Kikyō

Kikyō was a shrine priestess who lived 50 years prior to the main events of the series. She was responsible for purifying the Shikon Jewel and was the former lover of Inuyasha. After being deceived and fatally injured by the hanyō Naraku, Kikyō bound Inuyasha to the Sacred Tree with a sealing arrow and sacrificed her own life to keep the Jewel from returning to the realm of the living. Shortly after the Jewel was brought back to the Feudal Era, Kikyō was resurrected by the demon ogress Urasue. After learning of the circumstances of her death, she resolved to destroy Naraku and to purge the Shikon Jewel from the world. Kikyō was a beautiful pale-skinned woman with long black hair that was often tied into a low loose ponytail by a white ribbon with bangs hanging above over her forehead and brown eyes. She was 169 cm (5'6"), making her a centimeter taller than Inuyasha. She originally had an ordinary human body, but after her resurrection, her body was composed of a mixture of clay, and her own grave soil and cremated bones. However, visually her undead body was identical to her old one, except that she did not bleed when injured. Kikyō wore the traditional dress of a miko, which has remained essentially unchanged to this day except for the lack of the slit-shoulder seam. Kikyō wore a white hakui (robe) with red sode-kukuri (cords) through the sleeves and open shoulders (similar to Inuyasha's and Jaken's). Strings called muna-himo were attached to each lapel and tied in front to keep the garment closed. Kikyō's kosode would be very much like a modern Kendo or Naginata Keikogi, with the sleeve fitting somewhat closely like a modern loose shirt and extending slightly past the wrist. The slits on the side of her hakama, and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of her hitoe (jacket) showed the white kosode she sported. This was a deliberate fashion effect. Kikyō wore a bright red nagabakama (a very long hakama), which included the small board on the lower back. Like a majority of other characters, she also was perpetually barefoot throughout the series, however this was changed in the anime where Kikyō wore common tabi (socks) and straw sandals. Kikyō sported a red obi, or belt, over all her other garments. Kikyō was known as a compassionate, kind, caring and considerate woman before her death. She showed great sympathy toward everyone, even her enemies. This was seen when she tended to Onigumo's well-being despite him being a bandit. She also had compassion toward Kansuke, and sympathy toward Inuyasha. Kikyō was also very good with children during her lifetime; no matter what village she went to, the children were always fond of her. When she was alive, Kikyō was also very devoted to her duties as a priestess and completely incorruptible, not even using the Shikon Jewel to save her life when she could have, instead instructing Kaede to burn it along with her body to prevent it from falling in the hands of those that would abuse it. Despite her compassion, before meeting Inuyasha, she rarely, openly showed any emotions, always maintaining a calm, seemingly apathetic composure, akin to Sesshōmaru. Unlike him however, Kikyō did not hide the fact that she cared for others, especially her younger sister, Kaede.