InuYasha (character)

InuYasha (犬夜叉) (Inu dog + Yasha demon) is the title character of the manga and anime series InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi. He is the love interest of the protagonist Kagome. Template:Spoiler

Story

InuYasha is a reckless hanyou (half demon), the result of a relationship between a powerful dog demon and a beautiful human woman. Orphaned at a young age, InuYasha is rejected by humans because of his yōkai side and looked down upon by yōkai as a hanyou because his human blood supposedly taints his superior yōkai blood. Thus, before InuYasha met, and consequently fell in love with, the powerful human Shinto priestess, Kikyo, he found it very difficult to trust anyone else, and even more to find anyone who accepted him as a hanyou. Kikyo felt a deep love for InuYasha as well.

Kikyo was the protector of the Shikon Jewel, or the Jewel of Four Souls, which is one reason why InuYasha followed her a lot. The Shikon Jewel was a jewel with incredible power, which InuYasha intended to use to become a full demon. However, Kikyo talked him into becoming human. Another hanyou, Naraku, plotted to take the jewel for himself. Naraku was once a bandit named Onigumo who was obsessed with Kikyo and became jealous that she had fallen in love with InuYasha before giving his body over to many yokai. After falling for Naraku's schemes, and their own lack of trust in each other, InuYasha broke into Kikyo's village and stole the Jewel of the Four Souls. To defend of the village and to keep him from escaping with the Jewel, Kikyo shot InuYasha with a Sacred Arrow pinning him to the God Tree (Goshinboku). Moments later, Kikyo collapses from a wound she received from Naraku and gives final instructions to Kaede to burn the Jewel with her body so it would travel to the afterworld with her.

50 years later, InuYasha was released from the tree by Kagome Higurashi, the reincarnation of Kikyo from 500 years in the future, who unknowingly carried the Jewel of the Four Souls inside the side of her body. After InuYasha kills Mistress Centipede, he tries to steal the Jewel but ends up with the Beads of Subjugation around his neck. When Kagome says "Sit Boy!" ("Osuwari" in Japanese) the necklace plunges to the ground taking InuYasha with it. Kagome accidentally shattered the Jewel when shooting at a demon crow trying to flee with it, and the shards were scattered around Feudal Japan. InuYasha, Kagome, and their friends then began the search for the shards of the Jewel of Four Souls. They eventually come across a perverted monk, named Miroku, and a great, talented demon slayer, named Sango, and a young fox demon, named Shippo.

InuYasha was introduced as an antagonist when, upon his revival, he attempts to kill Kagome in order to take the Shikon Jewel. He becomes more civil as time progresses, losing some of his more childish qualities and becoming much more mature. He maintains a crass, blunt, rude attitude towards everyone except Kikyo, and to a lesser degree the rest of his companions expect Shippo. He is brutally honest when it comes to dealing with emotional hardships, and always tries to take the most direct route possible in solving any problem, which usually involves violence.

InuYasha is offended when someone calls him a dog, puppy, half breed, or suggests that he is inferior to yōkai, due to his human parentage. Although InuYasha should be weaker than full demons since he is a hanyou, he tends to remain the victor in fights largely due to the fact he wields Tessaiga.

Relationships

• Kagome - The heroine of the story. Although their interaction was initially very adversarial, Kagome and InuYasha have become very close over time, and Kagome's kindness and acceptance of InuYasha has had a noticeable effect on his attitude. Although they are commonly seen arguing, they both have feelings for each other, but have not admitted it due to understandable situations. But Kagome was the one who said it first in the 2nd movie when InuYasha was in his demon form and that is how she woke him up after that they both shared their first kiss (anime only) even though InuYasha and Kikyo kissed each other before Kagome was born. This is the primary relationship in the series.

• Shippo - InuYasha is continually annoyed by this yōkai-fox, or kitsune, who is rather smart for his age. Their interaction consists mostly of Shippo annoying InuYasha and the han'yō then hitting him and being scolded by Kagome for it. However, InuYasha does care for Shippo and encourages him when really necessary. Shippo once cried when he thought InuYasha had been killed, and then hugged him while still in tears when he found out that he was still alive. Shippo, like InuYasha, is an orphan, and the two often fight like siblings.

