Personality amd Abilities

Shippo's character doesn't change drastically over the course of the series, leaving him most noticeably as the kid who isn't afraid to speak his mind but often hides or panics in the face of danger. It's very easy to peg him as an obnoxious kid who talks a big game but can never back it up because he's too cowardly. Because he's both a demon and a boy it's sometimes forgotten by others that he is a small child and a type of demon who relies on illusions and tricks rather than power to get out of situations. Besides that though, there is more to Shippo than what he puts out there for people to see.

Shippo projects himself as a confident demon who knows a lot of what's what in the world, the guy who is the most mature in his group and deserves respect. He will say what he thinks about the negative things about people and situations without hesitation; so if he thinks someone is an idiot or they deserved whatever bad thing is happening to them, then someone will hear him say so. This attitude and his matter-of-fact way of speaking can come off as annoying or condescending and can rub people who are already annoyed about something the wrong way. He also tries to make himself out to be brave or great, but he actually buckles under pressure pretty easily a lot and isn't always very useful even when he doesn't.

Having grown up with a loving family and having a very close relationship with his father, shippo has taken a lot of the things that he was taught and grew up with to heart. With very few exceptions he believes in not playing tricks on women and doesn't really play tricks on humans like most foxes do. This doesn't seem to be something that he changed after meeting Kagome, as with Koga's teaching his pack not to eat humans, implying he just never really learned the inclination. He respects his elders and believes in being kind to and mindful of them, as well as acknowledging that they are wiser than he is and should at the very least be listened to. He has manners and is usually more tactful than a lot of people, even when directly insulting them.

Possibly because of his family being murdered, Shippo is very afraid of being left all alone or of losing those close to him. This is actually revealed to be his biggest fear and is a big reason that, even if he's not fighting, he's not far from the danger zone with his friends: even though he's often too weak or afraid to help. This also means that he will not stand to be the only one left behind for safety while everyone else goes off to face danger. If he is left behind for these kinds of reasons then he'll try to find a way to follow somehow or he'll stay right where he'll see immediately when they come back. If his group is forcibly broken up, he'll try to remove the obstacle by himself if needed so they can be together. But if it's just alone time for the sake of alone time or any sort of ordinary temporary separation he's fine with it and will go about his business as normal. He may even take it upon himself to give them their alone time without being given any deliberate indication he should make himself scarce.

On a note similar to the above, Shippo easily identifies with people who have dead or missing family most of the time. If he can prevent someone from going through what he has, or if there's even a chance he can, he'll try to help them out. The lengths he'll go to have gone from helping them look for their lost one, to even reaching him stopping someone to beg for help even though that person is know to kill people simply for being in his way. He also identifies well with those who need to avenge a loved one and will do his best to make sure they have what they need to succeed. This want to help those like him can lead to him being deceived and taken advantage of.

Shippo forms general impressions of people pretty quickly and as a result can get attached to those he likes quickly as well. Being as family-oriented as he is, some of these bonds become almost family-like even if he never calls it more than friendship. It somewhat colors his interaction. He likes to sleep with others and bathe with his friends regardless of gender. He likes to hang onto and be held by his friends and just be with them while they do their own things. If he likes someone then even bickering with or being bullied by them somewhat often won't really change the reasons he likes them or the concern he holds for them when something serious is wrong. In the context of bathing he can make a guess on how far a relationship is based on the reaction to the idea of bathing together because he used to do it with his mom and dad, and because Kagome and Sango let him bathe with them but won't let Miroku and Inuyasha even see them naked.

As a result of being so young, Shippo doesn't understand the full implications of some of the more adult things that happen around him or even what he says. But he has a vague understanding of things like bathing with the women in his surrogate family is okay, but Inuyasha and Kagome don't bathe together because their relationship isn't like his mom and dad's was yet. He understands that certain adult things he says make things awkward for adults and is likely because they're true, but he doesn't fully understand what that means the thing he said or asked means or why it's awkward for them. He understands that being a lecher is bad but he likely doesn't understand fully why that is and only that they don't like guys who chase and grope women.

While he's far too young to be a lecher, Shippo is at an age where he can feel an attraction towards someone. While innocent in nature, his reaction to liking someone is to try and do nice things for them such as helping them out or making them presents. He'll also find his courage and confidence a little more easily if he's the only one around who can try to help them out of a dangerous situation. Of course moving on from these minor crushes isn't that difficult when he has to because of traveling, but if something happens that results in the person he likes hating him then it's a crushing blow. Teasing him about such things may not be a good idea because he may bite in a fit of rage.

Despite being a small child, Shippo tries hard to seem like a reliable man in both how he speaks and his actions. He doesn't speak like a child or deliberately act like one unless it's to gain sympathy or try to escape either trouble or awkward situations, at which point it's only to appeal to someone. When his friends are in a position where he needs to help or protect them then he tries to summon his courage with varying levels of success. He makes a decent caretaker, able to watch over and provide basic care for the sick or injured without complaint for however long he needs to. Remembering things his friends might have forgotten in their desperation or cockiness is another thing he's good at. He will step up and try to use his skills in a fight to stand by his friends, but this often results in unneeded attention being directed to him and his needing to take cover.

