Lunar Month

Sango is a highly skilled youkai exterminator, or demon slayer, and a member of a group of exterminators trained to kill demons. Sango, like all other children of her village, started training to master the art of youkai extermination from a very young age. Her preferred weapon is a huge boomerang called the Hiraikotsu, and is made of the bones of youkai. Until chapter 488 in the manga, Sango was the only member of the group who had no supernatural powers. It isn't until chapters 497-499 that she discovers her Hiraikotsu has gained some powers.

Naraku, the main antagonist of the series, devised an elaborate strategy to destroy the demon exterminators and take their pieces of the Shikon no Tama. He first lured the five most skilled slayers of the village away to a castle. The castle was under the control of Naraku who had either taken the form of its young lord Hitomi Kagewaki or had been that person for many years. The slayers quickly killed a weak spider demon who they had been told was threatening the castle. Immediately after, another spider-demon in the disguised form of the castle's lord took control of Sango's younger brother Kohaku and had him attack the entire group of exterminators (including his own father). Sango was the only survivor. When she discovered the presence of the spider-demon controlling Kohaku, she turned to attack the demon. Kohaku stabbed her in the back with his kusari-gama (chain-sickle). Meanwhile, the spider-demon still disguised as the lord of the castle ordered his men to kill the "crazed" slayers. Sango and Kohaku were both shot full of arrows. Naraku, in the form of Hitomi Kagewaki, then appeared and killed the spider-demon. He orders that the bodies of the exterminators be buried with the exception of Kohaku which he takes away for other purposes.

While the slayers were fighting at the castle, Naraku sent his saimyosho out to lead a large force of demons against the village of the slayers. All the villagers were killed in the battle and Naraku gained their pieces of the Shikon no Tama.

Sango was then buried but then dug herself out of her burial mound and afterward has her wounds briefly tended to by Naraku in the form of Hitomi Kagewaki (the young lord). In that form, Naraku has his saimyosho come to him. The saimyosho (calling itself Naraku) tells Hitomi Kagewaki within listening range of Sango that her village was destroyed by demons under the leadership of a youkai named InuYasha. Enraged at this "news", Sango demands her weapon and swears to kill InuYasha at all costs.

Sango meets InuYasha and the group not long after she left the castle. Immediately she engages in a battle that InuYasha does not want to fight in, and he thus holds back. Naraku was watching closely with a youkai puppet and sends the saimyosho to deter Miroku from using his Kazaana. It seems like Sango has the upper hand by using her poison gas to fend off InuYasha's attacks, but InuYasha easily discovers that if he knocks off her mask she would not be able to use such an effective defense. Having done so, InuYasha "saves" Sango from her own poison gas after knocking off her mask. Puzzled as to why InuYasha, the youkai who supposedly killed her entire village would save her, she stabs him in the arm with her Wakizashi. InuYasha, after rather nonchalantly removing the weapon from his arm, bluntly points out that Naraku was tricking her and that she was bleeding rather badly. Sango is shocked to see that he was right because she had felt no pain from her wounds; soon afterwards she passes out. She awakens on InuYasha's back and only after assurances and explanations from Kagome does Sango feel as if she can "trust" InuYasha for the time being.

Naraku's Saimyosho escape with the Jewel Shard he lent Sango and she loses consciousness due to blood loss. When she wakes up, they make it back to her village, where Sango finds out that they had already paid proper respects to all the villagers, who died defending the village without their strongest warriors from the onslaught of youkai.

The group learns from Sango that the Shikon Jewel has close ties with her village, and Sango in time realized the true nature of Naraku and joins the group.

She is a valiant warrior in battle as she is the best youkai exterminator from the village, and with her Hiraikotsu she is not an opponent to be taken lightly. Sango also has her fire cat demon companion, Kirara. She hopes to defeat Naraku and be reunited with Kohaku who was brought back from the dead by Naraku with a Shikon Shard. At the end of the manga, after Naraku is killed, she marries Miroku and has 3 children with him.

Hiraikotsu (Boomerang Bone): The name of Sango's giant boomerang, and also the name of the attack using it. It was made from the bone of a youkai, and this makes it nearly unbreakable and powerful. 'Hi-' means 'flying', 'rai-' means 'return' and '-kotsu' means 'bone', so the name can also mean "bone that flies back." This weapon is effectively destroyed in Chapter 484 (Youdoku) of the manga. However, through a poison and medicine youkai called Yakurodokusen, the youkai that make up Hiraikotsu realize Sango's and Miroku's devotion for each other, and decide to fight together with Sango once more.

In Chapter 498, during her confrontation with Naraku, Sango finds that her weapon now has the ability to absorb his aura and body when she throws it at him. This newfound vulnerability prompts Naraku to flee for now.

Youkai Paralyzing Poisons: Sango's knowledge of various poisons (particularly ones that affect only youkai) is extensive, and she employs a few different kinds throughout the series. She wears a custom-fit gas mask to protect herself from some of the more potent ones.

Numbing Potions: Used as an alternative for Hiraikotsu whenever Sango attempts to ensnare Youkai without killing them. She usually bakes these and prepares them disguised as baked goods (usually buns or donuts) placed on top of a small box for the youkai to eat.

Dagger gauntlet: Hidden in the sleeve of her kimono is a retractable dagger. The first time she uses it is when she fights Naraku at his castle. In one episode she used it to free herself when she was tied up by villagers. Another time she used it against Miroku while she was possessed by a demon egg. Her wrist blade is mostly used as a last resort.

Wakizashi: A weapon that she sometimes uses in close combat or if she loses Hiraikotsu, but she prefers her main weapon. Many believe that this weapon is a katana but a katana would be too long to hold. It is actually the wakizashi, a shorter, one handed sword.

Chain: Uses the chain as a whip and to constrict foes.