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| “ | My name is Miroku, I'm a monk who always helps people in need. | „ |
| ~ Miroku |
Miroku is one of the main characters of the Inuyasha franchise. He is a hōshi who traveled with Inuyasha, Kagome, Shippō, and Sango. His paternal grandfather, Miyatsu, was cursed fifty years ago by Naraku, leading to the creation of the wind tunnel, which was destined to be passed down to all of his descendants, including Miroku. Becuase of this, Miroku's goal is to destroy Naraku in order to lift the curse before it consumes him completely, like it did his father and grandfather.
He is voiced by the late Kōji Tsujitani in the Japanese version of the anime, currently Makoto Yasumura from Yashahime: Princess-Half Demon and by the late Kirby Morrow until first episode of Yashahime: Princess-Half Demon and currently by Ian James Corlett in the English version of the anime.
Appearance[]
Miroku has black hair tied in a small ponytail on the back of his neck, dark blue eyes, and wears golden earrings. He is called handsome by some people (usually women).
The robes of most wandering monks are actually quite poor and ragged - often stitched together out of whatever pieces of cloth a person might give them on their travels. Miroku's robes are quite extravagant and expensive compared to those of most itinerant monks. However, this is consistent with his tendency to loot the wealth of greedy merchants whose homes he rids of demons and ghosts.
Rosary: Miroku carries a string of beads used for Buddhist prayer and invocation. They are usually associated with a chant repeating "Amida Nyorai." The most common type has 108 beads. The nenju carried by Japanese Buddhist monks were typically made of 112 wooden beads.
Formerly rare and made of semi-precious stones, the spread of Buddhism brought more extensive use of nenju from the Heian Period (8th-12th century) through the Kamakura Period (12th-14th century). By the Warring States era, most poor monks carried wooden beads. The number "108" (a sacred number in many Buddhist traditions) represents the number of earthly passions and desires that blind and delude us, entrapping us in the Six States of Existence (the wheel of life, the cycle of samsara, the sequence of suffering and reincarnation).
Miroku makes further use of his nenju to seal off the Wind Tunnel in his hand.
Tekko: The arm protectors worn by both Miroku and Sango are called Tekko. Miroku usually wraps the Tekko over the Wind Tunnel, then seals it with his Nenju (rosary). However, he abandons it once the Wind Tunnel was removed.
Powers & Abilities[]
Miroku wields the power of his inherited curse, the Kazaana/Wind Tunnel.
- Immense Buddhist Power: Miroku has received great Buddhist power from his monk ancestry. His grandfather's power was potent enough to incur Naraku's fear and because of this, Naraku cursed his paternal line with the Wind Tunnel; with Naraku's demise, this curse has since been broken. Miroku is trained in the spiritual arts, and proficient in the use of his Buddhist power to exterminate malevolent demons and spirits. He has become accustomed to fighting demons and can normally eliminate the average demon with little difficulty. Miroku has recently undergone an advancement in his training, to achieve divine power and enlightenment as a top-level Buddhist monk. So it is likely his Buddhist powers are much more powerful than before, possibly equal if not more so than the likes of his grandfather.
- Spiritual Barriers: Miroku can concentrate his Buddhist power into spirit shields or protective barriers of reasonable strength. His barriers allow him to avoid his enemies and mask his scent from demons, making demons unable to detect Miroku. However, his barriers cannot avoid physical assaults and are not as strong as Naraku's or Kikyō's. If the formation collapses or his concentration is broken, then Miroku's barrier dissolves. After the conclusion of his thousand-day training during the events of Hanyō no Yashahime, he has gained enough Buddhist power to erect a barrier that can temporarily contain the extremely dangerous Grim Butterfly.
- Sutra Magic: Miroku is capable of deploying sutras; mystical talismans with incantation inscribed on them. When imbued with his Buddhist power, these sacred sutras can serve as a projectile to eliminate demons demons or paralyze them. They can also serve as a charm to summon barriers and magical wards to repel and seal demonic threats. Miroku’s talismans can also uniquely absorb demonic power to increase its own effectiveness, as seen when he rubbed it against Shippō to absorb his aura.
- Sealing: Miroku has displayed powerful sealing abilities, utilizing his Buddhist powers to quell and subdue the spirits of demonic remains to prevent possible resurrection and mystical execration on a specific area; often with his sutras in place. Miroku is even capable of casting high-level spells as displayed when he suppressed Setsuna’s yōkai blood. Albeit, the seal was removed when Zero drained him of his sealing powers, possibly even stripping it from him completely.
