“ | I seek nothing more than to battle the most powerful beings alive, which excludes the lowly likes of you. | „ |
~ Sesshōmaru. |
Sesshōmaru is a major character in the Inuyasha franchise. He first started off as a villain, but he gradually became an anti-hero who is allied with the main heroes. He is the firstborn son of Tōga and the older half-brother of Inuyasha, and is an extremely powerful full-blooded demon who is feared through the feudal land of Japan.
Unlike most demons seen in the series, he showed no interest in possessing any of the Shikon Jewel shards, feeling confident of his own strength and seeming to find the use of the gem to enhance one's power distasteful. On his journey, he is accompanied by a two-headed dragon named A-Un, a demon imp named Jaken, and an orphaned human little girl named Rin. Years later, he eventually marries an adult Rin and has two twin daughters with her, Setsuna and Towa.
He is voiced by Ken Narita in Japanese and David Kaye in English, the former of whom also voices Jeremiah Gottwald, Dr. Stylish and Shalba Beelzebub. In the English version of The Final Act, he is voiced by Michael Daingerfield, who also played Gordon Godfrey in Smallville, Unicorn in Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Joe in Barbie & Her Sisters in the Great Puppy Adventure, Krux in LEGO Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, and Johann Trinity in Mobile Suit Gundam 00.
Appearance[]
Sesshōmaru appears handsome and frail-looking and at the same time, appearing as a tall and slender young man. He has fair skin with pointy ears, golden eyes with slit pupils, and waist-length white hair with short bangs. He has a crescent moon on his forehead that can be seen beneath his bangs, two stripes on each cheek, and a magenta stripe on each eyelid. When he uses his Dakkoso three stripes appear on his wrists.
Sesshōmaru's true form is a giant white dog with markings similar to the ones he has in his human form. His eyes become red with blue irises; the yōkai marks on his body widen and become more apparent the stripes on his cheeks which are usually smooth become jagged and change into a somewhat fiercer color while his mokomoko wraps around his body and extends into his tail.
Personality[]
Sesshōmaru's aloofness and indifference is a product of dignity that only one of such rare demonic power may possess. Sesshōmaru is more or less emotionless; only anger, annoyance, and dissatisfaction showing on his face. Whenever Sesshōmaru would encounter an enemy he would kill them without hesitation. He also considered humans to be nothing more than trash, but his views would later change after meeting Rin.
After Inuyasha subconsciously used the wind scar on Sesshōmaru, the Tenseiga prevented a possible fatality and transported his body. Sesshōmaru quickly rested for the time-being in a forest near a village, where he first met the orphan girl, Rin. He was cared for by Rin during his rehabilitation from injury. He was initially hostile to the mute girl, who offered him food, by refusing to eat and telling her to "mind her own business".
However, the little girl continued to serve him. Once he recovered, he set off with Jaken, but he sensed Rin's blood scent when she was attacked and mauled by Kōga's wolves; he was initially going to ignore her but when Tenseiga pulsated and told him to save her, he used Tenseiga to resurrect her, where upon she began to follow him. This incident proved to be the turning point in his life as it dramatically transformed his attitude towards everyone else. This was apparent when Rin was seen wearing new and colorful kimono later.
When Rin falls off to the cliff in the process of getting life-saving herbs for Jaken, Sesshōmaru comes in a bolt of light to save her after she called out his name. In Forever With Lord Sesshōmaru, after Sesshōmaru saves Rin, he asks Rin to do what she wishes. This is never typical of Sesshōmaru, as he was usually shown to leave Jaken at times before he met Rin. Jaken is even shown to be mumbling that "Lord Sesshōmaru will kill him if something happens to Rin," obviously showing his concern for the girl's safety.
Sesshōmaru, while fighting Jakotsu, rushes off to rescue Rin, who fell when the bridge broke. Jakotsu notes that Rin is Sesshōmaru's weakness. Exploiting this fact, Suikotsu and Jakotsu threatens to kill Rin when they are cornered. Sesshōmaru even saves Kohaku, Rin's best friend and protector, who was under Naraku's control, under the behest of Inuyasha and his friends. These are some of the many traces of compassion that Sesshōmaru displays.
