List of Inuyasha characters

Voiced by: Kappei Yamaguchi (Japanese); Richard Ian Cox (Viz Media dub),[1] Darren Pleavin (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Inuyasha (犬夜叉, Inuyasha) was born of a dog-demon father and a human mother. He has the appearance of a fifteen-year-old boy. As a half-demon, he had a difficult and lonely childhood, as demons and humans despised him for his mixed bloodline. Bound to a tree by priestess Kikyo, Inuyasha was under her spell for 50 years unaged and unharmed, until Kagome freed him in attempt to defeat Mistress Centipede. He has dog ears, claws, superhuman strength, and other demonic abilities. He sports a red garment called the Robe of the Fire-Rat and is always barefoot. Inuyasha also wields a strong demon sword called Tetsusaiga, which he was bequeathed by his late dog-demon father Toga.

Three years later he becomes Kagome's husband and four years after that a father to a daughter, Moroha, who had to be sent away for her own safety. He faces off against his elder half-brother again and Lord Sesshomaru himself. However, he was sealed within the Black Pearl that leads to his father grave along with Kagome.

Voiced by: Satsuki Yukino (Japanese); Moneca Stori (Original Series; Viz Media dub),[1] Kira Tozer (The Final Act and Yashahime; Viz Media dub),[2] Andrea Kwan (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Kagome Higurashi (日暮 かごめ, Higurashi Kagome) is a brave and kind girl who believes in never turning her back on someone in trouble, she develops a close relationship with Inuyasha over the course of the series and begins to fall in love with him during their quest to collect the Shikon shards and defeat Naraku, though she finds herself competing with the revived Kikyo for his affections. Although physically weak, she becomes stronger and skilled in archery as the series progresses, and eventually learns to master her immensely strong spiritual powers. Of all characters in the series, she has the most emotional strength, never allowing anger or jealousy to commit acts of evil. By the start of Yashahime she is spiritually as strong as Kikyo, and possibly stronger given that she developed her own powers of arrow disappearance.

At the beginning of the series, Kagome is a fifteen-year-old junior high school student who was born in 1981 in modern Japan. She is the reincarnation of the deceased (and later resurrected) priestess Kikyo, and thus resembles the priestess in looks. Kagome has the Shikon Jewel unknowingly hidden inside her body until her fifteenth birthday, when a demon pulls her into the Bone Eater's Well at her family's shrine and takes her 500 years into the past. She emerges in the Feudal Era, where the demon tears the Jewel from Kagome's injured body. In order to save her own life along with everyone else’s, she releases Inuyasha from the spell that Kikyo placed him under 50 years ago.

Four years after her marriage to Inuyasha, Kagome gives birth to her daughter named Moroha at twenty three. For Moroha’s safety, Kagome tearfully gives her to Hachi while she and Inuyasha face off against Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru. Instead of killing Inuyasha and Kagome, Sesshomaru seals them within the Black Pearl that leads to their father's grave.

Voiced by: Kōji Tsujitani (original series), Makoto Yasumura (Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon) (Japanese); Kirby Morrow (Viz Media dub and episode 1 of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon), Ian James Corlett (Viz Media dub, episode 13–present), Dave Bridges (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Miroku (弥勒, Miroku) is an eighteen-year-old lecherous Buddhist monk who travels the countryside performing spiritual services, such as exorcisms and demon exterminations, though he has a habit of either ripping off or outright robbing his clients if they are rich. Miroku can attack enemies with his khakkhara and sutra scrolls, but his greatest weapon is the Wind Tunnel (風穴, Kazaana) embedded in the palm of his right hand, which is actually a hereditary curse originally inflicted upon his grandfather by Naraku.

However, Miroku remains notorious for his lecherous and womanizing habits, usually manifesting as shameless flattery, semi-surreptitious groping, and asking almost every attractive woman he meets to bear him a child. While he learned these bad habits from the monk Mushin (夢心), who raised him after his father was engulfed into his own Wind Tunnel, Miroku also has the more serious motive of wanting an heir to continue his journey if he dies without defeating Naraku, and over time Miroku falls in love with Sango; despite her disgust for his bad behavior, he often comforts her over the pain of being separated from her brother, and each often risks their life for the other in battle. When Miroku's Kazaana vanishes after Naraku's death, he and Sango marry and have identical twin daughters - Kinu and Gyokuto- and one son named Hisui.

In Yashahime, flashbacks show that Miroku eventually resumed his position as a traveling monk, though he is now living at a temple where he continues seeking enlightenment and attain divine spiritual power- presumably to compensate for the loss of his Kazaana- by undergoing one thousand-day training. Though his children visit him, his son Hisui initially considers him a coward. His hair is now shoulder-length and he dons a white robe, though retaining his staff. He is targeted by the ravenous demon Totetsu of the Four Perils, but is helped by Hisui, Kohaku and the Half-Demon Princesses.

Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima (Japanese); Kelly Sheridan (Viz Media dub), Candice Moore (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Sango (珊瑚, Sango) is a sixteen-year-old demon slayer (妖怪退治屋, yōkai taijiya, "Apparition Exterminators"). She hails from a village that practices the act as their profession and is also the original home of the Shikon Jewel; she is described by her father as the most skilled exterminator in the village. While travelling, she wears a traditional woman's kimono, over which she wears long skirt, most likely "mo-bakama", and traditional woman's arm guards and leg guards, and straw sandals. As a demon slayer, Sango dresses in a black skin-tight jumpsuit, and pink armor plates made of demon parts, and a red sash. Of her broad repertoire of tools and tricks for fighting demons, Sango usually wields her most powerful weapon called the Hiraikotsu (飛来骨, "Flying Return Bone"), a human-sized boomerang made of purified demon bones, which she can throw using her enhanced strength. Her other equipment includes a short sword, a metal gas mask to prevent her inhaling miasma, a concealed wrist blade and various poisons. She is always accompanied by the demon-cat Kirara, her mount.

Sango has suffered more heavily at the hands of Naraku than most; her younger brother Kohaku was possessed by Naraku and manipulated into killing their father and comrades and wounding her, while her village was destroyed in an attack by Naraku's minions. Kohaku was subsequently killed, but resurrected as a puppet by Naraku through a Shikon Jewel shard. Left for dead at first, Sango is tricked by Naraku into thinking Inuyasha destroyed her village; after she learns the truth, she and Kirara become the final members of Inuyasha's team. At first she is motivated solely by the desire to free her brother from Naraku's influence, but overtime she develops mutual affection and loyalty for the entire group.

Though she harbors disdain for Miroku initially (given his lecherous attitude towards women) Sango gradually develops feelings for him and each of them often risks their lives to protect the other. She accepts Miroku's roundabout proposal of marriage in the sixth season, and spends much of the seventh season trying to keep him out of danger, as his Wind Tunnel has grown to the point that it might consume him if he uses it again. After Naraku is defeated, she and Miroku marry; by the time Kagome returns to the feudal era, they have three children named Kin'u and Gyokuto, who are identical twins, and Hisui.