- Purification: Miroku can sweep away troublesome demons using his Buddhist powers as a monk. While he cannot repel demons by purification alone, this can serve as a charm and maintain his sutra's power. He is powerful enough to remove curses, or demonic repression, usually with the aid of his Shakujō staff.
- Fury of Taishaku: Miroku is capable of cultivating his Buddhist powers to summon down lightning bolts on his enemies, that occasionally also cause paralysis. Miroku has only shown this ability in the video-games.
- Spiritual Healing: Miroku is capable of distributing his spiritual energies to heal an injured or ill individual of a rare sickness or even a curse, which Miroku had done for young Lord Takechiyo.
- World Reversal: Miroku has learned from rogue raccoon dog Shōgen Mamiana as he use both hands as it turn from upside down back to right side up to turn attacks back at him. He passes this technique on to Moroha, who uses it to expel Shōgen Mamiana from Mamidaira Island for good.
- Spiritual Awareness: Miroku can visually feel the presence of humans or demons, even from great distances. He can perceive and distinguish the auras surrounding the divine or demonic, as well as sense the utilization of mystical abilities. He can see a person's time of death in advance. Due to his exceptional Buddhist powers, Miroku also has “the sight” allowing him to perceive things that are otherwise invisible to ordinary people. Miroku can see ghosts, demonic auras and spirits. Miroku is also capable of foreseeing troubling events that threaten the peace and future of the world; predicting the Degenerate Age coming at the hands of Kirinmaru.
- Peak Physical Condition: Due to his monk training, Miroku's body and mind have been refined to the peak of human condition. He has exhibited impressive physical parameters because of his dedication to his monk ancestry, even at a young age. While he isn’t as robust as a seasoned yōkai taijiya like Sango, he has proven to possess substantial athletic abilities that has allowed him to perform feats the average man couldn’t.
- Peak Human Speed: Miroku’s central aspect of his impressive physical prowess; is notably his speed. Miroku's natural ability to move is so extraordinary that he seems almost inhuman. He can even move at speeds that rival that of demons such as Inuyasha, Kirara, and Kōga on foot. By this feat alone; Miroku can be considered one of the fastest, if not the fastest human seen in the series.
- Peak Human Agility and Reflexes: Aside from being extraordinarily swift, Miroku is also extremely nimble and maneuverable, possessing remarkable reaction time superior to the average human. Though not quite as sharp as a seasoned warrior like Sango, Miroku’s dexterity is well-trained and focused; able to stay on his toes with demon threats.
- Peak Human Stamina: Miroku possesses great stamina, as he often kept up with Inuyasha's normal running speed without losing breath for extended periods of time, and prolong strenuous battles for long durations. As a result of his intensive 1000-day training, Miroku's physical stamina and fortitude had further increased to newer levels. Miroku was robust enough to endure his tireless regime, and maintain the same vigor for the last two decades without faltering.
- Peak Human Endurance: Miroku can endure more physical stress than the average person, and possessed an exceptional physical constitution. He has tolerated large amounts of poison being administered from either Naraku himself or other poisonous yōkai; most humans would otherwise be incapacitated or outright killed from such exposure. He took little time to rest after being cured of the saimyōshō's poison when first used by Sesshōmaru, and quickly returned to the ongoing battle. He was also able to keep up with Inuyasha and Kōga on foot without visible strain or exhaustion.
- Master Staff Specialist: Miroku has shown exemplary mastery of his Shakujō staff as a weapon, using it to fend off Inuyasha wielding the Tessaiga during their first fight by skillfully deflecting and parrying his sword attacks without succumbing to his strength. Miroku is also seen using it as a blunt weapon, as seen when he managed to take out a few undead warriors resurrected by Sō'unga. He treats the staff as an extension of his body, not only for defense but also for attack to give himself a greater range of movement. He makes use of his staff’s versatile nature to block as well as counter attack. Miroku can enhance the effectiveness of his staffmanship by channeling spiritual energies onto his staff, maximizing his finesse and perform great bludgeoning damage usually enough to knock down your average demon or human. Miroku’s mastery over his Shakujō staff is as such; he managed to contend with Suikotsu, a member of the Shichinintai and a self-proclaimed expert combatant in close quarter combat for extended periods. By the time of Hanyō no Yashahime, he appears to have lost some of his proficiency with his staff; in a flashback from Episode 20, he is quickly disarmed and defeated in melee combat against Gaga Gozen and then a berserk Setsuna in rapid succession.