Sesshōmaru's compassion for Rin is evident, but he prefers to disguise it, because it would taint his pride. However, he is extremely loving and concerned for Rin when she appears to be dead due to her time in Hell. Sesshōmaru enters Hell for the purpose of rescuing her, but upon learning that he cannot save her life, he is crushed.
When he realizes that it was his urge to strengthen Tenseiga which brought them to Hell and ultimately killed her, he casts the sword aside and says that for the sword to gain power at the expense of Rin's life means nothing. However, when Sesshōmaru's mother revives Rin, he is seems to be relieved. Finally the will of his father, who cared for humans, has been passed to his son.
When Kagura was injured, Sesshōmaru originally intended to leave her in the river she was drowning in, but when Rin falls in trying to save her and Jaken follows Rin, Sesshōmaru pulls all three from the river. He stayed there afterwards and warned her not to do anything that would get her killed. Later however, before Kagura's death, Sesshōmaru seeks her out and considers using the Tenseiga, only to conclude that Tenseiga cannot save her.
He has also been shown saving Inuyasha's friends on several occasions. On his way to Mount Hakurei, Sesshōmaru saves Kagome, Miroku, and Sango from the poison master Mukotsu, one of the Band of Seven but only claims that he killed Mukotsu because he would not answer his questions. He also revives a young otter yōkai's father, claiming that it was the will of Tenseiga. Another example is when Inuyasha and his companions are involved in a fight with the "water god" Numawatari: when Sesshōmaru arrives, he insults Inuyasha's inability to kill a "low life demon", and then easily dispatches Numawatari using his Meidō Zangetsuha, leaving straight after.
It is his compassion that caused the Tenseiga to be reforged as a weapon. Its offensive powers were locked until Sesshōmaru was able to be truly compassionate and sympathetic. In his battle with Mōryōmaru, the villain insulted the dying Kagura, which angered Sesshōmaru and he shatters Mōryōmaru's indestructible shell (and his only weapon in the process). Acknowledging that he cared about Kagura to some degree.
Trivia[]
- Unlike others Villains in the series Sesshomaru never killed innocent villagers in fact he spared the life of monks who tried to kill him and he killed mostly bandits, pillagers, thieves, wolves and enemy soldiers who tried to kill him.
- 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 "destruction of life".
- Sesshōmaru makes an appearance as a concept art in the front pages of Chapter 9, before he was introduced as a character.
- Sesshōmaru started out as an antagonist, but as the series progressed he became a protagonist and became one of the most important key players in beating Naraku (his Tenseiga being the only thing to be able to kill Magatsuhi and his Bakusaiga for preventing Naraku from regenerating his body).
- Sesshōmaru's appearance changes as the story progresses. Comparing his first appearance in Chapter 13 with the last in Chapter 558, he appears very young and effeminate in the beginning, but by the end, appears more mature and masculine, as the armor and clothes he wears changes slightly overall compared in Chapter 13, Page 5 with Chapter 468, Page 1).
- 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.
- Sesshōmaru only transforms into his true appearance three times in the series: Once when fighting Inuyasha over the Tessaiga for the first time, once when greeting his mother, and once when fighting Magatsuhi.
- Early in the manga he was shown smiling a lot. But as the manga goes on, he hides his emotions and rarely smiles, becoming more like his character is portrayed in the anime.
- The pattern on Sesshōmaru's kimono is based upon an actual crest of a samurai clan known as the Azai.
- In The Holy Pearl, a Chinese live action loosely based on InuYasha, Sesshōmaru is paralleled by a character named Wu Dao.
External Links[]
- Sesshōmaru on the Heroes Wiki.
- Sesshōmaru on the Inuyasha Wiki.
[]
![]() | ||
Main Villains Naraku's Incarnations The Band of Seven Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon Four Perils Demons Hyōga clan Demon ninjas Four War Gods Humans |