Tessaiga

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Tessaiga (鉄砕牙), also seen in the series as Tetsusaiga, is a fictional sword in the anime and manga series InuYasha, wielded by half-human, half-yōkai (hanyō) InuYasha. The kanji, directly translated, means "iron-crushing fang". [1]

In the English and English-subtitled adaptations of InuYasha, Tessaiga is called Tetsusaiga due to an error in the transliteration of the sword's name. The origin of the error was in the misreading of a small hiragana っ (sokuon), indicating a doubled consonant, as a full-sized つ (tsu), which would otherwise indicate an actual reading of "tsu". In terms of reflecting the Japanese pronunciation of the name, the proper romanization is Tessaiga. By the time Viz, the company that translates the anime and manga, had realized the error, it was too late.^{[citation needed]}

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

1 History
2 Special attacks
3 Tessaiga's transformations and abilities
4 Footnotes

[edit] History

The Tessaiga was made from a fang of InuYasha's and Sesshomaru's full-blooded yōkai father. In its 'docile' form, the sword looks like an ordinary (and rather battered) katana. The sword is enchanted so that no one, human or yōkai, may wield it unless they have a desire to protect humans. In its active state, it transforms into an incredibly large and heavy weapon that somewhat resembles a cross between a traditional zanbato and a falchion. In this form the tsuba (handguard) changes into fur and the rest of blade resembles a very sharp fang. This fur is supposed to be white, similar to Sesshomaru's mokomoko sama, since it comes from their father who had silverish white fur. In the anime, however, the coloring for it is inconsistent as sometimes its white and sometimes its brown. Tessaiga is a sword designed to protect humans, therefore its attacks are extremely deadly to yokai in particular. It is said that the Tessaiga has the power to slay 100 yokai in one swing by striking using the Wind Scar technique. One notable example of this ability was the effects of the Wind Scar on Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru has shown incredible resistance towards holy and divine attacks, yet he was injured seriously by the Wind Scar and took days to recover, even though his own sword Tenseiga was shielding him from the blast. Also, Tessaiga's Bakuryuha technique can only be performed on a yōkai or something with demonic energy (youki). Thus, it can be concluded that Tessaiga was created to specifically kill yōkai. Non-yōkai with unusual powers, such as Kikyo or some holy men, can sometimes neutralize the sword or its attacks.

Upon InuYasha's father's death, Myōga acted upon his lord's final instructions and hid Tessaiga within the tomb of InuYasha's father. The gateway to the tomb was then hidden inside a black pearl that was somehow cast into InuYasha's eye without his knowledge. Upon receiving Tenseiga after his father's death, Sesshomaru began to seek out the Tessaiga, and was enraged to discover that it was enchanted against his ability to master it. He has wielded the Tessaiga in brief moments, usually when battling an out-of-control InuYasha, but the barrier around Tessaiga which rejects him burns his flesh and leaves him weakened afterwards. It is obvious that InuYasha's father intended this from the beginning, so that the brothers could not duel to the death after he was gone: Tenseiga could not kill the living until Tōtōsai reforged it, and it has protected Sesshomaru from the blows of Tessaiga on occasion, although he was still weakened considerably for a time. Tessaiga's sheath similarly protects InuYasha from attacks by other demonic swords, and is more powerful than any other sword except Tenseiga (since they cancel each other out) and presumably So'unga.

