Shippo

Shippō (七宝, "The Seven Treasures") was an orphaned young fox demon who attempted to steal Shikon no Tamashards from the miko Kagome Higurashi and the hanyōInuyasha, wanting to become much stronger and avenge his father's death at the hands of The Thunder Brothers. Though his plan fails, Kagome and Inuyasha aid him after hearing his story, and he becomes their companion for the rest of the series.

Shippō normally appears to be a young boy with certain fox-like features: his legs, feet, ears, and tail. He can shapeshift, but his other forms (Such as a large pink flying balloon and mushroom) are temporary and often ineffective, usually given away by his lingering fox tail. He can also create illusory duplicates of himself, as well as weak fox-fire magic and toy-based tricks such as his giant spinning top attack.

Naively observant, he often directs cheeky comments to Inuyasha, usually earning himself a smack on the head. Inuyasha and Kagome serve as older sibling figures to Shippō. Because of his small size, Shippō often rides on Kirara or the shoulders of others, as well as getting beat up by Inuyasha in almost every episode. When he does travel on the ground, he drops to all fours if he wants to run quickly. His actual age is never stated in the series; according to the official InuYashaguide by Rumiko Takahashi, his appearance is equivalent to that of a seven-year-old boy.

Three years later following the defeat of Naraku, Shippō resides in Kaede's village, but often leaves to train and take the kitsune demon examination to become a full-fledged fox demon of even higher rank.