A small fox youkai, barely a child.  He has the ability to transform into almost anything, but cannot hold the form for very long.  He also has a good many magical items he can use to trick his opponents long enough for him to escape.  His parents and entire pack were killed by Manten and Hitten, the Thunder Brothers.  Seeking revenge, Shippo stole the Shikon no Tama shards from Inuyasha and Kagome.  He later gave them back when the Thunder Brothers were killed by Inuyasha.  Shippo sees Kagome as a mother-figure and knows she’ll protect him from Inuyasha’s mood swings.  To Shippo, the hanyou is sort of like a father or brother.  He was their first companion in the search for the shards.