There are multiple sources of InuYasha canon information that do, on occasion, conflict with one another, the following guide is to be used on the InuYasha Wiki. In order to simplify the different areas that exist as sources for canon information in the InuYasha universe we have devised a three tier hierarchy, shown below.
Although there are different levels of canon, this does not mean relevant information cannot be included in situations where there are conflicting canon sources. Ambiguous continuity should always be noted. If an "official" canon source has been chosen, (e.g. Rumiko Takahashi has said that a fact was a mistake and it was meant to be something else), the information from the conflicting source should still appear in the article in the "Trivia" section.
Basically, everything is canon unless specifically contradicted by a "higher" source.
Canon hierarchy
- Rumiko Takahashi - These sources come from Rumiko Takahashi herself. When she contradicts herself, the newest revelation is to be taken as the "most" canon.
- The InuYasha manga (Japanese & English Viz Media version)
- Other published works
- The Art of InuYasha (book)
- InuYasha Profiles (book)
- Shōsetsu InuYasha (novel)
- InuYasha: Tessaiga and Tenseiga (special)
- InuYasha: Inuyasha vs. Sesshomaru (special)
- Interviews
- Takahashi Involved - These sources do not contain information directly from the "mouth" of Rumiko Takahashi, but they are projects that she was involved in.
- Animated Works
- The InuYasha (TV Series)
- The InuYasha The Final Act (TV Series)
- Black Tessaiga (OVA)
- The 4 InuYasha films
- The Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (TV Series)
- Animated Works
- Takahashi Licensing - These sources are where Takahashi licensed the use of the InuYasha universe to another company or individual.
- InuYasha video games
- InuYasha Trading Card Game
- Other official merchandise
Examples of usage
- In the anime, Tokajin puts Inuyasha inside a drinking gourd, while in the manga, Tokajin swallows Inuyasha whole. How should this event be written in Tokajin's article? Write this event as it appeared in the manga, since the manga is a higher source in comparison to the anime and the two contradict each other in this case.
- According to the anime, Hojo Akitoki is an ancestor of Kagome's classmate Hojo, though nothing of the sort is mentioned in the manga. Can I include this in Hojo's article? Yes you can, because there is nothing in the manga to suggest that this ancestor never existed.
- In the manga, the Noh Mask belongs to an unnamed family and was being brought to Higurashi shrine by a woman, while in the anime the Noh Mask is said to have been passed down in the Higurashi family for generations. Which version is considered right? The manga version because it is higher on the tier system and comes directly from Takahashi. The version of events in the anime can be noted in the trivia section of the mask's page.