Kaigaku

Kaigaku is a former Demon Slayer and Zenitsu Agatsuma's senior disciple under former Thunder Hashira Jigoro Kuwajima. However, he becomes a Demon to save his own life and later became the Upper Rank Six (の) of the Twelve Kizuki, replacing Daki and Gyutaro.

Appearance
As a human, Kaigaku is a fit young man with black hair and turquoise eyes. After becoming a Demon, he gains four black, flame-like markings on both sides of his cheeks, fangs, pale skin, and pointed ears. His eyes receive the kanji of Upper Rank and Six.

Kaigaku is usually seen wearing a black kimono with a blue obi over his Demon Slayer uniform with yellow markings. He also wears multiple necklaces with blue magatama-like pendants.

Personality
Kaigaku is very prideful and self-serving, seeing morality as something based on whether people agree with him ("right") or not ("wrong"). He values his own life over all others, easily abandoning the Demon Slayers when he comes face-to-face with Kokushibo and begging him to let him become a Demon.

Because he easily learned to use the Second through Sixth Forms of the Thunder Breathing, he sees himself as Jigoro's rightful heir and resents Jigoro's decision to make both him and Zenitsu his successors. However, this only serves to highlight Kaigaku's impatience and hubris; his inability to use the First Form, the basis of all the others Forms, means his technique in the advanced Forms could only go so far. This proves to be his undoing, as, while Kaigaku can only augment his abilities after becoming a Demon, Zenitsu is able to develop a completely new Seventh Form through dedicated training.

History
Kaigaku was an orphan and a thief who had to eat scraps and steal to survive. He was one of the orphans Gyomei Himejima cared for at his temple. After he was caught by the other children for stealing temple money, he was chased out at night and encountered a Demon, which he then let in to the temple in exchange for having his life spared.

Kaigaku developed the belief that strength and survival were the only things worth respecting and was willing to grovel and beg for his life if it was what it took to survive. Eventually, he was taken in by Jigoro along with Zenitsu, learning the Thunder Breathing. He became determined to become Jigoro's successor and the new Thunder Hashira. Jigoro, however, insisted that both he and Zenitsu would become his successors, despite Zenitsu's weakness and timid nature.

Natagumo Mountain Arc
Although Kaigaku isn't seen in person, Zenitsu remembers him in a flashback, where Kaigaku threw a peach at him for daring to call Jigoro "grandpa."

Infinity Castle Arc
During the Hashira Training Arc, Zenitsu receives word that Kaigaku had become a Demon, and that Jigoro committed seppuku as atonement. Kaigaku had the unfortunate luck of encountering Kokushibo and, upon witnessing the latter's immense power, kneeled before him and begged to become a Demon. As a Demon, Kaigaku had eaten many people and became powerful enough to become the new Upper Rank 6 of the Twelve Kizuki.

Inside the Infinity Castle, he and Zenitsu seek each other out. Kaigaku is ultimately beheaded by Zenitsu's Thunder Breathing: Seventh Form - Honoikazuchi no Kami. Kaigaku mockingly comments that their master did favor Zenitsu more for teaching him that form, until Zenitsu admits that the technique was his own making in order to fight alongside Kaigaku as equals. Kaigaku notes that Zenitsu was going to die from severe exhaustion, only for him to be saved by Yushiro in the last seconds. Kaigaku's head screams in anger as he disintegrates.

Demon Abilities

 * Enhanced Breathing Techniques: As a Demon, Kaigaku's Thunder Breathing techniques are reinforced and increased in strength. However, he was still being attuned to his newfound Demon abilities at the time of his death. Yushiro commented that had he been given another year or possibly even less, Kaigaku's strength would have crushed Zenitsu on the spot.


 * Supernatural Physical Prowess: As an Upper Rank, one of the strongest Demons in existence, the physical prowess he possesses has been augmented to beyond superhuman levels due to the high concentration of Muzan's blood present in him.

Blood Demon Art: Kaigaku completely merged his Blood Demon Art with his Thunder Breathing sword attacks, successfully creating an effect in which his slashes and sword swings immediately crack his opponents' skin and burn their flesh, greatly increasing the lethality of his sword strikes. This also gives his attacks a black, lightning-like appearance.


 * Electricity Manipulation: To complement his Thunder Breathing, Kaigaku was granted the ability to manipulate electricity and infuse it with his swordsmanship to enhance the power of his attacks and to make up for his inability to perform the simplest technique: Thunderclap and Flash.

Swordsmanship
Thunder Breathing (の): Kaigaku was taught by a former Hashira, Jigoro Kuwajima in the usage of this Breathing Style and immediately stuck out as a natural prodigy due to having mastered it easily. But despite his natural talent, Kaigaku was was unable to learn the first form of the Breathing Style despite learning the other styles of the Thunder Breathing. Like Kokushibo, a former Demon Slayer, he combines his Blood Demon Art Technique with his Breathing Style to increase its power.
 * Second Form: Rice Spirit (ノ) - The swordsman is able to generate five straight attacks around the user in a single moment.
 * Third Form: Thunder Swarm (ノ) - Generates a spinning wave of lightning in all directions.
 * Fourth Form: Distant Thunder (ノ) - The user releases multiple ranged strikes towards a target.
 * Fifth Form: Heat Lightning (ノ) - A single, focused, slashing attack.
 * Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash (ノ) - A series of strong ranged attacks released around the user.

Trivia

 * Kaigaku is the second known Demon Slayer to have become a Demon, the first being Kokushibo.
 * Because of the movement pattern of the Thunder Breathing's first style, it can be speculated that one reason he had difficulty mastering it was because he placed his scabbard on his back instead of the hip.
 * Kaigaku received a kimono from Jigoro, identical to the one he himself wore, but Kaigaku never wore it once.
 * Kaigaku's necklace and bracelet is a fractured Taijitu (taoist symbol). Before he transforms into a Demon, the symbol is yellow (good, enlighted), and it turns blue (bad, darkness, depth) after he becomes one. The fractured symbol itself seems to represent his broken and unstable mentality.
 * Kaigaku ranked 21st place in 2nd character popularity poll with 865 votes.

Quotes

 * (To Zenitsu Agatsuma) ""Gramps"? Don't speak of him in that familiar way! Sensei is a former Hashira! Someone who earned the highest title in the Demon Slayer Corps! Almost no one ever gets the chance to be trained by a former Hashira! The time Sensei spends training you is all for nothing! You're an eyesore, okay? Get out of my sight! Why are you here? Why do you insist on clinging here?"
 * (To Zenitsu about his sensei) "I don't care! So what? Are you saying I should be sad? That I should repent? I don't care about anyone who doesn't value me! At every moment I always serve those who know my value!"

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