- High Intellect: Though he lacked the physical might of Inuyasha and Sango and was inferior to Kagome in terms of raw innate spiritual power, Miroku compensated all of these flaws with one crucial quality; his intelligence. Revered as the smartest of the group, as well as the wisest, Miroku bore an honorary high Intellect that has proven invaluable time and time again in their many adventures. Miroku was thoroughly educated, and exhibited a wealth of knowledge on many topics, most notably that of the occult, serving as a pivotal source of intel from his allies. Insightful, and collective, Miroku's sheer wit had come to be a vital component to many of their successful endeavors and more.
- Observation skills: Miroku bore a shrewd analytical acumen, and was unerringly observant of the events around him. His personal philosophies lend itself towards understanding things that most people didn’t and solving mysteries, or cryptic puzzles that followed itself throughout their journeys. Miroku had served as a leading point in many of the paranormal investigations initiated by the group, and was the one to conclude it. He was studious in his observations, and was attentive to even the most frivolous detail or clue, using it to build a correct hypothesis. Miroku was usually the first to notice the deceptive ploys initiated by Naraku and his incarnations; such as the time when he quickly realized that Kagura was merely distracting them with the possessed villagers and advised Inuyasha to go after Kagome. He was collective with his thoughts and findings, a quality that prove to be a thorn in Naraku's side in a number of his attempted schemes.
- Arcane Knowledge: Miroku had shown on many occasions to be an expert in occult lore, not only harboring knowledge of demons but also other supernatural beings as well; gods, spirits and other such entities. He possessed a great deal of knowledge and understanding of the four souls, and how it correlated to the existence of the Shikon Jewel, as well as how the four abstracts made up the relic. Miroku is aware of many myths, legends, figures and untold tales, with his otherworldly knowledge often being found useful, especially with concerning matters that are more paranormal in nature than even the usual demons they deal with. He had also shown familiarity with magic, both demonic and spiritual; as displayed when he recognized Kodoku sorcery being utilized by Naraku, and the Mayose spell casted by Kikyō to lure in the rat demons.
- Master Tactician: Complimentary to his wit and astute observational skills, Miroku possessed prudent tactical skills and was the strategist of the group. Miroku was an effective counter-balance to Inuyasha’s brash nature, and concocted elaborate plans that were often successful in their purpose. Similar to the Machiavellian nature of Naraku's methodical wit, Miroku's tactical prowess was centered on the basis of his perception, intuition and cognizance of the current situation, as well as the conditions surrounding it. He was collective with his findings, and utilized what he knew to devise the best strategy to achieve success. His tactical decisions had allowed him to even counter Naraku’s schemes on occasion. Not all of his plans were foolproof as he had been outwitted on occasion, but it takes a truly clever one to pull one on him.
- Expert Manipulator: Though not quite on the caliber of someone like Naraku, Miroku was an astounding con artist and orator. Several times throughout the journey for the Shikon Jewel shards, Miroku has often used his status as a monk to sway the hearts of the human populace to gain benefits for both him and his friends. He does so by often lying that the richest dwelling in the vicinity has a yōkai for him to exorcise. He does this so often that his own friends were astonished that he spoke the truth when there really was a yōkai in the house that he exorcised. Despite his obvious perverseness, Miroku had legitimate charm, and utilized his natural allure and charms to enthrall the favor of many individuals, and become an effective diplomat.
- Adept Thief: Although he had long abandoned those tendencies, Miroku was a very skilled thief and con-artist. Before he met the group, or even after that, he frequently employed manipulative and deceptive tactics to garner resources and food. Somewhere along the lines, he had stated to only condone these actions to gain a favorable situation for him and his friends, or simply claim dues much to their chagrin.
Personality[]
| “ | Would you consider bearing my children? | „ |
| ~ Miroku whenever he meets a pretty woman |
If Miroku failed to defeat Naraku, his life would be cut short by the Wind Tunnel curse set upon by Naraku in his right hand. The threat of dying on his head, he forged under heaven's command in the face of his cruel destiny, which was later reverted due to Naraku's death. He has a strong spirit that allows him to conduct himself in an easygoing manner, not showing his weaknesses and hiding his true feelings. As his body is in the service of Buddha, his soul is well-balanced.