In Yashahime, Sango seems to have retired from the Demon Slayer Corps (now led by Kohaku) but continues forging equipment for them. She has passed ownership of Hiraikotsu to her son, Hisui.

Voiced by: Kumiko Watanabe (Japanese); Jillian Michaels (Viz Media dub), Candice Moore (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Shippo (七宝, Shippō) is a young orphaned kitsune, who attempts to steal the Shikon Jewel from Inuyasha and Kagome, wanting to become stronger and avenge his father's death. Though his plan fails, Inuyasha and Kagome aid him after hearing his story, and he becomes their companion. Shippo normally appears to be a young boy with certain fox-like features: his legs, feet, ears, and tail. He can shape-shift, but his other forms (such as a large flying balloon) 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 Foxfire (狐火, Kitsunebi) magic and toy-based tricks such as his giant spinning top attack.

Voiced by: Tarako Isono

Kirara (雲母, Kirara) is Sango's faithful companion who usually appears to be a small kitten-sized feline with two tails, but can become large enough to carry several passengers whenever the need arises. She is a spiritual entity, like the kitsunes; her full-sized form has fangs and flames, as well as the power to fly, while in her small form, she is small and cute.

In Yashahime, she continues serving as a companion and mount to both Sesshoumaru’s children and Kohaku.

Voiced by: Noriko Hidaka (Japanese); Willow Johnson (Viz Media dub), Andrea Kwan (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Kikyo (桔梗, Kikyō) was a powerful, high-ranking priestess who lived fifty years prior to the events of the series. Kikyo was given the task by demon slayers to guard and purify the Shikon Jewel. She fell in love with Inuyasha, who considered using the Shikon Jewel to turn him completely human so it would fade and she could live with him as a normal human. However, having had an indirect role in his creation, Kikyo is mortally wounded by Naraku posing as Inuyasha and believed the real Inuyasha betrayed her. Kikyo found Inuyasha, who also fell for Naraku's deception when he assumed Kikyo's form to antagonize the half-demon into attacking the village, and sealed him to the Sacred Tree. Though Naraku had expected her to use it to save her life, and corrupt it so he can have it, Kikyo dies after requesting to have the Shikon Jewel be burned with her body on the funeral pyre. Though Kikyo intended to keep it safe within her soul, the Shikon Jewel is brought back to the feudal era through her modern-day reincarnation, Kagome Higurashi. She is then revived by a demon witch Urassue with a deep grudge against Inuyasha for his apparent betrayal and supposedly inflicting her with deep, fatal wounds on her chest and left shoulder. She tried to drag Inuyasha to hell. However, upon learning that Naraku was the one who tricked her and Inuyasha into hating each other, Kikyo set out to destroy him by allowing the evil hanyo to complete the Shikon Jewel, then purify him along with it.

Because she only retained a fragment of her original soul, Kikyo could not move unless she had enough souls within her body. As such, she was accompanied by a group of insect-like yokai known as Shinidamachū, who collected dead souls for her. Inuyasha and his companions encounter her occasionally, as they too seek Naraku's death. Although Inuyasha usually only seeks Kikyo to make sure she is safe or discuss strategy, her presence causes tensions with Kagome, who knows they still have feelings for each other and fears Inuyasha will re-kindle his relationship with Kikyo. Kikyo is likewise jealous of Kagome's bond with Inuyasha and initially treats her as an enemy, but overtime she reluctantly becomes Kagome's ally and occasional mentor in how to use her spiritual powers.

After coating herself with Onigumo's grave soil, Kikyo is initially protected from Naraku, as his human heart refuses to harm her. However, after Naraku manages to detach both Onigumo and his heart at Mt. Hakurei, Kikyo is lured into a trap at the sacred mountain, where Naraku impales her with his venomous tentacles. She was eventually found unconscious in a waterfall by Kagome, who managed to purify the miasma from her body, but she remained weakened. Rather than re-gain her strength, Kikyo fused her soul with Midoriko (the priestess within the Shikon Jewel) and poured all her power into Kohaku's jewel shard, intending to use it to purify both the Jewel and Naraku. However, Naraku corrupted her with his spiderwebs, causing her wounds to re-open. Despite Kagome purifying her soul, Kikyo's body could not recover. She spent her final moments with Inuyasha before dying once again; her Shinidamachū then carried her soul into the stars.

Voiced by: Ken Narita (Japanese); David Kaye (Viz Media dub and Yashahime), Michael Daingerfield (The Final Act; Viz Media dub), Russell Wait (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Sesshomaru (殺生丸, Sesshōmaru) is a powerful dog demon (daiyōkai), feared throughout the feudal era. Born of a great demon bloodline, he is the older 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 that of a 19-year-old male. He appears as a tall, handsome young man with fair skin, golden eyes with slit pupils, waist-length white hair, pointed ears, magenta stripes along his cheeks and wrists, and a purple crescent moon on his forehead. Sesshomaru's true form is that of a giant red-eyed white dog. He produces an acidic poison that is mainly released from his claws in the Dokkasō (毒華爪) attack, which transfers to his fangs when he transforms. Due to his full-demon bloodline, his strength, speed and senses are all significantly greater than Inuyasha’s (except when Inuyasha’s demon blood takes control, at the expense of his mind). He viewed humans as no different than insects, which extends to Inuyasha due to his human mother. Sesshomaru began to see humans in a new light after he met a human girl named Rin, who tried to treat his injuries after he was defeated by Inuyasha. After Rin was slaughtered by wolves, Sesshomaru chose to resurrect her with Tenseiga and has taken her under his wing ever since.

Sesshomaru holds his father in high esteem for being a powerful demon and desires to take his legendary sword, Tessaiga, considering it his birthright. He hates Inuyasha for having inherited Tessaiga instead, and their first battle results in Inuyasha severing Sesshomaru's left arm with the sword. In order to teach Sesshomaru compassion, his father bestowed him Tenseiga (天生牙), a sword that cannot harm the living yet can revive individuals from death once. Sesshomaru disdains Tenseiga (as he cannot use it against his enemies) but keeps it for occasional use. To compensate, Sesshomaru has the demon swordsmith Kaijinbo forge him the mighty Tokijin, although it eventually breaks in a battle with Moryomaru. Sesshomaru initially targets Inuyasha in order to take Tessaiga, but he later shifts his focus to Naraku, his pride having been injured due to Naraku repeatedly manipulating him and Inuyasha against each other. After finally releasing his obsession with Tessaiga and his grudge against Inuyasha, Sesshomaru's left arm regenerates- along with a new, powerful demonic sword, Bakusaiga. Toward the end of the series, Sesshomaru joins Inuyasha and his allies in delivering a fatal blow to Naraku. He leaves Rin in Kaede's care so that she can have a choice of whether to live with humans again, but continues to visit and protect her.

