Renkotsu

Renkotsu (煉骨, Renkotsu^?) is the second in command and is the third strongest member of the Band of Seven. An expert military engineer, he creates explosives and incendiary devices, including a type of flaming oil that he can spew from his mouth, and reconstructs Ginkotsu into a living artillery weapon that resembles a modern tank. He is also a gifted strategist and has some skill at hand to hand combat, although the only members of the group he surpasses in fighting skills are Mukotsu and Kyoukotsu.

Appearance

Renkotsu as he appears in the anime.

Renkotsu is bald, which is most likely due to his working with fire.  He has tattooes upon his face which stand for “Deception.”  He usually wears armor and a bandana.  His original armor consisted of a blue undershirt with a reddish-orange armor, but after his battle with Koga, in which much of his armor was torn off, Renkotsu adopts a new outfit with a black undershirt and orange armor. 

 Synopsis

Renkotsu first appears in the anime taking over a Buddhist temple; however, his scene is omitted from the manga.  He then takes Inuyasha and his poisoned friends in after his battle with Ginkotsu and gains his trust.  Later, after Ginkotsu attacks Inuyasha at he temple, Renkotsu sets the temple with Inuyasha’s friends in it on fire, but not before stealing Kagome’s Shikon Jewel Shards.  He is spared by Inuyasha, and he and Ginkotsu regroup with the Band of Seven.

He reworks Ginkotsu into a tank, and then along with Jakotsu and Ginkotsu, collects Suikotsu.  When reunited with Bankotsu, he is forced to give up the shards he stole from Kagome.  Bankotsu promptly threatens Renkotsu with death if he keeps more shards for himself.  Renkotsu appears later with Ginkotsu, fighting Koga.  They gain the upper hand at first, but Koga causes Renkotsu to fall from Ginkotsu’s back after critically injuring him.  Ginkotsu, angered, unleashes all of his artillery upon Koga.  Koga defeats him, but Ginkotsu self-destructs and uses his Shikon shard to protect Renkotsu (in the manga, Koga stuffs Renkotsu’s armor into Ginkotsu’s cannon, causing it to explode).  Renkotsu uses Ginkotsu’s shard to heal his wound.

He then attacks again by trapping Inuyasha, Kagome, Koga, and Koga’s followers into a cave.  He defeats Inuyasha and prepares to cut out Koga’s jewel shards, but is then handily defeated by Inuyasha’s timely appearance.  Later, after Inuyasha enters the barrier surrounding the Band of Seven’s fortress, Renkotsu chases him and toys with the helpless Inuyasha.  Inuyasha slips through a crevice only to meet Jakotsu in battle.  Renkotsu observes the battle and removes Jakotsu’s jewel shard after he was defeated by Inuyasha.  With three jewel shards, he challenges Bankotsu, but dies after Bankotsu, deeming him a traitor, cuts all of the jewel shards out of Renkotsu’s body.

Name Meaning

Renkotsu’s name comes from two kanji characters: “煉 ren” and “骨 kotsu” meaning “refined metal” and “bone“.   His name refers to his skill with metalwork, as demonstrated when he made Ginkotsu into a battle tank.

 Abilities

He is a master at explosives and metallurgy and mechanics. He uses a variety of fire-based weapons, including “steel” strings that have been lit on fire, cannons, and dynamite.  He also can breathe fire by drinking oil and spitting it from his mouth (no explanation is given as to how the oil is lit, as it comes from his mouth as fire).  He also has a wooden wheelbarrow that he uses to carry his artillery after Ginkotsu’s death.