Antoni Matteo Garcia

This “5 Ways I Would Fix” meme originally belongs to CaptainWHaddock and is dedicated to all of my friends, fellow artists, fans, and brethren who admire Sesshoumaru but are not afraid to call him out on his haughtiness, pride, and condescension, thus making him have a nice serving of humble pie, as well as his horrid treatment of his own brother Inuyasha. Fortunately for him, in my Splendid Seven AU headcanon, he does acquire that tight, trustworthy, and competitive fraternal relationship with Inuyasha as well as trust in genuine friends. Sit back, relax, and revel in how Sesshoumaru can actually benefit from humility, a stronger brotherhood, and more trusting friendships rather than just being surrounded by vassals and wards.

I know what many of you are already thinking. Sesshoumaru needing to be fixed? Are you mental? He is practically perfect! You can call me mental all you want, but I am not afraid to call Sesshoumaru out on his bloated ego, condescension, and occasional hubris in terms of his attitude which have caused so much friction with his and Inuyasha’s brotherhood. As I stated before when I was talking about how I would fix Inuyasha, I always preferred Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s story of a broken family ravaged by discrimination, classism, war, and contention that saw the older brother show disgust for anybody beneath him and the younger brother born from a yokai father and a human mother being rejected by both worlds as a hanyou and a second-class citizen, but their individual journeys would see that the two brothers are more alike than they initially thought when it came to protecting those they were sworn to protect. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha are examples of brothers who desperately needed healing, despite neither of them admitting it. Knowing that Sesshoumaru travels with his vassal Jaken, his ward Rin who under Tenseiga’s influence saved from Kouga’s marauding wolves, and their yokai steed Ah-Un and that Inuyasha travels with four disingenuous hypocrites named Miroku, Sango, Kagome, and Shippou and one nekomata who was his true friend in Kilala has always made me realise that these two brothers deserved better and should get along together first before anybody else. At least Sesshoumaru went through an arc that saw him develop from selfish, egotistical xenophobe to finding a shred of compassion in Rin to finally acknowledging that his life was meaningless without her as well as recognising that he did not need to be a carbon copy of his father, thus cutting his own path as a warrior. Correlating to this is how Sesshoumaru used to reject Tenseiga, the sword that could revive souls, as his birth right but used it in situations where individuals such as Rin, Shuran, Karan, and Shunran would have found themselves dead if it were not for that sword. Tokijin, the sword forged from the demon Goshinki’s fangs, might have been made to kill, but it ultimately got weak in Inuyasha: The Final Act when it was broken via Moryomaru. Sesshoumaru’s third and final sword, Bakusaiga, was the ultimate test of how much he has grown as a warrior and as an individual, as he forged his own path and strength when his right arm grew back in such a desperate occasion fighting against Magatsuhi, thus surpassing his own father. I could still salute how much of an odyssey Sesshoumaru endured to not be a carbon copy of Toga the Dog General, as it is the story that made me root for him a whole lot more, but I cannot overlook how much his senseless bickering with Inuyasha has been causing a rift in their brotherhood and the potential for them to fully join forces rather than try to claim the glory for themselves. Hence, in my Splendid Seven AU headcanon, he would have a strongly firm brotherhood with Inuyasha rife with challenging each other to be the best versions of themselves as well as boundless support, a beautiful allegiance with Ayame who would prove to Sesshoumaru that she is not just another pretty face, a fiercely loyal friendship with Shuran and Hakkaku who would balance Sesshoumaru’s sternness so effectively, and a well-balanced friendship with Ginta and Shunran who would remind Sesshoumaru that there is more to life than just glory and conquest.

I am fully aware that Sesshoumaru is a powerful fighter with unparalleled strength, combat prowess, stamina, stealth, and might, but his callousness, condescension, and excessive pride dare not to be overlooked. I am also aware that his callousness can be a part of his charm as a villain, then anti-villain, and finally anti-hero, but it is often at Inuyasha’s expense who never deserved this ruthlessness from him anyway. Inuyasha already endured enough sorrow as it is, and Sesshoumaru’s pride did nothing to assuage Inuyasha’s pain of feeling abandoned, ostracised, mistrusted, and traumatised. You would think that as an experienced martial artist, combatant, and warrior like Sesshoumaru would know that one of the rules of martial arts is not only about skill, talent, dedication, and determination. It is also about brotherhood. Whether you like it or not, Sesshoumaru did break that code of brotherhood by choosing to constantly look down on Inuyasha regardless of his status as a hanyou, thus leading his own younger brother to have nobody to protect him, nobody to depend on as a friend, family member or significant other, and nobody who could truly listen to him. A very good friend of mine by the name of LJ95 addressed that it was Sesshoumaru’s fault that Inuyasha had to fend for himself at such a young age after losing his yokai father Toga and his human mother Izayoi and that he was also responsible for causing that much turmoil in his social life. I do agree with him, since Sesshoumaru doing this misdeed at Inuyasha’s expense meant that he felt untrusted and manipulated, with Sesshoumaru constantly adding salt to his younger brother’s wounds, especially when it came to Inuyasha’s time with Kikyou. I may also agree with Sesshoumaru that Inuyasha did find himself in such an insipid love triangle revolving around two mortal girls, one being Kikyou the shrine maiden who wanted to use the Shikon Jewel in order to make Inuyasha human so that they can live a normal life together and the other being Kagome who was accepting of Inuyasha as a hanyou, but their fart of a relationship always went one step forward and ten-thousand steps backwards. Nevertheless, Toga was also not exempt from marrying a mortal princess, but at least Izayoi still acknowledged Toga’s yokai heritage and how fiercely protective he was of her. I also should not forget that Sesshoumaru was 19 years old in human years, which meant that, although he thought he was put together, had an air of coolness and collectiveness about him, and seemed mature for his age, he was still a teenager making mistakes in his words and actions by running his big shot mouth with satin venom as well as thinking that he could be above anybody he perceived as inferior to him, including his younger brother. Despite all of Sesshoumaru’s condescension towards Inuyasha, at least he acknowledged that it was a terrible idea for his younger brother to have had anything to do with mortal girls like Kikyou and Kagome combined, given that one did not really acknowledge his part yokai status and the other tended to abuse the Beads of Subjugation’s power. Nevertheless, it would have been nice to see Sesshoumaru actually encourage Inuyasha that he should have just learned to realise that the path Kikyou gave him was not what he was meant for as a warrior and as an individual, rather than be so condescending and cruel about Inuyasha’s inability to move on.

Inuyasha may have proved time and time again that Sesshoumaru’s pride can be smashed with force if necessary, but he would always bounce back. In contrast, Rin’s existence demonstrated that Sesshoumaru’s pride can be dissipated not with force but with understanding and forming a genuine bond based on compassion. Given how traumatised Rin for losing her father, mother, and brother to bandits, she has lived her life as a wandering orphan until she met Sesshoumaru who was still bruised from Inuyasha’s first mastery of his Tessaiga’s Wind Scar. Rin was initially intimidated of Sesshoumaru, but she kept bringing him food and drink to nourish him back to health. When she was murdered by Kouga’s wolves, Sesshoumaru tested the Tenseiga on Rin, thus reviving her, becoming his traveling companion, and eventually spouse in Yashahime. Although I was never a SessRin shipper by any stretch of the imagination, it was very refreshing seeing Sesshoumaru and Rin bond throughout the series, as she exuded unconditional love, natural innocence, kindness, and compassion, because it was necessary to see how much both he and she have grown to understand each other and how she served as the catalyst to Sesshoumaru growing as an individual. Equally refreshing about Sesshoumaru’s and Rin’s moments together was the fact that I did not have to deal with the soap opera antics occurring with Inuyasha struggling to choose between Kikyou and Kagome as well as his disingenuous friendship with Miroku, Sango, and Shippou. Incorporating this profound bond that Sesshoumaru and Rin have would be having him adopt her as well as Asagi, Dai, Roku, Kai, Shiori, and Shinta to be his children in my AU headcanon. This would also help Sesshoumaru recognise that he cannot afford to be one-sided in his approach to life when it comes to what a family really is. Even before he adopted his seven children, his fraternal relationship with Inuyasha demonstrated how similar they can be in terms of determination and relying on their own strength to cut their own paths as warriors, thus respecting each other in a more profound manner. At least with Sesshoumaru’s excessive pride, arrogance, and condescension trimmed away, he can still be a proud warrior who exudes determination.

Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s brotherhood has always been the stuff of legends in my eyes growing up with this particular series that I continue to have the biggest love-hate relationship with. Where my Splendid Seven AU headcanon is concerned, I made sure to make Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha close to each other as brothers for life through healthy competition in various martial arts to test each others’ combat prowess and weightlifting to build muscle mass. Although Sesshoumaru is older than Inuyasha by a year and a half, he has pretty much spent most of his childhood in Toga’s, InuKimi’s, and Izayoi’s palace practicing striking martial arts such as judo, karate, and kenpo as well as having a go at kendo, while Inuyasha spent most of his childhood being raised by The Wolf Elder and being trained by The Wolf Yokai Warriors of the North, South, East, and West in grappling martial arts such as boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, and Pankration. This would mean that both brothers use various martial arts to bond together and to challenge each other to be stronger warriors than they are. When Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were children, both of them would engage in wrestling matches, with Sesshoumaru often using chokeholds, camel clutches, and Boston crabs to subdue Inuyasha, while Inuyasha always had his bearhugs, back-breakers, Full Nelsons, and his signature bodyslam that could make any meteor shower seem like a drizzle to pin Sesshoumaru. Growing into their teens, they became a lot stronger as fighters, more varied in their usage of grappling and striking martial arts, and became more helpful in developing each others’ strengths and skills as combatants, thus taking good care to never let their brotherhood be severed. This was also helped by the fact that Sesshoumaru was so proud of Inuyasha for attaining full-fledged yokai status in the natural way through The Wolf Elder and The Wolf Yokai Warriors as well as becoming Ayame’s betrothed being major factors in his growth and development. Sesshomaru even liked the fact that he and Inuyasha really do look like brothers with his younger brother having one purple stripe on each cheek and the fact that he could produce an extremely powerful roar. When it came to their sparring sessions, every punch and kick Sesshoumaru threw and every bearhug and Full Nelson Inuyasha gave showed how much they could learn from each other and use their combat skills to never give up. Overlooking the strength aspect of their sparring matches in kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, wrestling, and boxing, what would further solidify Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s brotherhood is how much they have grown to respect each other. Whenever they needed encouragement, they would always make sure that they push each other to grow in courage and never back down. Given that Inuyasha’s muscles were more developed during his time as a Northern Yoro warrior, Sesshoumaru would be just as inspired by Inuyasha to bulk up by doing various weightlifting activities from deadlifts to bench-presses. As their musculature grew more defined, with Sesshoumaru developing more muscle after his initial leanness and Inuyasha being the bulkier of the two dog yokai brothers, they even had chances to compare how much bigger they were in terms of muscle mass, with Sesshoumaru being quite impressed with Inuyasha’s muscles of steel. This would also come in handy, since they would use their rock-hard muscles to see how well they could manage to do various cross-training activities, superhuman abilities like bending metal bars with their bare hands, lifting and punching giant boulders, and even subduing foes with their radical wrestling moves by virtue of their bearhugs, Full Nelsons, and Boston Crabs. As fully grown adults, Sesshoumaru’s status as Dog Yokai Warrior Lord of the Western Lands and Inuyasha’s status as Wolf Yokai Warrior Leader of the Northern Yoro Tribe, despite being a dog yokai himself, would prove how much they have used their strength a brothers to imbue warriors with courage, hope, perseverance, brotherhood, teamwork, encouragement, and valour thanks to the brotherly bond they have been bearing during their occasions of competitiveness in various martial arts. Therefore, Sesshoumaru would learn from Inuyasha that he can use a bit more muscle when it comes to tackling his foes, while Inuyasha would learn from Sesshoumaru that precision can always come in handy for making the right strike, thus growing together as warriors, fighters, and, most importantly, brothers.

Since both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha full-fledged dog yokai warriors, at least where Inuyasha is concerned in my AU headcanon, they would even use their transformations to challenge each others’ strengths as well as be effective in bringing various monsters down. When felons see Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s eyes turn a bloody red with the stripes on their cheeks more jagged, they better pray that they are not at the receiving end of their earth-shattering punches, massive kicks, sharp fangs, sharp claws, and fighting prowess that heightened their speed, stamina, and ferocity plus their massive roar. Sesshoumaru’s intense training with Toga the Dog General meant that he would mostly use striking martial arts, while Inuyasha’s training with The Wolf Elder and The Wolf Yokai Warriors of different tribes meant that he mostly used grappling martial arts. Combined together, the two dog yokai brothers would be a lot stronger, fiercer, and more formidable, for demons, monsters, and felons do not stand a chance against them. So long as they used their yokai powers for protection and not for selfish gain, they made it their duty to not give in to any form of temptation and encouraged each other to only use their yokai powers whenever serious situations occurred. Involving their friends and allies in the forms of Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, Ayame, and Shunran would make both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha realise that they are never alone in battle and would be the ones to initiate the blows via their punches, kicks, and grapples against the enemy, whether they are monsters or demons. After each member of The Splendid Seven give each of their blows to the monster or demon, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha unleash their primal fury by letting out a huge, resounding, earth-shattering roar causing the monster or demon to fall down to the ground with a thud. Even their musculature would have a more defined frame when they transform into their full yokai form, as their biceps become more bulging, their pecs just as huge, and all their muscles showing more veins when they flex. One instance where their rock-hard muscles and full yokai powers came to great use was when they were wrestling. Sesshoumaru applied a back-breaker on Inuyasha that caused him to let out a feral roar at the top of his lungs. In retaliation, Inuyasha gave Sesshoumaru a massive bearhug to which his older brother attempted to knock his younger brother’s back and shoulders, but they were hard as rocks. Each wrestling match both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had in their full yokai forms would last for hours, given how incredibly strong and powerful they were, and they refused to tap out. Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s full yokai forms go to show that they mean serious business when they head into battle against monsters and demons or have a go at testing each others’ super strength.

Sesshoumaru would have a surprisingly well-meaning relationship with Ayame, but they are not romantically involved. Despite her having feelings for Sesshoumaru when she was a child because of his determination and debonair great looks, she realised that her heart truly belonged to Inuyasha and was happy to be his wife. Sure, Sesshoumaru does bear a formidably unbreakable brotherhood with Inuyasha, but his relationship with Ayame is also steeped with respect and allegiance because she proves herself time and time again that she is more than just another pretty face. According to Sesshoumaru, the best part about Ayame is that she is not like any mortal girl or any other girl who cries out for somebody to save her. Ayame is her own fighter and her own person complete with courage, valour, and stamina which made Inuyasha admire her so much and sacrifice his own life to protect hers, which makes Inuyasha’s unconditional love to Ayame and vice-versa all the more commendable. This even got to the point when 13-year-old Inuyasha married 10-year-old Ayame with 14-year-old Sesshoumaru serving as the best man. To this day, Sesshoumaru believed that Ayame was not only good for Inuyasha, but excellent for him, hence being a huge partisan of Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s romantic relationship. Towards Ayame, Sesshoumaru acts as the confidant/big brother-in-law whenever she has issues in her duties as a mother, a wife, and/or co-leading the Northern Yoro Tribe with her husband Inuyasha, and he does his best to dish out some sage advice to her whenever she feels lost. He would also keep encouraging her to cut her own path in life and never give up what she believes in because she would be led into something beyond her wildest imagination. Ayame would also be unafraid to put her foot down and call out Sesshoumaru for his excessive pride and massive ego because they would not have done any good on him as a warrior and as a valuable member of The Splendid Seven. His cool and collected brand of machismo does tend to peeve her to the point that he ought to drop the pomp, haughtiness, and covetousness because he is only inflicting harm to himself via jealousy. Everything about Ayame would make Sesshoumaru realise why Inuyasha loves her body and soul. She is not afraid to speak her mind, has agency as her own person, and demonstrates courage in everything she does as a wolf yokai warrior. Physically speaking, Ayame also makes a great sparring partner to Sesshoumaru because her strength, speed, and stamina are a total godsend and her fleet feet and furious fists are her greatest weapons. Even Sesshoumaru remarked that his little brother chose outstandingly to which she chuckled at that remark. Ayame may have found her main champion in Inuyasha, but she has also found her main supporter in Sesshoumaru who always believed in her and rooted for her to be an integral part in Inuyasha’s life.