During the events of Yashahime, Sesshomaru is engaged in conflict with Kirinmaru (one of his father's former opponents), which has apparently puts him at odds with Inuyasha once again; however, rather than kill his brother and Kagome, Sesshomaru seals them within the Black Pearl. Sesshomaru has married Rin (now an adult) and fathered twin half-demon daughters with her named Towa and Setsuna. Sesshomaru left them behind in the wilderness at birth, both as part of a rite of passage and to keep them hidden from Kirinmaru, who fears and despises half-demons. He has also placed Rin in suspended animation within the Tree of Ages for unknown reasons, although he continues to watch over her.

Voiced by: Yuichi Nagashima (Japanese); Don Brown (Viz Media dub), Dave Bridges (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Jaken (邪見, Jaken) is a small green imp-like demon who is extremely 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 Staff of Two Heads (人頭杖, Nintōjō), 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 Rin gives birth to Sesshomaru's daughters, Jaken is tasked with protecting them after Sesshomaru hides them in the forest of the Tree of Ages.

Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese); Brenna O'Brien (Viz Media dub), Dave Bridges (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Rin (りん, Rin) is an orphan girl who is always barefoot. She finds Sesshomaru in the woods beneath a huge tree and tends to his injuries. After witnessing some bandits brutally murder her parents, Rin is sent into a period of shock, only communicating with hand gestures and friendly smiles. Rin is mortally wounded during the wolf demons' raid of her village. Sesshomaru finds Rin's lifeless body and, uncharacteristically revives her using Tenseiga. After this, Rin starts to speak and remains in company with Sesshomaru, Jaken, and A-Un. Despite his established contempt for humans, Sesshomaru continually protects Rin for the rest of the series, even showing genuine grief during The Final Act when Rin's soul is lost in the netherworld, though his mother is able to save her. Throughout the series, she is known for her kindness and loyalty to Sesshomaru, and develops a good relationship with Kohaku over the course of the series. After Naraku's defeat, Sesshomaru left Rin in Kaede's village so she can get accustomed to living among humans.

In Princess Half-Demon, she is shown to have grown into a lovely adult of great beauty. She has married Sesshomaru and given birth to half-demon twin daughters named Towa and Setsuna, though Sesshomaru takes them away at birth to protect them from Kirinmaru. Eventually she is sealed within the Sacred Tree of Ages in suspended animation at the behest of Sesshomaru for some unspecified purpose.

A-Un (阿吽, Aun) is a two-headed dragon demon with some horse-like features and Sesshomaru's beast of burden who is one of the two yōkai 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 yōkai 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 has the ability to fly like Sesshomaru. A grey cloud-like gas trails from his legs in flight, similar to Kirara's flames.

Voiced by: Akiko Yajima (Inuyasha series), Ryōhei Kimura (adult, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon)[3] (Japanese); Alex Doduk (Viz Media dub, 1st voice), Danny McKinnon (Viz Media dub, 2nd voice), Aidan Drummond (The Final Act; Viz Media dub), Alan Lee (Yashahime; Viz Media dub),[4] Dave Bridges (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Kohaku (琥珀, Kohaku) is Sango's eleven-year-old brother who, like his family, is also a demon exterminator. Disguised as a young nobleman, Naraku summons Sango's family and companions to slay a false demon on Kohaku's first day on the job, then controls him with a spider web and makes him kill all of the other exterminators, with Sango surviving solely by sheer luck. While Kohaku is seemingly killed by the castle's guards, Naraku resurrects him as an amnesiac puppet to use against his sister using a shard from the jewel. After several encounters with Sango and her friends, Kohaku begins to recover his painful memories and seeks to atone for the sins he committed while under Naraku's control by doing whatever he can to kill him. Kagura helps him escape from Naraku and later joins with Kikyo to use his shard to destroy Naraku. After Kikyo's death, he begins traveling with Sesshomaru's group. During a confrontation with Naraku, the piece of his Shikon Jewel was taken, but Kohaku survived thanks to Kikyo's power allowing him to live. At the end of the series, Kohaku travels with Kirara to continue his demon-slaying job to help those in need.

In Princess Half-Demon, he restarts the demon slayers with half-demon Setsuna, his nephew Hisui, and bounty hunter Moroha.

Voiced by: Taiki Matsuno (Japanese); Scott McNeil (Viz Media dub), Russell Wait (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Koga (鋼牙, Kōga) 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. He quickly falls in love with Kagome after kidnapping her because of her kindness 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. In this way, Koga has often been the source of Kagome's and Inuyasha's fights. Koga and Inuyasha don't get along, but the two do team up whenever Kagome's life is in danger, or whenever they face Naraku or his underlings. Koga is accompanied by his fellow wolf-demon comrades Ginta and Hakkaku, who are constantly exasperated by Koga's hotheaded nature. Despite this, they are fiercely loyal to him and vice versa.

Koga initially possesses three Shikon shards (one in his wrist and one in each calf) which greatly enhance his speed and reflexes, though he loses the one in his arm early in the series. During The Final Act, Midoriko and Kikyo try to connect Koga's leg shards with the Shikon Jewel in order to complete it and purify Naraku, though this puts Koga in danger. After his shards are taken by Naraku, Koga- finally recognizing that he can't defeat Naraku alone- entrusts the avenging of his comrades to Inuyasha's group, and departs with his tribe. At the end of The Final Act (anime only), it's revealed that he married his childhood sweetheart, another wolf-demon named Ayame of the Southern wolf-Demon Tribe.

In Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, it's revealed that after Kagome and Inuyasha were sealed within the Black Pearl, Koga and Ayame took in and raised their quarter-demon daughter, Moroha, for the next fourteen years.

Koga later wields a powerful clawed weapon named Goraishi (五雷指) that generates yellow lightning, and carries a sword that he took from a human as mere "decoration".

Voiced by: Hisako Kyōda, Mika Ito (young) (Japanese); Pam Hyatt,[1] Linda Darlow (The Final Act; Viz Media dub), Jillian Michaels (young; Viz Media dub), Candice Moore (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Kaede (楓, 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 defends the village against demons. When Kagome arrives, Kaede recognizes her as the modern-day reincarnation of Kikyo. After Kagome frees Inuyasha, Kaede puts the "Subjugation Beads" onto him to give Kagome the ability to control him with a mere spoken word: "Sit." Kaede is highly respected by the villagers and the members of Inuyasha's group, and she often advises them about demons and other spiritual anomalies. Though Inuyasha is easily annoyed by her, he listens to her when necessary and does not hesitate to protect her from a threat. 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."[5]

In the anime, she loses her eye while helping defend the village from a demon attack shortly before the Shikon Jewel incident. Kikyo's powers weakened after falling in love with Inuyasha and in her state, she still tried to defend the village during a demon attack. A demon began attacking Kaede from behind and Kikyo fired an arrow at the demon. The demon broke into pieces from the arrow and a piece of the debris pierced Kaede's eye. In The Final Act, Kikyo's spirit appears before Kaede in a vision, apologizing for the suffering she caused her younger sister. When the vision ends, Kaede is in tears, thinking of all the years she lost with the sister she loved so much, and regrets not being able to do anything to help her.

