Inuyasha supporting characters Kikyo : is a powerful
priestess tasked with guarding the Shikon Jewel 500 years before the main events. She falls in love with Inuyasha and plans to use the Jewel to make him human, but Naraku manipulates them by impersonating both of them, resulting in her death. The witch later resurrects her using stolen grave remains. In
the spinoff, the Sacred Tree of Ages adopts Kikyo's form to communicate. Kohaku recounts to Towa how Kikyo's unwavering strength during their travels inspired him, particularly when she defeated and sealed the plant-demon just before meeting Inuyasha.
Sesshomaru : is a powerful dog demon (), feared throughout the feudal era. Born of a great demon bloodline, he is the older, more powerful half-brother of Inuyasha. He is usually accompanied by his demon minions, Jaken and A-Un. Chronologically, he is over 200 years old, while according to the official
Inuyasha Profiles guide by Rumiko Takahashi, his appearance is equivalent to being 19 years old in human years. He once started off as a major antagonist towards Inuyasha and his friends, seeking to gain power and strength, as well as having disdain towards humans and half-demons. However, he eventually goes through a series of trials that lead to his redemption and eventually becoming an anti-hero.
Jaken : is a small green
imp-like demon loyal to Sesshomaru, often praising his master's greatness, although Sesshomaru usually ignores and sometimes abuses him. Jaken himself is not especially powerful, but he wields the , a fire-throwing staff that Sesshomaru gives him. The manga explains little about Jaken's past, but the anime shows that Jaken was once a lord among similar demons. After the older Rin gives birth to Sesshomaru's twin half-demon daughters, Jaken is tasked with protecting them after Sesshomaru hides them in the forest of the Sacred Tree of Ages.
Rin : is a barefoot orphan girl who tended to Sesshomaru's injuries when she found him under a tree, having lost her family to bandits prior. Rin ended up being killed by wolves under Koga's tribe when they raided her village, and then resurrected by Sesshomaru using Tensaiga on her. She has since accompanied Sesshomaru throughout the events of the series, with her presence being a major part in Sesshomaru's redemption. Many years later, as an adult, she ends up marrying Sesshomaru and later giving birth to their twin daughters, Towa and Setsuna. However, Rin was targeted by Zero as she placed the on Rin's neck, with Sesshomaru placing her within the Tree of Ages until Zero's curse on her was broken.
A-Un is a two-headed
dragon demon with some
horse-like features and Sesshomaru's beast of burden who is one of the two in the series explicitly stated to be a
herbivore, like Totosai's ox. Despite traveling with Sesshomaru for centuries, he has no name until Rin gives him one, calling the right head "A" and the left head "Un" (the kanji symbols 阿吽 together translate as "Alpha and Omega"). A-Un can fire energy from both mouths. The right head shoots blue beams of lightning, while the left shoots green lightning that can control clouds and possibly the weather, and can fly like Sesshomaru. A grey cloud-like gas trails from his legs in flight, similar to Kirara's flames.
Kohaku : is Sango's eleven-year-old brother who, like his family, is also a demon exterminator. He grew into a confident leader of a new generation of demon-slayers, which included his teenage nephew, Hisui, and Sesshomaru's younger twin half-demon daughter, Setsuna. He uses the larger
chain-sickle he had gotten from Totosai on demons.
Koga : is a
wolf demon who is the young leader of the Eastern Wolf Demon Tribe that was nearly wiped out by Kagura and Naraku. He first meets Inuyasha as an opponent in battle, but becomes a reluctant, occasional ally despite maintaining a strong sense of rivalry about their relative combat strengths and the courtship of Kagome. After initially kidnapping her for her ability to locate Shikon shards, Koga becomes attracted to Kagome's kindness, spirit, and beauty. Inuyasha is always foul-tempered and jealous during Koga's visits because he worries that Kagome might have feelings for Koga, though she has only ever seen him as a friend.
Kaede : is Kikyo's younger sister that assisted her with various tasks, such as gathering herbs or holding her quiver of arrows. After Kikyo's death, Kaede became an unusually strong shrine priestess in her own right and defended the village against demons. Kaede lost her right eye sometime during her life and wears an eyepatch over it. Supplementary information states that she "lost her elder sister and her eye in an incident fifty years ago."