In a confrontation with Goshinki, an incarnation of Naraku, the Tessaiga was broken in half. The sword's creator Tōtōsai was able to repair the Tessaiga, but in doing so he used one of InuYasha's fangs. The result is that Tessaiga now became dependent on the strength of InuYasha himself - making the weapon heavier and more difficult for InuYasha to wield. Tōtōsai told him he would have to equal or exceed his father in order to make the sword lighter. After much training and a battle with the yokai Ryūkotsusei (whom InuYasha's father battled to a standstill shortly before his death), InuYasha learns how to use a greater power created from the convergence of the Wind Scar (Kaze no Kizu) and attacks from a powerful opponent, known as Backlash Wave (Bakuryuha). Tessaiga can also absorb magical abilities from the blood of a creature that possesses them, for example, barrier shattering (from Shiori's barrier orb) and Kongōsōha (Adamant Barrage, from Hosenki (Hōsenki). It is however, interesting to note that he has not ever obtained an upgrade in the fashion that he expected to. The power has only been able to be absorbed after InuYasha has shown some sort of emotional maturity, morality or personal growth. When Tessaiga became heavy, he ended up losing it when he fought with Ryūkotsusei. He transformed to his full yōkai form, and started beating Ryūkotsusei but after being smashed into a cliff, InuYasha recovered enough of his senses to find and take Tessaiga. Upon taking hold of the sword, it became feather light to him and he was able to use the Kaze no Kizu anytime, along with the Bakuryuha. When he attempted to cut the barrier orb, he could not cut it due to a barrier around the orb. However, when he felt compassion for Shiori and protected her from the orb's power, he was able to obtain the orb's power without ever having cut it. The same thing happened with Hosenki. When he attempted to cut Hosenki, he didn't even seem to scratch him, and instead ended up being peppered with diamond shrapnel that stuck in the wounds like glass. However, he abandoned his attempt to cut Hosenki when he saw that his friends were in danger, and consequently was able to use the Kongosouha technique although the fracture in Hosenki had not yet appeared. As a matter of fact, it appears that the only upgrade that has been directly absorbed by Tessaiga itself by destroying the source of the power was the ability in the next paragraph, which may help to explain the numerous problems he has had using said ability.

In a final battle with Kanna, most of Tessaiga's powers would be temporarily stolen by her mirror yōkai, who used these powers against InuYasha's party with a conjured replica of the sword. However, he would compensate by using his connection to the real sword to empower it with his own innate yōkai power.^[1]

[edit] Special attacks

[edit] Kenatsu

Kenatsu (Sword Pressure) is when Tessaiga like Tōkijin and most swords of demon origin, has the ability to cut an enemy without making physical contact. InuYasha can be seen to be using this ability before he discovers Tessaiga's top-end Kenatsu: Kaze no Kizu the Wind Scar.

[edit] Kaze no Kizu

The yōki

Kaze no Kizu (風の傷, Wind Scar in English dub) is a special attack technique that can kill 100 demons with one strike. The technique is the base attack of the Tessaiga. This attack is accomplished by finding the rift, or scar, between the powerful yōkai auras (yōki) of Tessaiga's wielder and the opposing demon. Once the wind scar is found, the wielder of Tessaiga can swing the sword into the scar, which releases a powerful energy wave that has the strength to kill 100 lives in one strike of the sword. InuYasha first used this attack by accident, but eventually learned to see the Wind Scar.

When the wielder becomes proficient enough, the Kaze no Kizu wraps itself around the sword; allowing the energy wave to be released at will, without a need for visualizing the scar between winds. After wounding Ryūkotsusei, InuYasha gains the ability to unleash this attack wherever and whenever he wants, without the need of finding the scar of opposing winds to cut. However, the user has to use his own demon energy to supply the power to form the Kaze no Kizu surrounding the blade. This explains why when InuYasha confronted Musō with multiple Kaze no Kizu, he could not keep it up forever as it would drain his demon energy. It also explains why the Kaze no Kizu manifests as a much stronger attack when used by the likes of Sesshomaru and the Inu no Taishou, as opposed to InuYasha.

Throughout the series he is shown to be mostly releasing lesser versions of this attack, using Tessaiga's Kenatsu. The only time he is using the full extent of its power is when he actually calls out it name.

Built upon this attack is the more powerful attack called Bakuryūha, also called the Backlash Wave.

[edit] Bakuryūha

Bakuryūha (爆流破, Explosive Flowing Wave, Crushing Stream, Dragon Twister in InuYasha: A Feudal Fairy Tale (PS): , Backlash Wave in English dub) is the Tessaiga's ōgi (or ultimate technique). This only works on foes with a large demonic power. Uses the opponent's strong yōki and the Kaze no Kizu to return the attack, magnified hundreds of times. With this movement of the Tessaiga, he forms enormous charging twisters that sucks the foes power into the Wind Scar and forces it to flow backwards. The wind and the power twist together into a vortex, pushing it backwards and the enemy is attacked in its own demonic force and Tessaiga's might combined. But to use it, he must see where to cut the yōkai's aura and have strong enough "chi" himself to overpower his foes. InuYasha first used the ability in his battle with Ryūkotsusei, whom he killed using it.