Three years later after Naraku's defeat, Rin lives with Kaede in the village to become accustomed to living alongside other humans. While having been present when Sango gave birth to a baby boy, Kaede is also training Kagome to become a full priestess. In Yashahime, she remains headwoman of the village.

Voiced by: Kenichi Ogata (Japanese); Paul Dobson (Viz Media dub), Russell Wait (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Myoga (冥加, Myōga) is a flea demon who appears randomly and gives Inuyasha information on current events, foes, and the shards of the Shikon Jewel. Assigned to protect Tetsusaiga's hiding place in the grave of Inuyasha's father, he runs away when Sesshomaru comes there in search of the sword. Myoga often flees before or during a battle, which the others recognize as a sign of pending danger; his mere presence in any area is enough to determine its safety. 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. He can save the others in a similar manner, but often gets slapped for drinking their blood without permission. In the anime, he is engaged to another flea demon named Shoga, but continually runs from her to avoid the marriage. Myoga returns in Yashahime and usually provides advice to Towa, Setsuna and Moroha, while always seeking opportunites to drink Moroha's blood just like he used to do with her father.

Voiced by: Jōji Yanami (Japanese); Richard Newman (Viz Media dub), Rik Thomas (Animax Asia dub) (English)

Totosai (刀々斎, Tōtōsai) 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 Mo-Mo (猛々). Totosai often appears to be a cowardly, absent-minded old man, but he has the strength to pause an attack from Sesshomaru long enough to allow Inuyasha to get away; he can breathe fire and his long forge hammer can open large fire pits in the ground. At the end of the manga, he continues his role as a blacksmith as seen when giving Kohaku a new weapon.

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa, Hiroshi Yanaka (Onigumo) (Japanese); Paul Dobson (Viz Media dub), Russell Wait (Animax Asia dub) (English)

The main antagonist of the series, Naraku (奈落, Naraku, litt. "Hell") is the half-demon responsible for the misery of most of the main cast. He was born fifty years ago from the desires of a gravely burned bandit named Onigumo (鬼蜘蛛, "Spider Demon"), who was found by Kikyo who tended to his wounds. As the injuries had severely crippled him, Onigumo forms a pact with the surrounding demons attracted to his darkness to consume him in return for his soul to occupy a new body created from their merged bodies so that he could satisfy his frustrated lust for Kikyo. However, with Onigumo buried deep in his subconscious, the newly born Naraku acted against his human self's desire, killing Kikyo and turning her and Inuyasha against each other in order to corrupt the Shikon Jewel. When Kikyo had the jewel burned with her corpse, Naraku bides his time until the Shikon Jewel is brought back to the feudal era by the priestess's reincarnation, Kagome Higurashi. He is also responsible for the deaths of Sango's family, for resurrecting Kohaku as his puppet, and for the curse of the Wind Tunnel placed on Miroku.

While Naraku originally appears in the form of a hooded figure wearing a robe made from a baboon pelt, which is also utilized by his Golems (傀儡, Kugutsu), he later assumes the guise of the young lord Kagewaki Hitomi (人見蔭刀), who he murdered; he kept Kagewaki's identity, and used his castle as a base, until fleeing to Mount Hakurei. The only visible difference was that Kagewaki's eyes were brown, while Naraku's are red. As he was less powerful in earlier forms, Naraku often manipulated other demons (including Sesshomaru) into battling Inuyasha's group, in order to eliminate them. After the battle of Mount Hakurei, however, Naraku's powers continue to increase to the point that he no longer sees Inuyasha as a real threat, instead focusing all his efforts on completing the Shikon Jewel and destroying Kikkyo (whose spiritual powers he fears greatly) and later, after her death, Kagome. He becomes obsessed with undermining the various protagonists' bonds of trust and love, in order to strengthen the corrupt influence of the Shikon Jewel.

Naraku's basic abilities are shape shifting, conjuring a protective barrier, and absorbing his enemies, later gaining new abilities as he enhances himself over the course of the series. Unlike other half-demons, Naraku can choose what time of the month he loses his demonic powers, when he is reduced to a human head attached to multiple decaying demon bodies. Much to his distaste, Naraku permanently has a spider-shaped burn scar on his back that is a constant reminder of the humanity that constitutes his being. Naraku possesses several poisonous abilities, such as producing a deadly miasma (瘴気, shōki) and commanding the venomous Saimyōshō (最猛勝) wasps, the latter used chiefly to prevent Miroku from uncovering his Wind Tunnel.

It is revealed near the end of the series that the demon inside the Shikon Jewel manipulated Naraku to assure his continued existence. Naraku's ultimate desire, behind everything he had done, was to wish to be reunited with Kikyo in the afterlife. As Naraku dies, he sadly muses that he won't be going to the same place as her after death, because the Shikon Jewel forced him to make it's wish, instead. In the anime, after Kagome causes the Shikon Jewel to permanently vanish, Naraku's soul is purified, enabling him to pass on in peace.

The Spirit of the Shikon Jewel (四魂の玉を生み出した合体妖怪, Combined Yōkai Spawned by the Shikon no Tama) is the incredibly powerful dragon yōkai created from numerous demons from ancient time that battled the priestess Midoriko before forcing the priestess to trap their souls in what became the Shikon Jewel. From his spirit was born the evil called Magatsuhi.

In the manga, he was created when many minor demons possessed a mortal man who secretly desired Midoriko and formed into one demon in order to kill her, similar to how Onigumo loved Kikyō and created Naraku. However, unlike to Naraku, he was not a half-demon but a full demon completely devoid of human feelings. In fact, while Onigumo's deadly body was completely devoured by demons and his evil soul used as their adhesive, the human who loved Midoriko was only incorporated on the base of the dragon's neck, where you can see only his head and right hand.

It was only after Naraku's death that he reveals the Shikon Jewel's intention to trap Naraku and Kagome, then replacing him and Midoriko, to prolong its existence. The Demon manipulated Naraku and promised to satisfy his desire to obtain Kikyo's love once the jewel had been completed, but in reality he did nothing but influence him to his liking. And once the jewel has been fully restored to its previous form, he refused to satiate Naraku’s longing, instead forcing him to make the Shikon Jewel's own wish in exchange for its' full power.