Inuyasha and Ayame are indubitably great people for Sesshoumaru to be around with, as they are not only equal in physical strength but also in stamina and endurance to the point where they form they triumvirate of The Splendid Seven. Inuyasha is the main leader full of mighty muscle, super strength, and incredible intrepidness; Sesshoumaru is the co-leader steeped in superb stealth, sheer power, and peerless perseverance; and Ayame is the second-in-command ingrained in incomparable combat prowess, sterling stamina, and stellar spunk. Their physical strength as heads of The Splendid Seven compliments their courage, persistence, and determination, with individual traits being put into the mix such as Inuyasha’s spearheading initiative, Sesshoumaru’s clear focus on the goal, and Ayame’s relentless enthusiasm to get every job done. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha may challenge each other to be greater than themselves in their relationship as brothers, but they also do their part in assisting Ayame reach her full potential and never settle for anything less. Inuyasha may truly be Ayame’s champion, but both of them know that enough is never enough when it comes to reaching the higher ground and doing so with unconditional love and boundless encouragement, while acknowledging each other as individuals and not as ideas of who the other person might be. While Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s romantic relationship demonstrates spice, fire, and intimacy, Sesshoumaru’s relationship with Ayame does not mean that she would end up in an affair with him, but help him to come down from his high throne and just loosen up every once in a while. Sesshoumaru not only approves of Inuyasha’s romantic relationship with Ayame, but he has also seen what Ayame is defined by as an individual with her own thoughts, feelings, and goals and is one of the bravest women he has ever met in his life. Furthermore, he will continue to support Inuyasha and Ayame in everything they do as a couple and as a family just as they support him and his endeavours.

Aside from Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Ayame being the bedrock of The Splendid Seven, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran also fit the bill as Sesshoumaru’s dearest friends. Shuran and Hakkaku definitely bring balance in Sesshoumaru’s life thanks to how Shuran’s big personality and Hakkaku’s energy beautifully mesh and compliment each other. Shuran’s fortitude and Hakkaku’s energy are coagulated with Sesshoumaru’s stealth as a means to establish versatility within the three friends. Sesshoumaru also serves as the middleman between Shuran’s brutishness and rampaging beastliness and Hakkaku’s flightiness and energetic athleticism because of his clear focus and unwavering determination. Sesshoumaru’s conscientiousness in combat accuracy is especially useful because this would inspire Shuran to be more systematic with his attacks, not just rely on brute force to overcome his opponents, and inspire Hakkaku to be more well organised when it comes to tackling obstacles, not just go completely gung-ho with his plans. In fact, Shuran and Hakkaku admire Sesshoumaru so much because of how amazingly formidable and focused he is in battle, since he can also give the strongest punches and kicks ever, and they can attest that he is a true warrior who will always live and die by the code of honour, discipline, determination, confidence, integrity, brotherhood, and living as truthfully as possible. Aside from Sesshoumaru’s skills as a warrior, Shuran and Hakkaku also see him as their greatest confidant, given his sage advice of cutting their own paths in life and thinking critically for themselves rather than ending up as nothing more than knee-crawling followers. Sesshoumaru would also help both Shuran and Hakkaku in any sticky situation and be just as loyal to them as they are fiercely loyal to him, thus sharing the load as the closest of friends and the tightest of brothers, as both Shuran and Hakkaku are also Sesshoumaru’s adoptive younger brothers. In return, Shuran and Hakkaku would always keep Sesshoumaru on his feet with their good-humoured personalities and willingness to protect him from all harm, especially since Shuran’s mountainous size and brute strength could make him Sesshoumaru’s personal bouncer whenever somebody dares to harm him, thus initiating physical punishment to the perpetrator, and since Hakkaku’s physical flexibility means that he can also demonstrate mastery in striking martial arts. The fact that Sesshoumaru, Shuran, and Hakkaku would be willing to sacrifice their lives for each other demonstrates how their brotherhood transcends mere amicability towards each other.

Shuran and Hakkaku are not the only people to have helped Sesshoumaru keep his feet planted on the ground because Ginta’s and Shunran’s brand of unpretentious charm and unconditional love can help him open his eyes to see that life is more than just glory and conquest. The respect and allegiance Ginta and Shunran have for Sesshoumaru demonstrate how willing they are to learn from him in terms of physically defending themselves from harm and how much they want to live as fearlessly, independently, and confidently as possible. Just like how he has imposed on Shuran and Hakkaku that they should cut their own paths in life rather than be followers, he imposes that same principle on Ginta and Shunran not only as a couple but also as their own people. In return, Ginta and Shunran would do their best to make Sesshoumaru see another perspective of life in terms of living as simply as possible and take time to smell the flowers, literally and figuratively. Sesshoumaru, Ginta, and Shunran would definitely form a nice bond as really good friends and equally amazing allies, given that Ginta is also Sesshoumaru’s younger adoptive brother and Shunran his youngest sister-in-law, as well as stay as fiercely loyal to each other even when situations get a whole lot tougher.

Sesshoumaru used to believe that he can do everything by himself as a proud dog yokai lord. However, having vassals and wards are not enough to be his company in the long run because friends and family can be just as integral to interpersonal growth. His strong brotherhood with Inuyasha proves that they do need each other and can challenge each other to reach their full potential as combatants and as individuals. They would always have each other to thank for helping each other reach the goals they want to achieve, for staying as fiercely loyal to each other, and for never giving up on each other even when situations went from bad to worse. When it comes to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha as brothers, their physical strength compliments their courage, determination, and encouragement to never let each other down. Ayame is the catalyst of ensuring that Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha stay united as a family not only because she is Inuyasha’s wife and Sesshoumaru’s sister-in-law but also because of how she is willing to challenge their perceptions of each other and crystallise a sense of trust and loyalty to each other. Sesshoumaru has even seen why Inuyasha treasured Ayame at such a high degree, and it is because of her character rich in fortitude and solidarity, willingness to persevere amidst all the difficulties, how she truly saw Inuyasha’s good and bad sides without flinching, and how she is unafraid to head into battle with rock-hard fists and fleet feet at the ready to subdue her enemies into submission. Furthermore, Ayame is not afraid to give her a piece of her mind when it comes to challenging Sesshoumaru’s initial perception of her, thus having Sesshoumaru give his undaunted respect, undying allegiance, and fierce loyalty to her and also doing his best to protect Ayame from all harm for Inuyasha’s sake and for her sake. Shuran and Hakkaku demonstrate fierce loyalty to Sesshoumaru, cherish the brotherhood they have always had with him, and will always do their part in protecting Sesshoumaru from harm just as much as he has inspired them to grow as combatants and as people. Ginta and Shunran cherish how much Sesshoumaru has meant to him in terms of growing as warriors and as individuals who can stand on their own two feet, while always giving Sesshoumaru room to enjoy the simpler things in life. With a brother Sesshoumaru can trust and encourage, a sister-in-law he can cherish as a strong individual and not just his younger brother’s wife, and four friends who can help him keep his feet on the ground, Sesshoumaru is quite surprised to see how much more fulfilling his life is with people he can trust, listen to, give sage advise to, and never give up on, thus making him grateful to know that he can be in good hands and they can be in good hands with him.

Serving Sesshoumaru a well portioned serving of humble pie would make him see just how much he should never take family and/or friends for granted. His strong brotherhood with Inuyasha would encourage each other to grow in fortitude, perseverance, encouragement, and undying fraternal love in times of trial and times of joy as well as inspire each other to be stronger as yokai warriors, as individuals, and, most importantly, as brothers. The respect, allegiance, and loyalty he would demonstrate towards Ayame illustrate that she is unafraid to challenge his every notion and make him see that she was not just worthy of Inuyasha’s hand in marriage as his wife, thus making her Sesshoumaru’s sister-in-law, but also worthy of his admiration thanks to her physical prowess as a yokai warrior, her courage in never surrendering to the enemy, and her unconditional love to Inuyasha which has seen both of them grow in prosperity and in beauty. Sesshoumaru’s, Shuran’s, and Hakkaku’s tight friendship transcends mere amicability and ensures that brotherhood remains at the forefront of their lives together and would give each other a chance to keep growing and prospering in all of their trials and triumphs. Having Ginta and Shunran in Sesshoumaru’s life would make him see that it is not unusual to take a breather every once in a while and enjoy the simple life when necessary. With his brother, his sister-in-law, his two best friends, and his younger siblings from other mothers by his side, he is in great hands and he has a lot to be grateful for. Therefore, I am glad that I made Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s brotherhood really strong and tight in the most positive way. I am glad I managed to make Sesshoumaru and Ayame have just as strong of an allegiance with each other while being wholeheartedly accepting of Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s romantic prospects. I am glad I made Shuran and Hakkaku Sesshoumaru’s best friends for life who can confide in him as well as having Sesshoumaru strengthen both Shuran and Hakkaku as warriors and as individuals. I am glad I had Ginta and Shunran keep Sesshoumaru’s feet on the ground without being harsh on him, thus making him appreciate the simple things in life. Finally, I am glad that he is part of the main cast of my Splendid Seven AU headcanon as the co-leader working alongside Inuyasha’s leader and Ayame’s second-in-command. He did not just need allies, vassals, and wards to keep him company. He needs family and friends to remind him that he has so much in his life to be grateful for as a yokai warrior and as an individual.

