered the yōkai to attack them, but before they could get hurt, Inuyasha’s mother transported them to a different place. Sesshōmaru was annoyed by Jaken’s bothersome plan, and told him that if it should fail, he would kill him.

Jaken went to where Inuyasha was located, where it was revealed that the woman was not Inuyasha’s mother, but a yōkai called the ‘Mu-on’na’. The Unmother was a spirit of women who had their children killed by war. To lure Inuyasha into revealing the secret to the whereabouts of Tessaiga, Sesshōmaru then appeared and gloated that he knew where their father’s tomb was. He grabbed Inuyasha and pulled a black pearl from Inuyasha’s eye. He then used the Nintōjō Jaken carried to open a portal from the black pearl. He and the others jumped in, traveling to the world between the living and the netherworld.

Sesshōmaru entered the skeleton of his late father, and attempted to pull out Tessaiga, but was unable to do so due to a spell on the sword which prevented full yōkai from touching it. Inuyasha arrived, and tried (but failed) to pull it out. Sesshōmaru then attacked Inuyasha. Kagome, who was knocked back by Jaken, with the sword in her hand, pulled it out by accident. Sesshōmaru, enraged by the fact that a lowly human could pull out Tessaiga, demanded Kagome to submit the sword to him. However, Kagome refused, and threatened that she would cut him with the sword. Inuyasha warned Sesshōmaru to stay away from Kagome for good. Sesshōmaru, who hated humans and hanyō alike, then sprayed toxic sludge upon Kagome, covering her. He also remarked to Inuyasha that Inuyasha’s love for humans was what made him weak, just like his mother. Inuyasha was furious, and attacked Sesshōmaru not only because of what he did to Kagome, but also because he insulted the memory of Inuyasha’s human mother by claiming she had “dirty blood.” Kagome then rose out of the sludge, unharmed because Tessaiga had protected her. She gave the sword to Inuyasha, and Sesshōmaru tested him and the sword by transforming into his yōkai form, a giant silver dog with all his distinguished markings.

Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha started to battle. Inuyasha used Tessaiga, which looked like a useless scrap of metal, to no avail. Sesshōmaru began to fill the inside of his father’s skeleton with poison gas, forcing Inuyasha and Kagome to escape outside. Inuyasha told Kagome that she was crazy to think that he needed to believe in the sword to make it work. Kagome started crying, asking if she should give up hope, only to be told by Inuyasha to shut up and let him protect her. As Inuyasha approaches Sesshōmaru to land the finishing blow, the sword started to pulse, and suddenly transformed into a huge fang-like sword. Inuyasha then sliced off one of Sesshōmaru’s arms, so he was forced to flee.

Naraku’s assistance

A band of outlaws, who had just raided a poor village, were riding through a land where yōkai supposedly came out at night. They saw someone ahead, and assuming that it was merely a human, started to attack. The “human”, actually Sesshōmaru, killed them all with one stroke of his arm. Jaken walked up to him through the grass, and congratulated his master on defeating the men so quickly. Sesshōmaru threw the arm, which he had stolen from a yōkai he had defeated, on the ground, not able to find a permanent arm to use after Inuyasha had cut off his arm. A man, Naraku in disguise, suddenly appeared behind Sesshōmaru, and offered him a human arm in which was embedded a shard of the Shikon no Tama. He said that Sesshōmaru could not touch Tessaiga because he was a yōkai, but if he used a human arm, he could. He also gave him a hive that could be used to block the black hole in Miroku’s hand. Naraku asked Sesshōmaru to use his gifts to defeat Inuyasha for him, an offer which Sesshōmaru accepted.

A huge shadowy claw then zoomed across the sky and started wreaking havoc on a town. It turned out to be another of Sesshōmaru’s shadow beasts, and the villagers fled in fear. Sesshōmaru released poison from his hand, and Inuyasha covered his nose with his sleeve and coughed while Kagome, Miroku, and Shippō backed away. Sesshōmaru said that he had come to claim Tessaiga. Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru fought for a while, and Sesshōmaru used his human arm to take hold of Tessaiga. He showed Inuyasha how to slay a hundred yōkai with one stroke of the blade. They fought for a while before Miroku stepped in and used his Kazaana. Sesshōmaru released the hive given to him by Naraku, and Saimyōshō flew into Miroku’s hand. Miroku was poisoned and rendered unable to fight. Kagome ran to get him an antidote, while Inuyasha continued to fight with Sesshōmaru. Miroku and Shippō fought Jaken, who used his Nintōjō, tossing fire at them.

Sesshōmaru was about to kill Inuyasha with Tessaiga when an arrow came flying at it, reverting its transformation. Kagome was seen standing on a hill with her bow and arrow out. She said the next arrow would go in Sesshōmaru’s heart, and warned Inuyasha to move away. Sesshōmaru charged at Kagome, but Inuyasha jumped in front of him and took the blow for her. Later on in the battle, Inuyasha managed to tear off Sesshōmaru’s new arm, but was stabbed by Sesshōmaru’s poison claws in the process. Sesshōmaru and Jaken left, and the insects retrieved the Jewel shard in Sesshōmaru’s arm.

Tessaiga & Tenseiga

Sesshōmaru, dissatisfied with his sword, Tenseiga, wished to have the old, absent-minded swordsmith make him a new one. The unwilling Tōtōsai had Inuyasha defend him, causing the brothers to fight. Tōtōsai revealed the heritage of Sesshōmaru’s sword before creating a diversion to allow Inuyasha and the rest of his companions to escape. Soon after leaving Inuyasha and his companions, Tōtōsai was attacked by Sesshōmaru. Once again, Inuyasha battled his brother as Tōtōsai’s protector, but had to face Sesshōmaru’s newest defense, a dragon’s arm. As Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru continued to duel for possession of Tessaiga, both brothers discovered the unexpected power of their respective inheritances, as Inuyasha discovered the true power of his sword, and Sesshōmaru, who called his sword useless, was saved by his father’s heirloom.

After the fight, an orphaned human child, Rin, attempted to nurse the injured Sesshōmaru back to health. Though he initially tried to scare her off, she returned to him, heartened at the smallest show of interest. She was mauled to death by some of Kōga’s wolves while trying to return to him; Sesshōmaru was initially going to ignore her, but moved by curiosity and prompted by Tenseiga’s pulsing, he tested the blade on her, cutting down the minions of hell that had come to collect her soul and restoring her to life. He walked off, and Rin followed him, becoming his traveling companion.

Kaijinbō’s evil sword

Finding the corpse of the fallen Goshinki and detecting Inuyasha’s scent on it, Sesshōmaru took the yōkai’s head to Kaijinbō, the rogue swordsmith and former disciple of Tōtōsai, in order to commission a sword made from Goshinki’s head. On the same day Kaijinbō arrived, possessed and wielding his newest creation Tōkijin, Inuyasha had transformed into his human form, and was defenseless.^[5] Then, luckily, Tōtōsai appeared and gave Inuyasha his repaired sword, which was too heavy for him to lift. Kaijinbō was then destroyed by his own creation because it was too evil for its maker to wield. Kagura directed Sesshōmaru to Tōkijin, and watched as the demon claimed his sword and wielded it against his brother. While Inuyasha and his friends escaped before they felt the full brunt of Sesshōmaru’s new weapon, Kagura decided that Sesshōmaru could be strong enough to destroy Naraku.^[6]

The demon’s true nature

Inuyasha’s demonic transformation gave him great power, but no sense of control over his actions, as he killed indiscriminately, which Sesshōmaru discovered when he arrived to gauge his younger brother’s power after listening to the wisdom of Bokusenō, a tree yōkai and friend of Tōga.^[7]

Naraku’s plan

Kagura kidnapped Rin.^[8] As Jaken and Sesshōmaru discussed their options, one of Naraku’s demon puppets appeared before them. It threatened Lord Sesshōmaru with her life unless he agreed to kill Inuyasha. Instead, Sesshōmaru tracked Naraku to his castle. Upon arriving, Naraku revealed his true demon form, a collection of rejected yōkai, and attacked Sesshōmaru. Naraku was secretly planning to absorb Sesshōmaru into his own flesh as Sesshōmaru hacked away at his body parts and surrounded himself with Naraku’s fallen flesh.^[9]

At the same time, Inuyasha had also tracked down Naraku’s castle. He broke through Naraku’s barrier with his newly minted Red Tessaiga. Meanwhile, Kagome and the others pursued the lone Jewel shard Kagome sensed, which was Kohaku, who had been charged with guarding Rin.^[9] Naraku was forced to fight both Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha at the same time. When Naraku became seriously injured, he escaped in a miasma cloud. Sesshōmaru suddenly realized why Naraku had abducted Rin – as a method of distracting him in case of needing to escape. Naraku telepathically ordered Kohaku to murder Rin.^[10]

Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha arrived just in time to stop Kohaku. When Sesshōmaru peered into Kohaku’s eyes, he realized he was an empty husk and was being commanded to perform his actions. He released Kohaku to Inuyasha and his group and escaped with Rin.^[10]

Mount Hakurei

Having decided to hunt down Naraku, Sesshōmaru made his way to Mount Hakurei, where he first saved Kagome Higurashi, Miroku, and Sango from the poison user Mukotsu, one of the Shichinintai; however, when confronted with the fact that he saved Kagome and the others, he merely said, “I only killed him because he wouldn’t answer my questions.”