During the first and second movies, InuYasha used the Bakuryūha to slay the "boss" villains, Menomaru and Kaguya, respectively. He used it multiple times in the third movie, ultimately combining the attack with Sesshomaru's Dragon Strike (performed this time by Tenseiga instead of Tōkijin) to send the living sword So'unga into Hell. In the fourth movie, he combines it with the Kongōsōha attack to create the Kongō-Bakuryūha (Diamond Explosive Flowing Wave) attack.

In the manga, it is used to destroy the gigantic bat yōkai Taigokumaru, and was used against the human swordsmith Toshuu, and his ryūjin sword Dakki/Datsuki, though it failed to destroy them.

In the anime only, InuYasha uses this attack to slay the dark priestess Tsubaki (who had merged with an ogre), Bankotsu (after he had powered up his sword Banryū and gained a powerful yōki attack), and the yōkai horse Entei (with help from Kirara).

Unlike other techniques in the series, Bakuryūha is the only one to be introduced in its Japanese name in the English dub of the anime; however, it is always later addressed as "Backlash Wave".

In the video game InuYasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel, this technique is used (by InuYasha) to counter enemy attacks and can be used on weak-enemies (the enemy must attack InuYasha or a party member), as well as Bosses. The technique's only drawbacks (in the game) are its high energy cost (its energy cost is lower than the Wind Scar) and that it can only counter-one (and hit one) enemy.

[edit] Barrier Shatter

Barrier Shatter (Red Tessaiga) is gained indirectly from the orb of the bat demons that gave them the power to create barriers. This technique renders barriers useless. Only the strongest barriers cannot be shattered by this attack, assumably it must be stronger then the barrier made by the orb. When being used, Tessaiga's blade becomes crimson red.

InuYasha learns Barrier Shatter after he destroys the bat-demon Taigokumaru.

The Barrier Shatter has been used the following times:

Piercing through Naraku's barrier immediately before hiding himself at Mount Hakurei.
Destroying the locks on the gate to the Netherworld, while battling the two underworld statues Gozu and Mezu.
Trying to destroy Hakudōshi's barrier while riding Entei (unsuccessfully).
InuYasha's last time performing Barrier Shatter within the anime is against Naraku before he learns the Kongōsōha, though that is not the case with the manga.
Attempting to tear through Midoriko's barrier which was keeping him away from Kohaku.

The Barrier Shatter is also used twice in the second movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass.

InuYasha uses it at the beginning to break Naraku's barrier.
He uses it to enter Kaguya's fortress on the lake's surface
Though not exactly used, Tessaiga's blade glows red but for no apparent reason, perhaps because InuYasha thought Kaguya may be forming a barrier.

The Barrier Shatter is also used once in the fourth movie to try and break through the barrier protecting the jeweled comb-box that held the power orbs of the Four War Gods.

[edit] Kongōsōha

Kongōsōha (金剛槍破, Diamond Spear Wave, Adamant Barrage in English dub): the attack where the blade of the Tessaiga pulsates and slowly forms into a whole blade of fragmented crystals. When the sword is whipped into an attack, many shards of spear-like crystals shoot out with the ability to penetrate any barrier, which is particularly useful against those that the Barrier Shatter cannot break.

At his father's grave, InuYasha gained Kongōsōha indirectly from Hōsenki, a crystallized daiyōkai. Hosenki told InuYasha to cut him, but when InuYasha physically couldn't (which Hosenki probably knew), InuYasha decided that, instead of continuing to try, he would save his friends from Naraku instead. Thus, InuYasha obtained the power to combine his Kaze no Kizu with the kongōseki ("diamonds") to wreak havoc on the foe, or simply to swing Tessaiga and fire off a huge volley of large diamond shards.

In the manga, the yōkai Mōryōmaru was able to copy this attack. In InuYasha's case, it can be fired with or without an accompanying Kaze no Kizu. Mōryōmaru appears to be able to use it with the same or slightly less power than InuYasha, in any case he was able to mince Naraku to the same degree.