• Miroku - Even though Miroku is a lecherous monk, InuYasha clearly respects Miroku for his skills, powers, and knowledge. Each knows he can trust the other with his life if need be. Also, Miroku is the only male companion of InuYasha with whom he doesn't always bicker. Whenever Miroku is sucking Naraku's poisonous wasps (saimyōshō) into his Kaza'ana or otherwise putting himself in danger to help his friends, InuYasha forces him to stop these dangerous acts. Once he even promised to rip Miroku's arm off if he tried to open his Kaza'ana again (as doing so would have resulted in Miroku's death) — InuYasha's way of saying that he cares. More recently, in the manga, Miroku almost got himself killed trying to suck in Naraku but was stopped by InuYasha.

• Sango - InuYasha respects Sango's strength as a fighter, to the point that he was actually the one to ask her to join them in their quest to defeat Naraku. He went out of his way—in his blunt and awkward fashion—to help take her mind off her troubles after she first joined them. After she initially joins, Sango proves to be a very worthy companion and often fights side by side with InuYasha, and her Yōkai hunting skills prove to be a valuable asset in hunting down Naraku. Sango really only fights with InuYasha when her brother Kohaku joins them for a bit with no memory of Naraku and InuYasha doesn't trust him and thinks it's all an act, while Sango takes on the defensive side and argues for her brother. InuYasha also stopped Sango from killing Kohaku and often comforts when she starts feeling blue, assuring her that they'll get him back. This has given hope to Sango and she now believes that she doesn't have to kill her brother to free him because of InuYasha's interference. Sango has stated that she doesn't have a preference for which form InuYasha is in and will stand by him no matter what.

• Kikyo - When Kikyo was brought back in a body of clay by the yōkai Urasue, she was filled with the anger and bitterness which had consumed her when she died, and she acted with hostility toward both InuYasha and Kagome. Over the course of the series, Kikyo has gradually become more and more like the shrine maiden she was before her death. Threats to her safety make InuYasha react without much thought for the consequences to himself or the effect it has on Kagome. Kikyo's death in InuYasha's arms leaves him depressed and feeling lost. Though Kagome may be able to help him overcome this sadness.

• Sesshomaru - InuYasha's older half-brother, a full-demon who is also son of the Great Inu Yōkai. He doesn't like the fact that InuYasha wields Tessaiga and he was stuck with Tenseiga. The two openly hate each other. InuYasha loathes Sesshomaru because Sesshomaru tried to take his sword. And Sesshomaru loathes InuYasha because InuYasha is a mere half-demon. Sesshomaru also considers himself innately superior to InuYasha by merit of being a yōkai. Sesshomaru is another of the most popular characters of InuYasha.

However, there have been multiple times where Sesshomaru has told InuYasha that he was going to kill him. During such times, Sesshomaru almost always defeats InuYasha, yet he decidedly never kills InuYasha. This signifies that Sesshomaru either likes or (more likely) respects InuYasha, but being a full demon and the son of a great lord, it's hard for him to show that to him.

• Koga - InuYasha and Koga have a very complex relationship. They are often seen bickering over Kagome, something that is often used for comical purposes in the series. However, they have aided each other in the battlefield on more than one occasion; InuYasha even saved him from Kagura by showing himself in human form and using his Wind Scar attack, which would have destroyed her had Naraku not intervened, and managed to bring him back to safety after he was almost melted by Naraku's shōki in liquid form. Koga has also never revealed to Naraku that InuYasha loses his powers once a month, because during that time it would be easy for Naraku to dispatch him since he is in human form and can't use the Tessaiga. In a recent manga chapter following Kikyo's death, Koga helps to snap InuYasha out of his grieving, reminding him that he is not the only one suffering. An odd blend of friendship, respect, annoyance, and rivalry, the fate of their relationship remains to be seen.

• Myōga - This yōkai-flea was a loyal servant of InuYasha's father. He now acts as InuYasha's retainer. He often provides InuYasha with information on his enemies and on ways to upgrade his sword in order to defeat them. However, he will often flee from battles, and mysteriously reappears in a safer place in the area, or after the danger has passed. Though useful, he is constantly getting squished and once Kagome even sprayed him with flea spray.

• Totosai - This is the sword smith who forged InuYasha's Tessaiga and Sesshomaru's Tenseiga. He often gives InuYasha advice on how to better use the power of his sword. Indeed, all of InuYasha's achievements in strength (other than physical) can be credited to Totosai. He was also a servant of InuYasha's father, like Myoga. He, Myoga and Saya seem to have been best friends all serving under the great general. InuYasha tends to act less than appreciative of Totosai's help, frequently smacking him over the head for one idiocy or another. Still, InuYasha has gone to Totosai for aid several times, demonstrating that underneath all the irritation, he does respect the sword-smith.

