Kagura & Kohaku (and Sesshomaru)
I’ve been wanting to do this post for a while, because I think Kagura’s relationship with Kohaku is one of the most significant, and it ties Kagura to Sesshomaru in various ways.
At first, when Kohaku fell under Naraku’s control, Kagura was just the one who transported Kohaku and got him back after a mission. She didn’t really care what happened to him, she just wanted to find a way to be free. But when she realized that Kohaku had regained his memories, she started talking to him and feeling empathy for him. Kohaku was just a child who had been forced to kill his family and who was now a hostage of Naraku, just like her.
And over time, we see that Kagura begins to protect Kohaku. She tells no one that he recovered his memories and on several occasions she lies so that he does not get into trouble. One of the most important episodes for Kohaku is 163, where Kirara, Kohaku and Sango are the main characters and all three remember the time when they lived together in the village of demon slayers. But the fourth most important character there is Kagura. She is present throughout the episode and realizes that Kohaku wants to see his sister, but instead of reporting that to Naraku, Kagura tells Kohaku to take care:
And at the end of the chapter she lies to Hakudoshi telling him that she doesn’t know where Kohaku is.
Like Sesshomaru, Kagura has a learning of compassion and empathy for others and this is reflected in her relationship with Kohaku. I love that, in several openings, she is frequently portrayed next to or in front of Kohaku, as if she were a barrier between the boy and Naraku.
And at the end of the series, it is precisely she who dies saving Kohaku from Naraku. Hakudoshi ordered Kagura to take the fragment from Kohaku, but when the time came, Kagura couldn’t do it. She did not want him to suffer the same fate as her. So she rebelled against Hakudoshi and helped Kohaku escape.
Kagura not only let Kohaku go, she gave him one of her feathers and sent him away, while she stayed behind to fight Hakudoshi.
She knew she couldn’t beat Hakusoshi (Let’s remember that she had already faced him and he almost killed her that time). But still Kagura was willing to sacrifice her life to save Kohaku’s.
She also knew that this represented a betrayal to Naraku and that he would kill her. And that was what finally happened. That is why Naraku killed Kagura. Many of us remember that she died because Naraku pierced her chest and injected poison into her. But Naraku did that because she betrayed him by saving Kohaku.
Kagura died to save Kohaku’s life. And that’s one of the most beautiful things about her character. That shows us the growth she has had as a person, and that she was a brave woman who had a noble and gentle heart.
And Sesshomaru knows this. He finds out that Kagura died saving Kohaku when he is fighting with Moryomaru.
And what does Sesshoumaru end up doing? yes, he ends up caring for and protecting Kohaku. Because that’s one of the ways he’s going to make sure Kagura didn’t die in vain. Sesshomaru will protect the child Kagura gave her life for.
And he will continue to do so, even years after her death:
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