desistance

After over four hundred chapters and nine years of waiting, Rumiko Takahashi has finally finalized the character of Kikyou. It was bound to happen one way or another, after all, Kikyou was already dead. The way it is done though leads ones who even hate Kikyou with a burning passion to feel kind of sorry for the girl. Taking place at a crucial time, this I believe is the peak which shows the beginning of the end of the story. Finally.

The Shikon no Tama is mostly completed except for the shard that Kohaku carries; even Kouga has had the shards in his legs removed and taken by Naraku. Unfourtunaly, this takes place during a time where Kikyou is weakened and she is physically unable to carry out of plan that she's been working on throughout the entire series. Kikyou is kidnapped by Naraku and her body used as a place for Naraku to hide the almost completed Shikon no Tama since he knew that Kikyou didn't have the strength left to fight nor purify the jewel. However, Kagome realizes it and is told by Kikyou to shoot the Shikon no Tama (including herself) with an arrow for purification and even uses her shinidamachuu to help when Naraku realizes what they are doing and attacks the younger miko.

Sadly though, Kikyou simply cannot purify Naraku and the jewel anymore and Naraku escapes. Regardless, Kikyou is severely weakened by poison and cannot revert to her usual state. Giving her bow to Kagome, Kikyou makes it clear that she is ready to finally to die. During a touching scene, Kikyou thanks Inuyasha for coming out to help her and he informs her that she was the first woman he had ever loved. Kikyou smiles her first real smile in the entire series before the shinidamachuu carry the souls away and her body disappears.