• Sota - Sota sees InuYasha as a role model, due to his father being deceased, and tries to spend time with him when he is in the modern age. Sota even calls InuYasha "Inu no nii-chan" (dog brother). Sota and InuYasha seem to be getting closer and closer as once him and InuYasha even took a bath together; the deal being that Sota will wash InuYasha's back if he does the same for him. This ended with InuYasha running out of the bath tub naked with Sota and landed in front of a horrified Kagome. (Note: Despite what many fans consider to be a display of homosexuality, in Japanese culture it is considered perfectly acceptable to give a child a bath in such a way, though it is usually done by family, further proving the two character's growing closeness).

• Bankotsu - Even though he was his enemy, InuYasha understood Bankotsu's desire to be strong. After InuYasha kills him he tells Bankotsu that he was "too greedy" and that "his bare hands would have been enough" to beat him. Later when Naraku insults Bankotsu, InuYasha, who was angered by the way he had used Bankotsu, tells Naraku that even though he was evil, Bankotsu had more honor than Naraku ever had.

• Kinka and Ginka - These two yōkai brothers wielded the power of fire and lightning. Their relationship was very similar to the relationship that InuYasha has with Sesshomaru. In the end, their contempt for each other lead to their deaths at the hands of Moryomaru. InuYasha apologized for having dragged them into his struggle with Moryomaru, and perhaps even got a glimpse of what future awaits him and Sesshomaru if they continue despising each other.

Inuyasha's Special Traits

InuYasha can wield the Tessaiga, which neither Sesshomaru nor any other full-demon can do.

Physical Abilities

• Strength: InuYasha's yōkai blood gives him superhuman strength. No upper limit has yet been shown in the canon, but, according to the Zusetsutaizen Ōgikaiden official character data book, he is at least strong enough to easily lift a boulder with a diameter greater than the height of his body over his head with one hand, and then run many miles with it. Such a boulder would weigh perhaps eight to ten tons. The Ōgikaiden similarly states that he is strong enough to punch through solid steel with his bare hands, as seen in the manga version of the battle with the Noh Mask.

• Speed: While not as fast as Entei the yōkai-horse that served as Hakudoshi's steed, InuYasha's speed has been shown to easily exceed that of a normal horse; possibly as fast as, if not faster than, a cheetah. Due to the speed he can accumulate in his runs, added with his incredible strength, he is able to cross great distances with a single jump. Altogether, this creates the illusion that he is flying every time he leaps. The Ōgikaiden says he can reach the top of tall cliffs with a single leap as well.

• Stamina: InuYasha's stamina likewise far exceeds human standards. He is shown to be able to run tremendous distances at tremendous speeds with minimal effort, and is often seen complaining about how his comparatively weaker human companions always slow him down by needing to rest so much every day.

• Defensive Ability: While his fire-rat robe provides additional protection, a power afforded to anyone wearing it (such as whenever InuYasha gives his robe to Kagome for protection), InuYasha's physique is capable of taking a lot of damage, more than the average human, or even most yōkai. He appears unaffected by severe blunt force trauma, able to withstand a direct blow from a wooden log that broke on contact, and unfazed by the tremendous impact of being thrown hard enough to shatter solid rock. He also possesses tremendous resistance to sharp weapons, able to withstand attacks that slice through trees. While he can be injured by more powerful yōkai and holy weapons, he appears invulnerable to most human ones, able to catch normal arrows out of the air and break steel swords with his bare hands.
  Even without his fire-rat robe, he has shown the ability to withstand direct contact with fire and tremendous heat, as well as corrosive substances like acid. When injured, he heals far more rapidly than a human, so much so that attacks powerful enough to severely injure him are rarely fatal, as they would be to humans, if they sustained an equivalent injury. For example, he recovered quickly from numerous serious attacks, including a large fist-sized hole punched through his gut. Unfortunately for InuYasha, his tongue is still susceptible to being burned by curry. He also appears weak against strong smells, as was the case with the ink from the episode "The Cursed Hell Painter".

