Armor

Armor is a style of dress worn by warriors to give them added protection in battle. Armor is usually made up of various components made of varying materials. Normally, the most effective armor was composed of plates, made of some sort of metal, but alternative materials range from clay to wood. In Japan, samurai were known for their decorative armor; composed of lacquered metals and leather. These arrangements were designed to give a samurai the best protection, while allowing for the greatest range of movement possible. One of the flaws in European armor was its weight; armored plates covered most of a knight's body, leaving him almost completely protected. However, movement was difficult and the knight's heavy weight prevented him moving quickly across a battlefield without the aid of a horse. Once on foot, the knight was vulnerable. Samurai armor avoided these issues by being made from fairly light materials and tied together with leather or silk, eschewing the crowded joints seen in European armor, to allow for maximum movement, while still providing adequate defense.

Even demons often wear some sort of armor. This ranges from Sesshōmaru, who wears only a breastplate, to full-body armor worn by demons like Ryūjin. Some demons, however, possessed natural armor; especially turtle demons such as Genbu, Gōra, and Meiōjū. Most demons encountered by Inuyasha and his group of friends wear light armor similar to Sesshōmaru's, composed primarily of a breatplate and some sort of shoulder pauldrons, distinctive of the light armor of Japan. However, some demons have armor that is either influenced by or directly from the mainland, primarily China. This includes Menōmaru and the Hyōga clan, as well as three of the four members of the Shitōshin. Their armor is more comprehensive, though still relatively light-weight, and included armored skirts, breastplates or leather jackets, as well as pauldrons and knee-high boots.