Later on, Shippō told Inuyasha that Kagome, Miroku, and Sango stopped breathing due to the poison. Inuyasha was shocked and started to cry, for he was unable to protect them. Inuyasha went off to be alone, and started cutting down trees and yelling in frustration, seeking vengeance on the Shichinintai and on Naraku. In his daze of anger, Sesshōmaru appeared, and asked him why he was so inconsolable. Inuyasha explained, and Sesshōmaru told him that a hanyō could barely protect themselves, let alone others. Inuyasha, tired of being mocked, said that if he killed Sesshōmaru, he would have the Tenseiga and could revive his friends, to which his brother says a hanyō could never master the sword. Inuyasha started to strike Sesshōmaru, but the illusion disappeared, suggesting it was all in Inuyasha’s head to begin with.

After Mukotsu’s death, Naraku ordered the five remaining Shichinintai to kill Sesshōmaru as well. Jakotsu and Suikotsu went after him, the former noting that protecting Rin was Sesshōmaru’s weakness. Later on, Suikotsu and Jakotsu had Sesshōmaru cornered, threatening to kill Rin if Sesshōmaru made a move. Sesshōmaru pulled an impressive maneuver, tossing away his sword behind him and impaling Suikotsu with it, then dashing ahead into the path of Jakotsu’s Jakotsutō and plunging his claws into Jakotsu’s heart. However, Sesshōmaru, thinking that was enough to kill them, let his guard down, and as Rin ran away from her captors, Suikotsu grabbed her and aimed to kill her. Jakotsu told Sesshōmaru he would be too late to save her, but suddenly Kikyō arrived, managing to stop Suikotsu with her sacred arrow.

He later watched as Naraku’s miasma destroyed the vegetation on Mount Hakurei and many yōkai escaped from the destroyed barrier. Possibly watching Naraku’s attempt to kill Kikyō, Sesshōmaru appeared before Naraku; he believed that since he had emerged from hiding, he had grown stronger. Testing his theory, Sesshōmaru destroyed Naraku’s body, but the force of Tōkijin was sent back by Naraku’s barrier. He made one final slash that ripped Naraku’s head in half. However, he had no success in destroying him for good, watching as he fled once more. When Inuyasha arrived to see Kikyō’s broken bow, Sesshōmaru berated his brother for not being able to save her, telling him to chase Naraku instead of yelling at him.

Battle in the borderland

Sesshōmaru followed the scent of a flood of blood to the decapitated Tekkei, and wondered what had happened. Kagura appeared, and informed him Naraku had gone to the Border between the Living and the Dead to retrieve the final Jewel shard. She led him to the Gate in the Land of Fire; there, he drew Tenseiga, pacifying Gozu and Mezu, and allowing him to enter the gate without being turned to stone. He flew to his father’s grave once more, and tried repeatedly to break Naraku’s barrier; Naraku taunted him by allowing his superfluous limbs to be destroyed. However, once Inuyasha gained and used the Kongōsōha that broke Naraku’s barrier, Sesshōmaru’s attack tore him to pieces. Seeing Naraku had fled back to the World of the Living, Sesshōmaru headed back to the gate with Inuyasha’s group.

Kagura’s death

Kagura, one of Naraku’s incarnations, later betrayed Naraku to obtain her freedom. She believed that only Sesshōmaru could defeat him; she also seemed to have romantic feelings for him, just like Sara had. After trying to attack Goryōmaru’s temple and getting injured, she fell into a river near Sesshōmaru’s group. Recovering, she explained that Naraku was using an orb known as the Fuyōheki to hide his heart, and gave Sesshōmaru crystal shards of yōki to help him find Naraku’s heart. Sesshōmaru entrusted Jaken to look after the crystals.

During a battle with Mōryōmaru, Sesshōmaru caught the scent of Kagura’s blood and Naraku’s miasma. Mōryōmaru insulted her, infuriating Sesshōmaru, who quickly concluded the quarrel, breaking Tōkijin in the process. He left the sword behind, choosing to obtain a new one instead of reforging Tōkijin.

Just as Kagura thought she would die alone in the field of flowers, Sesshōmaru appeared before her, much to the wind sorceress’s surprise. Sesshōmaru told Kagura that he picked up the scent of blood and miasma. Kagura replied, “I see, you thought I was Naraku. Are you disappointed that I’m not Naraku?” Sesshōmaru replied to her by saying “I knew it was you.” He reached for Tenseiga, but then realized that she couldn’t be saved. Kagura was happy she got to see Sesshōmaru one last time. She looked up at him and smiled as she died before him, dissolving into the wind. When Inuyasha came right after Kagura died, he asks Sesshōmaru if she suffered. Sesshōmaru simply looked toward the sky and said “She was smiling”, and then walked away.

The Meidō Zangetsuha technique

Tenseiga called out to Tōtōsai, and he later stated that the sword told him that Sesshōmaru’s heart had felt something it had not before: rage or sorrow on behalf of another, not just himself. Because a technique that sent one’s foes directly to the Netherworld was so potent and dangerous in the wrong hands, Sesshōmaru’s heart had to be mature enough to wield it responsibly. In this way, Kagura’s death helped Sesshōmaru to mature and become a more powerful, responsible individual.

When Sesshōmaru learned how to perform Meidō Zangetsuha, he reflected on Kagura’s death, and how Mōryōmaru told him that she had died for nothing. He then thought “I, Sesshōmaru, will be the one to decide if she died for nothing.” The wind then blew, which Rin pointed out, and the group of three left Tōtōsai. The wind was meant to represent Kagura’s spirit.

In an effort to strengthen and enhance Tenseiga’s powers even further, Sesshōmaru visited his mother in search of a way to make a complete Meidō. He ventured into Hell after a yōkai from the underworld grabbed Rin and Kohaku; the latter was still alive, due to the Shikon shard in his back, but Rin did not regain consciousness. Sesshōmaru felt regret, believing he should never have brought her along and should had left her in a human village; he felt frustration and blamed himself for her death. Sesshōmaru’s mother offered him a way out of the underworld, which he declined, offending her. Sesshōmaru found Rin in the grasp of the master of Hell. After he slayed the yōkai, he realized Rin wasn’t reviving, and stated that enhancing and strengthening his sword was not worth the price of Rin’s life. Dead bodies in Hell surrounded them, and with his grief for Rin, he used Tenseiga to purify them. When he returned to the living world with Rin’s body, his mother scolded him for thinking he was a god who could control life and death, and told him Tenseiga can only revive the same person once, and that when his heart wished to save his “loved one”, he must also at that moment feel both sadness and fear, this being what it means for him to have “a compassionate heart”.

Sesshōmaru could only learn to understand the worth of a life and gain a truly compassionate heart when the life that was worth the most to him was lost, and “a compassionate heart” was what was necessary for the one who wields a destructive Tenseiga, which could dispatch enemies to the Netherworld.

His mother told him not to expect her to do this twice, placing the Meidō Stone around Rin’s neck. Much to his relief and happiness, Rin was revived once more. His mother asked Jaken if Sesshōmaru was happy when she revived Rin, and Jaken responded that he was “very happy.”

Final battle with Naraku

Sesshōmaru realized his true potential as a true Daiyōkai after Tenseiga’s fighting technique, Meidō Zangetsuha, was given to Inuyasha. Sesshōmaru let go of his obsession with Tessaiga in a battle with Magatsuhi, and regained not only his left arm, but also his own sword. As Kohaku’s shard have been defiled, even Kagome’s powers have been sealed, Sesshōmaru followed his brother and group to Kaede’s village to meet and brought Kohaku to Kikyō’s younger sister Kaede as he orders Tōtōsai to forge a scabbard for Bakusaiga.

He later used this sword to fight Naraku along with Inuyasha’s group in the final battle, although not before rescuing Rin who was captured, aiding in the final destruction of the evil hanyō by destroying large amounts of Naraku’s body.

Later life

Three years after the defeat of Naraku, Sesshōmaru visited Rin, who was under the care of Kaede, with gifts. Kagome calls him “big brother” and he is seemingly annoyed but actually deep down happy/unbothered because he reprimands Jaken for thinking Kagome was out of line.