• Senses: InuYasha's senses are highly developed, and in some ways, appear to be "supercanine" rather than "superhuman". His senses of hearing and smell are quite likely his most powerful - he is shown to be able to hear what people are whispering from great distances, as was the case when, while perched on a tree, he overheard Akitoki Houjou hiding in a bush and quietly praising Kagome under his breath. His ability to hear is sometimes used for comic relief, as when he overhears Shippo whispering insults about him to Kagome. Likewise, his sense of smell is shown to be extremely sensitive - he can smell hints of blood from miles away and can detect the presence of people by smell long before they can be seen. This is also sometimes used for comical purposes.
  Not much is explicitly said about his other senses. One can however speculate that his eyesight is somewhat enhanced at night, due to the fact that his eyes sometimes are shown to glow, and appear to share some characteristics with cat eyes. The fact that his robes are bright red (one of the colors dogs cannot see) suggest that InuYasha's visual spectrum is at least similar to that of humans. His sense of taste may also be heightened, considering how affected he is by curry.

Physical Techniques

• Soul-Scattering Iron Claws (散魂鉄爪, Sankon Tessō) (Viz's name: Iron Reaver Soul Stealer): InuYasha's basic claw attack is powerful enough to tear apart iron, making it easy for him to rip his enemies in half.

• Hijin Kessō (Blades of Blood, 飛刃血爪, Hijin Kessō): InuYasha's blood, when combined with the "Soul-Scattering Iron Claws", does damage when thrown. With this attack, he is able to attack his enemies from afar instead of in close combat. InuYasha splashes his own blood on the end of his claws and flings them like multiple shuriken to cleave his foes in two. In the later fights with the yōkai ninja, it appeared that he used the blood of his enemy to use the Blades of Blood. But this is unconfirmed.

• Time Travel: This technique basically involves InuYasha jumping down the “Bone Eater’s Well” and traveling back and forth 500 years from the future. How this is done has not been explained and is one of the series most talked about plotholes. There are many theories and the anime only gives clues and allows for inference. It is very possible that it involves spiritual power or simply will power or his connection with Kagome, but it is also said that a shard of the Jewel of Four Souls is needed. However, this is contradicted by episode 4 where InuYasha traveled to Kagome's time without the aid of a jewel shard. Also, given the fact that the bones of demons disappeared once thrown into the well (hence the name "Bone Eater's Well"), it can be assumed that a jewel shard is not needed. On the other hand, others besides Kagome (who needs a jewel shard to travel through the well) and InuYasha have been unable to travel through the well even with a jewel shard.

Tessaiga's Techniques (including Manga-Specific)

• Wind Scar (風の傷, Kaze no Kizu): A special attack that can kill 100 yōkai with one strike. InuYasha first used this attack by accident, but eventually learned to see the Wind Scar. This attack uses the collision of yōkai winds between two enemies to create a path ("the scar") to unleash an attack of cutting wind. Once he has mastered this, he is able to take 100 lives in one strike of his sword. If he does the Kaze no Kizu too many times it eventually will wear him out since the Kaze no Kizu is from his yōkai spirit. It nearly wore InuYasha out once when he fought Musō. Later on after he stabs the heart of the yōkai, Ryukotusei, he gains the ability to unleash the Kaze no Kizu whenever he wants.

• Explosive Flowing Wave (爆流破, Bakuryūha) (Viz's names: Backlash Wave): The Tessaiga's ogi (or ultimate technique). Uses the opponent's strong yōki and the Kaze no Kizu to return the attack, magnified hundreds of times. With this movement of the Tessaiga, he forms enormous charging twisters that sucks the foes power into the "Wind Scar" and forces it to flow backwards. The wind and the power twist together into a vortex, pushing it backwards and the enemy is attacked by its own yōki and Tessaiga's might combined. But to use it, he must see where to cut the yōkai's aura and have strong enough "chi" himself to overpower his foes. An alternate way to look at it is this: when an enemy fires any type of yōki, InuYasha is able to use that attack and send it back entwined in a twister along with Kaze no Kizu as long as he is more powerful than they. This only works on foes with a yōki. However, InuYasha has also used it against Bankotsu of the Band of Seven in Episode 122 when Bankotsu gains the ability to unleash a demonic power by slaying 1000 humans and 1000 demons. This is only seen in the anime.

• Barrier shatter (Red-colored Tessaiga): Gained from the blood of Taigokumaru which was absorbed into Shiori's orb. This technique renders barriers including Naraku's for a while useless. When being used, Tessaiga glows red. Only the strongest barriers cannot be shattered by this attack, such as Naraku's current barrier and Midoriko's barriers.