Inuyasha fights through him to reach Kagome before holding the component demons at bay. In the manga, he is destroyed forever by Inuyasha when he cuts the point of light in the darkness inside the Shikon Jewel with Meido Zangetsuha, which is the key to destroy the jewel's evil. With Inuyasha's attack at this very point, the purity of the Jewel called Naohi annihilates the evil corrupting presence within it forever, and then the Jewel's shimmering and voice completely stops. Instead, in the anime version, Kagome destroys the demon for good when she makes a selfless wish for the Shikon Jewel to be erased from existence.

Voiced by: Takeshi Kusao (Japanese); Michael Dobson (English)

Magatsuhi (曲霊, Magatsuhi) is the evil corrupting presence within the Shikon Jewel, born from the spirit of the dragon demon. His existence is eventually made known to Inuyasha's group when Naraku gave 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 and killed by Sesshomaru with Tenseiga during the final battle against Naraku.

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 through threatening to destroy their disembodied hearts should they betray him. Eight detachments were directly created by Naraku within the series' storyline.

Voiced by: Yukana (Japanese); Janyse Jaud (English)

Kanna (神無, Kan'na) is Naraku's first detachment, appearing in the form of a ten-year-old girl in white. 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 also is nice to Kagura and informative 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.

Kanna carries a demonic mirror that can act as a crystal ball for scrying and steal souls of those reflected in it. Once a soul is trapped by her mirror, she can control that person's body to carry out her bidding. The mirror can also transform into a giant Mirror Demon that can steal the powers of demonic weapons when they are reflected in it; Kanna is able to transfer any damage to this demon to her own body, though this leaves her highly vulnerable. She is at first assumed to have no emotions whatsoever, which is why Naraku trusts her more than any of his other detachments. However, she is ultimately shown to be saddened by Kagura's death, wondering if her sister ever found the freedom she always wished for. When Naraku pits Kanna and her Mirror Demon against Inuyasha and his friends, intending to have them destroy each other, Kanna commits her one act of defiance against him as she dies: she covertly reveals to Kagome that the light Kikyo left inside the Shikon Jewel, is capable of killing Naraku once the Jewel is complete.

Voiced by: Izumi Ogami (Japanese); Janyse Jaud (English)

Kagura (神楽, Kagura) is Naraku's second detachment, although she is introduced before her "elder sister" Kanna. As a wind witch who is always barefoot, Kagura uses a fan to enhance her powers where she can create a blade-like tornado or use wind to animate dead bodies. She can also use her feather hair-ornaments as transportation, enlarging them to ride in the wind. Kagura has a particularly strong feud with Koga; it was she who slaughtered his tribe on Naraku's orders, and she later attempted to kill him and steal his Shikon shards (though for her own gain, not Naraku's).

Though initially cold and calculating, Kagura despises Naraku more than she does his enemies, because he possesses her disembodied heart and uses it as a means to punish her or remind her of her place. As a result, Kagura's desire to be free leads her to covertly aid both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, developing feelings for the latter, in hopes that they can kill Naraku for her so that she can reclaim her heart. As time goes on, Kagura becomes much more sympathetic toward Inuyasha's group, and begins assisting Kohaku in his covert rebellion against Naraku. She is ultimately killed by Naraku moments after he returns her heart; Sesshomaru finds her, but is unable to revive her with Tenseiga. However, Kagura dies content that she got to see him one last time and that she is free.

Voiced by: Masaharu Satō (Japanese); Michael Kopsa (English)

Goshinki (悟心鬼, Goshinki) is Naraku's third detachment, a large horned oni with bladed elbows and extremely powerful fangs. He extremely agile for his size; however, his most dangerous ability is reading minds, which he uses to avoid dangerous situations and exploit his enemies' weaknesses. When Goshinki breaks Tetsusaiga, he provides Inuyasha's demon lineage the opportunity to take over. Goshinki struggles to read the now feral and blood-lustful Inuyasha before he is completely ripped apart with only his head remaining. Goshinki's head is then found by Sesshomaru, who momentary revives the demon so his fangs can be used by Totosai's expelled apprentice, Kaijinbo (灰刃坊, Kaijinbō), to create the cursed blade Tōkijin.

Voiced by: Takumi Yamazaki (Japanese); Brian Drummond (English) (Both characters)

Juromaru (獣郎丸, Jūrōmaru) and Kageromaru (影郎丸, Kagerōmaru) are respectively Naraku's fourth and fifth incarnations, but are extremely dangerous. 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; however, the two fail and are killed.

Voiced by: Hiroshi Yanaka (Japanese); Brian Dobson (English)

While technically Naraku's sixth incarnation, Muso (無双, Musō) 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 desires for Kikyo. He sees Kagome with Inuyasha and, assuming she is Kikyo, fights him in order to possess Kagome.

Naraku initially detached Muso in order to test whether he could physically touch (and therefore, kill) Kikyo, as Onigumo's desire for her would be removed with Muso. He was able to grab Kikyo by the throat, proving that the experiment was successful. However, as the demons composing his body are beginning to break away because his human core is removed, Naraku is left with no choice but to reabsorb Muso back into his body.

After the events of Mount Hakurei, it is revealed in The Final Act that Naraku grew strong enough to detach both his heart (the Infant) and Onigumo separately, and that he left Onigumo in the bowels of Mt. Hakurei. However, Naraku later returned and re-absorbed Onigumo, reasoning that Onigumo's corrupting thoughts were a more effective way of destroying Kikyo than striking her dead himself. After re-absorbing Onigumo, Naraku gained the ability to produce toxic spiderwebs that undermined Kikyo and Kagome's purifying abilities on contact.

Voiced by: Ai Kobayashi (Japanese); Chiara Zanni (English) (Akago)

Voiced by: Masaki Terasoma (Japanese); Ross Douglas (English) (Moryomaru)

The Infant (赤子, Akago) is Naraku's heart and seventh detachment, appearing in the form of a human baby yet can speak fluently and control people with the darkness in their own hearts. It is later revealed that the Infant's appearance was intentional by Naraku as he expected the detachment to be as devious as himself. His goal was to use Kagome to find the remaining shards of the Shikon Jewel. He finds her jealousy of Inuyasha's feelings for Kikyo, but Inuyasha saves her before the Infant can control her. Because the Infant possesses his heart, Naraku had the infant placed under much protection. Over time, however, the Infant and Hakudoshi conspired to destroy Naraku while making themselves the dominant aspect of his being.

To that end, Hakudoshi provides the Infant with Moryomaru (魍魎丸, Mōryōmaru), a 100-foot-long (30 m) demonic golem created from demons who was briefly sealed in the body of a monk named Goryomaru (御霊丸, Goryōmaru) before assimilating the human's body after he was killed by Hakudoshi. While Moryomaru was originally a puppet, he gains a mind of his own when the Infant is placed inside of him. Acting as a medium of the Infant's will to become a dominant aspect of Naraku, Moryomaru goes to absorb different demons to increase his power to the point of nearly defeating most of Naraku's enemies when they ganged up on him as he destroyed Tokijin before running off. However, Moryomaru meets his end when tricked into absorbing Naraku, enabling him to reabsorb the Infant and consume Moryomaru from the inside out.