Six months later, Sesshōmaru identified the demon attacks the village called Root Head. He came to Miroku and Sango’s house in Kaede’s village to protect Rin only, not to fight Root Head.

Hanyō no Yashahime

Sesshōmaru refused to inherit his father’s title as the Lord of the Western Lands. He married Rin, a mortal. More than four years after the fight against Root Head, Rin gave birth to their twin daughters. However, he and Jaken were confronted by Kirinmaru’s older sister, who warned them that the twins were now targets to be eliminated to prevent the prophecy of Kirinmaru’s downfall at the hands of a being that is neither human nor yōkai and an impossible entity that surpasses time itself. In response, Sesshōmaru took his newborn daughters away to a forest to hide them from Kirinmaru. During the journey, Sesshōmaru was attacked by Joka who was sent by Zero to kill the twins. Sesshōmaru easily cut Joka’s arms off and took her Golden and Silver Rainbow Pearls. Sesshōmaru placed the sleeping twins next to a tree in a forest. Jaken, having arrived from giving Kagome and Inuyasha their plans to destroy the Grim Comet, formed a barrier to protect them from any yōkai hunting them. Before leaving, Sesshōmaru gave Towa the Silver Pearl and Setsuna the Gold Pearl for safekeeping and to further boost their strength as inu-hanyō whenever it was needed. The next morning, Sesshōmaru came to his mother’s palace as Jaken felt relived that she’s not here and Inuyasha and Kagome arrived. Later in the evening, the Grim Comet has come as he uses Bakusaiga, and as the demon from the comet comes Inuyasha uses the Meidō Zangetsuha, after that they went back to the forest and check on Rin and the twins.

When Zero woke Kirinmaru up to hunt down Inuyasha along with his and Kagome’s newborn daughter, Sesshōmaru seemingly helped him but unbeknownst to Kirinmaru, his true goal appeared to be to protect them, having clearly warned Inuyasha and Kagome before allying with Kirinmaru so Inuyasha and Kagome could have Hachiemon take their daughter to safety. Before Kirinmaru could kill the parents, Sesshōmaru gouged out Inuyasha’s black pearl and used it to send them to the Border of the Afterlife. Jaken convinced Kirinmaru that Inuyasha’s Meidō Zangetsuha would be needed in the future.

At some point, Zero found Rin and forged a connection in their life forces, meaning if Zero were to die, Rin would too. This prevented Sesshōmaru from killing Zero.

Four years later, he is shown with Zero and Homura on top of a hill, where Zero tasks Homura to burn down the forest with “those accursed half-demons.” When she asks Sesshōmaru if he is okay with it, he simply turns around and walks away since he could not kill Zero without killing Rin. Jaken was eventually sent with A-Un in his behalf to safeguard Setsuna by sending her to Shiori’s village, a safe haven for hanyō children.

After a decade, he is seen within the Sacred Tree of Ages, where he seemingly watches as its spirit speaks to his teenage twin daughters and niece about their destiny. After they are sent away by the Tree, it then asks him whether he is fine with letting Rin stay asleep if he continues to forsake her. He just walks away without answering.

Many months later, he finally emerges to protect his twin daughters from Kirinmaru’s attack. He throws his sword Bakusaiga into the ground charged with power to stop Kirinmaru from finishing them off and fights with Kirinmaru to a stalemate, forcing Kirinmaru to leave Towa and Setsuna alive but not before reminding Sesshōmaru that both Great Demons still need to work together. With Kirinmaru repelled and his daughters safe, Sesshōmaru decides to leave and sternly reminds Jaken to not tell his daughters about their secret.

At the Sacred Tree of Ages, Sesshōmaru felt the scent of the wind has changed and realized that his daughter Setsuna still can’t suppress her blood since Zero broke the seal spell that she stole from Miroku. He and Jaken later noticed Akuru but ignored it and went to check up on Rin. When she suddenly awoke gasping and going into spasms, he realised that Zero was dying and immediately went to the location where his daughters had fought Zero, Setsuna having struck down Zero with her Blood Blade, and commenting on her not using her weapon to strike her down, used Tenseiga to revive her, successfully saving Rin. This only angered Zero and she destroyed Tenseiga and decided to use her demonic powers and was about to use the Rainbow Pearls when Kirinmaru descended down. Ignoring Kirinmaru’s forgiveness over the destruction of Tenseiga, Sesshōmaru grimly decided to kill Zero even if it would kill Rin, realizing her desire to kill Towa and Setsuna had gone too far and knowing Rin would rather die than let their daughters be killed. Although stopped by Kirinmaru, Sesshōmaru refused to back down and managed to persuade Kirinmaru to stop Zero from using her demonic power by commenting how pitiful she was becoming. As Kirinmaru complied and scattered the Rainbow Pearls through the land and Zero left enraged and disowned Kirinmaru as her brother, Sesshōmaru went after her and told Kirinmaru to fight the Half-Demon Princesses as a trial of courage and cowardice. After Kirinmaru won the battle and left Setsuna either badly injured or already expired and Towa pummeled, Sesshōmaru arrived before his oldest daughter’s eyes and offered her the Tenseiga and said something that left her surprised, he told her it was up to her to use Tenseiga before he left.

Personality

Sesshōmaru, born of a great yōkai bloodline, possessed the perfect power that many yōkai desired. Because of this, he was always composed and confident in his power, displaying a calm, calculating personality at almost all times. The only trait he inherited from his father was fondness towards humans, which didn’t manifest until later on in his life. His calmness often kept his thoughts clear of emotional influence.

His air of aloofness and indifference was a product of dignity that only one of such rare demonic power could possess. Sesshōmaru was more or less emotionless, with only anger, annoyance, and dissatisfaction showing on his face. Because both his heart and body were so strong, he had no desire whatsoever to own the Sacred Jewel, nor to conspire with allies. Sesshōmaru even responded sarcastically towards Naraku, who had assumed an air of impudence due to his increased demonic power.

In battle, he judged his enemy’s power level and attacked with the minimum power necessary. Anyone in his way was considered an enemy he would exterminate without hesitation. He did not hold back his power, even against women. He rationalized that all his prey was the same, and defeated them accordingly. For one with such pride in his power, cooperation was proof of weakness, and being alone was a condition for the strong. Once he judged someone as an obstacle, he was quick to kill without hesitation. Sesshōmaru had a very inquiring mind when there was something he cared about, but at the same time, he had almost no tenacity of purpose. If he became interested in something else, he would arbitrarily turn his back on what he was doing at that time, even during battle. Just like his fighting style, he was quick to make decisions and act on them immediately.

Sesshōmaru was obsessively proud of his father, Tōga, of whom the whole yōkai world was in awe. Because he respected his bloodline so much, he despised Inuyasha as well as Inuyasha’s human mother Izayoi. He insulted Naraku, who tried to take advantage of Sesshōmaru’s power. Anger welled up in his heart for not being able to use Tessaiga, the sword that could cut a hundred yōkai in one sweep which was left by his father, whom he highly respected, to Inuyasha. Sesshōmaru held resentment towards his father for having left Tessaiga to Inuyasha, whose power was weaker than his own. However, over time, Sesshōmaru came to grasp why his father gave him Tenseiga, and let go of his disgust towards his half-brother, even showing strong concern for him in rare moments. He refused to use Bakusaiga on Inuyasha when even Magatsuhi noted it was the obvious choice to make, and in the third movie, it was hinted that he actually did care about Inuyasha but refused to admit it when he was protecting him from Sō’unga’s “Dragon Twister” attack. Sesshōmaru had stated that he sought only to fight the strongest beings alive and how he had wanted to fight his father and defeat him. Sesshōmaru’s love for his father was so great that even though he inherited the (at the time) worthless (in his mind) Tenseiga, he kept it around him for sentimental value. During the brief period Tenseiga was stolen from him in the third movie, he stated Tenseiga was not a sword he would miss if he lost it, if not for his father.

He used to feel nothing for anyone, but meeting various people, such as the ever-changing Inuyasha, Naraku with his numerous proposals, and Rin, had brought a change in his heart. After he saved Rin and became the true owner of Tenseiga, he started to show feelings behind his heartless and cruel words. He stopped the demonic Inuyasha’s wildness by controlling his power, and he looked at him like an older brother reprimanding a younger brother, though he claimed he would kill Inuyasha, despite his actions showing the opposite. There was even a time when Sesshōmaru was angry at Inuyasha for rampaging around their father’s grave, but he set his sword aside, before striking him with only his fist. By setting his sword aside, Sesshōmaru showed he was merely reprimanding Inuyasha for desecrating their father’s grave, instead of actually trying to injure or kill his younger brother. Sesshōmaru did not even hit him all that hard, or Inuyasha would have been injured. He even refrained from killing Kohaku when he could easily have done so, so when he looked in his eyes and saw the emptiness and that he had given up everything it became pointless.

