A Kikyo question

[LandmineLuv]

Does Kikyo take the souls of women who have just died, or does she kill them?

[Etoh*the*Greato]

Presumably those who have just passed. Either way, there are a good deal of souls that never get to see their final rest because of her.

[Fantasy Dreamer]

I think the only person she's tried to take the soul of while they were alive was Kagome... or am I remembering that wrong?

[termyt]

She collects souls of the recently departed. Presumably she could kill to get them, but it's implied that the Soul Collectors go out looking for them to bring them to her.

There's no evidence that either Kikyo or her Soul Collector harm anyone to get he souls.

The souls collected are at least delayed from making it to their final resting place. Kikyo herself expresses regret for this, but her constant need for souls implies that she can only draw energy from a soul for a limited time. What happens to the soul after that is unknown. I would like to believe that the souls are not consumed or destroyed, but instead held for a while to sustain Kikyo and then released.