Myoga : is a flea demon in service to Toga who was assigned to guard Tetsusaiga's resting place before it was acquired by Inuyasha, accompanying him and later Moroha while providing them intel on topics that include current events and foes. He tends to run and hide during fights despite being a loyal retainer, his presence being a telltale sign of no present danger. Myoga enjoys drinking demon blood and actually saves Inuyasha's life at one point by drinking a spider demon's venom out of his blood.
Totosai : is an elderly
blacksmith with large, bulging eyes and the creator of Tessaiga and Tenseiga, from the fangs of his old friend, the Great Dog General, who entrusted him to help his two sons. As Inuyasha grows stronger and Sesshomaru grows more compassionate, they become more capable of mastering their respective swords, which Totosai strengthens accordingly. He spends most of his time at his forge inside a volcano, but sometimes travels elsewhere on a flying three-eyed ox named .
Inuyasha antagonists Naraku : is the main antagonist of the series, being the arch-enemy of Inuyasha and his friends. He is a half-demon originating from the corrupted human , a bandit who cared for Kikyo, albeit in a twisted way. Paralyzed and consumed by desire, as well as jealousy towards Kikyo's and Inuyasha's relationship, Onigumo merges with demons through a pact with a , forming Naraku's body. Though created to pursue Kikyo, Naraku orchestrates her death and Inuyasha's imprisonment, then waits fifty years for the Shikon Jewel's return. Throughout the series, he continually modifies his form to purge his remaining humanity. His fate differs between media: Inuyasha destroys him with Meidō Zangetsuha in the manga, while Kagome's wish purifies him in the anime.
Demon of the Shikon Jewel : is the dragon created from numerous demons from ancient times that battled the priestess Midoriko before forcing the priestess to trap their souls in what became the Shikon Jewel. In the end, he is destroyed by Inuyasha's Meidō Zangetsuha in the manga, while purified by Kagome's wish in the anime version.
Magatsuhi : is the evil, corrupting presence within the Shikon Jewel, born from the spirit of the dragon demon, then his offshoot. His existence is eventually made known to Inuyasha's group when Naraku gives him a temporary human-like body to act through to assist in the restoration of the Shikon Jewel, with the personal goal to completely defile it. As it would later be revealed, Magatsuhi is responsible for sealing Kagome's full spiritual power out of fear of the girl being a threat to him. After losing his temporary body due to Bakusaiga, Magatsuhi resorts to bodily possessions before being stopped by Inuyasha with Dragon-Scaled Tetsusaiga with the power of the demon vortex, and killed by Sesshomaru with Tenseiga during the final battle against Naraku.
Naraku's incarnations After acquiring enough Shikon Jewel shards, Naraku gained the ability to create new demons from his being that are technically his "offspring". However, each is treated by Naraku as expendable minions; tools to use as he wishes. He manipulated some of his earliest creations by threatening to destroy their disembodied hearts should they betray him. Eight detachments were directly created by Naraku within the series' storyline.
Kanna : is Naraku's first detachment, appearing in the form of a ten-year-old girl in white with a mirror. Kanna is the only person that Naraku trusts with important information about his actions, allowing her to dictate in his stead. As a "concealed incarnation" of Naraku, Kanna has no scent or demonic aura, which makes her undetectable to Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome, and immune to demonic aura-related effects such as the Hakurei barrier. She is also nice to Kagura and informed of Naraku's warnings. She is immune to the Infant's ability to read hearts to know what someone is truly thinking, but possesses thoughts and feelings of her own.
Kagura : , Naraku's second detachment, is a wind-controlling
witch who wields a fan to create razor-edged tornadoes and manipulate corpses. She travels using enlarged feather ornaments and harbors deep animosity toward Koga after exterminating his tribe. Though serving Naraku, she secretly pursues freedom, occasionally aiding Inuyasha's group while developing an attachment to Sesshomaru. Naraku ultimately poisons her during a false gift of her restored heart, leading to her fatal confrontation, where she dies in Sesshomaru's presence.
Goshinki : , Naraku's third detachment, is a horned with bladed elbows and razor-sharp fangs. His primary ability involves reading opponents' minds, similar to a
Satori, allowing him to exploit weaknesses and evade attacks. During battle, he shatters Tetsusaiga, triggering Inuyasha's demonic transformation. Unable to predict the feral Inuyasha's movements, Goshinki is torn apart, leaving only his head intact. Sesshomaru later retrieves the remains, briefly reviving Goshinki so his fangs can forge the cursed sword through 's craftsmanship.