• Diamond Spear Wave (金剛槍破, Kongōsōha) (Viz's name: Adamant Barrage): Attack gained from Hosenki after Naraku had used the shard to make him fight InuYasha. After defeating the diamond yōkai with the power to obliterate any type of barrier, InuYasha absorbed his power to combine his Kaze no Kizu with the diamonds to wreak havoc on the foe. The Tessaiga turns into a massive diamond, whipping diamond shards from its blade with huge yōki explosions to destroy any and foremost Naraku's Barriers. In India, where the show is dubbed and aired on Animax, this attack is referred to as "Diamond Onslaught".

• Ryūrin no Tessaiga (Dragon Scaled Tessaiga): This attack involves one half of Tessaiga being covered in large dragon scales. This move is different from the rest because it absorbs yōki instead of causing direct damage to an opponent. InuYasha gained this attack when a sword smith that got possessed by a sword forged from a yōkai's scale, named Datsuki, attacked InuYasha. During the fight Datsuki absorbed the Kaze no Kizu attack as well as the Bakuryūha, and Tessaiga almost snapped, again. In the end, the sword smith couldn't handle it and died, causing the sword to break and give its special power to Tessaiga. This does not appear in the anime as it was discontinued.

Tessaiga’s Techniques

These techniques are revealed in the movies and the games.

• Diamond Explosive Flowing Wave (金剛爆流破, Kongō-Bakuryūha) (Viz's name: Adamant Backlash Wave): A combination of Kongōsōha & Bakuryūha. This attack is only used in InuYasha the Movie: Fire on the Mystic Island on the Four War Gods.
• Exorcising Explosive Flowing Wave (破魔爆流破, Hama-Bakuryūha): This isn't really an attack as much as it is a combined effort between InuYasha and Kagome, which is only used in the first and fourth movies, episode 140, and the 5th InuYasha opening. Basically consists of Kagome firing one of her Hama no Ya in the center of InuYasha's Bakuryūha before it connects. This isn't the most powerful combo attack in the series as Sesshōmaru's Soryuha and Meido Zangetsuha attacks and Miroku's Kazana can overwhelm it. In the first movie when Menomaru shot a beam of light from his forehead Kagome first shot her Hama no Ya and then InuYasha countered Menomaru’s beam by unleashing his Backlash Wave (Bakuryūha) on his beam. This resulted in the Hama no Ya destroying the Jewel in Menomaru’s head thus eliminating his power, and the Backlash Wave then destroying Menōmaru himself. And though seen only very briefly, a close look will reveal a blue dragon apparently emerging from the power of the Hama no Ya. In the second movie, instead of using the Bakuryūha, he used the Kaze no Kizu to replace it when they were fighting Naraku in the beginning of the movie. In the fourth movie this attack came in the form of the opponent, who was a combination of the movie’s four main antagonists, unleashing a barrage of lightning which was then countered by Kagome shooting her Hama no Ya attack which was then followed by InuYasha who combined his Bakuryūha with his Kongōsōha. The attack resulted in a dispersion of the Hama no Ya and the opponents’ energy in the Bakuryūha as all that was left were a trail on Kongōsōha diamonds connecting the Tessaiga with the enemy, after which the Kaze no Kizu portion which was left from the Bakuryūha then attacked the opponent following the trail of diamonds and subsequently destroying them as they were combined in the attack as well. Thus in the end the entire attack resulted in the Kaze no Kizu being combined with the Kongōsōha, which was what unleashed the deathblow on the opponent. Thus there was no need for Kagome to have shot her Hama no Ya at all as it was dispersed along with the enemy’s energy because of the Kongōsōha.

• Ultimate Bakuryūha: This is InuYasha's Bakuryūha without countering his foe’s attack and adding his or her yōki into the Kaze no Kizu to unleash the traditional Bakuryūha. This only appears in InuYasha: Secret of the Cursed Mask. This attack isn't canon because it exterminates the main reason InuYasha is able to release the Bakuryūha which is by combining his power with that of his enemy.

Tessaiga's Transformations/Abilities

• Rusty Form: Tessaiga's basic form when in InuYasha's human-form's hands or those of another human. Despite its appearance, it can still be used as any other sword and repel most yōkai with its other forms. This form as well as all the other forms carries a barrier that protects humans holding the sword and hurts yōkai trying to wield it.

