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People cling to the divine, yet forget so easily... They truly are selfish creatures... The matron god of this nation is sealed away in a place like this, while they live carefree lives in a land touched by the sun.

—Izanami, Chapter 103

Izanami (イザナミ Izanami?) is the goddess who rules Yomi. She is also the "mother" of the first gods, including Ebisu.[1]

Appearance[]

Izanami's true form is a body in a state of very severe decomposition, so much that she is practically a living skeleton. It is unclear whether the long, dark hair is truly a part of her body that hasn't decomposed as badly or rather just a remnant of her fake illusion under which she had appeared to Yato. In all of her forms, Izanami is seen wearing a long dyed kimono with flower motifs over a plain white kimono.

Whoever casts their eyes on her, Izanami is seen in the likeness of the person they feel most comfortable with: In Yato's case, she takes the appearance of Hiyori; in Ebisu's case, she takes the appearance of the Olive House Lady; in Father's case, she takes the appearance of a freckled woman.[2] However, when Izanami loses her composure, the illusion of maintaining her different appearances begins to fade, eventually breaking completely to reveal her true form.

Personality[]

It is implied that Izanami has a sweet and gentle, yet savage and barbarous nature. She has been consumed by her loneliness for a very long time, which makes her sad, impulsive, temperamental, and irrational, especially when someone goes to the underworld and doesn't want to be her friend. Her pursuit is relentless, getting angry whenever she loses track of them or they run away.

Izanami seems to be aware of what form she takes depending on the person, flirting with Yato in Hiyori form but didn't do so for Ebisu, though she could just be observant and was able to tell Yato was attracted to her but not Ebisu. She resorts to drastic measures to make others stay with, such as having Yato and Ebisu fight over who would get to leave and chasing after them with her beldams.

Interestingly, Izanami doesn't care about having any of the shinki or Bishamonten be her friend, both of which she fed to her beldams: The Shinki are pure souls, so they would most likely die since pure souls can't live in the underworld, which would explain why she wasn't interested. She might also prefer male company, deciding to feed the war goddess to her beldam rather than try to befriend her.

Skills & Abilities[]

Izanami blocks exit

Yomi's exit sealed by Izanami.

Izanami captures Yato-36

Yato captured by Izanami.

  • Ayakashi Summoning: Izanami is the creator of the Word, which she can use to create ayakashi and name them as if they were shinki. By using the Word, she can avoid being blighted,[3] having to recite an incantation, and having to create a mask to affix to an ayakashi.[4] While unseen, it is implied she can create masks with the brushes too.[citation needed] At these moments, her eyes look like two concentric circles with a black dot for a pupil inside, a similar pattern being replicated on the masks and bodies of ayakashi she has created.
  • Hair Manipulation: Izanami is capable of controlling her hair and using it to attack or entangle opponents. Her hair is capable of damaging both gods and shinki.[5][6]
  • Control of Yomi: As the ruler of Yomi, Izanami is able to control the infrastructure of Yomi, rearranging its layout[citation needed] or sealing its exits at will.[5]
  • Yomotsu-shikome (黄泉 (よもつ) 醜女 (しこめ) Yomotsu shikome?): Izanami also has control over the Yomotsu-shikome, her attendants that carryout her bidding. They can instantly transport individuals throughout Yomi[1] and provide visual information to her; after Ebisu makes eye contact with a Yomotosu-shikome, Izanami becomes instantly aware of his exact location.[7] Since they are very numerous, they are also able to collectively restrict an opponent, causing injury by biting them[6] or offering them the rotting food of Yomi, which prevents an individual from ever leaving the realm.[8]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Chapter 31: Like Parent, Like Child (Vol 8)
  2. Chapter 32: She Who Invites (Vol 9)
  3. Chapter 30: The Sound of Thread Snapping (Vol 8)
  4. Chapter 27: Do and Due (Vol 7)
  5. 5.0 5.1 Chapter 36: Binding Curse (Vol 10)
  6. 6.0 6.1 Chapter 37: The Sound of You Calling My Name (Vol 10)
  7. Chapter 33: Wielder of an Iron Will (Vol 9)
  8. Chapter 34: Much Were Their Desires (Vol 9)

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