Juromaru and Kageromaru : and are Naraku's fourth and fifth incarnations, respectively. While the more human-like Juromaru is like a berserker who is normally shackled with a mask covering his mouth, the parasitic Kageromaru uses his sickled arms to kill Naraku before being placed in his brother's stomach. Acting through a puppet, Naraku later removes the restraints on Juromaru so he and Kageromaru can slaughter Inuyasha's group and Koga. But the two fail and are killed by Inuyasha.
Muso/Onigumo : While technically Naraku's sixth incarnation, is actually Onigumo himself. Originally faceless and without memory of his past, Onigumo took the face and name of a wandering monk. Eventually, with Kagura watching on Naraku's order, Muso ventures to Kikyo's former village and regains his memories of Onigumo and his desires for Kikyo. He sees Kagome with Inuyasha and, assuming she is Kikyo, fights him to possess Kagome. But Naraku absorbs Muso to stabilize his body.
Akago (the Infant) and Moryomaru : : , Naraku's seventh detachment and embodied heart, appears as a talking baby capable of manipulating people through their inner darkness. Naraku intentionally designed this form, anticipating its cunning nature. Tasked with locating remaining Shikon Jewel shards through Kagome, the Infant exploits her jealousy regarding Inuyasha's feelings for Kikyo until Inuyasha intervenes. Naraku safeguards his heart by housing the Infant within the artificial body . The Infant and Hakudoshi eventually conspire against Naraku, attempting to become his dominant aspect, but both are ultimately reabsorbed by their creator.
Hakudoshi : , while calling himself Naraku's "essence" and eighth detachment, originates from the Infant's severed right half after a dying monk's attack. Matured into a barefoot boy skilled with weapons, he shares the Infant's abilities but lacks Naraku's heart, making him invulnerable to direct death. Hakudoshi tames the demon steed before its defeat by Inuyasha. Naraku ultimately destroys Hakudoshi by recalling his demonic wasps, enabling Miroku to consume him with the Wind Tunnel.
Byakuya : , called , is Naraku's final detachment, a moth-demon specializing in illusions and
origami magic. Designed to exist only while Naraku lives, he serves as an observer of Inuyasha and Moryomaru before actively supporting Naraku's plans. In the final battle, he absorbs a Meido Zangetsuha with his bladeless sword and wounds Kagome with a delayed attack set to activate upon Naraku's death. Inuyasha kills him moments later, but Byakuya dies content, having fulfilled his purpose.
The Band of Seven The were a group of human
mercenaries that were killed a long time ago. They are resurrected in an
undead state and manipulated by Naraku through Shikon Jewel shards to hold off his enemies during his time at Mount Hakurei.
Kyokotsu : is a
giant who happens to be both the largest of the Band of Seven and the weakest. Though a giant, Kyokotsu has developed a taste for demons. Kyokotsu terrorizes the wolf-demon tribes before being defeated by Koga in battle, who pulls out his Shikon shard and returns him to the dead.
Jakotsu : is the Band of Seven's third-in-command and Bankotsu's most trusted ally. A
homosexual and homicidal woman-hater who wears women's kimonos and sadistically kills his male opponents as a sign of affection. Jakotsu is armed with a snake-like sword that has segmented retractable blades that reach a great distance and bend at a moment's notice, making it difficult for an opponent to calculate his next move. When Inuyasha and his group arrive at Mount Hakurei, Jakotsu battles Inuyasha until he is defeated. The fight leaves Jakotsu severely weakened, and Renkotsu uses the opportunity to steal his Shikon shard.
Mukotsu : is a short man who acts as the Band of Seven's poison maker, concealing his face behind a veil. He abducts Kagome out of lust, attempting to rape her (the anime depicts him initiating a wedding ceremony before Miroku and Sango come to their friend's aid). Though he succeeds in poisoning the human heroes, Mukotsu is killed by Sesshomaru.
Renkotsu : is the second-in-command of the Band of Seven, who often uses wires and fire-breathing skills, and later a hand cannon. Renkotsu is the band's most intelligent member and secretly acts against Bankotsu by stealing their comrades' Shikon shards for his use. When Bankotsu learns of this, he kills Renkotsu.
