Kagome and Inu-Yasha first meet Shippo on a battle field, where he has disguised himself as a spirit, in order to scare the two into giving up their Shikon shards. The reason Shippo needs the jewel is so that he can avenge the death of his father at the hands of Hiten and Manten, the Thunder Brothers.

Shippo is a demon known as a kitsune, or fox demon. He has the the power of illusion, which he uses to decieve and confuse. Shippo's powers also include the ablility to change shape. He has used this power to become everything from a bow to a skull and in dire situations, he can use his fox fire to keep his enemies at bay.

Even though he comes across as a bit of a brat, Shippo is really a very kind person, especially when it comes to Kagome. He feels very protective of her because of all she did to help him after his father died. Shippo doesn't exactly feel the same towards Inu-Yasha, as the two are constantly arguing or putting down one another. Shippo gets nervous from time to time, but when the chips are down, he can be really brave, and has risked his life on several occasions for his companions.