Shippō

Shippo is a character in the anime and manga series Inuyasha.

'Shippō' means 'the seven treasures' (as in gold, silver, pearls, agate, crystal, coral, and lapis lazuli) in Japanese. (The English adaptations of Inuyasha spell his name in a manner that ignores the double "o" - "Shippo" has a different meaning than "Shippō"). The similar-sounding 'shippo' means 'tail', which is likely a deliberate pun.

He is a kitsune (fox demon) who tags along with Kagome Higurashi and InuYasha after they defeat the Thunder Brothers. At first, Shippō attacks Inuyasha and Kagome in an effort to steal their shards of the Jewel of the Four Souls (Shikon no Tama), or the Shikon Jewel. He wants to use them to become stronger so he can avenge his father's death at the hands of the Thunder Brothers. After Inuyasha and Kagome hear Shippō's story, they help him fulfill his revenge and he becomes the first new member of the group. Shippō, unlike some full-blooded yōkai, has no problem with humans, but Inuyasha and Shippō always tease each other while Kagome acts like a combination of mother and sister to Shippō. Though young and rather naïve, he has a very good grasp of the emotions and motives of his companions, and has oddly accurate moments of insight. He wishes very much that Kagome and Inuyasha would not fight, and when they do, he is right there trying to convince Inuyasha to apologize for whatever he did, resulting in a quick bop to the noggin for the kitsune.

As a kitsune, his specialty is trickery. He has fooled with Inuyasha in particular on a few occasions, once abandoning him on the side of a road with his hands trapped beneath a stone with a sutra on it, one act among several that have garnered Inuyasha's mild resentment. Shippō's illusions aren't always complete and don't always last for very long, leaving Shippō to face trouble from the people or yōkai he may be trying to deceive. He also had a brief crush on Satsuki, who he saved from a lizard yōkai who tricked her into believing that it was her brother. He also has a special relationship with Kirara, Sango's pet, and he is often found talking to her, particularly during battles in which their skills are not needed.

Voice Actor

 * Japanese Seiyuu: Kumiko Watanabe
 * English Voice Actor: Jillian Michaels

Abilities

 * Naki Kinoko (Weeping Mushrooms): Leaves a trail of wailing, crying mushrooms that can be followed to his current location.
 * Tsubushi Goma (Smashing Top): Illusionary magic using a small toy top that gives the appearance and presence of a very large top, often used to pin opponents to the ground.
 * Bunshin (Divide): Using special happa (leaves), creates many illusionary clones of Shippō that distract the enemy.
 * Kitsune-bi (Fox Fire): Summons a ghostly-looking green fire. Used mostly for defense but works as an effective attack against weak yōkai.
 * Heart Scar* : Basically he bites the thing he's using Heart Scar on.
 * Transformation: Deceives the enemy by transforming into another creature. These transformations are often incomplete, his untransformed tail usually gives him away, and the appearance usually can't be maintained for very long. He is also able to transform to a pink balloon-like shape with limited flying ability to carry one light person like Kagome. Shippō is also able to transform into a spider, thinking that Inuyasha was afraid of spiders (he does so in episode 13)