Shippō

Shippo (七宝, Shippou) is an orphaned young fox demon who attempts to steal the Shikon Jewel shards from Kagome and Inuyasha, wanting to become stronger and avenge his father's death. Though his plan fails, Kagome and Inuyasha aid him after hearing his story, and he becomes their companion for the rest of the series. 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 pink 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 fox-fire magic and toy-based tricks such as his giant spinning top attack. Naively observant, he often directs cheeky comments to Inuyasha, earning a smack on the head. Inuyasha and Kagome serve as older sibling figures to Shippo. Because of his small size, Shippo often rides on Kirara or the shoulders of others. When he does travel on the ground, he drops to all fours if he wants to run quickly. His actual age is never stated in the series; according to the official InuYasha guide by Rumiko Takahashi, his appearance is equivalent to that of a seven year old boy.

Abilities

 * Biting: The ability to bite an enemy's vital points using his sharp teeth as a weapon. It is his last resort and does not cause much damage. In one episode he does an attack called "Heart Scar" which is the same thing as biting, though his mouth and body glows red. It seems to have a burning effect on the opponent.
 * Firebombs: An explosive weapon thrown at his enemies. The bombs confuse his enemies with their loud noise, but the ones he makes are no more than firecrackers.
 * Signals: The skill of throwing magic Weeping Mushroom spores or Spinning Acorns that can send signals to his companions through their cries. He uses them in emergencies to call for help or give out his location. Although the Weeping Mushroom Spores and Spinning Acorns are used for signals, Shippo has thrown them at enemies in an offensive manner.
 * Fox Magic: The skill to create illusions and make someone feel pain and/or weight as if it were real. This technique is highly effective in stopping enemies in their tracks.
 * Dopplegänger: The skill to reproduce himself with a dopplegänger technique using leaves. If a dopplegänger receives impact, it makes a popping noise and bursts like a balloon. They can confuse enemies so Shippo can go for reinforcements and they can increase their numbers for a concerted attack.
 * Fox Fire: The ability to create fire with demonic skills. It has next to no burn effect on opponents, but it can burn things like spider webs. It can neutralize fire from enemies, making it more of a defensive spell than an attack. The blue flame can also be sustained in Shippo's hand, providing a handy torch in dark areas, such as caves.
 * Transformation: The ability to transform into animals or look the same as someone else by putting a leaf onto his head. However, when Shippo's memories are vague, it is sometimes impossible to tell what he has transformed into. He imagines himself becoming something much greater than what he actually becomes, usually forgetting to hide his tail. However, Shippo has been able to transform into Miroku without any flaws. He is better at transforming into humans than animals, but it does not last 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. Although this is not much, it is a big improvement, seeing as he originally was not able to even carry one person.
 * Leaf Flying: He can fly by transforming leaves into bigger leaves that people can ride on. However, leaves can only drift on wind and cannot fly on their own, so they can only be used for coming down from high places.
 * Toy Horse Running: The skill to turn a small horse into a life-size one. It can fly and is quite fast, but is also small and so is only suitable for one rider. The toy horse is made up of Spinning Acorns. It can be broken back down into individual signals. In the anime, instead of having the horse, he actually turns into the horse.

Picking Up Familiar Traits
Shippo has had several love interests in the past, and in one episode, this is pointed out. Sango and Kagome both believe this is because he has picked up some of Miroku's habits.

Shippo and His Friends
Shippo thinks of his friends like family. In some episodes, when the group has a place to stay, Shippo usually sleeps with Kagome. In several episodes, Shippo bathes with Sango and Kagome. The first time Shippo does this (before we meet Miroku, Sango, and Kirara) he even suggests that Inuyasha join them. When Shippo's family was alive, they would all bathe together; this shows that Shippo thinks of his comrades as family.

Shippo and Kirara seem to have a close relationship. Shippo talks to Kirara, and sometimes rides on her back. In one episode, Sango gets so very angry, causing both Shippo and Kirara to be very scared, so that they hug each other tightly.

Not a Raccoon-dog
Several times in the series, Shippo is mistaken for a raccoon dog. This is because he is small and has a round body. The difference is their tails. Although Hachi, the raccoon-dog, looks nothing like Shippo, as seen in the series, some yokai look more human than others.

Trivia

 * Shippo literally means "seven treasures."


 * Another meaning of "Shippo" is "tail."


 * Shippo is played by a girl in most dubbed versions.


 * Shippo, along with Inuyasha, Miroku, and Kagome make a cameo appearence in Ranma 1/2 OVA Episode 13. During one of Akane's nightmares, Shippo's dead body is seen on top of Inuyasha's dead body located to Akane's left. He also has a lump on his head, which is usually inflicted by Inuyasha smacking Shippo on the head.
 * Shippo is very mature for his age.
 * He appears to be 10 at the end of The Final Act.