Jaken // Overview

Age: Unknown
Gender: Male
Race: Youkai
Personality: Subservient, Wicked, Insulting
Aliases: Jaken, Jaken-sama
Role: Retainer/Antagonist/Neutral

Overall:
Jaken is Sesshoumaru's groveling servant and loyal traveling companion. Pathetically adhered to Sesshoumaru and his goals, Jaken will go to great lengths to receive even the slightest gesture of praise from his master. Though Jaken lacks in both power and strength, these handicaps do not deter him from accompanying Sesshoumaru into the deepest and darkest regions of the Sengoku Jidai.

Much like Sesshoumaru, Jaken's past is never explored/revealed. He is, for all intensive purposes, a retainer and traveling companion to Sesshoumaru, and nothing more. Aside from babysitting Rin and providing brief instances of humor, Jaken serves few other purposes.

Jaken's respect for Sesshoumaru is unrivaled, in that he endures both insult and injury, as well as constant threats of death, despite his unyielding loyalty. He is grumbling, subservient, and perpetually perplexed by his master's odd behavior and peculiar whims (i.e. tending to a human child, "fraternizing" with Kagura, etc.). And despite Jaken's attempts to win Sesshoumaru's favor, Jaken receives no respect and/or gratitude in return for his efforts.

Though obedient, Jaken is inherently curious, continuously poking his nose into Sesshoumaru's business. As a result, the toad retainer is often smacked, kicked, and/or pummeled for meddling in his master's affairs (especially if they concern Kagura or the human child). And though Rin is equally curious, Sesshoumaru's violent tendencies are reserved specifically for Jaken. As such, Jaken has displayed fleeting feelings of jealousy towards Rin, whom is arguably Sesshoumaru's "soft spot."

Jaken's main dislikes seem to be whatever/whomever it is Sesshoumaru dislikes—namely, Inuyasha and his entourage, Naraku, etc. He also detests babysitting Rin (i.e. he hasn't much say in the matter) and Kagura's casual, almost flirtatious interactions with Sesshoumaru.

Appearance-wise, Jaken is short and small. He wears a black kimono, a black cap, and, like Rin, wanders around barefooted (Sesshoumaru seems to be the only member of his party concerned with wearing shoes). With his bulging eyes and grotesque countenance, Jaken is anything but attractive. He carries with him at all times the Nintoujou ("Human Head Pole"), which is his only means of protection.

The Mount // Overview

Age: Unknown
Gender: ???
Race: Youkai
Personality: ???
Aliases: N/A
Role: Transportation/Antagonist/Neutral

Overall:
The Mount is Sesshoumaru's most recent method of transportation. Though it is used for few other purposes, the mount has made frequent appearances in Sesshoumaru's party.

The mount first appears in Volume 13, Chapter 125 carrying Sesshoumaru on its back. I refer to the mount as "it" because there is no way to discern the creature's gender. It seems to be a type of lizard/dragon youkai, consisting of two heads, an enormous body, and rich draperies. Though Sesshoumaru has traveled on hideous beasts in the past (Volume 7, Chapter 59), the mount is the only beast of Sesshoumaru's that has not yet been destroyed.

The mount is typically a "wagon" of sorts for Rin, who uses it as both a means of transportation, and recently, a "bed" in which to sleep.