Sesshōmaru genuinely cared about Rin and Jaken, and while he rarely showed it, he did appreciate their loyalty. Sesshōmaru originally held much contempt towards protecting the weak, seeing it as a ridiculous waste of time. Unlike Tōga and Inuyasha, Sesshōmaru had trouble admitting he had people to protect (Rin and Jaken), and out of pride, would never admit that he did. Sesshōmaru’s compassion for Rin was evident, but he preferred to disguise it, because it would taint his pride and reputation. However, he showed his love and concern for Rin when she appeared to be dead due to her time in Hell. Sesshōmaru entered Hell for the purpose of rescuing her, but upon learning that he couldn’t save her life, he was crushed. When he realized that it was his urge to strengthen Tenseiga which brought them to Hell and that ultimately killed her, he cast the sword aside, saying that for the sword to gain power at the expense of Rin’s life meant nothing. However, when Sesshōmaru’s mother revived Rin, he was very relieved. Although he cares for her, he does not pamper her, making her fend for herself when she is hungry, but keeps a close enough distance to come to her aid when need be. Apart from Rin, he’s become more caring towards Jaken, whom he used to threaten to kill on a regular basis and treated like a slave if he failed to accomplish a certain task. Afterwards, while he would still strike Jaken whenever he annoyed him and would force Jaken to accompany him even during dangerous situations, he would tell Jaken to stay back when facing an enemy that would endanger Jaken if he was too close.

When Kagura was injured, Sesshōmaru originally intended to leave her in the river she was drowning in, but when Rin fell in trying to save her and Jaken followed Rin, Sesshōmaru pulled all three from the river. He stayed there afterwards, and warned Kagura not to do anything that would get her killed. Later however, before Kagura’s death, Sesshōmaru sought her out and considered using Tenseiga, only to conclude that Tenseiga couldn’t save her.

He had also been shown saving Inuyasha’s friends on several occasions. On his way to Mount Hakurei, Sesshōmaru saved Kagome, Miroku, and Sango from the poison master Mukotsu, one of the Shichinintai, but only claimed that he killed Mukotsu because he would not answer his questions. He also revived a young otter yōkai’s father, claiming that it was the will of Tenseiga.^[11] Another example was when Inuyasha and his companions were involved in a fight with the “water god” Numawatari; when Sesshōmaru arrived, he insulted Inuyasha’s inability to kill a “low life demon”, and then easily dispatched Numawatari using his Meidō Zangetsuha ability, leaving straight after.^[12]

Also, when Byakuya, Naraku’s newest incarnation, was about to take Kohaku, who had one of the last three shards of the Shikon no Tama, back to Naraku, Sesshōmaru appeared and launched a ranged Meidō Zangetsuha (still in the crescent moon shape), barely missing him. Byakuya fled, claiming that he did not want to die, and commented on how it was so unlike Sesshōmaru to save someone. Thereafter, Sesshōmaru seemed to have taken Kohaku under his protection, albeit in his typical grudging yōkai-slayer fashion. Later, when Kohaku’s shard was tainted by Magatsuhi, Sesshōmaru attempted to save Kohaku at the expense of great injury to his arm.^[13]

It was his deep compassion that caused Tenseiga to be reforged as a weapon. Its offensive powers were locked until Sesshōmaru was able to show true compassion. In his battle with Mōryōmaru, the villain insulted the dying Kagura, which angered Sesshōmaru, and he shattered Mōryōmaru’s indestructible shell (and his only weapon in the process). Acknowledging the yōkai’s growth because he was defending a dead person, Tenseiga called to its creator to reforge it as a weapon. However, he still retains traces of his former ruthlessness, having entered a mountain belonging to ogres and killing all of them mercilessly to practice and develop Meidō Zangetsuha. Later, to show his compassion and respect for his father, he gave the offensive powers of his sword to Inuyasha (albeit in his typical fashion), in accordance with his father’s wishes, recognizing his brother’s worth as the heir to the sword.

Despite his growing compassion, he, like his brother, used impolite Japanese. He addressed strangers or people he does not like with “kisama” (貴様), which, like “temee” (手前), was an offensive form of “you”, though still more formal. He addressed himself with either the polite “watashi” (私), or “kono Sesshōmaru” (この殺（せっ）生（しょう）丸（まる）) (lit. this Sesshōmaru) a manner in which powerful lords referred to themselves, denoting his high nobility and station. Other than “kisama”, he used “omae” (お前), either to Jaken or to Inuyasha, the latter being occasionally and not rarely. Thus, he could be insulting while retaining the dignified speech pattern of a lord, as opposed to the rougher speech used by Inuyasha. Sesshōmaru also shares another trait with his younger brother: having a temper and being very easy to annoy (Inuyasha being loud in his anger, Sesshōmaru being subtle), as he had been known to hit Jaken when he said something that displeased him, similar to how Inuyasha was with Shippō.

Sesshōmaru, while still merciless, completely despised brutality as shown in the fourth movie, when Kyōra repeatedly suggested that they are similar in finding sadistic enjoyment in ending people’s lives, Sesshōmaru replied with extreme scorn and disdain. In fact, when Sesshōmaru did kill enemies, he did it in a quick and efficient manner, disregarding any form of unnecessary violence.

Physical description

Humanoid form

Sesshōmaru appears as a handsome, tall and slender young man. He has fair skin with pointed ears, slanted golden eyes with slit pupils, and knee-length silver hair with short bangs. He has a violet crescent moon on his forehead that could be seen beneath his bangs, two magenta stripes on each cheek, and a magenta stripe on each eyelid. When he used his Dokkasō, three magenta stripes appeared on his wrists. Like Inuyasha, his canines are fangs (although they usually weren’t visible unless he transformed) and his fingers are tipped with claws, although unlike Inuyasha his could secrete a corrosive poison. For most of the series, Sesshōmaru had only one arm, due to his fight with his brother. Towards the end, he regained his left arm after getting his new sword.

Yōkai form

Sesshōmaru’s true form is a giant silver dog with markings similar to the ones he had in his human form. His eyes become red with blue irises, the yōkai marks on his body widened and becomes more apparent, the stripes on his cheeks which are usually smooth became jagged and changed into a somewhat fiercer color, and his mokomoko wrapped around his body and extended into his tail. He only fully transformed to his yōkai form three times: once during a battle with Inuyasha, resulting in the loss of his left arm,^[14] again when he met his mother,^[15] and during the battle against Magatsuhi.^[16]

Outfit

Sesshōmaru’s armor included a spiked pauldron that covered his left shoulder attached to the upper section of his cuirass and “lotus petal” faulds. When damaged, the armor automatically regenerated itself using yōki. Both his armor and his long flowing sash had a decided Chinese influence, as opposed to the customary Japanese armor and obi. His kimono was mostly white with a red and white cherry blossom flower crest at the collar and sleeves, showing that he was of royal birth. He wore sashinuki hakama which were gathered at the ankles, producing a “ballooning” effect. His footwear consisted of black ankle-high boots, also reminiscent of Chinese influence. On his right shoulder was his mokomoko-sama, the fur and tail of his true form which he retained in his humanoid form.

In the third film, it was seen in his younger years, Sesshōmaru wore a slightly different outfit. His kimono was cream colored and had violet leaf patterns, and he wore a blue sash belt. His face too had a more feminine edge to it.

Powers & Abilities

Whereas his half-brother Inuyasha is a hanyō, Sesshōmaru is a pure-blooded yōkai, having inherited his yōkai father’s abilities more completely than his brother. The level of his demonic powers are such that he is can nullify demonic auras in an instant by touching the object that has been possessed. For example, even though it remained corrupted after Kaijinbō’s death, Sesshōmaru exterminated Tōkijin’s demonic aura effortlessly with his bare hands. It was also presumed that, apart from Tōga himself, Sesshōmaru was the only known yōkai who could possibly control Sō’unga, something which Inuyasha couldn’t.