Miroku is very brave, willing to sacrifice his own well-being to protect the lives of innocents and those he cares for, as seen when he willingly sucked up many demons and Saimyōshō to allow Inuyasha to go rescue Kagome and Sango, even though he knew he would be badly poisoned by the Saimyōshō. That being said, running away from someone he feels he's no match against is not something he's shameful about if he feels it's the most reasonable option (Unlike that of Inuyasha, whose pride and stubbornness often causes him to still fight even if the odds are against him). However, when it comes to protecting his friends and loved ones, he will risk his life without a second thought. Repeating such acts (which he had done many times over to almost all of his companions, especially to Sango) caused Miroku's life to be threatened even more so than usual. But he is not just reckless, he's demonstrating his bravery and sense of justice.
Basically, he is kind and friendly, but he does not have a lot of patience and can be somewhat short-tempered if others think ill of him. He sometimes shows a completely different facial expression than his usual calm one. When he meets someone who is adverse in his advice or questions, he becomes a bad monk, verbally criticizing and becoming violent without hesitation. He'll punish anyone with his foul language, even if it's the first time he's met the person. Miroku's temper has been shown to arise in both the anime and manga, towards Inuyasha, especially Hachiemon. On one occasion, he even violently beat up Jaken (An event that left Jaken being terrified of the monk).
He will not harm innocent people for his own convenience and dislikes pointless fighting. Miroku is a pacifist, and even if someone challenges him (like Inuyasha did when he first met him), he'll run if there is no need to fight. Even during battle, he thinks about the people around him first and has much compassion towards innocent people. Often, when simple villagers are put against him in action, Miroku, though he defends himself, restrains his counterattacks and refuses to kill other people when he easily could. He treats even enemies with respect and consideration (excluding Naraku). When enemies lose their hostility (like Rōyakan, for example), he believed it unnecessary and cruel to attack any further. His Buddhist heart is open to everyone.
Miroku has an open heart and thinks more about others than himself, naturally being very selfless. He is sensitive to people's feelings and can be attentive on an individual basis. To make things well, he treats people gently or, when required, severely. He never adopts a pushy attitude but instead is nonchalantly attentive such as when he acted towards Sango over Kohaku. Being warmhearted by nature, he cannot stand by and see innocent people suffer or grieve when he knows he could do something about it. His sympathy and consideration of others' feelings are always seen.
Miroku was always up against the memory of death and avoided relationships with people, for, in the back of his mind, he still had an image of his father who died by being sucked into the Wind Tunnel. He was forced into a lonely, merciless life because of Naraku's curse. Even when he began to journey with Inuyasha's party, he could not relieve his torment and tried to solve things on his own. However, his heart began to heal through the strong bonds he formed with his companions, healing his loneliness as time passed. Despite having friends, Miroku still anguished over his Kazaana and condemned fate to die, his greatest fear is his Wind Tunnel sucking up to his companions and then himself along with them. He often hid his true feelings with a carefree and easygoing exterior, but his fear of dying still showed through on occasion. Though once the Wind Tunnel was gone, Miroku was free to live his life.
In addition to his intense curiosity, he takes an objective view of things. Should a question arise, he would investigate it, even amid battle. When suspicions or ambiguities arose, he would actively investigate, even if he was in a dangerous place. He tried to see clearly the actual conditions or truth in things. He also has an excellent ability for understanding and an excellent memory. Miroku also has knowledge of a variety of things, all of which he understands deeply. He has particular experience of gods, spirits, and other such entities. From these things, he gained clues to deciphering Naraku's actions and deceptions. Miroku is obviously the tactician of Inuyasha's party, due to being the most intelligent and wise out of all of them.
As he is capable of calm judgment in a variety of situations, he was able to fight and act cleverly. He can also perform analysis based on only scant information and make accurate guesses that become trustworthy information. Miroku analyzes matters based on his experience and leads with conviction. He is insightful and can sense changes in enemy movements. He speculated all possibilities and comes to the most likely answer. What's more, there are many cases in Miroku's analysis of the tactical situations that gave his companions a strategic advantage.
Because nobody could predict the outcome of their journey, their daily life depended on unplanned circumstances. When there was no place to stay, Miroku finds the most magnificent premises around and performed fake exorcisms, thereby getting a place to sleep and eat by taking advantage of his position as a monk. Miroku employed blackmail and theft, making him manipulative and resourceful, but means no harm by it. He simply does all these actions to gain a favorable situation for him and his friends. He even believes it to be just dues (much to the annoyance of his companions). Also, being the most responsible for managing, he was left in charge of the money. He has gotten used to telling lies with very little to no remorse and is not above lying to honest and straightforward villagers or spirit monkeys.