I hope you all enjoyed this, and I would also love to hear from you how you would fix Sesshoumaru, and if you agree with everything I have to say. Take care, stay safe, and please keep on showing your love for Sesshoumaru, his position as the AU headcanon universe’s captain of the Inuyasha x Ayame pairing, and his strong relationships with his brother Inuyasha, his sister-in-law Ayame, his best friends Shuran and Hakkaku, and his friends Ginta and Shunran, everybody.

Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Sunrise.

This “5 Ways I Would Fix” meme originally belongs to CaptainWHaddock and is dedicated to all of my friends, fellow artists, fans, and brethren who not only enjoy him as a character but also firmly believe that he deserves so much better in his life as a warrior who is the rightful owner of Goraishi in my AU headcanon, as an individual who exudes confidence and strength without those horridly putrid Beads of Subjugation, and as somebody who craves for a firm brotherhood, loads of unconditional love, and a strong friendship with people he can truly trust and not those who are hypocrites, liars, and bystanders. Sit back, relax, and find out how Inuyasha can be a leader in his own right with the people he truly trusts and persevere so brilliantly.

It is common knowledge that I have always tuned in to Inuyasha for the sake of seeing him exude strength, formidability, and valour every time he was in battle and even perceived it as a show that tells the tale of a broken family consisting of him as the younger brother who is an unloved dog hanyou and Sesshoumaru who is the ruthless older brother who detested anybody lower than him. The two brothers, despite their animosity towards each other, needed to have moments of joining forces or else the world would have been doomed. You will find out more details when I talk about Sesshoumaru. Going back to Inuyasha, although I really liked him as a child and still like his strength, courage, determination, and valour as an adult, I tried to like his “friends” and his “loved one” in Miroku, Sango, and Shippou aka The Dunderhead Family and the puerile wench known as Kagome, but, as I grew, those feelings went from uneasiness to sheer disgust. Worst of all is the complicated love triangles he found himself in from the tragedy that was his first love in Kikyou and the contentious yet “developing” feelings he was acquiring for Kagome and with Kouga being inserted as a third wheel to the whole fart of a relationship between Inuyasha and Kagome, despite the fact that that miserable excuse of a wolf yokai warrior committed crimes and atrocities that should have gotten him banished. It is with my Splendid Seven AU headcanon that Inuyasha can find a much stronger brotherhood with Sesshoumaru, instead of the two of them constantly spewing insults laden with animosity, more unconditional love with Ayame who would never have any ulterior motives for manipulating him, and a much more genuine and warmer friendship with Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran who can help him feel at ease with his life and provide him with as much trust and support to keep him strong until all of their final hours. He would even gain autonomy over his own life, be the fearless leader he ought to be, and never ever go back to being a whipping boy ever again.

The whole InuKik vs InuKag shipping discourse has been something that has been irritating me when I was a lot younger, despite my futile attempts to like one or the other, because I never cared for either pairing. In the grander scale of this discourse, I never cared for the whole melodramatic love triangle concerning Inuyasha’s conflicting sentiments for Kikyou and Kagome. Kikyou might have been Inuyasha’s first love steeped in class, decorum, and poise, but she wanted to use the Shikon Jewel as a means to turn him into a human, for her to live a normal woman’s life, and just for them to start a family, which would have been so boring and unfulfilling. This would also be a fallacy in Kikyou’s logic because, if Inuyasha were to have ended up as human, his superhuman strength and incomparable combat prowess would not be effective. Furthermore, despite being between 17 and 18 years old in human years like Inuyasha was, Kikyou is far too mature, far too insightful, and far too composed to ever be with somebody like Inuyasha. Now, you might think that I hate Kikyou as much as I hate Kagome with a passion. On the contrary, I do not loathe Kikyou, and I actually like her as a character because of her tragic backstory and the fact that she deserved better than being undeservedly resurrected when she just desired to cross over to the next life. As I said, Kikyou was Inuyasha’s first love because she was the second woman who cared for him aside from his own mother Izayoi. However, it is not going to be with Inuyasha that Kikyou is going to end up with by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, it is going to be with Suikotsu who is going to fulfil her wish of wanting to become a normal woman, and, in return, she would give him the chance to live his life without needing carnage clouding his mind, body, and soul. Together, Suikotsu and Kikyou would start a family by raising the war orphans and have children of their own, thus giving the likes of The Huxtable Family a run for their money. Therefore, InuKik shows that first love is not always going to last forever and that there can be true love in unexpected people.

As for the little wench known as Kagome and the crumminess of InuKag as a whole, I am just sick to my foundation with InuKag. They may have had their moments, but they are drowned out by unnecessary tension, negativity, and Kagome’s incapability of truly understanding Inuyasha on a much deeper level, given the trauma he had to endure from his childhood and that he still carries with in his late adolescent years. I understand that Kagome was 15 years old when the story in both manga and anime form commenced, but, for a supposed teen heroine like her, she acted more like a petulant child slamming the door when things did not go her way, was not entirely innocent, and tended to string her posse along for them to feel sorry for her, when Inuyasha was the one who dealt with so much more turmoil than Kagome ever did. I am also aware that there is narrative reason for Inuyasha still feeling guilt over losing Kikyou and being confronted by Kagome every time he goes out to meet her, only for the latter to act mopey and jealous, but this whole over-melodramatic love triangle is such a chore to sit through and has done barely anything for Inuyasha’s psyche other than ending up with Kagome the person who was abusive towards him, vented her own frustrations on him, had several occasions where she barely took responsibility for her own actions, and has caused more harm than good in Inuyasha’s life, despite her claim that she loves him as a hanyou. Although I still hate Kagome’s guts, if I wanted her to have a romantic relationship with somebody, it might as well be with Bankotsu. Sure, Kouga might seem like a more likely choice for Kagome to end up with, but given his unceremonious exit in Inuyasha: The Final Act Episode 8, he has no chance of being a breadwinner in her pathetic life. Bankotsu, who I argue is Inuyasha’s crueler foil and counterpart because they are of the same age and are similarly strong as warriors, would actually wear the pants in his relationship with Kagome while being such a charismatic, tall, dark, handsome gentleman who would display a surprising degree of reverence. This is attributed to Bankotsu having really interesting pickup lines for Kagome and for not being afraid of Kagome’s much darker side, thus inspiring her to harness her dark side in order for her to fully bloom as an archer and not just rely on anybody to save her. If Suikotsu could settle down with Kikyou and start a family of their own, Bankotsu would have a wonderful chance with the firebrand from Hell known as Kagome and can touch each other in ways they could never imagine in a thousand years.

The whole love triangle malarkey is solved. You have one tragic shrine maiden in Kikyou hooking up with a warrior who is the precursor to Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Suikotsu and being united in matrimony as well as great familial prospects, thus giving each other what they really want in their lives and making Heaven a place on Earth for their family. You also have one annoying wench of a woman-child in Kagome finally having an assertive and charismatic life partner in Bankotsu looking wonderful and sinfully wicked together while having a plethora of darkly romantic moments. As for Inuyasha, I will always contend that he has a better chance with Ayame, as I will exposit much later. However, before that, this leads me to another source of contention in the show’s version of a leash and collar at best and a sadomasochistic tool at worst.

