Rin (InuYasha)
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Rin's origins
Rin is a character in the anime and manga series InuYasha. She is estimated to be approximately eight years old, and is the ward of Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands and InuYasha's older half-brother. At an unspecified time in Rin's past, her entire family was killed when bandits raided the village where she lived. She became a ward of the village, and no longer spoke to anyone for any reason (likely a psychological reaction to trauma known as "terror silence").
Rin's character is introduced in Episode 35: True Owner of the Great Sword. After InuYasha uses the Kaze no Kizu on Sesshomaru, the Tenseiga saves Sesshomaru by transporting him to a forest glade near Rin's village (Some speculate that it wasn't by chance that he was transported to a location where Rin could find him). Wandering in the forest, Rin comes upon the unconscious Sesshomaru; he wakes in a feral state and frightens Rin, but she does not run away. Instead, she brings Sesshomaru food and water, which he refuses, telling her that her generosity is wasted because he does not eat human food. Even when the villagers catch and abuse Rin for stealing fish from the preserve for Sesshomaru, she isn't dissuaded. The sight of her bruised face as she offers Sesshomaru the fish she prepared for him elicits some of the first hints of compassion to be displayed by his character; he asks almost hesitantly where she got the bruises, and this brings a beaming smile to Rin's face even as he brusquely retracts the question at her silence.
Later in the episode, presumably after Sesshomaru has recovered his strength and left the glade, Rin discovers an intruder in the old hut where she has been living. This demon is stealing from Rin's meager stores before resuming his flight from Koga and the Wolf Demons he commands; Koga wants the shard of the Shikon no Tama that the demon bears. After killing the demon and retrieving the shard, Koga casually gives his wolves permission to attack the village. Rin sees the slaughter and runs into the forest, searching desperately for Sesshomaru. In her child's mind, she obviously believed that he would protect her based on his casual concern over her bruised face. Rin cannot find him in time, however, as the wolves are faster than she and she trips over a tree root which has erupted from the ground.
Upon finding Jaken after his recuperation, Sesshomaru is about to depart the area when he catches the scent of Rin's blood. Though he has no discernable reason save morbid curiosity, he turns and tracks the scent with Jaken in tow until he finds Rin's mauled and lifeless body. Remembering Rin's smile and stating aloud that he wishes to test his sword again, he uses Tenseiga to resurrect Rin, much to Jaken's total disbelief. After cradling her with his arm for a moment, Sesshomaru stands and walks away, leaving the discombobulated Jaken and a wide-eyed Rin standing on the path. Still mute, Rin falls into step behind Sesshomaru, joining him in his travels.
Rin's development
By the time Rin's character returns in Episode 44: Kaijinbo's Evil Sword, she has completely changed from the mute, somber, wide-eyed girl who came upon Sesshomaru in the glade. Rin is smiling and laughing and chattering as any young girl does, wearing a colorful new kimono and as thoroughly obedient and devoted to Sesshomaru as Jaken. It is obvious that Sesshomaru has in some way provided for Rin and coaxed her from her silence, though how or why he has done so is never elaborated upon. It can be surmised that since Tenseiga compelled Sesshomaru to resurrect Rin (as Sesshomaru stated in his thoughts at the end of Episode 35), he considers her his responsibility and provides her with care and clothing appropriate for someone in his retinue. As a result, the cause of Rin's 'terror silence' is overcome by the presence of a caring protector, even one as aloof as Sesshomaru.
Rin's relationships
Rin and Sesshomaru
Several times during the series and movies, Sesshomaru shows a protective instinct towards Rin. It is clearly evident that she has given him something to protect, which is what Sesshomaru's father wanted his elder son to have. Though Sesshomaru would never admit that he has any sort of care or concern for a lowly human, Rin and Jaken were in Sesshomaru's thoughts as he used Tenseiga in concert with Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga to defeat the rampaging So'unga in InuYasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler. In fact, though Sesshomaru's attitude seems callous and cavalier, the truest portrayal of his relationship to Rin is shown in Episode 162: Together Forever With Lord Sesshomaru.
In this episode, Rin is captured by a demon who entrances children with a flute, then traps them in a cave to devour later. Rin seats herself amongst the other frightened children and calmly waits for Sesshomaru to rescue her, considering him much more powerful than this demon and remembering that he has come to her rescue many times before. She confesses to the children that she fears humans more than demons because humans kill for no reason, something the other children do not understand.
When an itinerant group of monks bent on destroying all demons who cross their paths hears of the children being taken, they seek out the cave and destroy the demon. By the time Sesshomaru arrives, Ungai (the leader of the monks and most spiritually powerful) has Rin under one arm and is forcing her to go to the village, yelling at her to stop being so foolish. Rin is screaming for Sesshomaru, and when Sesshomaru arrives, he is not happy to see Rin being treated in such a way.
The monks try to destroy Sesshomaru using the same technique as they had just used on the demon which was stealing the children: the subordinate monks encircle Sesshomaru, removing rosaries of sutra beads from their kimonos to hold as they cast paper sutras at him. Ungai then uses the focus stone in his staff to send purifying energy to the various sutras, rather like sending a radio signal to detonators. However, Sesshomaru is a taiyoukai, and therefore possesses far greater powers than any other demon the monks have apparently faced. When the smoke clears, Sesshomaru stands where he was, looking unharmed and irritated.