Miroku, much like his father and grandfather, is a peerless womanizer. Unusual for a monk, he quickly gives in to his perverted desires and does nothing to hide them as he expresses them freely. As soon as he saw a beautiful woman, he wasted no time in pursuing her. No matter where he is, he takes pleasure in the company of beautiful women. He often staged palm readings to meet women. And once, an entire town of women found themselves captivated by his palm-reading skills. He took pleasure in shameless flirting with women during his journeys, but not just any women. If a woman was old or unattractive, he has been known to run away from these types of women out of fear (especially when these particular women were infatuated with him).
He has asked scores of women to bear his child and often tried to connect with them heart-to-heart through physical contact. His desire to have children was earnest, but people around him did not seem to understand this. Women often viewed him with hostility or mistrust, thinking he was joking, but it is human instinct to want to leave descendants when one feels his life is growing shorter as Miroku did. Given an opening and opportunity, he would touch any women's behind. He has an obsession for women and has fondled them even in the middle of a serious conversation or suffering from injuries or poison. Miroku touches women in front of him, almost as if it was an unconscious reflex. At one point, when he is called possessed by the white and red priestesses, he states that the hand is possessed by a demon. Being a true lecher, he is unconcerned by being verbally insulted, slapped, or receiving scornful glares. Miroku has consistently perverted thoughts. However, he cared about Sango and thus left her alone when she was distressed. He did eventually touch her breasts and bottom, though, once Sango stopped being so sad.
Although he continued in his flirtatious ways toward women, his feelings for Sango are not like that. She is shown to be very important to him and a reliable companion while pursuing Naraku. Though the attitude he showed Sango under normal circumstances was the same as he showed towards other women: lecherous. Even when he plied her with kindness, he showed no sense of romantic love, which is shown to somewhat annoy Sango. He looked as if he had no feelings towards her as a woman. (Miroku stating in his confession to her that was the problem; his inability to see her as an ordinary woman and more of a comrade, a woman he fought alongside). Despite this issue, however, Miroku fell deeply in love with Sango, protecting her with his life when Kagura almost killed her, admitting he loved her. He eventually proposed to Sango, who tearfully accepted, becoming his fiancee. Three years after Naraku was dead, it shows Miroku and Sango had started a family together. The couple had twin girls and a newborn boy.
Quotes[]
Inuyasha[]
| “ | Kohaku, you're starting a new life in a new village. I know you're scared. To survive is scary, for everyone. In my right hand is a hole that will suck up everything and anything. A Wind Tunnel, a curse was to put upon us during my grandfather's time. And that grandfather, and then my father were sucked up by the Wind Tunnels in their hands. In time, I, too, will be sucked up by this hole. But I made the decision to live with this curse as my strength. One human taking on demons with the Wind Tunnel. This Wind Tunnel is a weapon given to me. That's what I decided. | „ |
| ~ Miroku to Kohaku. |
| “ | Will you bear my child? | „ |
| ~ Miroku to any beautiful woman her meets. |
| “ | You don't know who you're dealing with! What meaning does my life have without the woman I deeply care for?! I would sacrifice my life for hers! | „ |
| ~ Miroku to Kagura when Sango is in danger. |
| “ | Somehow it's different with us. You see, Sango, I never had such strong feelings for a woman as I do for you. | „ |
| ~ Miroku to Sango. |
| “ | I'm just getting started. If this battle with Naraku ever comes to an end and the curse of my wind tunnel is broken, if I make it out alive, if we made it that far, would you come live with me? Would you bear my children, Sango? | „ |
| ~ Miroku to Sango. |
| “ | Inuyasha, Kagome has been taken inside the castle. | „ |
| ~ Miroku to Inuyasha about Kagome's capture when Inuyasha learned about deception. |
| “ | Inuyasha, what do you have there in your hand? | „ |
| ~ Miroku questions Inuyasha what he capture after the half-demon was possessed and freed by Kagome. |
| “ | Are you suggesting this is my fault? | „ |
| ~ Upon hearing Kagome blamed Miroku for his lecherous actions. |
Inuyasha the Movie 1: Affections Touching Across Time[]
| “ | Sango! No need to be shy, come, fall into my arms! | „ |
| ~ Miroku flirts with Sango, only for her to throw a piece of her armor on him. |
Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass[]
| “ | Sango, come into my arms. | „ |
| ~ Miroku once again flirts with Sango, only for her to hug Kohaku to get away from him. |
External Links[]
- Miroku in InuYasha Wiki
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Main Heroes Allies Sesshōmaru's Group Movies | ||