| “ | As I pass through the lengthy struggle of life in this fleeting world, I cannot help but long for the midnight moon I once saw. | „ |
| ~ Kanna |
Kanna is a major antagonist of the anime/manga series Inuyasha. She is the first incarnation of Naraku created, though is the 2nd to appear since Kagura appeared first. She has the power to absorb attacks and souls into her mirror, and later displays the ability to summon a glass guardian to copy attacks of her enemies. Because of Kanna's childlike appearance people can be fooled into believing she is innocuous. Unlike her sibling Kagura, Kanna is treated considerably better by Naraku.
She was voiced by Yukana Nogami in Japanese and Janyse Jaud in English.
Personality[]
| “ | Fools. Do they pity Kanna? But Kanna cannot feel a thing, be it pain, fear or sorrow. She cannot even understand the reason for your pity. | „ |
| ~ Naraku about Kanna. |
Kanna originally had barely any sense of self, doing as Naraku ordered of her. She knew Naraku could kill her and Kagura at any time he wished; "It's in Naraku's hands, both life and death." As she harbored no ill will towards her creator, she was trusted above all her siblings, being allowed to give Kagura and Kohaku orders from him. Despite Naraku believing she wouldn't develop a will or emotions of her own, Kanna eventually did and began to question her own existence. Her bond with Kagura was the only reason Kanna betrayed Naraku; letting Kagome know the light in the Shikon Jewel could kill him was Kanna's way of avenging Kagura.
She appeared to have an ear for poetry, reciting some of the poems in InuYasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass. In InuYasha: The Final Act, Kanna recites the same poem twice in "Naraku's Heart" and another one in "Flowers Drenched in Sadness". Each poem reflected something from each episode, such as Kagura's desire for freedom and questioning her own existence.
Storyline[]
Kanna first appears when manipulating a village in order to absorb Kagome's soul. When this backfired, her role diminished to that of a scout and an informant to Naraku. She would use her mirror, so Naraku could keep tabs on his pawns and enemies alike.
While Naraku was hiding at Mount Hakurei, Kanna was used to communicate with the Band of Seven. She also informed Kagura of Sango and Miroku journeying deeper into the mountain. When Naraku's Infant was split in two, Kanna took one half and told Kagura to protect it.
Kanna hid the Infant at a castle after manipulating the minds of the residents to think he was the newborn lord. When Princess Abi and her bird army attacked the castle, Kanna took back the Infant.
Kanna hid with the Infant in a cave where Naraku brought the Fuyōheki stone that could make the Infant's demonic aura. The Infants other half Hakudōshi brought the Infants the crystals needed to find the Fuyōheki and alos left his creation Moryōmaru with them.
Kanna and Infant hid at Goryōmaru's temple and emerged after Hakudōshi killed Goryōmaru. Hakudōshi took Kanna and the Infant away from the castle, but they had an encounter with Kikyō and escaped with Goryōmaru's help. Kanna then placed the Infant in Goryōmaru.
In the Final Act, Kanna is back with Naraku and shows him Hakudōshi's betrayal through her mirror. Considering Kagura is Hakudōshi's hostage, Kanna appears to show concern for her well being.
Later, Kanna finds Kagura's fan and disposes of it in a lake while saying goodbye to her. Byakuya then tells Kanna that Naraku wants her to unleash the mirror demon in her mirror.
The mirror demon absorbed the powers of Inuyasha's Tessaiga, forcing Inuyasha and his friends to retreat to a cave where Kanna eventually found them, and was joined by Byakuya. As Inuyasha attacked the demon, Kanna took the damage. When Inuyasha and his group noticed, Kanna used her mirror shadow attack to target Inuyasha and blast him until Inuyasha's sword, the Tessaiga, would break.
The Tetsuaiga would bounce the blasts into the mirror demon, causing Kanna's mid section to crack and chip away until Kagome forced her to close the hole by shooting an arrow at it.
Kanna sacrificed her hand before Inuyasha lobbed off the demon's arm and cut into it's sword, restoring Tetsuaiga's power while Kanna lost her arm and the demon's arm stayed severed, effectively ending the battle.
Kanna's mirror demon.
However, Naraku decided to have her sacrifice her life in order to kill Inuyasha and his friends, crushing her heart. Before her death, she imparts some knowledge on how to defeat Naraku to Kagome, telling her that the light will destroy him.
Manga[]
In the manga, Kanna appears to have been betrayed by Naraku much earlier on, and she teams up with the Moryōmaru and the Infant, but it is later revealed to be a ruse to help Moryōmaru get stronger for when Naraku would absorb him.
Movies[]
Kanna and Kagura are heavily featured as antagonists in the second Inuyasha movie where Naraku appears to have been destroyed. Kanna and Kagura gather seven artifacts to free Kaguya from the mirror she was imprisoned. They later try to betray her, and Kanna tries to suck her soul into the mirror.
Kaguya pays them back by teleporting them into a lake that paralyzes them. It is later revealed that Naraku is alive and faked his death, likely using Kanna to release Kaguya so he could absorb her, but Miroku destroys Kaguya's essence with his wind tunnel.
Quote[]
| “ | Kagura. Did you get your freedom? Did you become the wind? | „ |
| ~ Kanna, holding Kagura's fan |
| “ | I... I have nothing. I have nothing.... | „ |
| ~ Kanna, mourning Kagura |
| “ | It's in Naraku's hands; both life and death. | „ |
| ~ Kanna, warning Kagura about disobedience |
| “ | Kagura, what is it you wish for? (Kagura: I thought that would be obvious. FREEDOM! For I am the wind itself.) Your wish will come true. (Kagura: Don't you GET it!? I have my freedom now that Naraku is dead!) | „ |
| ~ Kanna and Kagura in Movie 2 |
Trivia[]
- She looks similar to Kaguya Otsutsuki from Naruto. Ironically, at one point she served a villain who also goes by the name of Kaguya.
External links[]
- Kanna in Inuyasha Wiki
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 Villains
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Main Villains Naraku's Incarnations The Band of Seven Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Four Perils Demons Four War Gods Humans | ||