• Immense Demonic Power: As the full blooded son of the Great Dog Demon, Sesshōmaru is overwhelmingly powerful, being a match for any opponent he encounters. In addition to his infamous physical prowess far exceeding that of many demons, Sesshomaru also possesses a plethora of powerful techniques at his disposal. Even the arrogant Naraku, who became famous amongst demons through his collection of the Shikon Jewel Shards, acknowledged Sesshomaru was far more powerful than himself and stated the Sesshomaru is the perfect demon. Indeed, even with Naraku’s barrier protecting him from Sesshomaru’s assaults, Sesshomaru proved able to easily handle Naraku’s attacks to where Naraku acknowledged he couldn’t defeat Sesshomaru. His power easily surpassed that of Inuyasha, said to be capable of completely controlling Sounga whereas Inuyasha could only supress it with great effort and being viable to wield Meido Zangetsuha due to his immense power able to easily wield the terrible jaki that would have killed Inuyasha until he grew strong enough to withstand it. Indeed, he even overpowers Inuyasha’s Backlash Wave and as such exceeded Tessaiga’s power with a powerful attack of his own demonic energy, though not without visible struggle. The level of his demonic powers are such that he was able to easily subdue the malevolent demonic aura of Tokijin created from Goshinki’s hatred when Kaijinbo, the creator of the sword, was possessed and consumed by it. His demonic powers eventually grew to where he was able to manifest his own demonic sword, Bakusaiga, and Totosai commented that Sesshomaru’s powers had surpassed his father’s, though when he fought Kirinmaru, who was stated to rival Toga’s power, they proved to be equally matched.
• Superhuman Strength: Sesshōmaru possesses Herculean strength, even with one arm. He has repeatedly overpowered and powerfully thrown aside Inuyasha. He can even use his claws to easily tear through solid rock, and through the bodies of most yōkai. His physical strength with only one arm was equal to Inuyasha’s maximum strength.^[17] Herculean strength, even with one arm. He has repeatedly overpowered and powerfully thrown aside Inuyasha and could easily equal Inuyasha’s strength in their later fights even as Inuyasha had grew stronger still with one hand. He can even use his claws to easily tear through solid rock, and through the bodies of most demons. When he crossed swords with Kirinmaru, they clashed with enough force to release massive shockwaves.
• Superhuman Speed: Sesshōmaru can close distances quickly and without warning. His speed far exceeded that of Inuyasha’s own considerable speed, as in their fights, Inuyasha was not capable of landing a single hit on Sesshōmaru even with Tessaiga in hand until he learned the Wind Scar. He even got behind the cautious Naraku with ease.
• Superhuman Durability: Sesshōmaru’s tremendous demonic powers have granted him great resistance to injury. On the fairly rare occasion that he receives serious injuries, Sesshōmaru can often continue fighting in spite of them, showing tremendous resilience. This was demonstrated when he was able to easily kill an army of human samurai just after losing his left arm and initial battle over the Tessaiga to Inuyasha. Later on Sesshōmaru managed to withstand the Kaze no Kizu head-on long enough for Tenseiga to use its barrier ability to protect Sesshōmaru from the lethal damage level of the attack. Despite being heavily wounded during his battle with Magatsuhi, Sesshōmaru was able to continue fighting until his powers coalesced into Bakusaiga. Sesshōmaru is also shown to be able to withstand the shock of the Anti-Demon Barrier placed on Tessaiga in order to use occasionally when need be with little reaction, though not without suffering potentially debilitating injuries. Since he holds strong poison in his own body, he is able to resist or nullify most poisonous attacks (e.g. Naraku’s Shōki or Mukotsu’s anti-demon poisons). Sesshōmaru is also shown to be able to withstand the shock of the Anti-Demon Barrier placed on Tessaiga in order to use occasionally when need be with little reaction and minimum injuries, at worst only suffering a burned arm that did little to hinder him. Indeed, he has shown the greatest resistance toward holy and divine powers; he was able to enter Mt. Hakurei’s purification barrier, by far the strongest of its type in the series, without being purified, only being slightly weakened. In another instance, Sesshōmaru catches one of Kagome’s purification arrows barehanded and to no ill-effect; any other demon would have been severely injured, if not outright purified.
• Accelerated Healing: During his battle with Magatsuhi, Sesshōmaru demonstrated the ability to rapidly heal the burns and gashes on his right arm, as well as several large holes stabbed right through his body. This ability seems not to be a passive bodily function however, as he evidently needed to focus his energies in order to heal himself. In the same battle, he also showed regenerative powers, able to fully grow back his left arm, which was cut off by Inuyasha at the beginning of the series. It is unknown why it took so long, however, it is possibly because his left arm housed his Bakusaiga, and was subconsciously suppressed until letting go of his desire for Tessaiga, as Bakusaiga emerged with his new left arm.
• Superhuman Olfactory Senses: Sesshōmaru has excellent olfaction and is able to determine circumstances by scents on the wind. Even for things far away, he can learn what’s going on and obtain information by smell alone.^[17] He can discern certain characteristics about an individual through scent alone; for example, the scent of graveyard soil allowed him to identify the undead nature of the Band of Seven.

• Dokkasō (毒華爪, Poison Claws, “Poison Luster Claw”): Sesshōmaru has claw-like fingernails, and can injure — or even kill — an entire group of thieves using his claws. He can also scratch with his claws and release a potent poison at the same time to melt his enemies. Though he normally applies it through his claw strikes, he can also spray the acid from his claws or transfer it into his punches. His poison is strong enough to melt rock or bone; a mere human will melt in an instant. If his poison is taken in internally, it will remain inside and be in effect for a long period of time — even in those with demonic power.
• Mokomoko-sama (モコモコ様, “Lord Fluff-Fluff”):^[17] The rich fur on Sesshōmaru’s shoulder is a part of his body and can stretch to great lengths, giving him defensive capabilities and some means of attack.
• Light Whip (光の鞭, Hikari no Muchi, “Whip of Light”): Sesshōmaru can generate a thin, whip-like strand of yellow-green energy from his fingertips to aid him in place of his missing arm. It has shown to be able to puncture armor and flesh with ease and can burn flesh upon contact, similar to his poison. He appears to be capable of manifesting this energy without its destructive properties, allowing him to use it to catch falling allies or yank someone out of danger without damaging them.
• Longevity: As a daiyōkai, Sesshōmaru has supernatural longevity. He appears to be physically around 19 years old despite being chronologically over 900 years old.

• Flight: Sesshōmaru is capable of independent flight in his humanoid form and giant dog demon form, and can also hover motionlessly above the ground. He occasionally permits other individuals to accompany him by carrying them on his mokomoko-sama. While in this light orb form, Sesshōmaru can fly even faster than either his human or true form, and this can be used for a quick escape or quick pursuit.
• Transformation: As a Daiyōkai, Sesshōmaru possesses the ability to transform into either an orb of light or a huge silver furred dog anytime he wants, and although he possesses tremendous destructive power in the latter form, he rarely uses it. While his gigantic dog form appears to grant him a great deal of physical strength, it seems to lack the agility of his humanoid form. Additionally, it was speculated by Jaken that Sesshōmaru loses some of his reasoning abilities while in dog form; there is no substantial evidence to support this theory however. When transforming back and forth, his clothing, weapons, and other accoutrements seem to simply vanish and then re-appear on his person.
  • Poisoned Fangs: While in his giant dog form, the toxins of Sesshōmaru’s poison claws are transferred into his fangs. This caused his bite to have extremely caustic effects, an ability which is also transferred to his saliva. Additionally, his saliva can be turned into a poisonous, mist-like gas.
  • Teleportation: Sesshōmaru’s orb of light form gives him the ability to quickly teleport away if necessary, as seen when Sesshōmaru morphed into a ball of energy to escape his father’s grave.^[18] He later used this form to pursue a fleeing Tōtōsai, materializing upon impacting with the ground and producing an explosion.^[19]
  • Immense Physical Speed: Despite the large size of his true form, Sesshōmaru possesses astounding speed for an enormous dog where Inuyasha had a hard time dodging some his attacks during their first battle over Tessaiga despite being more agile. When he transformed in order to fight against Magatsuhi, Sesshōmaru was able to bite off and decapitate the demon spirit’s physical form’s head before he could react when the dog demon took him by surprise.
• Master Swordsman: Sesshōmaru is an extremely skilled swordsman, having wielded several yōkai swords in battle. In the several occasions when he and Inuyasha clashed with their demonic swords, Sesshōmaru was able to easily and consistently overwhelm his younger brother. Even in the rare chance that Inuyasha managed to defeat Sesshōmaru, it was only after Sesshōmaru had held the upper hand and Inuyasha became accustomed to Sesshōmaru’s skills. Sesshōmaru’s overall skill was such that he could wield the Tessaiga with at least the same level of efficiency as Inuyasha using both hands with just one hand, if not even superior.
• Experienced Combatant: Along with his swordsmanship, Sesshōmaru is also a highly accomplished unarmed fighter and even with only one arm, his skill was still formidable. Unlike Inuyasha, Sesshōmaru normally attacks with swiftness and elegance.
• Expert Tactician: Due to his keen instincts and great power, Sesshōmaru is experienced in analyzing any given situation, finding the best route towards his success.
• Dream World portal teleportation: Since Sesshōmaru’s wife Rin have been captured and cast a spell into a deep sleep into the Sacred Tree of Ages by Kirinmaru’s older sister Zero that they’re already connected, he can pass through the tree that he was able to enter the Dream World especially the Dream Butterfly where the Spirit of the Tree of Ages is and even he can see his wife inside and back to the outside world, even though the Dream World is unreachable by human mortals.