The Beads of Subjugation may have served to control Inuyasha’s darker urges, but under Kagome’s use, they have been abused to death on him and just illustrated how much of a spoiled manipulator she turned out to be. Sure, Kikyou is no angel when it came to creating these God-forsaken beads, especially since Kaede also brought them up before Inuyasha could take down Kagome, but, what was once a tool for self-defence was a tool for petulance, abuse, and cruelty on Kagome’s part. This also leads me to call out InuKag on its awful double standards that the anime made so much worse just for the sake of slapstick. Which leads me to pose this question? If you are woman and you found yourself with these God-forsaken Beads of Subjugation and your boyfriend/husband inflicted sit commands on you, would you call him out? That is what truly makes InuKag my most hated, loathed, and spat on NOTP of all time. It seems acceptable and hilarious when a girl like Kagome inflicts abuse to Inuyasha, but what would happen if the tables turned? It would not be as hilarious or acceptable because Kagome would have been at the receiving end, which I would have loved for her to be in. Even when I am thinking about why anybody would defend InuKag, I would always go back to those occasions when Kagome kept on sitting Inuyasha and causing him undeserved pain and suffering and just find myself wrinkling my nose every time Kagome sits Inuyasha. A good friend of mine and one of my watchers, Dolly-Kay, introduced me to a fanfic known as Inuyasha’s Letter by Firestorm Rising because she commended me on calling out Miroku’s, Sango’s, Shippou’s, and, especially, Kagome’s falseness and hypocrisy towards Inuyasha. For people who were supposed to be trusted by Inuyasha, they were not true to their words and were disadvantageous than advantageous. What was especially painful to read from that fanfic was, through Kagome’s abuse of the Beads of Subjugation, she has stolen his pride, despite still owning his clothes and his prized sword the Tessaiga. I never found Kagome sitting Inuyasha hilarious in the slightest because he was not intended to be a whipping boy. Kagome can claim that Inuyasha is a strong warrior all she wants, but what she has done is put him on a permanent leash that lasted all the way up to the sequel Yashahime, which I was happy to have dropped after watching the first episode because Kagome still did not trust Inuyasha, despite being “married” with a daughter named Moroha who should have been her own heroine rather than the offspring of such a toxic couple. The Beads of Subjugation definitely brought out the worst in both Inuyasha and Kagome, and I am so thankful those beads from the deepest and darkest pits of the abyss are non-existent in my Splendid Seven AU headcanon.

In the show’s canon, fate was especially cruel to Inuyasha, given that his mother died, humans and yokai rejected him, he lived alone not trusting anybody before he met Kikyou, had an older brother who hated his guts and was constantly condescending towards hm, and ended up with fake friends and an equally abusive spouse. Fortunately, being the Inuyasha x Ayame partisan that I have always been since my teens as well as involving Toga, InuKimi, and Izayoi in Inuyasha’s life a whole lot more as parents, I thought it would be a great opportunity for Inuyasha to be raised by Ayame’s grandfather, The Wolf Elder, and be trained by the wolf yokai warriors of The Northern Yoro Tribe, thus establishing The Wolf Elder to be a great friend and an equally great father figure to Toga, InuKimi, and Izayoi and having the four parental figures foresee a great future with either Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha being Ayame’s potential husbands. Furthermore, The Wolf Elder and the Northern Yoro Tribesmen would be the great role models Inuyasha needs not only as a yokai warrior but also as an individual who would grow in strength, leadership, and valour.

The childhood flashbacks Inuyasha had in Episodes 73 and 155 not only made me feel very sorry for him but also made put two and two together when it came to Ayame’s childhood flashback in Episode 83, thus concocting the idea that 7-year-old Inuyasha rescued 4-year-old Ayame from the Birds of Paradise by incapacitating them with punches, kicks, slashes, bites, and a huge roar that emerged from someone who was still very young like him. It seemed that Young Inuyasha would be that potential spousal candidate to Little Ayame, given that they got to know each other better and told her that he will always be strong for her by playfully flexing his biceps and giving her a wide grin to show her that he meant it. Little Ayame was so overjoyed that Young Inuyasha saved her that she brought him to her grandfather and told him all about Young Inuyasha’s heroic deed. The Wolf Elder embraced Young Inuyasha and accepted him as his grandson-in-law, with Young Inuyasha loving the soft texture of The Wolf Elder’s fur. Young Inuyasha’s life as The Wolf Elder’s grandson-in-law and the Northern Yoro Tribesemen’s surrogate son would be akin to Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Tarzan being raised by the ape-like Mangani and, in my Disney Tarzan AU headcanon, Tarzan being raised by Chief Keewazi with George of the Jungle and Basuli as his older brothers and Maugli as his younger brother. This would even come to the point where Young Inuyasha turned his usual clothing of the Robe of the Fire Rat into clothing much like his fellow tribesmen, thus making him integrated into Northern Yoro Tribe customs and be a full-fledged member of the Northern Yoro Tribe while never forgetting about his father, his mothers, and his older brother. As a member of the Northern Yoro Tribe, Young Inuyasha trained with them rigorously in wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, and weightlifting as well as gathering food for the tribe by hunting game meat, gathering herbs and berries, and fishing for fresh fish so that nobody would go hungry. The Wolf Elder found it impressive that somebody who was still a child like Young Inuyasha was sufficiently formidable to wrestle, grapple, punch, and kick opponents over two to five times his size and even bench-press huge oncoming boulders from crushing his family, thus gaining all of their respect, admiration, and love.

By the time Young Inuyasha turned 8 years old, there was a huge demon bear terrorising the Northern Yoro Tribe, leading him to take the creature down. Young Inuyasha used his fists, feet, claws, fangs, and super strength with all that he has got until the demon bear swiped him. The Wolf Elder feared for his grandson-in-law’s life until something unusual happened. Young Inuyasha’s cheeks had two jagged purple stripes on them and his eyes were a bloody shade of red with blue slits on them, as he charged to the demon bear with the speed of light and in an unrelentingly feral manner. Each punch and kick was ten-thousand times more forceful, and Young Inuyasha subdued the bear demon with a huge flip and an earth-shattering bodyslam that was akin to meteor falling down to earth. Emerging victorious, Young Inuyasha let out a triumphant roar that was louder than any lion in the savannah and beat his chests like a rampaging gorilla before The Wolf Elder swiped his paws on his grandson-in-law’s stomach. Back at the cave, Young Inuyasha woke up still in his feral state and inquired his grandfather-in-law why he was feeling this way, to which The Wolf Elder responded that his yokai side gave in. Fortunately for The Wolf Elder, Young Inuyasha, and Little Ayame, Toga came prepared with Northern Yoro Tribe-style exercise equipment so that Young Inuyasha could channel any aggressive energy onto something rigorously physical rather than starting a rampage. With Young Inuyasha still in his feral state, he punched and kicked huge rocks as hard as he could, bench-pressed a giant boulder for over one-thousand one hundred twenty-five times if not more, shadowboxed relentlessly, punched various deerskin dummies stuffed with wool and wrestled them to the ground, and roared really loudly to release all the tension. After that intense workout, The Wolf Elder and Inuyasha engaged in a wrestling match before tapping out to do a cool-down session of meditation, thus making something productive of his feral yokai urges. The Wolf Elder remained vigilant to Young Inuyasha by having him sleep alongside him and rest his head on The Wolf Elder’s warm, fuzzy, soft, and comforting fur akin to a pillow. He would even see to it that Young Inuyasha control his feral yokai urges by implementing an intense exercise regime every morning, noon, and night that saw him do sessions of shadowboxing, bench-pressing, punching and kicking huge rocks, wrestling with deerskin dummies, and letting out his powerful roar to wake all the warriors up, call them for a feast, and serve as a final lights-out alarm for everybody to return to their caves. His stripes remained intact throughout his time growing up with The Wolf Elder and The Northern Yoro Tribesmen, as they always imposed on Inuyasha that he should transform into his full yokai form whenever severe danger occurs and not use it for selfish gain. Ever since then, he has kept that promise.

Every moment spent with The Wolf Elder and The Northern Yoro Tribesmen saw Inuyasha grow from an energetic child between 7 and 8 to a valorous young tween between 10 and 11 years old to a super strong, fabulously handsome 13-year-old who thoroughly embraced being a yokai warrior, thus having his father and his grandfather-in-law to thank for controlling his feral urges. It definitely showed that puberty was on Inuyasha’s side, given the many looks he has acquired from the she-wolves, but he was alway faithful to his 10-year-old fiancée Ayame. He was even strong enough to obtain the powerful weapon Goraishi by overcoming the wolf yokai guardian with all of his might, tact, cunning, and strength, thus having the qualities of a future leader who would stay strong for his tribe and for his fiancée Ayame and completing his rite of passage from boyhood to manhood. As Inuyasha reached 14 and Ayame reached 11, they ended up happily married and were blessed by The Wolf Elder, all the Northern Yoro Tribesmen, Toga, and even 15-year-old Sesshoumaru who served as Inuyasha’s best man and main supporter of his loving relationship with Ayame as well as 14-year-old Shuran, 13-year-olds Hakkaku, and Ginta, and 9-year-old Shunran who were happy for Inuyasha and Ayame to end up married. Since then, The Wolf Elder has been very grateful to have Inuyasha as his grandson-in-law, and Inuyasha has been very appreciative and loving towards The Wolf Elder who has helped him carve his own path in life as a warrior and as an individual who has ended up finding his calling as a canine yokai warrior.

