In feudal Japan, the half demon Inuyasha was sealed away by the priestess Kikyo. Many years later he is revived by Kagome, who has slipped through time from the present day. Kagome is surprised when the sacred Shikon Jewel, which makes demons stronger, emerges from a cut on her body.

Kagome finds out that she may be the reincarnation of Kaede's late older sister, the priestess Kikyo, who sealed Inuyasha with her arrow. The Carrion Crow demon is after the Shikon Jewel and kidnaps Kagome, but Inuyasha shows up to save her. After Kagome defeats the Carrion Crow with an arrow, the Shikon Jewel shatters into pieces.

Kagome has the ability to see pieces of the Shikon Jewel. Inuyasha has the power to defeat demons. Both of their powers are needed to gather the shards of the jewel that were scattered, but the two don't get along. The demon Yura, who is after the jewel, manipulates villagers to attack Inuyasha.

Kagome has returned to the present day and is relaxing in her home when Inuyasha comes looking for her. Some of Yura's demonic hair is on his body. Kagome and Inuyasha return to feudal Japan to exterminate the Yura of the hair.

Kagome learns that Inuyasha is a half demon, born of a human mother and a dog demon. Inuyasha's half brother Sesshomaru appears, looking for the tomb of their father. In order to manipulate Inuyasha, he brings Inuyasha's dead human mother with him. But the woman turns out to be a demon known as a muonna.

The muonna makes Inuyasha reveal the location of his father's grave. Sesshomaru removes Inuyasha's right eye (the black pearl) and opens the entrance to the grave. Kagome is angered by Sesshomaru's cruelty. She goes with Inuyasha after Sesshomaru. Inside their father's tomb is a memento of Inuyasha's father, the sword Tetsusaiga.

Kagome is able to pull out the Tetsusaiga. Sesshomaru tries to kill her, and Inuyasha is angered and fights to protect Kagome. His will to protect a human changes the Tetsusaiga into its true form, a fang sword.

In the Kai Province, there is a young samurai named Nobunaga. He is a clumsy but earnest young man. He has heard rumors about the man that the the princess, his childhood friend, has married. Nobunaga tries to save the lord of the castle who is possessed by a toad demon.

Shippo is a demon fox whose father was killed by the the Thunder Brothers: Hiten and Manten. He steals the Shikon Jewel shards from Kagome so that he can avenge his father.

Inuyasha goes to save Kagome from Manten. Hiten devours the sacred jewel shard that Manten had and absorbs his demon powers. Hiten attacks Inuyasha with his Raigekijin. Inuyasha is in trouble and defends himself with the scabbard of the Tetsusaiga.

Kagome has returned to the present day to take a test. As she does, a noh mask, the Mask of Flesh, begins a violent search for the Shikon Jewel shards. Kagome's younger brother, Sota, tries hard to call Inuyasha to come to Kagome's rescue.

Kagome sees a Soul Piper, a demon that consoles the spirits of children. She helps Mayu, a girl who is about to become an evil spirit, to pass on.

Half demon Inuyasha's secret is that he becomes human once a month. That day, Inuyasha and the gang meet Nazuna and stay at a mountain temple. They fall into Kumogashira's trap and the sacred jewel shards are taken away from them. Inuyasha is injected with poison!

The ogress, Urasue, robs the grave of Kikyo, the priestess who sealed away Inuyasha fifty years ago. She revives Kikyo's body using the ashes of Kikyo's bones and soil from Kikyo's grave. But Kikyo's soul has already been reincarnated in a different body.

Kikyo is revived when Kagome's soul flows into her. She tries to kill Inuyasha, but Kagome takes back her soul. Fifty years ago, Kikyo wanted Inuyasha to use the Shikon Jewel to become human. But on the day of their promise, someone who looked like Inuyasha fatally injured Kikyo. Inuyasha realizes that there is a mysterious person who made them fight.

Miroku, a womanizing delinquent priest, has been collecting Shikon Jewel shards and steals Kagome's shards. Inuyasha tracks him down and confronts Miroku to get the shards back. Miroku fights back with his priestly powers and the wind tunnel in his hand that he was cursed with.

Kotatsu, a painter, sees a dream in which he becomes successful by controlling an army of ogres drawn with ink that has a sacred jewel shard in it. Miroku, Inuyasha and the others become involved in protecting the princess that Kotatsu is in love with.

Naraku appears before Sesshomaru and lends him an arm with a sacred jewel shard embedded in it. Sesshomaru attaches the arm to himself and appears before Inuyasha and the gang to steal the Tetsusaiga.

Sesshomaru wields the Tetsusaiga with his borrowed arm against Inuyasha, who fights back with his scabbard. When the two strike each other at the same time, Inuyasha gets up close to Sesshomaru, rips off his arm, and gets back the Tetsusaiga. When Inuyasha learns Naraku's plan, he fears that Kagome might die.

Kagome has her sacred jewel shards taken away from her and is returned to the present day, unable to return to feudal Japan. Back to her normal life, she agrees to go on a date with Hojo. Meanwhile, Inuyasha and the gang try to find out more about the mysterious Naraku.

Kagome returns to the shrine in the middle of her date with Hojo. She senses the presence of the Shikon Jewel shards and returns to feudal Japan. Naraku reveals that fifty years ago, Onigumo was in love with Kikyo. The demons that were drawn to Onigumo by his malice devoured Onigumo, and the demon Naraku was born.

Kikyo, who was brought back to life, is living as a priestess. A monk, who realizes that Kikyo is dead, tries to make Kikyo pass on, but Kikyo ends up killing him. Inuyasha saves the monk's disciples and runs to Kikyo when he hears the priestess's name.

Kikyo paralyzes Kagome. Inuyasha appears before her. Kikyo has been gathering the souls of dead girls. She vents her grudge against Inuyasha. Inuyasha reveals that he has never forgotten her. When Inuyasha kisses Kikyo, Kikyo tries to drag him to hell. But Inuyasha hears Kagome's voice and regains consciousness.

Sango, a demon slayer, is invited to Hitomi Castle along with her father, the leader of the demon slayers, and her younger brother, Kohaku. But it is a trap. Meanwhile, the undefended village is attacked by a horde of demons and annihilated. Naraku takes the Shikon Jewel shards that they had been gathering and leaves.

Sango fights Inuyasha, believing him to be her enemy. Naraku's plan is to have her fight to the death using the power of the Shikon Jewel shard. But Sango listens to Kagome and is no longer suspicious of Inuyasha.

Sango reveals the secret story of the Shikon Jewel's birth. Midoriko, a priestess with powerful spiritual powers, fused with many demons after a battle to the death. She absorbed the souls of the demons into her own, punched out her soul, and died. Her soul is the Shikon Jewel.

Inuyasha and the gang meet Taromaru, the son of a village leader. They go to the Temple of the Water God, where children are being sacrificed. The Water God has a sacred treasure and toys around with the group.