Voiced by: Ai Kobayashi (Japanese); Chiara Zanni (English)

While indirectly Naraku's eighth detachment referring to himself as the embodiment of his "essence", Hakudoshi (白童子, Hakudōshi) is actually created from the right half of the Infant when he was severed in half by the power of a dying monk and matured into a barefoot boy who is extremely dexterous and proficient with a halberd and other handheld weapons. As they were originally one, Hakudoshi possesses many of the Infant's abilities while unable to be killed directly as he does not possess Naraku's heart. Hakudoshi also acquired the demon horse Entei before the steed was killed by Inuyasha. Like Naraku himself, Hakudoshi is sadistic and loves to cause chaos, although he takes a more head on approach than his devious creator.

Hakudoshi secretly schemes with the Infant to usurp Naraku, building Moryomaru himself in order to protect the Infant from both Inuyasha and Naraku, and enticing Kagura to betray Naraku with false promises of freedom. However, after he reveals his true intentions to Inuyasha's group and Kagura, Naraku disables his barrier, enabling Miroku to consume Hakudoshi in his Wind Tunnel.

Voiced by: Mitsuaki Madono (Japanese); Michael Adamthwaite (English)

Byakuya of the Illusions (夢幻の白夜, Mugen no Byakuya) is Naraku's final detachment created for the sole purpose of acting during Naraku's final moments, a moth-Demon who uses illusions and origami magic while able to detach his left eye to serve as recon. As Byakuya was designed to only exist as long as Naraku lives, his body can be severely damaged when Naraku suffers mortal injuries. Originally, his purpose is to observe Inuyasha and Moryomaru's growing powers and report back to Naraku, gradually becoming more active in his creator's plans. During Inuyasha's final battle with Naraku, Byakuya uses his bladeless sword to absorb a stray Meido Zangetsuha, then carry out his final task: slashing Kagome with a time-delayed Meido that would activate upon Naraku's death. Though killed by Inuyasha's Meido seconds later, Byakuya accepts his fate as he achieved his purpose.

The Band of Seven (七人隊, Shichinintai) were group of human mercenaries that were killed a long time ago. They are resurrected undead manipulated by Naraku through Shikon Jewel shards to hold off his enemies during his time at Mount Hakurei.

Voiced by: Daisuke Gōri (Japanese); Dave "Squatch" Ward (English)

Kyokotsu (凶骨, Kyōkotsu) is a giant who happens to be both the largest of the Band of Seven and the weakest. Though human, 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.

Voiced by: Ai Orikasa (Japanese); Jenn Forgie (English)

Jakotsu (蛇骨, 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 kimono and sadistically kills his male opponents as a sign of affection. Jakotsu is armed with a snake-like sword which 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.

Voiced by: Tetsu Inada (Japanese); Trevor Devall (English)

Mukotsu (霧骨, 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.

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita (Japanese); Brian Drummond (English)

Renkotsu (煉骨, Renkotsu) is the second-in-command of the Band of Seven that often uses wires and fire, which he spews from his mouth, 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.

Voiced by: Hisao Egawa (Japanese); Mark Gibbon (English)

Ginkotsu (銀骨, 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.

Voiced by: Hiroaki Hirata (Japanese); Michael Donovan (English)

Suikotsu (睡骨, 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 personal 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.

Voiced by: Takeshi Kusao (Japanese); Matt Hill (English)

Bankotsu (蛮骨, 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 Banryu (蛮竜, Banryū), a weapon he reclaims by attacking the daimyō 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 Bakuryuuha attack.

Voiced by: Toshihiko Nakajima (Japanese); Terry Klassen (English)

Hachiemon (八衛門, Hachiemon), otherwise known as simply Hachi, is a tanuki from Awa who serves Miroku. 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.

Voiced by: Hisao Egawa (Japanese); Michael Dobson (English)

Jinenji (地念児, 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. He develops a crush on Kagome, who treats him kindly and is not frightened by his appearance at all. Shunned and abused by humans during his own childhood as a half-demon, Inuyasha attempts to convince Jinenji that he needs to be more forceful towards the villagers, especially after he rescues them from the demon who really committed the murders. In the end, Jinenji decides to continue his more gentle approach, giving healing herbs to the men injured during the demon attack. Like Inuyasha, Jinenji becomes fully human once a month. During one of these times in the anime, Rin visits his home searching for the same cure to heal Jaken, who was poisoned by Naraku's demon wasps while protecting her. At the end of The Final Act, Jinenji teaches Kagome about herbs and medicine as part of her training to be a full priestess.

Voiced by: Kaori Mizuhashi (Japanese); Nicole Bouma (English)

Shiori (紫織, Shiori) is a half-demon who was born from a human mother named Shizu and a bat demon father named Tsukuyomaru, 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 Naraku's demon barrier after he saves her from the demon bats.

Voiced by: Masaki Terasoma (Japanese); Ross Douglas (English)

Goryomaru (御霊丸, Goryōmaru) 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 got replaced by the demon's laser-shooting cannon-like arm.

The children he rescued are his followers as well and employ rechargeable urn-like weapons (which resemble Goryomaru's arm) to fight and exorcise demons. The monk and the children's slaughtering of demons capture the attention of Kagura who finds the temple and attacks it. She retreats after being badly hurt by Goryomaru's beam. Following this, Hakudoshi finds Goryomaru and kills him by cutting his throat. Later, Goryomaru is revived by Naraku and is fused with Moryomaru.

Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (Japanese); Don Brown (English)

The Dog General (犬の大將, Inu no Taisho) Tōga was an extremely powerful yōkai lord who ruled the Western Lands, and was known throughout Japan. Never formally addressed with a name, he fathered two sons by two different mothers: Sesshomaru from his consort, a dog demoness, and Inuyasha from a human woman named Izayoi. The Dog General is first mentioned in chapter twelve of the manga as Inuyasha's father, "a demon dog that prowled the lands of the west." The Dog General possesses the power to absorb his enemies' attacks and make them his own, such as gaining the Meido Zangetsuha ability from Shishinki. Prior to his death, Myoga explaining that the fight played a part in his death, the Dog General sealed Ryukotsusei after being unable to kill him. The gateway to the Dog General's tomb is hidden in a black pearl (a mystical gem that creates a path between the mortal and spirit worlds) inside Inuyasha's right eye. Within the pearl, the Dog General's body is shown as an enormous dog skeleton in a suit of armor, serving a shrine where Tetsusaiga, a weapon created from his fang, was placed before Inuyasha could claim it. Over the course of the series, his sons having been in constant conflict because of succession, the Dog General was revealed to have secretly planned the events that would allow Inuyasha to inherit a perfected Meido Zangetsuha and to be able to make peace with Sesshomaru who would be able to finally stand out of their father's shadow.