Undeterred by the idea that they have a much more powerful foe than in previous battles, Ungai orders his monks to 'bind his legs' as Sesshomaru begins to walk towards Ungai and the captive Rin. The other monks surround him and encircle Sesshomaru in a barrier, symbolized by blue flames in a ring on the ground at Sesshomaru's feet. Ungai then firmly plants his staff in the ground, activiating the purifying energy of the barrier. Sesshomaru at this point begins to lose his temper, and places his hand upon Tokijin's hilt. But then Ungai directs a surge of his own purification powers through the focus stone at Sesshomaru, and Sesshomaru releases Tokijin's hilt. His rage is so great that he begins to transform, and in the moment just before his transformation, when his full yōki at his command, Sesshomaru uses it to shatter the focus stone at the head of Ungai's staff. The ensuing explosion also destroys the monks' sutra-bead rosaries and knocks the monks from their feet, including Ungai, and frees Rin from his grip.
Rin begins to run after Sesshomaru, but Ungai calls out to her, telling her that she belongs with humans, that a demon like Sesshomaru doesn't care about her. Suddenly uncertain, Rin remembers Jaken telling her that she will eventually die, and likely long before Sesshomaru establishes the empire he is bent on creating. With his back turned to the scene, Sesshomaru coldly tells Rin to do as she wishes. Ungai sees her hesitation and thinks he has saved her, but Rin simply smiles warmly, waves farewell, and runs off after Sesshomaru. Once they rejoin Jaken, Rin spots a lonely grave along their path, and she sweetly asks Sesshomaru not to forget her if she should die. Sesshomaru's only answer is an expression of surprise and utters the words: "Such a foolish thing..." This has been widely interpreted as meaning that Sesshomaru considers such a request foolish, because he could never forget his Rin.
Rin and Jaken
When Sesshomaru resurrected Rin using the Tenseiga in Episode 34 (see above), Jaken could scarcely believe that his 'beloved lord' would use his mighty powers on a lowly human. This disbelief has festered into a somewhat rocky relationship between Jaken and Rin. Jaken has berated Rin from the beginning, calling her an ignorant, foolish girl who is unworthy of serving and generally useless to the great Taiyoukai Sesshomaru.
As time has passed, however, Jaken's hostile attitude towards Rin has softened. Her unflinching obedience to Sesshomaru's commands has likely earned her some respect from him. In Episode 162, when Rin asked Jaken what would be the best role for her to play in Sesshomaru's empire, Jaken's startled reply was: "You'd go with us that far?" This indicates that Jaken had no idea of Rin's true devotion to Sesshomaru, which in her own childish but subtle way rivals Jaken's own.
When Rin saved Jaken's life (risking her own in the process), she said that she didn't want to see anybody else she loved die, as her father, brother and mother had been killed by bandits. She then hugged Jaken in tears after finding out he would survive.
Rin and Ah-Un
On journeys, Rin often rests on the beast's back when flying over great distances. When Sesshomaru leaves Rin in a safe place, either with Jaken or by herself, Ah-Un is always with her. Rin has beseeched Sesshomaru to 'come back and get us' when he has taken Jaken with him on a potentially dangerous journey; a sign that Rin considers Ah-Un part of her strange new family on the same level with herself and Jaken. Ah-Un has used his ability to fire yōkai energy from both mouths to save Rin from lesser demons when she was collecting a herb to save Jaken from the poisons of Naraku's Saimyōshō.
Other characters
Rin befriends Kohaku, the demonslayer Sango's younger brother, while Kohaku acts as her guard when Naraku is using her for bait to lure Sesshomaru into battle. Her concern for Kohaku, and for what Sesshomaru will do to Kohaku for attempting to kill her while under Naraku's influence, has led many in the fandom to favor a romantic pairing between the two characters.
Though Rin's appearance in Sesshomaru's entourage shocked Kagome, InuYasha and their companions, they have never been told the whole story. Rin does not appear to revere InuYasha as she does Sesshomaru (likely due to Sesshomaru's coldness and Jaken's derision), but she seems to see a kindred spirit in Kagome.
Rin in Fanfiction
Among the ten most popular 'ships' in fandom is the romantic pairing of Sesshomaru and an adult Rin. The devices by which the plot goal is achieved vary widely, but a typical Sesshomaru/Adult!Rin fanfic centers around the following concept:
- Rin, having reached puberty, feels a physical attraction towards Sesshomaru which compliments her undying adoration. Sesshomaru, NOT being made of stone with ice water in his veins, notices the change in her 'scent' and begins to find Rin more interesting as well. Emotions are eventually confessed; Sesshomaru and Rin mate. Mating somehow confers immortality upon Rin, and she will truly be with Lord Sesshomaru forever.
It is not always done, but may of these stories have the added bonus of Rin becoming pregnant with Sesshomaru's child. This causes Sesshomaru to re-evaluate his position on hanyou in general, and his homicidal impulses towards InuYasha are forever squelched.
Voice actresses
She is voiced by Mamiko Noto in the Japanese anime and Brenna O'Brien in the English version.