Being raised by The Wolf Elder and The Northern Yoro Tribesmen meant that Inuyasha managed to cultivate his skills as a wrestler, grappler, boxer, kickboxer, weightlifter, and Pankration imported from the Greek Olympiads and also built his body like a well-guarded temple, given the muscles he has been developing since puberty hit through lifting weights, circuit training, and having a protein-rich diet of fish, wild boar, juniper berries, and dark green leafy vegetables. The Northern Yoro Tribesmen could even recognise how Inuyasha’s biceps, triceps, abs, and pecs were gaining in full definition and were in utter awe. Not only did The Wolf Elder and The Northern Yoro Tribesmen see how strong Inuyasha has become, but Ayame also admired the sight of her husband and his mighty sinews. In turn, Inuyasha could never take his eyes off Ayame for being such a lovely and beautiful warrior girl. Moreover, by the time Inuyasha reached 15 and Ayame reached 12, they ended up having their first children in the forms of triplet sons named Masataka, Masaya, and Masaru, thus seeing their family grow and accepting their responsibilities as parents. Aside from how they physically admired each other, Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s love for each other grew evermore, as Inuyasha kept encouraging Ayame to never give up as a warrior, and Ayame always championed Inuyasha in all of his endeavours as a warrior protecting the tribe from all harm. They have, therefore, become the Northern Yoro Tribe’s most powerful warriors and managed to subdue every threat looming their tribe with the help of Inuyasha’s mightily muscular strength and Ayame’s furiously fierce fists and feet. As Inuyasha and Ayame grew from adolescence to adulthood, Inuyasha’s muscles became more defined, bigger, and more chiseled, while Ayame’s figure developed in curvaceousness, firm shape, and lean musculature to the point where they could give any bodybuilder in Inuyasha’s case and any fitness model in Ayame’s case a run for their money. Aside from their physical strength, what has solidified Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s romantic relationship as a power couple ready for battle is unconditional love. This unconditional love makes Inuyasha truly appreciate Ayame for all her compassion, kindness, encouragement, courage, valour, and beauty both inside and outside, while Ayame shows her unconditional love to Inuyasha by valuing his determination, strength, stamina, perseverance, respect towards her, undying allegiance, and fierce loyalty. They would never dream of giving up on each other and would always challenge each other to stay as strong and as steadfast as ever, for they have accomplished so much to provide for each other and for their family. The best part about Inuyasha and Ayame as a couple is that there is always trust between them and no ulterior motives involving a certain horrible artefact that I dare not mention ever again. They are also the most intimate couple, given the many occasions they would return from battle and make sweet love to each other complete with fire and passion in their chamber strewn with lavender and massage each other with camomile to soothe their tired muscles before dozing to sleep in each others’ mighty arms. With that intimacy and love come their family’s growth, as they ended up having fourteen children in total; namely Masataka, Masaya, Masaru, Kenta, Keita, Kazuhiko, Kaito, Kiriko, Momoko, Makoto, Mikoto, Maya, Minako, and Meika. Their sons have become just as muscular, strong, and fierce as their father, and their daughters have become just as determined, resilient, and spirited as their mother. Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s love life gets stronger and stronger each and every time and with age and they show no signs of stopping the love from flowing and rushing in their veins.

Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s love life would not only be phenomenal in their lives, but this would also confirm how strong his brotherhood with Sesshoumaru can be and how Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran can be the best friends who will always be there for him in times of joy and in times of sadness. Given how much physically stronger Inuyasha has become and how he has embraced being a full yokai warrior who managed to control his feral side, Sesshoumaru would respect him a lot more as a warrior and as a brother because he himself is also a father to Asagi, Dai, Roku, Kai, Rin, Shiori, and Shinta, in which four of them are hanyous, two of them are wolf yokai, and one is a human girl, and he accepted that responsibility with open arms, since Toga always wanted to make sure that all of his children grew in wisdom and understanding. As brothers, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would transform whatever ills they had towards each other into opportunities to test out each others’ strength by means of matches in wrestling, kickboxing, and boxing. This would even see both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha comparing each others’ biceps, with Sesshoumaru being impressed by how much Inuyasha managed to beef up, and Inuyasha being just as impressed that Sesshoumaru did not slack off on the beefing up, especially since Sesshoumaru states that he has always seen to it that he aspires to have a body as strong and muscular as their father’s. Unlike those occasions when Sesshoumaru landed punches on Inuyasha in the show’s canon and Inuyasha neither parried nor punched back, Inuyasha’s experience with the Northern Yoro Tribe meant that he could punch ten times harder and hold Sesshoumaru in chokeholds, camel clutches, Full Nelsons, and bearhugs galore. Instead of looking down on Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru would be really proud of him, embrace him, and state that he has made the right choice to be Ayame’s husband and a very valuable member of the Northern Yoro Tribe. Furthermore, every time Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha transform into their full yokai forms, they manage to do so fighting side-by-side with every punch, kick, grapple, and throttle they can dish out to any monster or demon. Even Inuyasha managed to help Sesshoumaru keep his muscles toned by being his workout buddy in weightlifting, deadlifts, and circuit training, thus inspiring their children, especially their sons, to be as strong and well-built like tanks as their fathers.

Aside from Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s strong brotherhood, Inuyasha would also be grateful to have genuine friends in Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran. Given that Shuran, Hakkaku, and Ginta are practically brothers, since Shuran ended up being adopted and Hakkaku and Ginta were the third and fourth sons of Toga, InuKimi, and Izayoi before Shuran came into the picture as the second son, they have always found boundless camaraderie in each other in terms of strengthening each others’ skills as warriors and having great times together full of laughter and letting Inuyasha know that they trust him and love him as their brother and not just their friend. Even in their childhood, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, and Ginta would play pranks on Sesshoumaru before all five boys ended up tackling each other. Now that Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, and Ginta are men, they would continue to cherish their brotherhood and be supportive of each others’ endeavour as well as give each other a shoulder to cry on when something tragic occurs. Individually, Shuran would be the big guy fiercely protective and loyal towards Inuyasha and the type of person who would give him noogies and bearhugs to show his boundless appreciation, while always challenging Inuyasha to be a stronger person. Hakkaku would be the energetic warrior who enjoys sparring with Inuyasha and would look up to him as his older brother. Ginta would be the adorable charmer who taps into Inuyasha’s softer side, aspires to be as strong as him in combat, and be utterly grateful that he is his older brother for life. Together, Shuran, Inuyasha, Hakkaku, and Ginta not only have a friendship that is utterly deep but also powerfully steeped in brotherhood, as Shuran is thankful to have been Inuyasha’s older adoptive brother and both Hakkaku and Ginta continue to be extremely blessed that they can call Inuyasha a big brother. Shunran would be the little sister Inuyasha wanted as a youngling and is even happy to call her his darling little sister-in-law, given that Shunran is practically part of Ayame’s family as The Wolf Elder’s adopted younger daughter and is married to Ginta. This is attributed to her good humour, her feistiness, and her lovability towards Inuyasha as her big brother-in-law. In all of their triumphs and trials, Inuyasha would always confide in Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran as his greatest friends because they understand each other and are proud to see how far they have come in their lives as warriors, as individuals, and as a family.

