Kikyo

Kikyo is a fictional character in Rumiko Takahashi's manga series Inuyasha. She is a priestess (miko) who serves as the guardian of the Shikon Jewel during the Sengoku period in Japan. Gifted with spiritual powers and strong archery, Kikyo uses a sacred bow and arrow to purify demons and seal malevolent beings. She is portrayed as disciplined, compassionate, and guided by a firm sense of duty.

In the story, Kikyo falls in love with Inuyasha, a half-demon who has stolen the Shikon Jewel and fled. Believing him unworthy and determined to protect the jewel’s power, she uses the Sacred Arrow to seal him to a sacred tree. She dies soon afterward, while the jewel’s fragments later revive her in a new body created by the villain Naraku. This revival presents Kikyo as a morally complex figure who alternates between conflict with and cooperation with Inuyasha as she pursues Naraku and the jewel shards.

Kikyo's narrative also intersects with Kagome Higurashi, the series' modern-era heroine. Kagome is depicted as the reincarnation of Kikyo’s soul, linking the two priestesses across time. Throughout the manga and its anime adaptations, Kikyo appears in major arcs, including Naraku’s schemes and the effort to restore balance to the world.

Kikyo has appeared in various media derived from Inuyasha, including anime, films, and video games, and remains a central figure in the franchise for her ethical perspective, dramatic arc, and the tension she adds to Inuyasha and Kagome’s dynamic.