Inuyasha's elder half-brother, Sesshoumaru, stands in stark contrast to his sibling. Unlike Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru is a pure-blooded dog demon and holds disdain for Inuyasha due to his half-demon nature and association with humans. As one of the most formidable demons, Sesshoumaru appears virtually unmatched in raw power; however, he was unable to overcome Naraku during their encounter in volume twenty-three. While fans often refer to him as the Lord of the Western Lands, this title does not appear in the manga. Creator Rumiko Takahashi also mentioned that Sesshoumaru lacks a permanent residence. Interestingly, unlike other demons, he shows no interest in obtaining even a single shard of the Shikon Jewel.
Sesshoumaru makes his first appearance seeking the Tessaiga, a sword crafted from their father Inu-no-Taisho's fang, capable of slaying a hundred yōkai with a single swing. However, Inu-no-Taisho bequeathed Tessaiga to Inuyasha, leaving Sesshoumaru with the Tenseiga, a blade incapable of harming the living but able to resurrect the dead. Inu-no-Taisho hoped this would teach Sesshoumaru compassion. Finding Tenseiga useless, Sesshoumaru repeatedly battles Inuyasha for Tessaiga. When Goshinki, an incarnation of Naraku, breaks Tessaiga, Sesshoumaru has Goshinki's fangs forged into the malevolent Tokijin, a sword only he can wield. Initially, Sesshoumaru is merciless and cruel in his quest for Tessaiga and interactions with Inuyasha.
Despite his general hatred for humans, Sesshoumaru exhibits care for Rin, a young human girl orphaned when her village was destroyed by demons. Rin found Sesshoumaru injured in the woods near her village after a fight with Inuyasha and tried to help him, though he initially refused. Later, after discovering Rin nearly devoured by Koga's wolves, Sesshoumaru used Tenseiga to revive her. Now, Rin follows Sesshoumaru, considering herself his servant.