• Transform; True form: With InuYasha's yōki fused with the Tessaiga, the katana becomes a giant fang with fur flickering at the hilt. This can block and of course use any of his "weapon techniques" It is also known that the Tessaiga can keep InuYasha's yōkai form from emerging. However, some attacks can purify the yōki such as the Hama no Ya, during which InuYasha has to send in more of his yōki into the blade to transform it again. It is in this form that the blade can unleash the Kaze no Kizu and the Bakuryūha in the manga and the anime, but in the movies this rule doesn’t seem to apply.

• Crimson: After the bat yōkai king Taigokumaru was defeated, his blood was absorbed into a red orb used by each son of his family to set up a powerful barrier. By destroying the orb and bathing the Tessaiga in his blood the sword was able to assume a crimson form capable of destroying all but the strongest barriers in the series.

• Diamond: An ability granted by the powerful yōkai Housenki. Tessaiga transforms into a massive silverish, diamond sword that allows him to break though any barrier, which is useful when InuYasha needs to overcome a barrier that his crimson Tessaiga can’t. It is in this form that the blade can unleash the Kongōsōha.

• Dragon-Scaled Tessaiga: Another form of the Tessaiga gained in the manga after the anime ended. This form is gained by destroying "Datsuki" a yōki-absorbing sword. Whenever he used it to absorb yōki it burned his hands, and if he absorbed too much of it, the sword let off an enormous explosion of yōki, that nearly killed him once. However, later on Tessaiga absorbed a priest's senki (holy energy) which stopped the backflow of youki from hurting InuYasha and allowing him to properly use this form of the Tessaiga. The sword doesn't permanently absorb yōki as most of the time the energy lasts only long enough to be used by InuYasha against his opponents. The only exception to this is the yōki from Yōrei-Taisei (below) and the senki that it absorbed from the priest because he absorbed all their powers rather than just a blast of energy. Eventually, InuYasha trains under a yōkai named Yōrei-Taisei (who later infuses Tessaiga with his power). The yōkai teaches InuYasha to sense and attack yōketsu, whirlpools of yōki that channel the powers of yōkai. Most yōkai have one yōketsu, but yōkai like Moryomaru and Naraku have many yōketsu due to the fact that they're composed of many yōkai. To destroy a yōketsu is to ruin an opponent's ability to channel yōki, or in some cases utterly destroy them, as the yōkai in Yōrei-Taisei's training disintegrated when their yōketsu were destroyed. This is potentially one of the series' most effective techniques as it can totally disempower his opponent. Breaking Yōketsu does not seem to fill Tessaiga with any additional power. On a side note, InuYasha was told that there was a final form that the Dragon-scaled Tessaiga was capable of achieving. We have yet to discover what this form is. However, Sesshomaru seems to have a vague idea of what it is.

Miscellaneous

• Sheath of Tessaiga: Tessaiga's sheath can deflect energy attacks with the barrier used to contain Tessaiga's power. It is also capable of returning the Tessaiga to InuYasha's hands when they become separated. The sheath is capable of resisting any amount of offensive force. If that force is used continuously then the sheath will crack. The sheath couldn’t hold off Hiten’s repeated thunder attacks. In the third Inuyasha movie,however, it was able to hold off Sesshomaru’s Sōryūha since it was an attack that was only unleashed once.

• Beads of Subjugation (Kotodama no Nenju): The beads around InuYasha's neck are activated if Kagome says to InuYasha, "Sit Boy" (おすわり, Osuwari) (As one would say to a dog as a command.) Once activated, the Beads become heavy enough to force InuYasha to his knees, or even fracture his back. Once used as a way to control him, it is not used often anymore, and only as comic relief, or by accident. The Kotodama no Nenju is introduced in the very first manga as a spiritual device to control InuYasha. It was originally intended to keep InuYasha from killing or hurting Kagome. It consists of a number of round beads (estimated at between 42 and 49 in number) and between seven and ten magatama (comma shaped) beads which are often mistaken as claws. The magatama is an ancient comma-shaped bead imbued with great spiritual and mystical powers. These beads have been found as far back as the Jomon period (jo-mon-jidai, about 10,000 BC to 300 BC). The most famous Magatama are the Yasakani no Magatama - one of The Three Sacred Treasures of the Founding of Japan

Clothing in a "historical context"

