How Old is Shippo, the Fox Demon from Inuyasha?
As a passionate gamer and anime fan, one of my favorite characters is the adorable young fox demon Shippo from the classic series Inuyasha. With the recent sequel Yashahime showing an adult Shippo, a common question fans have is – just how old is Shippo in the series? Let‘s take a deep dive into figuring out Shippo‘s age over the course of the Inuyasha franchise.
Shippo‘s Initial Age
When we first meet Shippo, he is depicted as an orphaned child seeking revenge for his father‘s murder. His behavior and interactions with other characters establish him as the youthful, childlike member of Inuyasha‘s crew.
Though an exact age is never provided in the show or manga, based on his size, voice, and personality, most fans estimate Shippo to be around 7-10 years old in human terms at the start of the series.
| Character | Estimated Human Age |
|---|---|
| Shippo | 7-10 years |
So while we don‘t have an exact age confirmed, Shippo clearly starts off Inuyasha as a young child, even in demon standards.
Shippo‘s Appearance in Yashahime
In the recent sequel series Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, Shippo makes a surprise appearance looking much older, indicating years have passed in the universe. Here is some analysis of what Shippo‘s adulthood suggests about his age progression:
Shippo‘s physical growth: Shippo has clearly aged in Yashahime, appearing as an adult demon both in height and build. This suggests at minimum 15+ years have passed since the events of Inuyasha for Shippo to reach maturity.
Shippo‘s adult voice actor: In the Japanese audio, Shippo is voiced by a new voice actor in Yashahime, with a much deeper, adult male voice compared to his child VA in Inuyasha. This recasting indicates Shippo is now meant to be seen as a fully grown character.
So while we still don‘t have a definitive age stated, Shippo‘s adult look in Yashahime provides good evidence that he has likely aged 15+ demon years since his introduction as a child in Inuyasha.
Estimating Shippo‘s Lifespan
As a demon, it‘s clear Shippo ages differently than humans and has a much longer natural lifespan. Let‘s examine some clues about the lifespans of fox demons in the Inuyasha universe:
Inuyasha‘s older half-brother Sesshomaru has lived for over 800 years as a powerful dog demon, suggesting demons can live for centuries.
Shippo‘s own father lived for at least 200+ years based on story events referenced in both shows.
Other fox demons shown also live very long lifespans, implying several hundred years could be common.
Given this evidence, it seems reasonable to estimate a fox demon lifespan to typically be around 500-1000 years. So while Shippo may now be an adult in his 30s at most, he likely still has many centuries of life ahead of him!
Conclusion: Shippo‘s Age is Still a Mystery!
So what‘s the final answer to how old Shippo is? Unfortunately, even after all this analysis, his exact age remains a mystery! Here‘s a summary of key points:
- Introduced as a young child – around 7-10 in human years
- Now seen as an adult in Yashahime – implying 15+ years of aging
- Likely fox demon lifespan – estimated at 500-1000 years
So while we can reasonably conclude Shippo is still extremely young for a demon, the precise count of his years continues to elude fans. Hopefully the show creators will officially settle his age someday! But for now, the mystery endures.
Let me know what you think of my deep dive into pinpointing Shippo‘s ever-changing age across the two Inuyasha anime series! As a devoted fan myself, I had fun trying to sleuth out clues from the shows. Please share any other theories or insights you may have around this lovable fox demon‘s lifespan!