Equipment

Weaknesses

• Physical Trauma: Major physical injuries such as stab wounds and dismemberment can cause Sesshōmaru pain and also slow him down. However, this is more or less momentary as he can rapidly recover from most injuries so long as he hasn’t been weakened by other means such as spiritual power or purification methods.
• Poison: While normally able to nullify most poisons because of his own brand of poison, Sesshōmaru can be incapacitated with extremely powerful miasma; for example, the miasma of the yōkai spirit of the Shikon Jewel, Magatsuhi, was able to severely burn Sesshōmaru on contact.
• Spiritual Power: Sesshōmaru is susceptible to the effects of spiritual power, albeit he has demonstrated a great deal of resistance to holy or spiritual energies. For example, he was able to enter Mt. Hakurei’s powerful purification barrier without being purified, although the barrier did weaken him somewhat while it was in effect. In another instance, Sesshōmaru caught one of Kagome’s sacred arrows barehanded to no ill-effect; any other yōkai would have been severely injured, if not outright purified. Even holy attacks coming from multiple trained and powerful monks (e.g. Ungai and his men) had no long-lasting effect on Sesshōmaru.

Relationships

Family

Inuyasha

Aside from the fact that Sesshōmaru loathed humans and hanyō, Sesshōmaru despised Inuyasha not only because he wields the Tessaiga, is a hanyō and his half-brother, but also because he couldn’t stand the fact that his father’s yōkai blood courses through his veins. For almost the first half of the series, Sesshōmaru’s hatred for Inuyasha seemed to stem at least in part from his strained relationship with his father; both from the fact that he was given the “useless” Tenseiga instead of Tessaiga, and because of his failure to understand both of their affinities for humans. After much growth and reflection, Sesshōmaru eventually starts to care for Inuyasha, though he would never admit it, and vice versa. While Sesshōmaru continues to make rude comments towards Inuyasha, their relationship eventually improves, and they appear to look out for each other in battle, as shown when they join forces to battle against Naraku. By the end of the series, Sesshōmaru appeared to have more-or-less lost his antipathy for Inuyasha, and even decided to leave Rin in Kaede’s village (which was Inuyasha’s home) in order for her to re-integrate into human society. However, the two brothers still do not show particular affection towards each other, and tend to avoid one another whenever possible. When Sesshōmaru decided to temporarily join forces with Kirinmaru, apparently to protect his two daughters, despite Kirinmaru wishing to kill his half-brother, Sesshōmaru’s true goals was clearly to also protect Inuyasha, Kagome and their daughter, as they were warned by apparently Sesshōmaru himself and able to send Moroha to safety and Sesshōmaru decided to seal him and Kagome away to his father’s grave to protect them, with Jaken even stating Sesshōmaru will eventually release Inuyasha under the pretense of needing Inuyasha’s Meidō Zangetsuha in the future.

Tōga

Sesshōmaru’s relationship with his father was never specifically addressed during the series. However, what little evidence exists indicated that their relationship was somewhat distant and estranged. His father was known to have left Sesshōmaru’s mother and fallen in love with a mortal woman named Izayoi, who became the mother of his younger half-brother, Inuyasha. In InuYasha: Movie 3, Sesshōmaru had his only witnessed encounter with his father (though it was somewhat apocryphal). During their interaction, Sesshōmaru demanded that his father give him both Sō’unga and Tessaiga, and Tōga was observed to be disappointed in his eldest son’s thirst for power. Tōga then asked his son if he had someone to protect. When Sesshōmaru answered “no”, Tōga left, and took both the swords that Sesshōmaru wished to possess with him. For his part, Sesshōmaru was extremely resentful of his father for leaving Tessaiga to Inuyasha instead of him, and for various other slights (mostly imagined or misunderstood). As Sesshōmaru matured over the course of the series however, he came to understand most of his father’s actions, and through the acquisition of Bakusaiga, realized that his father had simply wanted to teach him.

His Mother

Only shown for a small amount of time, Sesshōmaru’s mother’s name is never stated. She is a full-yōkai who is extremely similar to her son – the moon upon her forehead, a similar attitude, and a similar condescending to contemptuous outlook on humans. She offhandedly asked him if he brought two human children with him, Rin and Kohaku, because he planned to eat them. When Sesshōmaru went to visit her, it was to make his power of Meidō Zangetsuha stronger and more mature. She knew he would come to do this seeing he was finally able to unlock the new power, thus stating that in order to do so, the power was to be exchanged with Rin’s life. Her attitude changes from generous to irritated when Sesshōmaru ignores her offer to bring him before he was able to save Rin, making it seem she didn’t care about him anymore. Even though she ignores the fact that Rin’s a human, she still has motherly feelings toward Sesshōmaru. Concerned with her son’s sadness, Sesshōmaru’s mother resurrected Rin with the Meidō Stone. When Rin is revived, Jaken says she’s an honorable mother for doing so. She asks Jaken if he’s happy this way, and he says it’s most likely extremely so. She later states, “All this fuss over one human girl… He’s becoming like his father in the strangest ways,” referring to his father’s kindness to humans.^[26]

Rin

Rin is a young orphan who becomes the traveling companion of Sesshōmaru and Jaken. When Sesshōmaru was injured by the Wind Scar after trying to steal the Tessaiga again from Inuyasha, Rin bravely attempted to care for him as he lay near a tree, bringing him water and food. Sesshōmaru initially rejected her kindness, telling her generosity was a waste, as he does not eat human food. She continues to bring him things and he is caught off guard by her smile. After letting his wolf pack hunt, Kōga’s wolves killed Rin. Sesshōmaru, recognizing the scent of Rin’s blood, stumbled upon her dead body in the forest. He was initially going to ignore her, but the image of her smile flashed in his mind, he unsheathed Tenseiga and it began to pulsate. He then saw the beings of the underworld surround Rin’s body and decided to resurrect her with the Tenseiga as a “test.” To his surprise, her heart began to beat again and she is revived. From that day forward, she would be by Sesshōmaru’s side along with Jaken and a two-headed dragon yōkai known as A-Un.

Throughout the series, Rin’s warmness and kindness play a significant role on Sesshōmaru. His growing compassion for her allows him to advance in battle. He constantly rescues her and looks out for her despite claiming he did not care for her. He often instructs her to stay in a safe place with A-Un when he knows he is going somewhere dangerous. He often avoids killing in front of her, unless it is the only way to protect her. When Sesshōmaru sought out to improve his Meidō Zangetsuha technique, but realizes it came at the cost of Rin’s life, he finally felt sorrow from the loss of his beloved companion. Concerned with her son’s sadness, Sesshōmaru’s mother resurrected Rin with the Meidō Stone.

Following Naraku’s defeat and after some input by Kaede, Sesshōmaru agrees that Rin needs to reside in a village to get used to living with humans once again and where she is safe from potential harm. In this scene it is implied that leaving Rin in the village for now is to allow her to choose which world Rin wishes to live in when she matures. He continues to pay her regular visits often bringing presents with him; she is last seen receiving a kimono from him.

In Hanyō no Yashahime, Sesshōmaru would reciprocate Rin’s affection and they would wed. Thus leading to the birth of their daughters. At some point, he would seemingly place Rin in a deep sleep and bury her in the Tree of Ages, continuing to watch over her. Due to Zero being linked to Rin, he was unwilling to kill her, despite her repeated endangerment of their daughters’ lives until she eventually went too far and wanted to regain her demonic powers to kill them herself, at which Sesshōmaru solemnly decides to kill her, knowing Rin would rather die than have her daughters dead.

Kagome Higurashi

Because of her affiliation with Inuyasha, and his hatred for all humans in general, Sesshōmaru had little regard for Kagome. Kagome reacted angrily surprised when she realized that an attack by him in the remains of his and Inuyasha’s father was intended to kill her. For his part, Sesshōmaru found Inuyasha’s mere association with a human yet another reason to despise him. Over the course of the series in both the manga and anime, Sesshōmaru demonstrates a change of heart he will admit to no one. He begins to look out for her, protecting her from enemies such as Mukotsu and Naraku. Part of his grudging acceptance of her and his half-brother Inuyasha comes from his companionship with Rin. Nevertheless, his tolerance remains “a work in progress.”

In a hilarious scene in the conclusion of both the manga and anime, three years after Naraku’s defeat Kagome reveals her relationship with Inuyasha to all, including the readers and viewers. Sesshōmaru flies over the village after visiting Rin and merely mutters a “hrrm!” when Jaken remarks she has returned. The excited Kagome yells to him with “お兄さん” (onīsan, “big brother”), meaning she is his sister-in-law. This startles him and he glares back at her. Kagome is surprised at his “dirty look” and an embarrassed Inuyasha admits that address does not “sound right.”