According to interviews with the author, the style for InuYasha's clothing was based on "priest's garb" of Japan's "Warring States" period. It is roughly similar in general appearance to the clothing worn by Kagome's grandfather, Kikyo, and Kaede; all Shinto clerics. The red garments are made of the legendary "Fire Rat (Hinezumi) hair" which is said to be fireproof and "stronger than poor armor". From canon, we read 「火鼠の毛で織った衣だ、下手な鎧より強いぜ」 "Hinezumi no ke de otta koromo da, heta na yoroi yori tsuyoi ze" ; the literal translation is: "It's clothes woven from fire rat's hair, stronger than poor armor." These claims are substantiated in numerous incidents throughout canon. The historical reference can be found in the ancient Japanese folk tale "Taketori Monogatari", or "The Bamboo Cutter's Tale." The 'Robe of the Fire Rat' allows him to resist fire and to some extent, blades. It also works on others to whom he lends it if they need it more than he does. The robe loses its armor-like qualities during the new moon, just as InuYasha loses his yōkai powers.

We can see that InuYasha's garments are hakama (pants) bloused at the ankles, a jacket with "separated" sleeves, kosode (shirt), and obi (belt).

• Pants: clearly Hakama, quite likely the Sashinuki style.

This is a style of the Heian Period (795-1192 CE). The show and manga take place in the Sengoku Period (1467-1615 CE). Of course, InuYasha doesn't span the entirety of the Sengoku Period, however, since InuYasha's outfit comes from his father, who was a very old demon, it makes sense that it has been matched up with the "Hitoe" (below). His Hakama and Hitoe are both made of the Cloth of the Fire Rat.

• Jacket: Hitoe

Often mistaken for a common Kimono it is clearly not long enough. Some believe that InuYasha's jacket is Hitatare but since the jacket is shorter than this, and his jacket is tucked into the pants, it appears to be a Hitoe with the sleeves modified to the kariginu style, commonly called "bell sleeves". The Hitoe is an unlined robe, traditionally it is either a kurenai (orange-red) or rarely a pale green color. The sides are not sewn shut, and the sleeves are only partially sewn to the body. The collar is long and open. It is two panels wide, and so is very large; a double fold, like darts, made in the back at the time of donning, enable one to wear the garment. It is worn tucked into the pants (whether ōguchi or sashinuki). The red-orange color and the mention of the partially attached sleeves re-enforce this theory. The partially attached sleeves allows the white shirt (Kosode) worn underneath to be seen clearly. (Jackets worn by the characters Jakan, Kikyō, Kaede, and "Grandpa" all have the same feature.) The sleeves are extremely full at the wrist, as wide as the shoulders of the garment, and have a ribbon or cord sewn through the hem of the wrist. This can serve at least two purposes: it allows the sleeve to be gathered at the wrist (like the Hakama at the ankle) and it is often used to gather the material for easy folding for storage. Neither of these features is seen in canon. The jacket is so short in fact that the white shirt (Kosode) shows through the side Hakama slits instead of the jacket. Interestingly, InuYasha wears a black cord across the chest from the right shoulder to the left hip, tied in a simple bow. It is *not* a sword cord, but appears to be holding the excess fold of the jacket in place.

• Shirt: Kosode

Kosode were commonly worn as underwear during the Kamakura era, at which time they became legitimate garments in their own right and became more dressy and full, with less sculpted sleeves. The undergarment kosode of Heian and Kamakura Periods was invariably white. An important point that must be made is that kosode (lit: “little sleeve”) weren’t just so called because the sleeve was small; they were given the name because the sleeve opening was small (especially when compared to other garments of the period, which were often termed ōsode, or “large sleeves”). The slits in the side of the Hakama show the white Kosode (shirt), and the openings at the sleeves and shoulders of the jacket show it as well. This is a deliberate fashion effect.

• Belt: Obi

The belt appears to be a standard Obi, through which the Saya (sword sheath) is thrust. The Obi as worn by a swordsman is positioned just over the hips so the sword is "low" in the sash in order to make drawing the sword much easier. The Obi knot is normally a very tight square affair. However, we can see that InuYasha wears his Obi and his Hakama much higher up around his waist, nearly to his ribs. InuYasha's knot is more of a slightly floppy bow knot.

While InuYasha's garments in the original manga started with an interesting pink color, then turned to red. The bright red color is now the accepted standard.

