History
Rin was an orphaned human girl, living on the outskirts of a small human village. Her parents and brothers were murdered by bandits at some point in her past, the event leaving her mute due to trauma. Left alone, Rin was forced to fend for herself for quite some time to the beginning of the series.
During The Story
Rin discovered a severely wounded Sesshomaru in the forest near her home. Although he tried to scare her away, Rin approached him and splashed a water container onto his face, making his lose consciousness. In the coming days, Rin would bring him food, either from the village reserves, or by foraging and scavenging in the forest. Her assistance was unwelcomed by Sesshomaru, who refused to eat any of the foods. Her efforts to nurse him back to health went largely unwelcome, until he noticed the bruises on her face, and he inquired about how she got them. This apparent show of concern caused Rin to smile at Sesshomaru. Surprised and confused, he scoffed at Rin, silently wondering what had made her suddenly so happy. Shortly thereafter, when Rin was killed by a pack of wolf demons, Sesshomaru followed the scent of her blood, and when coming upon her corpse and remembering her smile, Tensaiga pulsed, and he revived Rin, who joined him as a travelling companion.
Over the coming months, Rin joined Sesshomaru in his travels, and she was often put at risk due to her association with him.
At the end of the Inuyasha series, Rin was left in a human village, under the tutelage of Kaede, in order to get accustomed to living amongst humans. It is noted by Inuyasha that this was done so that when she is older, she will be able to make a choice if she wishes to remain amongst humans or return to Sesshomaru's side.
Hanyou no Yashahime
At some point in the future, Rin became Sesshomaru's wife and gave birth to twin hanyou daughters, which she named Towa and Setsuna.
Some time later, Rin ended up inside the Tree of Ages, where she was kept in a perpetual sleep, presumably at the expense of Setsuna's own ability to sleep. Sesshomaru is constantly watching over Rin, worrying for her, since her life is tied to Zero's.
Personality
Rin was a sweet and innocent young girl, whose selflessness and compassion meant that she was eager to make friends and help others, often while putting herself at risk for doing so.
As typically expected of a girl her age, she is innocent and is often seen picking flowers, singing songs or otherwise complaining about her boredom to Jaken. In Inuyasha: The Final Act, she is depicted as having a good sense of humor, often making jabs at Jaken's personality and stature.
Physical description
Inuyasha
Rin was a short human girl with tan skin, brown eyes, and long, black hair, which she wore down, with the exception of a small ponytail on the right side of her face.
For most of the series, Rin remained barefoot and wore a yellow and orange checkered kososde with a green sash. At the end of the Inuyasha series, when living with Kaede, Rin was seen wearing other colorful kimonos that Sesshomaru brought her as gifts.
Hanyou no Yashahime
After the time skip, Rin was shown as a young woman of average built, with tan skin, brown eyes and long, dark brown hair, which she wore down her back.
She is seen wearing a white under-layer with a grey sash.
Capabilities
- Survival Skills
- Hunting-and-gathering - edible mushroom identification
- Flower picking
- Empathy
Circumstances
- Occupation: Unknown, last known as Kaede's charge
- Age: Unknown
- Race: Human
- Affiliation: Sesshoumaru's group
- Place of Origin: Japan
Relationships
Romantic Life
Husband: Sesshomaru
Family
- Towa (Daughter)
- Setsuna (Daughter)
- InuYasha (Half Brother-in-law)
- Kagome (Half sister-in-law)
- Kaede (Guardian)
Friends
- Sesshomaru
- Kohaku
- A-Un
Quotes
"If I died one day, I was wondering... Would you always remember me?"
- Inuyasha Episode 162
"Sesshomaru-sama, Rin trusts you."
- Hanyou no Yashahime, Episode 15
Trivia
- Takemaru of Setsuna compared Rin and Kagome to Izayoi, due to their strong affiliations to dog demons.
- In a Q&A, Rumiko Takahashi confirmed that Sesshomaru chooses Rin's kimonos from a selection that was bought by Jaken. If Sesshomaru was unhappy with the selection, Jaken had to return and repurchase other kimonos, until a kimono to Sesshomaru's liking was found.
- Rin is the only known character besides Sesshomaru and Inu No Taisho that has held Tenseiga.
- The checkered pattern on Rin's Kimono that she wore during her Childhood, is called the Ichimatsu pattern. It is said to be "a pattern that means eternity, expansion and prosperity."
- Rin's adult character design was said to be the most difficult of all the Yashahime character designs, because she does not move.
Media appearances
-InuYasha
First Appearance: Episode 35
Recurring Appearances: Episodes 44, 45, 51, 52, 66, 67, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 96, 99, 104, 107, 111, 113, 1114, 115, 116, 121, 122, 133-134, 143, 144, 149, 154, 155, 162, 166-167
