Inuyasha Filler Episodes You Should Always Skip

"Inuyasha" is one of those grand quest anime that seemed like they could go on forever. There were always more Shikon Jewel shards to collect, always new demons to defeat, always new ways to yell "Inuyasha!" and "Kagome!" with the utmost pathos. Created by "Ranma 1/2" author Rumiko Takahashi, "Inuyasha" started life in 1996 as a manga syndicated in "Weekly Shonen Sunday" (via Viz Media). 

The "Inuyasha" manga follows modern-day girl Kagome, who accidentally time-travels to Japan's Sengoku era. There, she frees half-demon Inuyasha from a half-century of magical sleep. Kagome turns out to be the reincarnation of Inuyasha's lost love Kikyo. Kikyo was the guardian of the Shikon Jewel, a crystal with seemingly endless powers. Kagome accidentally shatters the jewel, and then it's up to Inuyasha and the gang to round up all the shards before the evil Naraku gets his hands on them.

"Inuyasha" got the anime treatment in 2000 (via IMDb). The first anime series, adapted from the manga, ran for 167 episodes. A second series ran for 26 episodes and began in 2009. Both manga and anime blended horror, action, and romance — with a little slapstick comedy thrown in for good measure. The primary focus was the reclamation of the Shikon Jewel, with the Kagome-Inuyasha-Kikyo love triangle bubbling under the surface the whole time. Supporting characters Miroku and demon slayer Sango also had a romantic subplot. But at the center of the show was its "monster of the week" premise. 

So, which of these "Inuyasha" episodes are canon, and which are filler?

According to Anime Filler List, only 35 episodes of the first "Inuyasha" anime are filler. If you want a manga-compliant viewing experience, skip episodes 59, 63 through 65, 68, 72, 75 to 79, 89 through 101, 129 to 130, 133 to 134, 136 through 140, and 162 through 163. Some episodes blend canon and filler elements but, if you want to understand the entire plot, they can't be skipped.

Shows like "Inuyasha" really get to the heart of the debate over filler. As YouTubers Get in the Robot points out, there are multiple definitions for the term "filler." Some use the word to mean anything that isn't included in the original manga. Others use filler as a word to measure quality. For example, something that didn't happen in the manga could still be cool or good for the anime story. A third group may use the word to mean anything that doesn't move the story forward. By this third definition, most of "Inuyasha" is filler.

Like "Pokémon" or "Cardcaptor Sakura," "Inuyasha" is about a seemingly endless quest. For huge chunks of the show, the stakes do not change for Team Inuyasha or Team Naraku. They're in a Manichean struggle until, suddenly, they're not. That is true of the manga as well as the anime. But, if you watch the show to spend time with your demon-fighting pals, every episode is crucial. So, depending on what material you think is not essential to the series, there are different episodes to skip.