There is no doubt that the true, unblemished, and unconditional love Inuyasha has for Ayame; the strong, competitive, and powerful brotherhood he has with Sesshoumaru; and the genuine, untainted, and supportive friendship he has from Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran have all seen him become truly blessed to have such great souls in his life. With this security he feels with his wife, his brother, his best friends, his parents, and, most imperatively, his grandfather-in-law and surrogate fathers, this would also provide Inuyasha with sufficient room to grow as a valorous leader. Sure, he may have occasions where he can be brash, but he turns that brashness into determination, the will to become stronger as an individual, and never lose sight of what is truly important. Inuyasha may have a wonderful wife, a strong brother, and great friends, but his life does not always revolve around them, as he has autonomy to make strong decisions and accept whatever consequences may come their way. Integrating him as The Splendid Seven’s leader would show that Inuyasha is not a chew toy to be discarded and thrown around when nobody needs him anymore, he is a strong fighter who never surrenders before the eleventh hour and is fiercely loyal to everybody and anybody he considers as his family. Another great leadership quality that Inuyasha would imbue is his motivation that would keep his family strong amidst all obstacles. Furthermore, he would never accept any form of hypocrisy and falsehood, thus calling out the liars and the scumbags and pulling their bluff away from them. Finally, seeing that he is Ayame’s husband, this would also mean that he would rule side-by-side with her as leader of the Northern Yoro Tribe as well as making an alliance with Sesshoumaru ruling the Western Lands, Hakkaku and Ginta who have taken autonomy over the Easstern Wolf Yokai Tribe, and Shuran and Shunran who have become the Panther Tribe’s rulers alongside Toran, Ayumi, and Karan. Inuyasha would also teach wrestling, kickboxing, grappling, and boxing to young wolf yokai warriors who want to be as strong as the Alpha Male of the tribe. He would even invite Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Hakkaku, and Ginta for demonstrations, so that his students can learn what they should and should not do when they are attacked, especially when it comes to the various holds and strikes that are effective. Just because Inuyasha has been taking full responsibility of the Northern Yoro Tribe does not mean that he always has to wear a stone-cold face all the time whenever something means business. He would still have moments where he can concoct the most alluring pickup lines to his wife Ayame, be the strong and mighty yet awesome father his sons aspire to be as well as his daughters would emulate, have surprise wrestling and grappling matches with Sesshoumaru, have lovably brotherly moments with Shuran, Hakkaku, and Ginta through having a great laugh with each other, and be very cuddly in a protective big brother way to Shunran. Inuyasha would, therefore, demonstrate that he can balance his duties as the Northern Yoro Tribe’s leader, a combat trainer to young yokai warriors, a father to fourteen children, and a loving husband towards his darling Ayame with patience, good spirits, confidence, and strength that would keep anybody and everybody together.

Keeping Inuyasha away from that melodramatic and insipid love triangle, especially since Kikyou wanted to him to be human, his relationship with Kagome was pure trash, and Kagome was equally appalling as a “heroine”, plus not permitting him to wear those stupidly tacky Beads of Subjugation are great ways in letting Inuyasha have actual autonomy over his life and be with people who genuinely care for him. He definitely has his grandfather-in-law and his surrogate fathers in The Wolf Elder and The Northern Yoro Tribesmen to thank for making him reach his full potential as a yokai warrior and as an individual and even providing him with unconditional love that has helped him truly grow in strength, confidence, and perseverance. Furthermore, swapping his contentious love triangle and false friendship with unconditional love in Ayame, a strong brotherhood in Sesshoumaru, and a superbly strong friendship in Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran have done so well for Inuyasha’s mental, physical, and psychological health. I am glad I made him the leader of The Splendid Seven and The Northern Yoro Tribe. I am glad I made him be adopted by The Wolf Elder and The Northern Yoro Tribesmen. I am glad I made him Ayame’s husband. I am glad I made his brotherly relationship with Sesshoumaru not rife with animosity but with healthy competitiveness and boundless support. I am glad that he has found genuine friendship in Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran. Finally, I am super glad that he is one of the main characters and leading protagonists of my Splendid Seven AU headcanon.

I hope you all enjoyed this, and please let me know how you would fix Inuyasha and if you agree with everything I have to say. Take care, stay safe, and please keep on showing your love for Inuyasha as well as showing more support for Inuyasha x Ayame and its beautiful brand of romantic intimacy and unconditional love as well as his strong brotherhood with Sesshoumaru and his great friendship with Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran as The Splendid Seven.

Inuyasha from Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Sunrise.

This “5 Ways I Would Fix” meme originally belongs to CaptainWHaddock and is dedicated to all of my friends, fellow artists, fans, and brethren who not only love Ayame so much as a character but also feel that she deserves so much better than how she was treated in canon from a character standpoint and a writing standpoint. Sit back, relax, and find out how Ayame can have the potential to stand on her own two feet as a heroine.

I would like to commence by wishing you all a Happy International Women’s Day, despite all the terror and the contention that occurred spearheaded by Putin’s regime towards Ukraine, which I would never in a million years condone. This is not what you are here for because I want to celebrate International Women’s Day by raising my anime discourse focusing on my favourite wolf yokai warrior woman of all time Ayame from Inuyasha. It is no surprise that I enjoyed her presence when I first saw her grace the small screen, and I was immediately taken aback by her strength, courage, valour, and determination, despite appearing in only three episodes of the original Inuyasha anime, one cameo episode in Inuyasha: The Final Act, and, most of all, her status as an anime-only character. Because I bore such vociferous sentiments of Inuyasha being paired with the little wench known as Kagome Higurashi, I always thought that Ayame would be a much better life partner, girlfriend, and, eventually, wife for him than Kagome and Kikyou combined. In fact, it is her bravery and her strength that made me fully appreciate the romantic relationship she could have and should have had with Inuyasha instead of the big-talking, bluffing, bullying Karma Houdini and miserable excuse of a wolf yokai warrior known as Kouga. To this day, I still argue that Ayame deserved so much better than that flea-bitten wretch and would be much happier with a real warrior of a husband in Inuyasha, a staunch older brother-in-law in Sesshoumaru, wonderfully supportive brothers-in-law in Shuran, Hakkaku, and Ginta, and a sweet soul sister in Shunran. Therefore, Ayame deserves so much better not only in her love life but also in her life overall as a courageous warrior woman with so much to give to the world.

Relegating Ayame to be nothing more than Kouga’s love interest is problematic because it is the only trope that she is defined by when she probably had hidden depths as a warrior who is strong, selfless, fiercely loyal to her code of honour, and tackles every obstacle with brave face. This is what the writers of the Inuyasha anime failed to address rather than just brushing her off as an anime-only character. My other point of contention when it comes to Ayame being only pegged down as Kouga’s love interest are all the misdeeds, crimes, and atrocities Kouga himself has committed but did not face any personal punishment. Every crime Kouga has committed should have served as red flags for Ayame to not end up marrying him but ditching him altogether with one swift kick to his impotent family jewels. From murdering innocent villagers, including an innocent young girl in the form of Rin, to kidnapping Kagome to not implementing his own strength and power instead of relying on the Shikon Jewel shards’ power to not taking full advantage of the historical wolf yokai warrior weapon known as Goraishi to his utter failure of avenging his comrades after they were brutally massacred by Kagura and Naraku, Kouga was in no way, shape or form fit to be Ayame’s potential husband, let alone husband by Inuyasha: The Final Act’s last episode. When Kouga unceremoniously abdicated his duties by Inuyasha: The Final Act’s eighth episode after his precious jewel shards were taken away, I saw him as the pathetic lowlife loser with an empty shell that he truly was. Worse was that I was appalled to see Kouga undeservedly acquiring his supposedly happy ending with Ayame when he did absolutely nothing to avenge his fallen comrades’ deaths, let alone join Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and his so-called friends in their final battle against Naraku. Kouga truthfully deserved absolutely nothing after what he failed to do. His ultimate punishment would have been repudiation from the tribe, being stripped off his wolf yokai warrior status, and being left to die by the hands of the angry villagers who wanted to avenge the deaths of their families. Looks like all Ayame should have seen in Kouga is a pathetically weak and lame shell that he attempted to cover up complete with all the iniquities he committed because his bloodlust knew no bounds and he had zero honour. What on earth were Ayame, her grandfather, and her tribesmen from both factions thinking when they perceived Kouga as her prospective husband? They should have all seen the red flags where Kouga’s dependence on the Shikon Jewel shards were concerned because he was all talk, barely any action, and having the jewel shards taken away from him by Naraku only showed that he was truly a hollow, shallow, and pathetic weakling deprived of any honour, integrity, and fortitude. Kouga deserved to be shamed, disgraced, executed, and dead without any honour whatsoever.