Voiced by: Kikuko Inoue (Japanese); Alaina Burnett (English)

Izayoi (十六夜, Izayoi) was a gentle, beautiful human, who is the daughter of an impoverished noble house. She loved the Dog General and was saddened that the young Inuyasha was shunned for his half-demon status. Little else is revealed about her family, age, or even how she died, with Inuyasha only noting that she died "a long time ago" and that her manner of death "wasn't her fault." Upon her death, Inuyasha inherits the Robe of the Fire Rat, which the Dog General gave Izayoi to protect her on the night Inuyasha was born, and a shell containing Izayoi's favorite lip coloring, which he gives to Kikyo in the anime.[6][7]

In Inuyasha the Movie: Swords of an Honorable Ruler, not directly based on the manga series, on the night of Inuyasha's birth, she was a captive of Takemaru of Setsuna and his samurai, who plan to lure the Great Dog Demon into coming to rescue her so they can kill him. Izayoi pleads with Takemaru to leave and save his own life, but Takemaru claims he loves her and stabs her through the chest with a spear. Before dying, she gives birth to Inuyasha. The Dog General, being injured by Ryūkotsusei, fights his way through Takemaru's men and the burning building to reach his dead lover and his newborn child. He uses the Tenseiga to restore her to life, then covers her with the Robe of the Fire Rat and orders her to flee. The Dog General names their son Inuyasha and before Izayoi flees to safety, leaving her lover to fight against Takemaru to the death.

Voiced by: Ryūzaburō Ōtomo (Japanese); Dave Pettitt (English)

Hosenki (宝仙鬼, Hōsenki) is an oyster-demon who cultivates a variety of magical jewels. He created the black pearl in Inuyasha's right eye that enabled Sesshomaru to travel to his father's grave and try to steal Tetsusaiga, the sword his father willed to Inuyasha. Needing to return to the netherworld later in the series, Inuyasha's group seeks out Hosenki, but learn that he has died and his namesake son cannot make the gems yet. He tells Inuyasha that he must wait a hundred years before he can make the gems. They find another path to the netherworld where they find the departed Hosenki sitting among the bones of the Dog General's body. However, he has been corrupted by a tainted shard of the Shikon Jewel and attacks Inuyasha. After Naraku reclaims his shard, Hosenki returns to normal and gives Inuyasha the use of "Adamant Barrage", an attack gained by Inuyasha's loyalty to his friends and lack of greed.

Midoriko (翠子, Midoriko) was an extremely 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 yōkai. The battle lasted for seven days and nights and eventually a yōkai, created when many yōkai possessed a mortal man who secretly desired Midoriko, captured her in his jaws. In one final attempt to defeat the demon, she pulled his soul into her body - fusing it with her own soul - and then expelled them both simultaneously. Both the demon and Midoriko died, but their souls combined to give birth to the Shikon Jewel. Midoriko and the demon remained imprisoned within the Jewel and continued to battle ever since.

In the ending, when Inuyasha entered the jewel, he finally saw Midoriko herself and witnessed her to help him fighting and defeating a huge amount of demons then disappearing and never returning. In the manga, the demon's desire expressed by Naraku dissolved forever her soul in order to prepare the place for Kagome. In fact, after her disappearance, the demons tells to Inuyasha that her battle with them has lasted for hundreds of years since the Shikon Jewel was born, and Kagome will continue it from here. Furthermore, as soon as the light dies, the huge spider web with Naraku's dead soul instantly appears. Then, Inuyasha became her true successor in the ancient fight against the demon. Instead, in the anime series, after Kagome makes her wish to destroy the jewel and also stop its plan to replace the demon and Midoriko with Naraku and herself, Midoriko ceased her fighting and disappeared along with the demons she fought, implying that her battle had finally ended and she was allowed to move on to the afterlife.

Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese); Paul Dobson (English)

Ginta (銀太, 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.

Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio (Japanese); Alistair Abell (English)

Hakkaku (白角, 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.

Voiced by: Yumi Kakazu (Japanese); Natalie Walters (English)

Ayame (菖蒲, Ayame) is a red-haired wolf demon that appears only in the anime. She is the granddaughter of the North 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.

Voiced by: Yuzuru Fujimoto (Japanese); Alec Willows (English)

Mushin (夢心, 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.

Mrs. Higurashi

Voiced by: Asako Dodo (Japanese); Cathy Weseluck (English)

Mrs. Higurashi is the mother of Kagome and Sota. She is never given a name. The novel Shousetsu Inuyasha reveals that her husband, Kagome's father, was killed in a car accident when Kagome was five years old. Since then, she was widowed and left to take care of her two children, with the help of her father-in-law. She is very supportive of Kagome and welcoming to Inuyasha. She helps Kagome by taking care of the lunches and dinners for her to bring to Inuyasha's world for them to share with her friends. She does not appear to mind Kagome spending long periods of time in the feudal era.

Sota Higurashi

Voiced by: Akiko Nakagawa (until The Final Act), Junya Enoki (Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon) (Japanese); Saffron Henderson (1st voice), Rebecca Shoichet (2nd voice), Robbie Daymond (Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon)[8] (English)

Sota Higurashi (日暮草太, Higurashi Sōta) is Kagome's younger brother, with whom she has a typical brother-sister relationship. He looks up to Inuyasha as an older brother figure. In Yashahime he adopted Kagome's niece Towa as his daughter. He has an optimistic wife named Moe Higurashi and young daughter named Mei Higurashi.

Grandpa

Voiced by: Ginzō Matsuo (1st voice), Katsumi Suzuki (2nd voice) (Japanese); French Tickner (English)

Grandpa (じいちゃん, Jiichan) 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 make Kagome's friends worry a lot about her.

Buyo

Voiced by: Ginzō Matsuo (Japanese); Richard Ian Cox (English)

Buyo (ブヨ, Gnat) is the Higurashi's lazy pet 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.

Hojo

Voiced by: Yūji Ueda (Japanese); Matt Smith (English)

Hojo (北条, Hōjō) is a school friend of Kagome who has a crush on her. Kagome's school friends think that they should be together, but Kagome never took the dates he asked her on seriously, even though she agreed and every single time would either forget or bail out on the dates so that she could go back to the feudal era to be with Inuyasha. Hojo is always under the pretense that Kagome has a fatal illness, due to the excuses Kagome's grandfather tells in order to keep Kagome out of school for long periods of time while she is in the Feudal Era. Because of this, Hojo is frequently seen giving Kagome traditional remedies and supplies for her various fictional illnesses. Sometimes, her grandfather uses the gifts from Hojo on himself. In the ending of The Final Act, Hojo is seen dating his college classmate after the series ended.

Ayumi

Voiced by: Nami Okamoto (Japanese); Cathy Weseluck (English)

Ayumi (あゆみ, Ayumi) is one of Kagome's friends from the modern era. She has wavy shoulder-length black hair. Being the naive, optimistic, gentle one of the three, she is the only one of the group to express support for Kagome's relationship with Inuyasha.

