Yawaragi (凱風) was an adult wolf yōkai from Kōga's Wolf Demon Tribe. She was also Moroha's master for three years.
History
Hachiemon left Inuyasha and Kagome's infant daughter Moroha to her, Kōga and his wife Ayame to raise and protect her from Kirinmaru and Zero. For three years, under Kōga's request, she raised and trained Moroha. When an eleven year old Moroha uses the Beni to combat the Birds of Paradise, Yawaragi warns her not to use it, but Moroha scratched her on the left cheek. Later, a Weasel Man offered her an Armor of the Iron Rat which would boost her power and defense, but the armor as it would also shrink and fatally crush its wearer eventually. After that, the Weasel Man is free as told that she needs to find a new key to get off her body, so she used the Scattering Winds to get rid of the Birds of Paradise.
She decides to sell Moroha off to test her strength against the legendary Kodoku magic. Yawaragi visits Jyūbei, and informs him that if Moroha overuses her rogue, Moroha would simply become a mindless fighting monster. When Moroha returned from her fight against the Kodoku, Yawaragi was gone, but left Moroha her sword.
Yawaragi subsequently entered a village of rat yōkai, but discovered Konton had brutally murdered all the rat yōkai. He attempted to persuade to Yawaragi to join him, and she seemingly agreed as only he had the new key that could release her from her cursed armor. She then sought, and challenged Moroha to a fight. Despite Yawaragi being the superior combatant, Yawaragi stopped Moroha when the latter wanted to become Beniyasha. Instead, Yawaragi believed Moroha should learn how to fight without relying on her transformations. When Konton joined the fight, Yawaragi grabbed him so that Moroha's attack would destroy them both as she used her Scattering Winds to combine Moroha's Kōryūha to produce the Crimson Backlash Wave. However, Konton managed to escape with the blue Rainbow Pearl, and only Yawaragi was hit and Konton crushed the new key for the Armor of the Iron Rat.
Mortally wounded, Yawaragi told Moroha she was proud of her, and that there is nothing more she can teach her. After Yawaragi died, Moroha cried, and buried Yawaragi. Mournfully claiming that she was once again alone, Towa Higurashi and Setsuna assuaged her grief by telling Moroha they were her companions.
Personality
Typical of a member of the Wolf Demon Tribe, Yawaragi is crude, battle-hardened, strong-willed, and eager for combat. She rarely smiles, usually only during or before the onset of battle, showing her to be somewhat bloodthirsty. She is also very stern as both an individual and as a teacher. Her methods of training Moroha were often extremely dangerous to the point of life-threatening. As noted by Moroha, Yawaragi was never comforting or reassuring as teacher, always pushing her student further and berating her constantly when she made mistakes or failed a task. She also seemingly had no problem selling her apprentice away to Jyūbei just to pay off a debt and without a second thought. This caused Moroha to view her former master as uncaring.
In truth however, Yawaragi did indeed care for Moroha, secretly worrying about her well-being regarding her rogue turning her into a monster. It was also revealed that the real reason she sold her off to the corpse dealer was too help her learn how to overcome her addiction to it as well. Yawaragi was also willing to sacrifice her life for her student in order to help her defeat her enemy Konton even though this meant that either way she would be killed due to the shrinking demon rat armor encasing her chest. It was in her final moments that Yawaragi revealed that she was truly proud of Moroha and revealed her secret caring side which she kept hidden under her stern demeanor.
Unlike many demons, Yawaragi didn't bare any contempt or feelings of superiority towards humans. This was shown by her friendship with Jyūbei, whom she has known for many years. Though a lover of battle, Yawaragi despised senseless slaughter, being disgusted by Konton's murder of the entire demon-rat village, including women and children. This shows that she was truly an honorable warrior rather than just a simple war lover. Also, like most members of her tribe, she had a fair amount of pride and hated losing, especially in gambling games, being irked when it was made clear she was not winning.
Physical description
Yawaragi had fair skin with pointed ears, light brown eyes, claws on each digit, a light grey wolf tail, and light grey hair that is tied up into a ponytail with a black cord. She wore a green ragged happi coat with the armor of the Iron Rat, a black armor plate, a brown wolf fur loincloth, a short beige shoulder ragged cape tied with a black string, brown wolf fur cuffs, knee-high brown wolf fur boots, white wraps around her feet, and a thin black knotted cord on her forehead. Yawaragi has three facial scars on her left cheek that she acquired from Moroha when the latter became a mindlessly feral Beniyasha.
Powers and Abilities
Wolf Physiology: As a wolf yōkai, Yawaragi possesses very strong supernatural physiology.
- Superhuman Senses: As a wolf yōkai, her senses of smell and hearing are quite acute.
- Enhanced Slashing & Slicing: Her unusually sharp claws can easily slice through flesh as well as distant solid objects.
- Longevity and Decelerated Aging: Despite being centuries old, she retained a fairly youthful appearance.
- Superior Speed: She uses her speed to attack, and dodge from Moroha's attacks.
Weapons
Formerly
- Kurikaramaru: This sword originally used her powers until she gave it to Moroha after she finished with Kodoku and Jyūbei sold her student.
- Armor of the Iron Rat: This armor greatly increased her demonic powers, allowing Yawaragi to destroy a whole swarm of Birds of Paradise. However, over a prolonged period of time, this armor was cursed to gradually crush and kill its wearer. But its only for the new key when she was looking. However, the new key have been destroyed by Konton after she was been hit by Moroha's Crimson Backlash Wave.
Relationships
- "Have strength in your heart, Moroha..."
- ―Yawaragi's final words to Moroha
Yawaragi never acted nice towards Moroha. She put Moroha through dangerous tests, and sold Moroha without hesitation. But Konton believed Moroha was Yawaragi's favorite student. As she was dying, Yawaragi revealed her inner warmth in encouraging Moroha to live well, and not become a savage animal.
Yawaragi and Jyūbei were old friends and business partners, with her having presented him body parts from the demons she killed. They were shown to be civil with one another, often playing gambling games, though to Yawaragi's frustration Jyūbei would usually win and leave her more in debt. He was also one of the few people Yawaragi more-or-less opened up too, revealing to him her true reasoning for training Moroha so harshly. It was Yawaragi that sold Moroha into Jyūbei's services.
Quotes
- "She has a fifty-fifty chance of surviving."
- ―Yawaragi
Trivia
- Moroha previously referenced her in Episode 14 as "the Master" she's indebted to.
- She appears in the second opening "BURN" with a distraught Moroha cradling her in her arms, foreshadowing her death in Episode 16.
- After Ayame, she is the second wolf-demon female to appear in the InuYasha series.
- After Kōga, she is the second wolf yōkai to have a wolf tail.
- She was the original owner of Moroha's Kurikaramaru.
Media appearances
- Episode 15 (Hanyō no Yashahime) (First appearance) (Appears in a flashback)
- Episode 16 (Hanyō no Yashahime)
- Episode 38 (Hanyō no Yashahime) (Appears in a flashback)
| Yōkai Wolf Tribes | |
|---|---|
| Eastern Tribe | Ginta • Hakkaku • Kōga • Yawaragi |
| Northern Tribe | Ayame • Kai • Shinta • Rōrō • Wolf elder • Wolf demon graveyard protector |
| Unique Places | Lair of the wolf demon tribe • Wolf demon tribe graveyard |
| Unique Items | Goraishi • Kurikaramaru |
| Enemies | Birds of Paradise (Birds of Paradise leader) • Naraku • Panther tribe (Panther King) • Shichinintai |