Hashira

The Hashira are the most powerful combatants in the Demon Slayer Corps. As such, they are the organization's top-ranking, most elite warriors who each serve a pivotal role in their war against Muzan Kibutsuji.

Overview
The Hashira are the nine strongest and most skilled combatants in the entirety of the Demon Slayer Corps, and they are regarded as the most potent swordsmen among all the Demon Slayers. Their existence literally sustains the entire organization.

The Hashira, in accordance with their great strength, are the most highly ranked among Demon Slayers, second only to the Corps leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and later, Kiriya Ubuyashiki.

Those who are of lower rank may be killed at a frightening rate, but each Hashira possesses a distinct Breathing Style which is learned from a cultivator or developed through extreme training.

The Hashira are all assigned a specific region that they are required to patrol, usually to gather information about the Demons inhabiting the said area and to improve their swordsmanship. Swordsmen who can use the Flame Breathing and Water Breathing have become Hashira in every era, with no exceptions thus far.

Joining
To be a member of the Hashira, a Demon Slayer must be among the strongest combatants in the entirety of the Demon Slayer Corps. There are three known methods that allow one to prove that they are worthy of becoming a Hashira: the first method is to accumulate a Demon kill count of at least 50 as a Kinoe. The second method is to slay a Demon who is a member of the Twelve Kizuki, the 12 strongest of all Demons who serve directly under the Demon Lord, Muzan Kibutsuji. The last method is being a Tsugoku of a Hashira, and said Hashira dies or retires.

The effort required to achieve either of these methods requires almost five years worth of training, though, the talented might take only two or so years to do so.

Finding a successor
In some cases, an exceptionally talented Demon Slayer can become the designated successor to one of the Hashira, known as a Tsuguko. To become a Tsuguko, a Demon Slayer can either apply for the position and get accepted, or get scouted by one of the current Hashira.

Hashira Training
The Hashira Training is a special training session conducted by the Hashira and undertaken by numerous lower ranked Demon Slayers. The aim of Hashira Training is to improve all Demon Slayers' physical abilities and overall health, giving the members of the Demon Slayer Corps a better chance of winning the war against Demons.

Each of the Hashira oversees a different part of the training program. Known training includes: basic stamina training, flexibility training, quick movement training, sword skill training, pounding training, and muscle reinforcement training.

Hashira Training is extremely strenuous; because of this, a majority of the Demon Slayers view the training session as an everlasting trip in hell, with a few notable exceptions who see the session as a chance to improve themselves.

As a general rule, Hashira must take part in each other's training sessions. It is considered a win-win situation for both the Hashira and the Demon Slayers, as even the Hashira get to improve due to being constantly attacked by wave upon wave of juniors ranked lower than themselves.

Members
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Abilities
Overall Abilities: As the most powerful combatants of the Demon Slayer Corps, the Hashira possesses superhuman physical abilities, as well as above average mental attributes. They are also naturally the most skilled and proficient human combatants in existence.

Immense Physical Prowess: The physique of the Hashira have been augmented to superhuman levels through years of harsh training combined with the use of Total Concentration Breathing. The members of the Hashira in general have incredible movement speed, all of them have displayed the capability to use blinding bursts of speed that make it seem like they teleported, so fast that they appear invisible to the naked eye. The Hashira also possess incredible physical strength, shown when a severely weakened Kyojuro Rengoku could hold down a an Upper Rank Demon with his bare hands, Giyu Tomioka and Shinobu Kocho who can leap great distances effortlessly and Gyomei Himejima who can move gigantic boulders effortlessly. Furthermore, their stamina and endurance are clearly superhuman. Despite having his arm, two legs and his entire lower half sliced clean, Muichiro Tokito didn't flinch and never showed signs of pain. In the Infinity Castle, the Hashira fought Lower Rank-level demons for hours without tiring out, even facing several Upper Rank demons and having enough stamina to face them. Obanai Iguro, especially, survived fighting Muzan Kibutsuji for over an hour despite sustaining multiple fatal injuries. Finally, the Hashira possess enhanced durability, being able to survive multiple attacks from powerful enemies.

Enhanced Mental Prowess: As seasoned combatants who underwent incredibly harsh and intense training, the members of the Hashira possess above average mental capabilities. They can process information and think clearly at supernatural speeds, proven by fighting Upper Rank Demons, who can think at equally or slightly faster speeds. As another testament to their mental capabilities, they have incredible concentration abilities and wits. With an arsenal of techniques at their disposal, the members of the Hashira have to be really decisive and sagacious when using them.

Total Concentration: Constant: (・) A tactical skill which sets Hashira apart from ordinary Demon Slayers. Hashira, as well as Kanao Tsuyuri, Tanjiro, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Inosuke Hashibira use this breathing method to generate an oxygen supply in their blood and strengthen their muscles. It gives them the power and stamina needed to combat Demons without changing their physical form.

History
After the fight with Lower Rank 1, Enmu, the Upper Rank 3, Akaza, shows up. A battle between Akaza and Kyojuro Rengoku occurs, and as a result of the fight, Kyojuro dies from his wounds and leaves an empty Hashira spot, while Akaza flees with his life.

Not long after that, Tengen Uzui takes Tanjiro and his group to a mission in the Red Light District. There, they encounter Upper Rank 6, Daki and Gyutaro. As a result of their fight, Daki and Gyutaro died, and Tengen lost his left eye and arm, forcing him to retire and leave a second vacant Hashira position. However, despite his forced retirement, Tengen (along with his wives) still assist with the Demon Slayer Training Program.

After Muzan Kibutsuji breaks into the Ubuyashiki Manor, he is attacked by Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, in an attempt to slay him, but Muzan escapes into the Infinity Castle with several other Demon Slayers chasing after them, only for them to be separated by Nakime, the new Upper Rank 4.

Several duels break out in the Infinity Castle between Demons and Demon Slayers. The Hashira and the other Demon Slayers face off against many Demons who all have equal strength to that of a Lower Rank. Shinobu Kocho attempted to kill the Upper Rank 2 Doma, who was responsible for the death of her older sister. However, she is killed and absorbed by Doma. Shinobu's younger sister, Kanao, and Inosuke then fight Doma immediately after and were able to defeat the Demon thanks to the poison inside Shinobu's body.

Zenitsu runs into the new Upper Rank 6, the other former apprentice of his master, Kaigaku, and engages him in a duel to the death, in which Kaigaku with his Enhanced Breathing Techniques nearly kills Zenitsu, but Zenitsu finally decides to behead Kaigaku with a secret technique he created. The former was saved by Yushiro at the end.

Elsewhere, Tanjiro and Giyu Tomioka are ambushed by the Upper Rank 3, Akaza. After a long battle, Tanjiro beheads Akaza, although the Demon manages to survive this attack, and eventually the battle is won by the Upper Rank committing suicide.

The two Demon Slayers come out victorious, while Muichiro Tokito is separated from Gyomei by Nakime and sent to the room of Kokushibo, Upper Rank 1. Later on, Genya Shinazugawa, Sanemi Shinazugawa and finally Gyomei join the fight ending up winning but at the cost of several injuries and losing Muichiro as much as Genya in the end.

Trivia

 * The word for Hashira has nine strokes, which is said to be the reason for there being nine Hashira at the start of the series.
 * Almost all the Hashira have Destroyer of Demons ( Akki Messatsu?) on their weapons, while Shinobu has Demons ( Akki?) engraved on the right side of the blade, while the words Destruction ( Messatsu?) are engraved on the left side due her sword's structure.[2]

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