Eri

Voiced by: Yuki Masuda (Japanese); Saffron Henderson (1st voice), Rebecca Shoichet (2nd voice) (English)

Eri (絵理, Eri) is one of Kagome's friends from the modern era. 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).

Yuka

Voiced by: Kaori Shimizu (Japanese); Jillian Michaels (English)

Yuka (由加, Yuka) is one of Kagome's friends from the modern era. Yuka has neck-length brown hair. Being the most outspoken of the three, as well as being very sharp-witted, she often expresses concern over Kagome's relationship with her "delinquent boyfriend," Inuyasha.

Voiced by: Sara Matsumoto[9] (Japanese); Erica Mendez[10] (English)

Towa Higurashi (日暮とわ, Higurashi Towa) is Sesshōmaru and Rin's eldest daughter and Setsuna's older twin sister. She was somehow transported to the modern era through the power of the Sacred Tree of Ages and the Bone Eater's Well when she was just four years old. She received shelter from her uncle-in-law, the Higurashi family, and was subsequently raised by her half-uncle-in-law, Sōta Higurashi. She is reunited with her sister Setsuna after spending ten years in modern times. She wields the sword Kikujūmonji (掬十文字, lit. "Chrysanthemum Cross Sword") and carries the Silver Rainbow Pearl inside her left eye. When her sword is broken, she is capable of unleashing her demonic power to form her demonic energy into the remaining blade. Later she learns to absorb the demonic energy of enemies to empower herself and becomes capable of unleashing her father's Sōryūha (蒼竜破, Blue Dragon Blast) personal attack.

Voiced by: Mikako Komatsu[9] (Japanese); Kira Buckland[10] (English)

Setsuna (せつな) is a half-demon demon slayer who works under Kohaku. She was separated from her older twin sister Towa when they were both four years old but was reunited with her after traveling to the future with her cousin Moroha. She seems to have difficulty believing Towa is really her sister, given that she lost all memories of her past, which according to Moroha, is due to the influence of a Dream Butterfly which also rendered her unable to sleep or have dreams. She wields the naginata Kanemitsu no Tomoe (兼光の巴), which attacks are Cyclone Burst and Scourge of Swallows, and holds the Gold Rainbow Pearl inside her right eye. Her demonic blood also can produce a powerful poison that is hard to control and she has it sealed by Miroku to contain it.

Voiced by: Azusa Tadokoro[9] (Japanese); Morgan Berry[10] (English)

Moroha (もろは) is the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome Higurashi, a quarter-demon bounty hunter known as "Moroha the Monster Killer" (化け殺しのもろは, Bake-goroshi no Moroha) who slays demons and sells their parts to other demon slayers, presumably so they can make weapons and armor out of them. Aside from being capable of using her father's claw attacks and exorcising demons like her mother, she wields the yōkai sword Kurikaramaru (倶利伽羅丸, lit. "Profitable Fairy Tale Tool") and carries the Red Rainbow Pearl with her, which she stole from the demon Tokotsu's corpse. Tragically, Moroha knows very little of her parents as they sent her away for her own safety when she was an infant. She likely knows her cousin Setsuna through her business dealings with demon slayers. It is later revealed that she was sent away for her own safety at the behest of her mother Kagome.

Voiced by: Aya Gomazuru (Kin'u), Hitomi Ueda (Gyokuto) (Japanese); Jillian Michaels (The Final Act), Jackie Lastra (Kin'u),[11] Michelle Marie (Gyokuto)[12] (English)

Kin'u (金鳥, Kinu) & :Gyokuto (玉兎) are the identical twin daughters of Miroku and Sango and the older sisters of Hisui, who appears at the end of the original series. In Princess Half-Demon, they make any appearances as young women.

Voiced by: Takehiro Urao,[3] Larissa Tago Takeda (as baby) (Japanese); Aleks Le,[4] Michelle Marie (as baby)[12] (English)

Hisui (翡翠) is Miroku and Sango's only son and the youngest of their three children, who first appears at the end of the original series as a baby. In Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, he is now a young man who has taken up demon slaying and inherited Hiraikotsu from his mother.

Voiced by: Ai Fairouz[3] (Japanese); Ryan Bartley[13] (English)

Takechiyo (竹千代, Takechiyo) is a young tanuki who serves under Juybei the Corpse Dealer. He also takes the Half-Demon Princesses to places sufficient enough for profit.

Voiced by: Haruka Terui (Japanese); Xanthe Huynh[14] (English)

Mei Higurashi (日暮芽衣, Higurashi Mei) is the daughter of Sota and Moe Higurashi, adoptive sister of Towa and the niece of Kagome Higurashi, and the maternal cousin of Moroha.

Voiced by: Eriko Matsui (Japanese); Erika Harlacher[15] (English)

Moe Higurashi (日暮萌, Higurashi Moe) is the wife of Sota and the mother of Mei Higurashi, adoptive mother of Towa and the maternal aunt of Moroha.

Voiced by: Yoshimasa Hosoya (Japanese); Crispin Freeman (English)

Kirinmaru (麒麟丸) is an ancient demon and master of the Shikyō (四凶, lit. Four Perils) that rules over the eastern lands whose power rivals Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's father, who ruled the western lands of Japan. With the death of his rival, and the refusal of Sesshomaru to assume his father's place, Kirinmaru's presence expands to the whole country, prompting the Sacred Tree of Ages into enlisting Towa, Setsuna and Moroha's help and combined strength in destroying him for good.

Voiced by: Toa Yukinari (Japanese); Dawn M. Bennett[16] (English)

Kyūki (窮奇) is one of the Shikyō and a winged tiger demon who possesses the Purple Rainbow Pearl. She is defeated by Towa, and Riku steals her pearl as he kills her.

Voiced by: Jun Fukuyama (Japanese); Zach Aguilar (English)

Riku (理玖) is Jyubei and Takechiyo's mysterious employer who intends to obtain all seven of the Rainbow Pearls for himself. He carries the Blue Rainbow Pearl on a earring placed in his left ear. He later takes the Purple Rainbow Pearl from Kyuki's decomposing body.

Voiced by: Tsuyoshi Koyama

Jyūbei (獣兵衛) is the owner of the corpse-dealing shop that specializes in bounties placed on demons. Moroha currently lives under Jyūbei's shop in order to pay off a very large debt.

Voiced by: Taro Kiuchi

Tōkotsu (檮杌)

Voiced by: Yūko Sanpei (Japanese); Marianne Miller (English)

Jakotsumaru (若骨丸)

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto

Konton (渾沌)

Voiced by: Hiroshi Shirokuma

Totetsu (饕餮)

Voiced by: Maaya Sakamoto

Zero (是露) is Kirinmaru's half-sister.