Kikyou （桔梗） is a miko (Shrine Maiden) from the story "InuYasha", she was assigned by Sango's village to purify the fabled Shikon no Tama, which was created by another miko known as Midoriko. Kikyou could never force herself to kill Inuyasha who, unlike the other youkai was half human. They were bonded to each other by inescapable odds. Kikyou started to have feelings for Inuyasha and the same feeling was returned by him. Kikyou told Inuyasha that the sacred Tama that she was protecting could be used to make him a human, which was something he originally did not want until he had fallen for her.
One day while heading towards the area where Inuyasha ususally waited, she was attacked by what appeared to be Inuyasha. A huge gash on her shoulder, she collapsed as Naraku (In the form of Inuyasha) left with the jewel proclaiming that he would kill everyone in her village. Kikyou eventually made her way to the village.
Holding on to her last bit of strength she released an arrow, sealing Inuyasha in what was supposed to be an eternal slumber. She passed away shortly after, with the Shikon no Tama in tow.
In present day Tokyo, a young girl named Kagome turns 15 and on her way to school heads to the well on the family property. She was going to retrieve her cat Buyo from the area, since it was forbidden. When she approached the well a strange Centipede Mistress Youkai emerged from the well, taking a very confused Kagome back to the Sengoku Jidai (Feudal Era of Japan). Kagome was proven to be Kikyou's reincarnation in that the Shikon no Tama was within her body... she awoke Inuyasha and the adventure for her began.
Kikyou, however, had been dead for 50 years already until the youkai, Kijo Urasue attacked her village and stole Kikyou's ashes along with some burial ground. Using her powerful magic, she re-created Kikyou's body in the hopes that Kikyou would get the Shikon shards (which were incidentally shattered by Kagome) but, to the old youkai's dismay Kikyou's soul had not returned to her body.
Angered for a while, until Kagome and Inuyasha, along with Shippo and Kaede (Kikyou's sister), were attacked by Urasue's guards. With a quick attack, the Youkai had Kikyou's reincarnated soul and eventually (With Inuyasha's unknowing help) totally revived Kikyou, who immediatly killed Urasue and went on to attack Inuyasha. Kagome however, somehow managed to get most of her soul back after Kikyou's assault. With only one part of soul within her Kikyou fled, fueled by hatred for Inuyasha.
However, despite this supposed hatred that she bears for him, she cannot deny her feelings of love and well being for him... for it is her wish to die with him.
On another note... Being on how Kikyou is not made of flesh and blood she only has a bit of soul and strong willful determination, she must find ways to sustain her "unlife" on this mortal coil until she can kill Naraku or die with Inuyasha by using Shinidamachuu (Dead Soul Insects, Soul Stealers, etc.) to collect the souls of deceased women, allowing her to move and continue her journey.
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Japanese Seiyuu: Noriko Hidaka
English Voice Actor: Willow Johnson