In the anime version, Jaken becomes offended at Kagome’s familiar address, but Sesshōmaru interrupts and commands his silence lest he kill him. Both versions suggest that Sesshōmaru does indeed accept Kagome, but he is not ready to admit it.

Sesshōmaru later prevents Kirinmaru from killing her and her husband, instead sealing them away in his father’s grave to keep them safe, at the pretense of needing Inuyasha’s Meidō Zangetsuha.

Towa & Setsuna

Towa and Setsuna are his twin daughters in Hanyō no Yashahime. He left them at a very young age which Setsuna and Kaede refer to as “A Rite of Courage and Cowardice.” It was later revealed he left them in order to keep them safe from Kirinmaru and Zero and had Jaken protect and watch over them. And though he allowed Homura to burn the forest they were in, it was indicated that he couldn’t interfere, lest Zero kill them herself.

While Towa and Setsuna were in the midst of battle with Kirinmaru, Sesshōmaru threw his Bakusaiga to protect his daughters. He leaves after his battle with Kirinmaru has ended.

When Setsuna lost control of her demon blood, Sesshōmaru took notice, stating that she has yet to suppress her blood.

Sesshōmaru later on appears before his daughters after they had struck down Zero and left Rin near death too to revive her. He oddly comments on Setsuna not using her own weapon and the Blood Blade instead to strike Zero down. Sesshōmaru later on displayed his care for them by being willing to kill Zero upon seeing just how serious she was in killing his daughters despite the fact it would kill Rin as well. Though he left them to go after Zero and told Kirinmaru to fight them as he wished, it must be noted he was likely aware Kirinmaru would have no interest in killing them and after Kirinmaru won the battle and left Setsuna deceased and Towa utterly crushed and wounded, Sesshōmaru returned and gave the Tenseiga to Towa, even referring to her by her name, seemingly to revive her sister.

Moroha

Moroha is his half-niece in Hanyō no Yashahime. He briefly joined forces with Kirinmaru, it was shown that Sesshōmaru had no intention to kill either Inuyasha or Moroha, as he clearly warned Kagome and Inuyasha so that they could send her to safety, showing he does care for her. Moroha in return seems to revere Sesshōmaru’s power due to him being a Daiyōkai, even though she didn’t know of their relation. In The Three Princesses Strike Back, they finally meet, although the two had no interaction with one another.

Traveling companions

Jaken

Sesshōmaru encountered Jaken when he was passing through a distant land. A large yōkai was wreaking havoc amongst Jaken and other yōkai resembling him when Sesshōmaru killed the yōkai with his mere claws. Despite Jaken’s display of immense gratitude, Sesshōmaru claimed he was only passing through. Sesshōmaru walked to a nearby waterfall and pulled out the Staff of Two Heads. He told Jaken that if he was able to wield the weapon, he may follow him. Jaken deeply respects and always praises Sesshōmaru, much to Sesshōmaru’s annoyance. At times, he gets too carried away and winds up insulting Sesshōmaru, which usually leads to a couple bumps on the head. Jaken is condescending to all but Sesshōmaru. Jaken is (reluctantly) aware of Sesshōmaru’s compassion toward Rin, he knows that he, too, must responsibly protect her or else face the wrath of his master.

Despite his abuse, it appears that Sesshōmaru does care for Jaken: Despite regularly threatening to kill Jaken, he has never followed through whether it was when Jaken failed to accomplish a task or when Jaken talked too much. Sesshōmaru even resurrects him after he was killed by Kaijinbō while having other priorities and he likewise left Jaken behind for his own safety while fighting Magatsuhi.

Kohaku

Naraku abducted Rin by using Kagura and had Kohaku serve as her guard. After seriously injured by Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha at his castle, Naraku had fled and ordered Kohaku to kill Rin. Mind-controlled, Kohaku was ready to kill Rin but Sesshōmaru arrived at the scene, deciding not to kill Kohaku, knowing that was what Naraku wanted him to do and he does not play by Naraku’s rules.

After Kikyō died, Kohaku decided to follow Sesshōmaru, who didn’t seem to be against the idea, and Sesshōmaru also begins to protect him, though like Rin, Sesshōmaru does not coddle him to any extent. Kohaku forms a great friendship with Rin and protects her in times of trouble Sesshōmaru clearly respects Kohaku’s abilities, as he trusted him to defend Rin in his absences. In his battle with Magatsuhi, Kohaku attempts to protect Sesshōmaru. Eventually, Kohaku would part with Sesshōmaru and remain with his sister, Sango, and the rest of Inuyasha’s gang prior to the battle with Naraku, where he would then leave with Jaken and Shippō to fight.

Years later, Kohaku would take in and train Sesshōmaru’s younger daughter Setsuna as a Yōkai taijiya.

A-Un

A-Un was a two-headed dragon yōkai who traveled by Lord Sesshōmaru’s side for a long time. He was Sesshōmaru’s first ‘traveling companion’ and was always loyal to his master. A-Un always cared for and protected Rin whenever Sesshōmaru left his companions for a while.

Enemies

Naraku

Naraku has been seen a few times throughout the series trying to use Sesshōmaru to kill Inuyasha for him. The first time was when Naraku offered Sesshōmaru the human arm with the shard of the Shikon Jewel in it, along with the hive of poisonous insects that would block Miroku’s wind tunnel. After Sesshōmaru disposed of the sacred jewel shard, he confronted Naraku. And at the end of the confrontation, Naraku spoke of how he might call on Sesshōmaru again if a chance arises to kill Inuyasha. This, of course, hurts Sesshōmaru’s pride, being used by a hanyō like Naraku. But Naraku and Sesshōmaru become real enemies when Naraku orders his incarnation Kagura to abduct Rin. He then tells Sesshōmaru that if he heeds his request, he shall return Rin in good health. This, of course, insults Sesshōmaru’s pride even further. Sesshōmaru rips off the head of the yōkai puppet and heads towards Naraku’s castle. Naraku and Sesshōmaru start to fight at the castle, and Naraku attempts to absorb Sesshōmaru into his body. But his attempt is thwarted by Inuyasha, who breaks Sesshōmaru free. Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru then severely injure Naraku, and he gets away by using Kohaku and telling Kohaku to kill Rin. Sesshōmaru then rescues Rin and begins to pursue Naraku to get back at him for not only insulting his pride but abducting Rin as well.

Then Sesshōmaru tracks Naraku all the way to Mount Hakurei, where they meet moments after Kikyō falls into the river of miasma. Naraku tests his power against Sesshōmaru and retreats. Sesshōmaru then keeps learning more and more about Naraku’s heart. He almost destroys Naraku’s soul, which was hidden inside the infant that was left with Kanna. But Kanna escapes with the infant. The infant then creates itself a shield using parts of different yōkai and humans. The infant’s guard is named Mōryōmaru. After Kagura dies, Sesshōmaru accepts the fighting Tenseiga to destroy Naraku to make sure that she hadn’t died in vain. Sesshōmaru then obtains Bakusaiga, which allows him to help Inuyasha and the others destroy Naraku for good.

Kirinmaru

Having known the beast king of the eastern lands for many centuries, he has quite a history with the lord who is equal in strength to his late father Tōga. He seemingly comes to assist him to slaying Inuyasha and Kagome, but appears to double-cross him by sealing his younger half-brother and his human wife within the Black Pearl, with the claim that Inuyasha’s Meidō Zangetsuha ability will be required eventually.

Fourteen years later, Sesshōmaru finally appears alongside Kirinmaru, as the Sacred Tree of Ages had prophesied, and the two beast kings finally meet the Half-Demon Princesses who are tasked with defeating them both to save all of time.

Zero

He encounters her just after the birth of his twin daughters. She informed him that Kirinmaru would be surprised upon learning that the mighty Sesshōmaru had taken a mere mortal woman as a bride.

Others

Bokusenō

Bokusenō is the only one of Tōga’s former friends that actually gets along with Sesshōmaru. Bokusenō is therefore the only one that Sesshōmaru can ask for information about his father’s swords, as both Tōtōsai and Myōga are much too afraid to meet with him. Whenever Sesshōmaru encounters Tōtōsai, Sesshōmaru usually ends up threatening his life or attempting to kill him when Tōtōsai refuses to cooperate with him. However, when he is with Bokusenō, Sesshōmaru treats the tree with respect and drops his normal haughty tone with which he usually speaks to people. Bokusenō holds Sesshōmaru’s powers in high esteem and agrees with Sesshōmaru when the latter states dismissively that it would be impossible for him to ever to be cornered in a desperate situation. It would appear as if Sesshōmaru meets with Bokusenō frequently, as Tōtōsai deciding to leave the Tenseiga with Bokusenō indicates that he thought that Bokusenō was the surest way to get the sword to Sesshōmaru without actually giving it to him directly, suggesting that Sesshōmaru visits Bokusenō with some frequency. Bokusenō reacts to Sesshōmaru’s visits with mirth and is always willing to give him whatever information he requires. Despite the fact that Bokusenō maybe the closest thing Sesshōmaru has to a friend, it may not be that they actually consider each other friends, since Jaken refers to Bokusenō as “your father’s friend” rather than “your friend.” Nevertheless, Bokusenō seems to be the only yōkai besides Jaken & A-Un that Sesshōmaru gets along with, as he treats all of his other acquaintances, including his own mother, with disdain.^[20][27]

Kagura

At first, Sesshōmaru appeared to be annoyed with Kagura’s constant appearances because he felt as though he had no obligation to be “used” to fight Naraku so that she could be free. Eventually, her visits would be useful as she provided him with information on Naraku’s whereabouts.