Ginkotsu : is a
cyborg-like member of the Band of Seven, with a slew of different weapons, such as saw blades and a firearm on his back. Renkotsu maintains Ginkotsu's mechanical body before it is destroyed by Inuyasha. Renkotsu then rebuilds Ginkotsu into a tank-like body. Eventually, Koga causes Ginkotsu to self-destruct by clogging his cannon with a piece of Renkotsu's armor. Ginkotsu's jewel shard is subsequently used by Renkotsu to heal his wounds.
Suikotsu : was originally a
physician who developed a bloodthirsty
second persona and is armed with artificial iron claws. After being revived, Suikotsu's good side attempts to live a normal life before his alter ego assumes control at the coaxing of his comrades. At one point, Suikotsu returns to the village with his normal "good" appearance, but is still violent and willing to kill. His good persona ultimately asks Kikyo to take his Shikon shard and kill him to prevent further carnage, but he is killed by Jakotsu before she can do so.
Bankotsu : is the leader of the Band of Seven, and its youngest and strongest member. Though a skilled mercenary who killed many people, Bankotsu retains a sense of honor and compassion where his comrades are concerned. Bankotsu carries the
Zanbatō-like
halberd , a weapon he reclaims by attacking the
daimyo who executed the band. Defeated by Inuyasha by slicing him in half based on the manga series, and when Banryu's power was reflected by Inuyasha's Bakuryūha attack.
Inuyasha guest characters Feudal Japan characters Hachiemon (Hachi) : , otherwise known as simply , is a from Awa who is a retainer to the tanuki of the Mamidaira clan before becoming Miroku's servant. His basic abilities are low, and he has no weapons or skills for battle. He is an unremarkable being, but he understands Miroku well. Although Hachi is Miroku's servant, he often does not travel with him. Since he is a
tanuki, he has the ability to transform. If he puts a leaf on his head and transforms, he can assume the form of a giant yellow gourd. He can fly in this state. When he runs away, he can lay down a smoke screen to deceive enemies.
Jinenji : is a half-demon who lives in a hut with his human mother. Together, they grow a variety of medicinal plants, including some known for being powerful against poisons. He is first seen when Kirara is poisoned by Naraku's miasma and Inuyasha and Kagome travel to the village to find a cure. Because of his demon blood, the villagers falsely suspect him of killing people, but Jinenji is a gentle giant who is scared of humans because of the way they treat him.
Shiori : is a half-demon who was born from a human mother named and a bat demon father named , who had died when she was an infant;
murdered by his own father in cold blood. She helped grant Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga the useful ability to break through demon barriers, and even Naraku's for a time, after he saved her from her grandfather's grip. In the sequel series, after her mother died, Shiori established a haven for half-demon children to live in peace with Setsuna, one of her students.
Goryomaru : was a
monk who lived in an old temple with a group of orphaned kids. The children, whose parents were killed by demons, were rescued by him and were taken care of. Goryomaru was attacked by a demon, which tried to "absorb" him. While trying to overpower the demon, his arm was replaced by the demon's laser-shooting, cannon-like arm. The demon attached to his arm is later revealed to be Moryomaru, who is able to consume the rest of Goryomaru's body following his death at the hands of Hakudoshi.
Toga the Great Dog-Demon : , also known as the or , was an infamous lord of great power who ruled the Western Lands, having battled Kirinmaru during the Heian Era before they established a truce, as they joined forces to stop the Grim Comet. He fathered Sesshomaru with a dog demoness before he fell in love with Izayoi during the
Kamakura era. Tōga was fatally wounded sealing Ryūkotsusei after being unable to defeat the dragon, meeting his end when he sacrificed himself to cover Izayoi's escape with their newborn son, Inuyasha, when her estate is burned to the ground.
Lady Izayoi : , a noblewoman of the Kamakura Era, becomes Toga's lover and the mother of Inuyasha. After her spurned suitor, Takemaru, destroys her home, attempting to kill them, she raises Inuyasha before dying during his childhood. She leaves behind Toga's Robe of the Fire Rat and her rouge compact, which eventually passes to Kikyo, Kaede, and finally Moroha.
Hosenki I : is an
oyster-demon who creates magical jewels, including the black pearl in Inuyasha's eye that accesses his father's grave. When Inuyasha's group later seeks his help to return to the
netherworld, they find only his son, who cannot yet make the pearls. They instead encounter Hosenki's spirit among the Dog General's bones, now corrupted by a tainted Shikon Jewel shard. After Naraku reclaims the shard, the purified Hosenki grants Inuyasha the technique as a reward for his loyalty.