[edit] Dragon-Scaled Tessaiga

This form originally only had the power to absorb enemy attacks and use them as its own. For example, against the Nuwatari demon Inuyasha was able to suck the creature demonic aura away. In more useful setting Inuyasha was able to absorb a blast of Koga's Goraishi and use it with his sword to attack Moryomaru. Later this form of the sword is bathed in the energies of the demon, Nikosen. This gives Inuyasha the ability to see yoketsu (whirlpools of demonic energy), which when cut can depower a demon. It is especially useful against demons like Moryomaru and Naraku because it prevents them from rejuvenating their wounds once they've been attacked by it.

[edit] Meidou Zangetsuha

Meidou Zangetsuha is an ability that creates a path to Hell through which to send an opponent; its perfected form is that of a large black sphere that resembles a hole in space. One can create a Meidou where the cut is made, or it can be fired like a projectile. InuYasha's father stole the ability from a yōkai named Shishinki with the aid of Tessaiga. However, because of the danger associated with such an ability, Tenseiga was created out of Tessaiga to bear it. InuYasha's father intended for InuYasha's brother Sesshomaru (a full yōkai who can withstand the terrible jyaki (miasma) of Hell) to master that ability when he inherited the Tenseiga, then later have the sword reabsorbed into Tessaiga (thereby granting InuYasha the perfected technique).

[edit] Tessaiga's transformations and abilities

Rusty Form: Tessaiga's basic form when in InuYasha's human hands or those of another human. Despite its appearance, it can still be used as any other sword and repel most yōkai with its other forms.
Transform; True form: With InuYasha's power fused with the Tessaiga, the katana becomes a giant fang with fur flickering at the hilt. This can block and of course use any of his "weapon techniques" It is also known that the Tessaiga can keep InuYasha's yōkai form from emerging.
Crimson: Defeating a bat yōkai that could put up virtually indestructible barriers with a red orb, InuYasha broke the orb with his Tessaiga and absorbed the blood from the bat demon, allowing him to break small barriers.
Diamond: An ability granted by the powerful yōkai Hōsenki. Tessaiga transformes into a massive diamond sword that allows him to break though any barrier.
Dragon-Scaled Tessaiga(龍鱗の鉄砕牙, Ryūrin no Tessaiga): Another form of the Tessaiga gained in the manga after the anime ended. Tessaiga would destroy the sword Dakki, and gained its ability to absorb youki through its dragon scales.^[2] However, the subsequent confrontation with the yōkai Dokumizuchi would reveal that due to InuYasha's nature as a han'you, Tessaiga cannot absorb huge amounts of youki without causing a catastrophic reverse-flow of energy.^[3] InuYasha would temporarily remedy this problem by absorbing the senki of the yōkai Nikosen, which purified the youki that the Dragon-Scaled Tessaiga absorbed.^[4] But an embarrassing encounter with Sesshomaru, Tōtōsai, and the yōkai Numawatari would cause InuYasha to learn that he didn't "understand" the nature of Tessaiga by simply absorbing youki with its Dragon-Scale form.^[5] InuYasha would be directed by Tōtōsai towards the yōkai-sennin Yourei Taisei, who would train him how to sense a yōkai's youketsu (a floating whirlpool of youki that is the source of a youkai's youki), and how to cut it with the Dragon-Scaled Tessaiga (rather than use it to absorb the youki). InuYasha was then able to understand the Tessaiga's nature as "a sword that cuts", and his training was completed with the acquisition of Yourai Taisei's exceptionally-powerful youki, when he cut through his youketsu with the Dragon-Scaled Tessaiga. The yōkai-sennin would silently indicate that the Dragon-Scaled Tessaiga has one final form that he would leave to InuYasha to discover on his own.^[6]

Sheath of Tessaiga (Tessaiga no Saya): Can deflect or resist electrical attacks and demonic energy attacks with the barrier used to contain Tessaiga's power. However it can only withstand a limited number of attacks. It is possible that the sheath can also summon the Tessaiga to itself. It was made from the freely given wood of Boksuno, an ancient sapient tree, and inherits its magical abilities from it. In one episode this tree explains Sesshomaru the meaning of the two swords and what his father the great dog demon intended.