Kouga saving Ayame from the Birds of Paradise also proved to be a bad move on the writers’ part because we the viewers were fully aware of his atrocities in Episode 35, and Episodes 83 and 84 were even cheaper attempts to make him more likeable and more sympathetic with his backstory of rescuing Ayame from those creatures. These episodes made Kouga even more despicable and more of a hypocritically low-down, good-for-nothing cheat who deserved none of my sympathy and all of my rage after what he did to those villagers and especially to such an innocent little girl like Rin. Even after kidnapping Kagome does he have a “change of heart” and Inuyasha’s so-called friends are quick to forgive this lowlife? Please! Ayame should have just ditched him for good after what horrible atrocities he did. Enough about Kouga because dealing with him would have given me an aneurysm right now. How about instead of Kouga saving little Ayame from the Birds of Paradise, we have a younger Inuyasha? When I remember the flashbacks Inuyasha had when he was a child being pursued by various demons in Episode 73, I not only felt sorry for him but also realised that he deserved better. This would work as an alternate universe scenario, as Inuyasha would prove to himself that he can be strong on his own and face his own fears even at such a young age. As little Ayame is being pursued by the Birds of Paradise, young Inuyasha swoops to her aid, showers the Birds of Paradise with punches, kicks, claw marks, and bite marks galore before finally incapacitating them. Young Inuyasha extends his hand to see if little Ayame is all right, which she responds by tackling him in a hug and smothering him with kisses, thus making young Inuyasha blush. The young dog hanyou and the little she-wolf yokai head to the lake to go fishing, with her thanking him for rescuing her. Little Ayame would even tell Young Inuyasha that she would like to be his wife one day when they grow up. His response is a steadfast yes and proclaims to her that he will be strong for her by playfully flexing his biceps complete with a huge grin on his face, assuring her that he will keep his promise. No sooner than he keeps his promise by being integrated into Ayame’s tribe, raised by her grandfather, and trained by all the brave warriors in wrestling, hunting, boxing, kickboxing, and weightlifting. Inuyasha’s intense training with Ayame’s tribesmen and the love her grandfather would bestow upon him would make him fully worthy of Ayame’s hand in marriage, despite them still being really young. By the time Inuyasha reaches 14 and Ayame reaches 11, they would even end up receiving the blessings of Ayame’s grandfather The Wolf Elder as well as Sesshoumaru’s and Inuyasha’s father Toga for them to be united in holy matrimony. Given how Inuyasha would be fiercely loyal to Ayame and how Ayame would proudly claim Inuyasha to be her greatest champion and supporter, their marriage would end up lasting a lifetime. Making their matrimony even more beneficial would be having children who would pass down their parents’ strength, might, courage, valour, stamina, determination, and perseverance. Furthermore, Inuyasha and Ayame would be the couple who could never stop kissing each other and would enjoy every single passionate kiss they give to each other with glee and true love.

Inuyasha’s and Ayame’s love life does not stop at them being happily married, having children, and living as prosperously as they can, but their relationship is also steeped with trust, genuineness, and truthfulness. They are not afraid to be honest with each other and would be entirely open to whatever ails they have, especially when it comes to Inuyasha’s contentious relationship with his brother Sesshoumaru. There is no doubt that the show’s and the manga’s canon made Sesshoumaru incredibly ruthless, cruel, condescending, and borderline abusive towards his younger brother to the point where their fraternal relationship is rife with animosity. Being the headstrong, determined, and valorous warriors that she is, Ayame would never back down from giving Sesshoumaru a piece of her mind, not with her fists but with some home truths that would shatter his icy shell. She would admonish Sesshoumaru for his inability to acknowledge his own flaws when he is too preoccupied with putting others beneath him down just because he thinks he is the strongest combatant ever. She would also put her foot down and state that his and Inuyasha’s animosity, venom, and ruthlessness against each other is entirely futile because they are, first and foremost, brothers of the same blood whether they like it or not. Finally, Ayame would give Sesshoumaru one ultimatum that would be the final nail on Sesshoumaru’s pride’s coffin. She would tell him that, if he dares kill Inuyasha, he might as well kill her because he is already diminishing his own bloodline from ever flourishing. If Sesshoumaru does not get his pride in check, drop his condescending attitude, and hatred towards Inuyasha, he might as well just live alone and done for, while she and Inuyasha can just abandon him, and she will never call herself his sister-in-law. After that firm talking-to, Sesshoumaru would realise that Ayame not only cares for Inuyasha unconditionally but can also prove herself to be a strong, capable warrior who is excellent with her choice of words. This would make Sesshoumaru rather comfortable in the fact that Inuyasha’s wife is not the lowly wolf yokai with a relatively shady reputation but the wolf yokai warrior queen he has come to admire, respect, and give his undying allegiance and support to her. At least he can rest assured that Ayame is not like Kikyou who just wanted Inuyasha to be human after she acquired the Shikon Jewel and Kagome who abused Inuyasha with the Beads of Subjugation. Sesshoumaru would even admit to Inuyasha that he is fortunate to have somebody as formidable, powerful, and independent like Ayame as his wife, thus going out of his way to say that she is worthy of being Inuyasha’s equal and of Sesshoumaru’s undying respect. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha would then bury the hatchet thanks to Ayame, although they still have moments where they are competitive towards each other. At the very least, it is not in an “I’ll kill you” fashion. Rather, it is in a way that would aid Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha challenge each others’ strengths and still acknowledge each other as brothers all thanks to Ayame pitching them together in her own special way.

As Ayame is a strong warrior, it would have been a huge pleasure to see other fighting styles incorporated rather than just her throwing leaves around like shuriken and punching the ground to vibrate to a shattering earthquake. Sure, she does have speed to outrun any cheetah in the savannah, but it would be great to see her engage more often in hand-to-hand combat, thus incorporating martial arts like kickboxing, boxing, karate, judo, mixed martial arts, and Muay Thai in her resumé. Therefore, she would have the might of Xena the Warrior Princess of Amphipolis, the fierceness of Audri Dubois’ Trini from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers’ original pilot episode, the sheer discipline, unquestionable integrity, peerless agility, and indubitable honour of Thuy Trang’s Trini from Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers Seasons 1 to 2, and the sarcastic sass of Buffy Summers from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, thus making her a complete warrior that enemies would tremble at the sight of her. All of her opponents would mock Ayame for being a puny wolf girl, but this insult would motivate her to give all of them a huge butt whooping thanks to her puncturing punches, her gut-busting kicks, her strangulating chokeholds, and a myriad of combat moves that give Ayame the title of being a gorgeous beauty who fights like a ferocious beast. Ayame’s fighting skills implementing various martial arts from kickboxing to Muay Thai to judo would make her an indubitably unstoppable warrior.

Ayame’s fisticuffs against felons may what define her in terms of her physical strength and her unwavering endurance in the heat of battle. However, what should have been explored about Ayame is her warmth with those she considers her friends and her family and the compassion she has for those who are downtrodden. After all, a warrior who does not have good character is utterly incomplete. She has demonstrated how steadfast, unconditionally loving, and understanding she is with Inuyasha and proved to Sesshoumaru that she is more than just a pretty face, let alone what his preconceived notions about her and her tribe were. Her firm code of honour would also make her a steadfast ally to anybody who supports her cause and fights for the greater good. She would never want to use her powers for selfish means and will always help those who are in dire need. This would also be evident when it comes to children, especially all of her nieces including Asagi, Rin, and Shiori, because she would do everything in her power to protect them from harm. Ayame would also radiate with warmth and kindness not only to the children she meets but also to her husband Inuyasha, her brothers-in-law Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Hakkaku, and Ginta, and her sister Shunran, for she considers them to be her only reasons for living the life she is currently living. Without them, she would be nothing. Therefore, Ayame’s true fortitude would also be her fierce loyalty to her friends and family as well as her compassion to those who are in great need of love and attention.

Ayame in the anime’s canon had so much promise, but her potential was truly wasted when it came to only relegating her to Kouga’s love interest, when he really did not deserve her and only deserved Kagome. Fortunately for her, I am glad that she is married to Inuyasha in my AU headcanon, I am glad she is part of the main cast of my Splendid Seven AU headcanon, and I am glad that she has found not only a true husband in Inuyasha but also strong brothers-in-law in Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Hakkaku, and Ginta, and a sweet sister in Shunran. Her physical strength and her capability of compassion, kindness, and unconditional love should never go unquestioned.

I would also love to hear from you how you would fix Ayame, and if you agree with everything I have to say. Take care, stay safe, and please keep on showing your love for Ayame as well as showing more support for Inuyasha x Ayame and the loving relationships she has with Sesshoumaru, Shuran, Hakkaku, Ginta, and Shunran as a valuable member of The Splendid Seven, everybody.

Ayame from Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Sunrise.