Kotaro Inugami is a dog hanyō—half-demon, half-human—identifiable by his ears and tail. He first shows up as one of three mercenary kids working with Chigusa in Kyoto, where his combat skills and stubborn personality make an impression. Despite his hot temper, he's got a strong sense of chivalry and won't fight women unless they're genuinely powerful combatants.
Self-taught through the Garyū Inugami-ryū school, Kotaro excels at ninjutsu and charm work. He can summon dog spirits and transform into either a small black-and-white dog or a stronger beast form using paper charms. He's also figured out how to use his inugami abilities for flight. Most of his fighting style—including his ki techniques—he claims to have invented himself, and his ability to analyze Negi's methods suggests he's probably not exaggerating. That said, he dislikes Western magic in general, though he makes an exception for Negi. Hand-to-hand combat is always his preference anyway.
After Kyoto, the Kansai Magic Association took him into custody and sealed away his transformation and summoning abilities. He eventually broke free to track down Negi, now viewing him as a rival and the only person close to his own age who can match him in a fight. On his way to Mahora, he crossed paths with Graf Hermann and the Slime Sisters, fought them off, stole the bottle Hermann had been sealed in, and made his escape—though not before getting hit with a confusion spell and temporary amnesia while trying to warn Negi. Chizuru and Natsumi found him in dog form and nursed him back to health.
Kotaro's past is deeply lonely. Being a hanyō made him an outcast from both human society and the dog-yōkai tribes from birth, leaving him starved for genuine connection. His friendship with Negi and his living situation with Chizuru and Natsumi represent the first real family and companionship he's ever known.
Chizuru's motherly behavior toward him—public hugging included—embarrasses him constantly, though it's complicated. He loves to lecture Negi about his entanglements with girls, only to have people point out his own relationship with Chizuru, whether that stems from an actual crush or just mortification remains unclear. He fancies himself a "lone wolf," but Negi's jab that he's "more like a dog" probably hits closer to home than he'd admit. He and Yue butt heads regularly, usually with him on the losing end, while he genuinely respects Kaede's strength.
Like Negi, Kotaro has a narrow worldview and struggles to understand girls' emotions. His singular focus on becoming the strongest fighter leaves him adrift when problems can't be solved with his fists.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