After getting injured by Goryōmaru’s light cannons, she falls into a river near Sesshōmaru. Initially, he rejects Jaken and Rin’s proposal of helping her but after both of his companions fall into the water in an attempt to save her, he saves all three of them. He stayed with her afterwards and warned her not to do anything that would get her killed. It is hinted that Kagura had romantic feelings for Sesshōmaru, as she landed in the spot that she did to see him “one last time before she died.”

When fighting against Mōryōmaru, both he and Sesshōmaru pick up on the scent of Kagura’s blood. Mōryōmaru laughs and jokes about how Kagura will have died in vain. This notion angers Sesshōmaru and he breaks Tōkijin while attacking Mōryōmaru; it also gives him the energy to break free from Mōryōmaru’s grasp. After Mōryōmaru flees, Sesshōmaru finds Kagura, who is slowly dying in a field of flowers as a result of Naraku’s miasma. Feeling as though it is too good to be true, Kagura asks Sesshōmaru if he thought he would find Naraku there but Sesshōmaru responds that he knew it was Kagura. After hearing this, Kagura was able to die in peace, knowing that in that instant, Sesshōmaru had cared about her well-being. While Kagura’s feelings for him were unrequited, Sesshōmaru’s concern for her after smelling her blood in battle with Mōryōmaru triggered his Tenseiga to become ready to be forged into a weapon. During his battle with Mōryōmaru, he became noticeably angry when Mōryōmaru insulted her memory. Tōtōsai explains that something in Sesshōmaru’s heart had changed as he felt the sorrow and anger for someone else. After learning the Meidō Zangetsuha for the first time, a breeze blows and Sesshōmaru decides that he, Sesshōmaru, will decide whether or not Kagura died in vain.

Sara Asano

After having his left arm severed by Inuyasha as a result of his attempt to claim the Tessaiga for his own, Sesshōmaru sought a place to recover and passed through the Asano Castle (a two episode anime special). The Asano Clan happened to be on the brink of losing to an enemy, however, Sesshōmaru easily cut though the enemy lines with this claws on his way to find refuge. Princess Sara fell in love with Sesshōmaru at first sight when their eyes met as she saw him defeat her clan’s enemies. As he rested, Sara hid behind trees and gazed at Sesshōmaru, often listening to his unconscious mutterings about wanting the Tessaiga. Later on, Sara became terminally ill and spent her final days in a convent with nuns after the Asano Castle was burnt down by her own father, who was driven insane after witnessing Sesshōmaru’s strength. Like Onigumo, in Sara’s final moments, she was visited by yōkai who explained to her that if she gave them her body, they would help her destroy Inuyasha, whom she had heard outside and recalled Sesshōmaru’s previous words about wanting the Tessaiga. She gave into the yōkai and asked Sesshōmaru that if she were to fulfill his wish, that he would acknowledge her feelings for him. Sesshōmaru told her to do as she pleased. After presenting a stolen Tessaiga to Sesshōmaru, he rejected the stolen sword and revealed that he had no interest in such a thing. The yōkai then took over Sara’s body and aimed to kill Sesshōmaru. Showing compassion, Sesshōmaru destroyed the yōkai within Sara, allowing her soul to be saved. He placed her flute in her ashes and told her to continue playing her flute in the netherworld.

Kikyō

There is barely any interaction between Kikyō and Sesshōmaru, however in Affections Touching Across Time, they briefly encounter and Sesshōmaru asks her if she loathes Kagome or if she is “testing her.” Kikyō responds that she despises all things and living creatures bound to time. Sesshōmaru tells her to do as she sees fit but states that he will be the one to kill Inuyasha. On Mount Hakurei, Kikyō shoots an arrow into the evil form of Suikotsu, saving both his good side and Rin. Sesshōmaru is familiar with her scent, as when Kohaku expresses the desire to make sure Kikyō is alright, Sesshōmaru informs him of her demise.

Kaede

After Magatsuhi defiled Kohaku’s jewel shard, Sesshōmaru brought Kohaku to Kikyō’s younger sister Kaede to recover. In The Day of Days, he left Rin and Jaken behind to keep Kohaku at Kaede’s hut with Sango. Three years after the battle with Naraku, she advised him to let Rin learn how to live amongst humans first so she can choose to resume traveling with him or live in a human village.

Sango

There was minimal interaction between Sesshōmaru and the yōkai taijiya. Sango was the one to inform Sesshōmaru that Rin was unconscious due to Magatsuhi’s poison, causing him to hurry back to Rin’s side. During the final battle with Naraku, Sango confesses out of shame and regret that she was willing to kill Rin in order to save Miroku, though begs him to postpone killing her until after Naraku has been defeated. Sesshōmaru wordlessly prioritizes tracking Naraku’s scent, though surveys Sango’s genuine apologetic and compassionate behavior by giving Rin her gas mask to protect against the miasma, and in Rin’s kind behavior towards Sango in return. Ultimately, he lets the indiscretion go and leaves Sango to live in peace.

Kōga

Kōga was at first unaware of Sesshōmaru, thus he did not know that in Episode 99, his wolves attacked and killed Rin. He learned about it after Ginta and Hakkaku asked Kagome about Sesshōmaru. She said that Sesshōmaru kills his enemies instead of debates them, but she said that she might be mistaken. Later, they encountered Sesshōmaru, Rin, and Jaken. There were two yōkai: One after Rin; The other after Kōga’s Shards. Both Kōga and Sesshōmaru immediately assisted each other without hesitation. However, they expressed each other being there a nuisance. Jaken, Ginta, and Hakkaku expressed an annoyed, surprised response.

Quotes

Trivia

• According to Rumiko Takahashi, Sesshōmaru’s name means “Killing Perfection,” though it can also be translated as “The Perfect Killer/Assassin,” “Circle of Destruction” or “Complete Destruction of Life.”^{[citation needed]}
• Sesshōmaru makes an appearance as a concept art in the front pages of Chapter 9, before he was introduced as a character.^[28]
• Like the other demon characters in the Inuyasha guidebook, his true age isn’t given – only his age in terms of human years. While unofficial sources list him as either 200+, 500+, or 900+^[29], Rumiko has avoided giving a specific age and has only mentioned in an interview that he, and other demons, are able to live for dozen’s or hundreds of years and that she wants the fans to make up their own guesses on his actual age based on his appearance.
• Sesshōmaru’s first handful of appearances in the manga have a somewhat childish illustration, and he is shown smiling and mocking his enemies frequently. This part of his personality starts to fade little by little after he has his arm severed by Inuyasha. His clothes and armor also change as the manga progresses. In the anime however, he is cold and rarely shows emotion from his very first appearance.
• His mokomoko-sama grows considerably over the course of the manga, going from a relatively small band of fur to a massive bunch of fur that drags behind him as he walks.
• The energy whip of light is exclusive to the anime. In most of the scenes where Sesshōmaru uses the whip of light in the anime, in the manga he instead used his Mokomoko.
• Sesshōmaru only transforms into his true appearance three times in the series:
  • When fighting Inuyasha over the Tessaiga for the first time.^[14]
  • When greeting his mother.^[27]
  • When fighting Magatsuhi.^[30]
• It is stated in Episode 162, Sesshōmaru doesn’t know when Inuyasha loses his powers as a hanyō and becomes a human.
• The pattern on his kimono is based on the emblem of real life Azai samurai clan from the Sengoku period.
• In The Holy Pearl, a Chinese live action loosely based on InuYasha, Sesshōmaru is paralleled by a character named Wu Dao.
• In Zusetsutaizan Ōgikaiden, Sesshōmaru is described as, “Beautifully chilling. The strongest demon in the Warring States era.“
• Sesshōmaru has stated to Rin that he doesn’t eat human food.
• Sesshōmaru seiyū, Ken Narita, narrates a 20 second CM in character, promoting the release of the fifth volume of Rumiko Takahashi’s newest series MAO.^[31]
• In Animage’s 43rd Anime Grand Prix, Sesshōmaru was ranked 6th for Best Male Character.

Media appearances

Manga

Anime

Hanyō no Yashahime

References

Notes

See also