• Kagome's grandfather (Grandpa), Kikyo, and Kaede all wear clothing traditional to Shinto clerics, which has remained virtually unchanged from the Sengoku era until today:

Ōsode ("large sleeve) garment or Hitoe-type jacket, over Kosode ("small sleeve") shirt, Hakama, Obi, and Tabi (socks). The Miko of today still wear the same style of clothing as Kikyo and Kaede, except that the sleeves of the outer jacket are now fully attached at the shoulders. Miko wear red Hakama, while Male Shinto Priests wear black Hakama.

• Jaken wears traditional Court apparel for the era: A Formal Court Hat called tate-eboshi; Kosode (Shirt); Trousers called nu-bakama or sashinuki (bloused) hakama; with an over-garment simply called a jo-e having corded sleeves called jo-e no sode-gukuri no o.

Transformation

File:Human InuYasha.jpg

Human InuYasha as portrayed in the anime series

• Human: Like all hanyou, InuYasha turns completely human once a month. During the new moon his hair turns black and he loses his superhuman strength, speed and defensive abilities as well as his demonic characteristics, such as his dog ears, claws, fangs, amber eyes and so on. In this form InuYasha can only use Tessaiga in its rusty form. Only InuYasha's friends and a few others know his secret as InuYasha tries to stay hidden during the new moon.

File:Demon Inu-Yasha.jpg

Yōkai InuYasha as portrayed in the anime series

• Yōkai: InuYasha's yokai blood takes over anytime his life is in danger and the Tessaiga is out of reach. InuYasha first transformed when Naraku's detachment Goshinki broke the Tessaiga with its fangs. When transformed (pictured right), InuYasha's eyes turn red, stripes appear on the sides of his face, and his fangs and claws lengthen. Once transformed, he gains a massive boost in all of his physical abilities, such as strength and durability, and becomes impervious to pain. He cannot, however, distinguish between friend and foe. If left in this state, InuYasha will continue killing until he is killed. Repeated transformations will eat away at his sanity, and possibly the human part of his soul. Myoga reveals the reason InuYasha's father had the Tessaiga forged was to prevent his son's yōkai blood from taking him over since his han'yō body cannot fully handle the power he inherited from his father. In the more recent chapters on the manga, InuYasha reverted to his yokai state once again while fighting a mirror yokai. He did not lose control and fall into an altered state like he has in prior situations, because his youki flowed into the Tessaiga, that was stripped of its power at the time.

• Purified: While trapped in the Stone Ogre's belly, InuYasha used a shard of the Jewel of the Four Souls to strengthen Tessaiga's power, an effort which backfired when the impure powers of the shard flowed through Tessaiga, causing InuYasha to transform. Kagome, seeing InuYasha's predicament, ran to him and her embrace purified the shard, leaving InuYasha in a purified version of his yōkai form. In this form, he retained some of the aspects of his yōkai form, such as the purple stripes on his face and the black patch under his eyes, but his eyes remained clear and he retained his sanity instead of being subject to the berserker rage which ordinarily characterizes his yōkai form. After the shard was removed from the Tessaiga, InuYasha reverted to his normal han'yō self.

Trivia

• Although he is always seen with claws instead of human nails on his hands, his feet have human toenails instead of claws, although there may be a few exceptions where we see his toes have claws instead of toenails.
• InuYasha seems to have akita dog ears.
• InuYasha is one of few anime characters to go barefoot outside of a martial arts themed story.
• In the Ougikaiden character guide book, Rumiko Takahashi revealed that InuYasha's ears feel somewhat like "five layers of raw gyoza (Japanese dumpling) skin put together." She also noted that InuYasha's nose "goes dry if he catches a cold."
• InuYasha and Shana from Shakugan no Shana have a lot of similarities, despite having different genders. Both wield katana, have supernatural powers (ex. jumping to really high places), have a love-hate relationship with their partner, can survive things that are fatal to normal human beings (ex. getting stabbed in the chest) and have tough and rude attitudes.
• InuYasha seems to be afraid of spiders and other insect-like creatures. (An example being in episode 100, he quotes "I have a thing against bugs.")

Voice Actor

• Japanese Seiyū: Kappei Yamaguchi
• English Voice Actor: Richard Ian Cox
• Italian voice actor: Massimiliano Alto (ep 1-26); Francesco Pezzulli (ep 27-167)
• German Voice Actor: Dominik Auer
• Hungarian Voice Actor: Moser Károly
• Latin American Spanish voice actor: Enzo Fortuny
• Filipino Voice Actor: Jojit Lorenzo
• Korean Voice Actor: Kang Su Jin