is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists and titular hero of the 1996 fantasy manga series Inuyasha, created by Rumiko Takahashi, as well as several adaptations of the manga series, most notably the 2000 anime TV series of the same name and its 2009 direct sequel, Inuyasha: The Final Act.
He is a half-demon, half-human from the Sengoku period of Japan, who once started off as a selfish and ill-tempered individual, bearing extreme hatred towards humanity after being seemingly betrayed by his former lover, the priestess Kikyō, and sought to find the pieces of the Shikon Jewel in order to become a full demon. This ultimately leads to him being forced to team up with Kagome Higurashi, a modern era middle school girl who possesses spiritual powers that allows her to find the jewel pieces, so he could achieve his goal of becoming a full demon.
Over the course of the series, he and Kagome would begin to grow closer to each other and build new bonds with other characters, while Inuyasha slowly but surely grows to accept his half-heritage as he goes through certain events that shows him the truth of being a full demon, thus completely rejecting his original goals of becoming a complete demon. While on their journey to recover the jewel pieces, he and his friends would often encounter those who sought the jewel pieces for their own selfish gain, with the most recurring threat among them being a half-demon known as Naraku, who serves as Inuyasha's arch-enemy and foil, as it is revealed that he was the one who caused the conflict between Inuyasha and Kikyō.
He later returns in the 2020 anime spin-off sequel seriesYashahime: Princess Half-Demon, where he and Kagome, who is now Inuyasha's wife as well as a priestess in the Sengoku period, becomes the parents of Moroha, who is one of the main characters in the sequel series.
Ever since the series' debut, Inuyasha has been widely known across the world as one of the most recognizable and iconic characters in manga and anime history. He received critical acclaim by many for his design, his character development, his relationship with Kagome and Kikyō, and the vocal performances by Yamaguchi and Cox respectively, as well as for his tsundere behavior and being a flawed yet relateable character.
Concept and creation
When Rumiko Takahashi began the series, the only ideas she had were Inuyasha being sealed by Kikyō and his sword being a relic from his father, everything after that was thought up on a weekly basis. Inuyasha's name simply comes from the fact that he is part dog (inu in Japanese) and part yasha.
In June 2001, the author said that she did not know what would come of Inuyasha and Kagome's back-and-forth relationship, but that she did intend for it to have a resolution. She also said that she purposely avoided having those two and Kikyō appear at the same time, as Inuyasha always likes "the girl he is with" more.
Reception
Inuyasha has been popular within Japanese fans. In the Newtype magazine from August 2001, he was voted as the second best male character losing to Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop. In 2002, Inuyasha won the Animage Anime Grand Prix for Best Male Character. In the next year, he was third behind Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala both from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED. He was sixth in the following poll. A 2019 NHK poll of 210,061 people saw Inuyasha voted the favorite character from all of Rumiko Takahashi's works.
Critical reception has been mixed. Derrick L. Tucker of THEM Anime Reviews praised the characterization of Inuyasha and other main characters, identifying it as a key reason why story elements such as the love triangle between Inuyasha, Kikyo and Kagome are able to evoke significant audience emotional response. In a review of the second manga volume, Megan Lavey from Mania Beyond Entertainment commented that the character's development was depicted for the first time as the story began to explore why Inuyasha is often angry and has difficulty trusting others. Inuyasha and Kagome were praised by Mania writer Chris Beveridge for how well they act together in contrast to the leads of Ranma ½. Writing later for the Fandom Post, Beveridge explained how it was fun seeing Inuyasha in the modern world and the impact it has on Kagome. Similarly, Holly Ellingwood from Active Anime particularly enjoyed the comedy that occurs when Inuyasha visits the modern world following Kagome. Despite noting how several characters had similar faces, Anime News Networks Zac Bertschy noted that Inuyasha stood out thanks to his clothes. Anime News Network felt the character became a less interesting anti-hero as the plot progressed and criticized the handling of his dynamic with Kagome due to the repetitive romantic tension despite both often arguing. John Sinnott from DVD Talk noted how examined was Inuyasha including his heritage and use of his sword that could create a big impact.
Briana Lawerence from Mania Entertainment was harsher in regards to these situation as the narrative continuously focused on this triangle for multiple seasons, leaving her the desire for Inuyasha to decide a love interest because she found the character annoying as a result. In her book Anime from Akira to Howl's Moving Castle, scholar Susan J. Napier analyzed how certain lessons in the series relate to Inuyasha's representation of masculinity. Academic Caroline Ruddell analyzed use of movement in the anime. In combat scenes Inuyasha is often slowed or frozen, against the moving background, to foreground his emotional and physical vulnerability. Close-up shots of his face and head place further focus on these aspects and on the character (rather than the narrative), particularly his facial expressions, while wide shots showing his whole body are used to depict his strength. Together, the techniques show the different facets of his hybrid nature. According to Rudell, Inuyasha is stylized as an anti-hero or tsundere. IGN's D. F. Smith praised the voice acting of Richard Cox as "he does a fine job getting the character's rough-edged, angry mode of speech across, even without being able to stick "yarou" at the end of every sentence." Anime News Network also found Cox as the most appealing members from the English dub, describing his take on the protagonist as "arrogant punk".