Sesshoumaru

	Name	Sesshoumaru 「殺生丸」
	Type	Full-blooded inu youkai (dog demon)
	Family	Inuyasha (half-brother); Inu no Taisho (deceased father)
	Companions	Jaken (kappa youkai), Rin (human)
	Weapons	Tenseiga, Toukijin
	Seiyuu	Narita Ken

Introduction

Sesshoumaru is the fearful elder brother of Inuyasha, and is neither the hero nor the bad guy in the series. Driven by his hunger for more power, he travels the lands to test his strength so that he can surpass his father's legacy one day. He is a mysterious man of few words, and rarely loses his composure - even in battle. Intelligent, dignified, and dangerous, Sesshoumaru is proving to be the ultimate destructive force, with a touch of elegance - something only he could ever pull off.

He makes his debut in chapter 12 / episode 5 of the series, doing what he does best - killing random bystanders who happen to be in his way. He was on a quest to find his father's tomb, for that was where the coveted Tessaiga sword was hidden. This leads him to the first of many clashes between the two bitter siblings. Although they are on separate missions, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's fates are destined to be intertwined as they meet up time and time again, first battling for the Tessaiga and then eventually for the battle to destroy Naraku.

What sets him apart from other youkai is the fact that Sesshoumaru is not interested in the shikon jewel shards. While he does crave power, he is determined to gain power using his own strength. However, Sesshoumaru ended up getting mixed up with Naraku, who tried to use him to kill Inuyasha. For a high and mighty guy like Sesshoumaru, to try to order him around is a big mistake. Kidnapping Rin and trying to absorb him into Naraku's body was the last straw.

Though he has the appearance of a 19 year old in his human form, Sesshoumaru is, in fact, well over several hundred years old. He is easily one of the most powerful creatures, as Kagura noted on countless occasions, and he will no doubt play a key role in Naraku's ultimate destruction. Inu-papa created the Tessaiga and Tenseiga for the purpose of protecting that special someone, so with Sesshoumaru's growing sense of compassion in his heart, we can look forward to a stronger, fluffier warmer future for Sesshoumaru.

Personality superiority complex

A loner by nature, Sesshoumaru seems completely emotionless at first glance. In reality, he has quite the complex personality, with some unexpected qualities hidden beneath his cool exterior. Aside from his more visible traits such as his arrogance, hatred towards humans, and superiority complex, we see he that he enjoys company after all (although he has unusual taste - a noisy little youkai and... a cute little human girl?!), a bullying side to him when he's with Jaken, paternal instincts from taking care of Rin, and a change of heart from Kagura's death. It is clear from his actions that he has come to care a lot about his companions, though he would never acknowledge that he may be turning soft.

Being the first-born son of the late Inu no Taisho, Sesshoumaru takes great pride in his noble lineage. Although we don't know much of their past, it is obvious they had a close relationship, and it is the only time you will see Sesshoumaru paying his respects and dutifully obeying a higher authority.

In the third movie, Tenka Hadou no Ken (Swords of an Honorable Ruler), we see a flashback to the last conversation he had with his father before his death. His father questioned why he seeked power, and he answered that power will reveal the path of supreme conquest. Sesshoumaru, who greatly respected his father, was supposed to surpass him by defeating him, but he died for the sake of a mere mortal and Inuyasha.

Thus begins the rivalry between the two brothers. Their relationship is one of the most interesting conflicts in the series, and adds further depth to the two boys. While Sesshoumaru would never admit it, he was probably really hurt that his father passed over the better sword to his younger brother, a mere hanyou. Sesshoumaru sees Inuyasha as nothing more than a half-youkai failure, but as Inuyasha becomes stronger, he realizes that he has the potential to become his ultimate rival, and holds off on killing him.