|
Name: Kagra
Age: less than 1 year (appears 17) Deceased
Race: wind yokai
Weapons: Fan
Kagura the wind sorceress is the second detachment of Naraku, and is a wind-yokai (demon). From very early on, her chief desire is to kill him in order to free herself from his control. However, because Naraku carries her heart, her defiance could lead to her death in a heartbeat. Like the wind she was born of, she wishes to be as free and will gain that freedom any way she can.
With her scarlet eyes and jade earrings, she was designed to resemble one of the Shinto dancers of her namesake, kagura. Like most of Naraku's children, she has a spider-shaped scar on her back - the result of Onigumo's presence within Naraku.
Kagura's primary weapon is her fan, which allows her to create and manipulate powerful winds. It was created by Naraku using his bones in a manner similar to Abi-Hime's halberd. It is a durable weapon; in the manga, it successfully blocked Sango's Hiraikotsu. Some speculate that even though she is a wind sorceress, her power emanates from her fan rather than being intrinsic. She has said that she can't perform her supernatural abilities without it, though it is likely a deception. She has been shown to be able to manipulate the wind without her fan, in one case, she controls the wind around herself without the fan to prevent InuYasha from using the Kaze no Kizu on her. Her fan is, therefore, most likely used to direct her attacks more easily, in the same way Kagome can take up any bow and shoot purifying arrows �� the wind attacks come from Kagura's power, not her fan.
Despite such impediments, she covertly works toward his death, mostly by manipulating the two camps opposed to Naraku, those of InuYasha (She finds out about the night he loses his powers, but chooses to keep it a secret so InuYasha can defeat Naraku) and Sesshomaru for whom she possibly develops some romantic feelings. When seriously injured after a battle at Goryomaru's compound, she goes in search of Sesshomaru, who saves her (possibly because of Rin's intervention) after she falls into a river. When Rin asks if she went to Sesshomaru to be saved, she mentally replies, "No, I just thought that before I die ... I could see his face one more time."
Kagura works as a sort of double agent between the former and the latter. Slight arrogance and foolhardiness define her personality, and she likes to make wisecracks.
In the manga, Naraku charges her with her final job, which is to guard Goryomaru at a prison. Hakudoshi convinces her to release him secretly, because he is secretly plotting with Akago to destroy Naraku. During this time, Kohaku inadvertently reveals to Kagura he has recovered his memory. The two end up becoming unlikely allies, sharing information as to Naraku's weaknesses and somewhat gaining the other's trust due to their common desire for his destruction. Kagura grows protective of Kohaku and ultimately defies Naraku openly in order to protect him and allow him to escape. As a result, Naraku grants Kagura her wish by giving her back her heart - but then pumps her full of his corrosive shoki, ensuring her death, and leaves her to enjoy her freedom in what little time she has it.
Catching the scent of Naraku's shoki, Sesshomaru tracks Kagura down in this state, and when she tells him Naraku is not there he reveals that he knew it was her. He considers trying to use Tenseiga to save her life, but the sword is unable to do so and does not respond. (Notably, this is one of only two times Sesshomaru has attempted to use Tenseiga to save a life without the sword prompting him.) However, Kagura seems content to have seen Sesshomaru one more time. She dies peacefully as the free wind, her body dissolving into the air. When Inuyasha later asks if Kagura suffered, Sesshomaru says that she was smiling.
Later on, while Sesshomaru is battling Moryomaru, the latter taunts him about Kagura's death, saying that her death was meaningless and her dying wish futile. The taunts anger Sesshomaru to the point that he breaks his sword Tokijin with the force of his attack on Moryomaru, and succeeds in damaging Moryomaru's armored shell. Following this battle, Totosai approaches Sesshomaru, telling him that he has finally displayed the compassion which will enable him to use Tenseiga as a weapon. It is because of Kagura and Sesshomaru's concern for her, in other words, that Sesshomaru is able to learn the powerful Meido Zangetsuha technique. Only in the manga does Kagura die; she and Kikyo were both still alive at the end of the anime.
|