Hosenki II : is an oyster demon who took over his father's duty of creating black pearls, as well as his father's name, after the latter's death. Hosenki II visits Riku to give him the green Rainbow Pearl, and later visits Kagome and Inuyasha at their house in Kaede's village as he heard that Inuyasha inherited his father's powers with the Tetsusaiga: the Adamant Barrage.
Midoriko was a powerful priestess who lived centuries before the events of the series. She was well known for her vastly strong spiritual abilities, more specifically her ability to purify demon souls and spirits, rendering them completely powerless. It was because of this ability that she was both hated and feared by demons. In her final battle, she was ambushed by many . In the end, her spirit is dissolved by Naraku's wish in order to prepare for the new place for Kagome in the manga, while purified by Kagome's wish in the anime version.
Naohi : is the goodwill of the Jewel of the Four Souls, that the four souls described are referenced as the four
Mitamas from the Shintō philosophy of Naohi: , , and .
Ginta : is a wolf demon from the Eastern Wolf Demon Tribe that always follows Koga around, alongside Hakkaku. They both deeply worry about Koga and Kagome since she is almost always in trouble with Inuyasha around.
Hakkaku : is a wolf demon from the Eastern Wolf Demon Tribe that always follows Koga around, alongside Ginta. They both deeply worry about Koga and Kagome since she is almost always in trouble with Inuyasha around.
Ayame : is a red-haired wolf demon that appears only in the anime. She is the granddaughter of the Northern Wolf Demon Tribe's leader. Koga once saved her from the Birds of Paradise and promised to marry her when she got older. In the epilogue of the anime, Ayame finally married Koga.
Mushin : is an elderly Buddhist monk who raised Miroku after his father was consumed by the Wind Tunnel curse. Despite being a lazy drunk who taught Miroku many of his bad lecherous habits, he cares for the young monk and is a father figure to him. In his first appearance, he was possessed by a demon worm charmer hired by Naraku to kill Miroku, but was saved by Inuyasha. Mushin is not seen in the manga again after this, but is given a slightly larger role in the anime.
Modern Japan characters Kagome's Family ; : :, the unnamed mother of Kagome and Sota. She raises both children with her father-in-law's assistance. Supportive of Kagome's travels to the feudal era, she regularly prepares meals for Kagome to share with Inuyasha and their companions. ; : : is Kagome's younger brother, with whom she has a typical brother-sister relationship. He sees Inuyasha as an older brother figure. In
Yashahime, he adopted Inuyasha and Kagome's niece, Towa, as his daughter. He has an optimistic wife named Moe and a young daughter named Mei. ; : : is the paternal grandfather of Kagome and Sota, and Kagome's mother's father-in-law. Grandpa often covers for Kagome's prolonged absences at school with interesting, and often absurd, excuses, which only worries Kagome's friends further. ; : : is the Higurashis' cat, who was the reason Kagome first found the Bone Eater's Well while she was looking for him. Inuyasha often plays with Buyo when he visits Kagome in her time.
Kagome's Middle School ; : : is Kagome's classmate who harbors unrequited feelings for her. Despite Kagome consistently forgetting or abandoning their planned dates to return to the feudal era, Hojo persists under the mistaken belief she suffers from various illnesses - excuses fabricated by her grandfather to explain her absences. He regularly provides traditional remedies for these fictitious conditions, some of which her grandfather appropriates. By
Inuyasha: The Final Act, Hojo moves on, appearing with a college girlfriend. ; : : is one of Kagome's friends and classmates. She has wavy shoulder-length black hair. Being the naive, optimistic, gentle one of the trio, she is the only one of the group to support Kagome's relationship with Inuyasha. In the anime version of
Inuyasha: The Final Act, as she graduated from high school, she wanted to become an
interpreter, and in the manga version, she wanted to become a translator. ; : : is one of Kagome's friends and classmates. She has straight shoulder-length black hair and is frequently shown wearing a yellow headband. Like Yuka, she is very outspoken and concerned with Kagome's relationship health, and because of this, she never hesitates to give her opinion on Kagome's potential boyfriends (Hojo and Inuyasha). ; : : is one of Kagome's friends and classmates. Yuka has neck-length brown hair. Being the most outspoken of the trio, as well as being very sharp-witted, she often expresses concern over Kagome's relationship with her "delinquent boyfriend", Inuyasha. ==Recurring
Yashahime characters==