On not quite the same tier as his want to be reliable is Shippo's sense of loyalty to people he likes. Despite the fact that he will state his opinions on their flaws and he won't help them out of situations they got themselves into, he will always try his best for them when it really counts. This can include making himself a target by grabbing exactly what the subject of interest is and drawing danger away, protecting the injured from harm to the best of his abilities, or even asking advice for them if they won't do it themselves. He is invested in them legitimately, especially keeping track of his standards for fairness when he feels someone might be being taken advantage of, so much so that he may take up spying to keep tabs.

Even though Shippo is a demon, he's not particularly malicious or fearless. Many are portrayed as not really caring for humans or outright being evil, and even foxes are naturally inclined to enjoy pranking them, but Shippo prefers to get along with them and takes offense to people showing a lack of manners simply because he is one. He also has an understandable fear of both unknown demons and those known to be dangerous, due to the fact that he is a child and not very strong. This can lead to him being considered a coward though he very rarely outright abandons his friends and will usually try to stay close to them, or hide far enough away to see what's happening without being in direct danger. This does take a measure of courage on his part even though a part of that is fear of being alone.

One thing in particular that comes as an advantage to being a fox demon is that he's pretty well-versed in the various tricks and illusions that trickster demons use. He can be fooled by more experienced demons, but he can usually tell the tricks as they're being used because he uses most of them. He's also pretty cunning and can sometimes twist situations to his or an ally's advantage.

Due apparently in part to bullying, negative reinforcement such as physical punishment doesn't work on him. Whether he deserves it or not, being struck only resorts in his resentment. If someone strikes him a lot to deal with him then he will retaliate, either with his claws and fangs or with his fox magic. A similar thing happens with words that are too harsh as well, but he's more likely to learn from them when he's done something wrong than if someone gets physical. He's also most likely only going to retaliate with words if he doesn't feel that what's said was right. If he does he likely won't say or do anything. Reasoning with him works the best however.

As a result of the time period he lives in, Shippo has a view that some would find questionable in a more modern era. He doesn't think that women have no value or are helpless, but he does feel that it is a man's duty to protect a woman from danger because that is part of a man's role. Men should also be the ones to step up to challenges and shouldn't be cruel to women. He should instead be courteous and helpful as needed. Women also should not be forced to do heavy work like chopping wood and are best suited and very talented in the kitchen and should be respected for it. But there are of course exceptions to this perception. If a woman is strong and smart and brave, then it will not really cross his mind that she needs help as a woman unless she can't save herself and she'll be just another team member. If she's an evil wicked witch who ensnares men or causes death and misery, no matter what she looks like, than all bets are off and violence is a-okay against her.

Shippo plans to one day be a great demon, though his perception of great is pretty much just to be strong, well-known, and respected. This is why despite him being all of the above he tries to keep the image of a confident and mature person. But this being said, he can find himself pressured into doing things he doesn't want to in order to make himself seem important if someone does view him as great but has specific views on what that greatness should be. This is really because he hasn't learned that making or upholding his reputation is not the most important thing, and that he should learn when to draw the line. He's a good kid with many likeable qualities, but his outer demeanor could keep people from ever seeing it clearly.

Abilities/Additional Notes
As a demon, Shippo is blessed with abilities that are better than what any human child, and some adults, is naturally capable of. He has heightened senses of smell and hearing, though dog demons and likely wolves have better noses than his. This lets him gain extra information about the world around him without the risk of being easily overwhelmed by stronger scents. He is also able to run around quickly on all fours, not at super speeds but fast enough to keep ahead of a pack of wolves in full pursuit. He can jump several times his height in a single bound, even while carrying a human child twice his size on his back. Even though he's still a child, he has a strong bite that could seriously hurt anyone without thick skin, and his claws can dig through rock hard soil unassisted. He can take more damage than a normal human could and his wounds heal faster than a human's as well.

As a fox, Shippo is proficient in fox magic. This is mostly very realistic illusions, though other demons can use those too. He can use fox fire, a bluish-green flame that doesn't burn as much as it startles, but can also be used as both a light and a shield from actual flames. He can transform himself into many different things and people, and can fly by becoming various birds or a giant balloon shape. He uses illusion to make his toys appear as giant dangerous weapons or real monstrous animals, the effects of which can be felt and only makes the illusion more convincing. Acorns and mushrooms are often used to assist in illusions, though one use is to leave a trail of crying, googly-eyed ones to lead to a location. He also keeps miniature jizo statues on hand that he can enlarge and use to pin someone down with a spell tag. At one point, he was able to combine his fox magic with a talisman to gain invisibility. Late in canon it's implied that he's a bit of a prodigy with his skills, and that if he really channeled his energy he could use his magic for some really destructive tricks.

Shippo has two really big weaknesses. He is extremely small and lightweight, not even standing at knee-height on most people. This gives him very little staying power and he can be easily snatched up. He'll eventually grow into a human-sized adult, but as a kit his growth will go frokm this very small size. He also ages more slowly, as during the three year timeskip at the end of the series he hasn't changed at all. Also being a demon, he is susceptible to purifying magic, as just being close to a purifying barrier is enough to drain his energy and render him barely conscious.