| “ | The Demon Slayer Corps. We number in the hundreds. An organization completely unrecognized by the government. Since ancient times, we have existed to hunt down Demons. |
” |
The Demon Slayer Corps (
There are hundreds of Demon Slayers within the organization, however they are not officially recognized by the government.[2][3] With Muzan's demise and the near-extinction of the Demon race, the Corps officially disbanded.
Structure
Joining
In order to become a Demon Slayer, an individual must pass the Final Selection, a test used as an entrance exam to join the Demon Slayer Corps. During this selection, examinees must survive for seven days on a mountain top infested with Demons without any aid from the outside world.
Candidates who complete the Final Selection are issued the standard uniform, as well as being given the opportunity to choose the ore for their special sword, which is designed to eliminate Demons efficiently. Each new Slayer is also assigned one of a rare species of talking bird for communication purposes.
Ranks
Members of the Demon Slayer Corps are separated into ten different ranks. From lowest rank to highest, these ranks are:[4]
|
Mizunoto → Mizunoe → Kanoto → Kanoe → Tsuchinoto → Tsuchinoe → Hinoto → Hinoe → Kinoto → Kinoe |
Inosuke explaining the rank system
Once a Demon Slayer has fully settled into the organization, they are classified as a member of the lowest rank: Mizunoto. They must complete a variety of missions to ultimately climb the ranks and reach the highest Demon Slayer position: Kinoe.
Following the Final Selection, each swordsman has their rank inscribed on their hand through a process called "Wisteria Flower Engraving." As they continue to progress as swordsman, they can check their rank by saying a password and flexing their arm to reveal their status.[5]
Hashira
The nine strongest Demon Slayers.
Within the Demon Slayer Corps, there is a group of elites, known as The Nine Hashira. This group consists of the nine most powerful combatants in the organization.
The Nine Hashira, in accordance with their great strength, are the most highly ranked members of the Corps, second only to the leader of the organization.
In order to become eligible to join the Hashira, a Demon Slayer must either successfully kill 50 Demons or kill a member of the Twelve Kizuki, a group of the most powerful Demons in existence who serve directly under the Demon Lord, Muzan Kibutsuji.
Tsuguko
A Tsuguko is a very talented Demon Slayer that has been designated as the successor to one of the Nine Hashira, should that Hashira retire or die. In order to become a Tsuguko, a Demon Slayer can either apply and get accepted, or get scouted by one of the current Hashira.
Hashira Training
Hellish 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.
Kakushi
Within the Corps, there is a cleanup crew known as the Kakushi. The Kakushi are responsible for providing first aid to injured Demon Slayers following a large battle, as well as bring the injured in for proper medical attention.
Salary
Mizunoto are roughly paid around 200,000 yen[6] whereas Hashira are paid as much as they want.[6]
List of Members
Anime Status
| Ubuyashiki Family | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kagaya Ubuyashiki | Amane Ubuyashiki | Hinaki Ubuyashiki | Nichika Ubuyashiki | Kiriya Ubuyashiki |
| Kanata Ubuyashiki | ||||
| Hashira | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka |
Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji |
Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro |
Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa |
Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima |
| Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito |
Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho |
Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku † |
Flower Hashira Kanae Kocho † | |
| Former Hashira | ||||
| Water Hashira Sakonji Urokodaki |
Thunder Hashira Jigoro Kuwajima |
Flame Hashira Shinjuro Rengoku |
Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui | |
| Demon Slayers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanao Tsuyuri | Tanjiro Kamado | Zenitsu Agatsuma | Inosuke Hashibira | Nezuko Kamado | |
| Genya Shinazugawa |
Murata | Ozaki † | Yoriichi | ||
Manga Status (Spoiler Warning)
Template:UbuyashikiFamily Template:Hashira Template:Demon Slayers
Template:ButterflyMansion
Abilities
Physical Abilities
All of the Hashira and some of the lower-ranked slayers have enhanced strength, speed, stamina, agility, mobility of the joints, and resistance to injury; all at superhuman levels.
Abilities specific to certain individuals include unconscious combat, omnipresent rage, unique muscle composition, enhanced senses, and extrasensory perception.
Senses
Some slayers have naturally enhanced senses, which they use in combination with existing breathing styles or develop new breathing styles (like the Sound Breathing Style).
| Sense of | No. | Users |
|---|---|---|
| Hearing | 2 | Zenitsu Agatsuma, Tengen Uzui* |
| Smell | 2 | Tanjiro Kamado, Sakonji Urokodaki |
| Touch | 1 | Inosuke Hashibira |
| Sight | 1 | Kanao Tsuyuri |
- * His ability is referenced as echolocation.
Extrasensory Perception (ESP)
- Ability to see the Transparent World (Tanjiro Kamado)
- Ability to see the Transparent World (Yoriichi Tsugikuni)
- Ability to see the Transparent World (Gyomei Himejima)
- Ability to see the Transparent World (Michikatsu Tsugikuni)
- Ability to see the Transparent World (Muichiro Tokito)
- Ability to see the Transparent World (Obanai Iguro)
Breathing Styles
Breathing styles are swordsmanship styles practiced and taught by the Demon Slayer Corps. The Breathing Styles make use of specific and concentrated breathing patterns, which increase the user's lung capacity and amount of oxygen in the blood. This increases the user's physical abilities and mental concentration, allowing them to fight on par with Demon's, whose physical prowess surpass that of the average human.
Focused breaths are also capable of clotting wounds from severe injuries and slowing down the circulation of poison in the bloodstream.
All Breathing Styles currently taught within the Demon Slayer Corps are derived from the the Sun Breathing, the first one ever created.
Full Focus Breathing
Full Focus Breathing, also known as Total Concentration in some translations, is a state where Breathing Style users inhale the maximum amount of oxygen within a specific breath pattern to raise their physical and mental strength to their utmost limits. It is often used by Demon Slayers to temporarily prepare a decisive attack.
Blowing into a special gourd to rupture it.
Advanced Demon Slayers, such as the Hashira, can constantly maintain a Full Focus Breath state, even while asleep. There is an immense difference in strength between someone who can maintain Full Focus Breathing at all times and someone who cannot.
Learning to maintain a constant state of Full Focus Breathing involves blowing into a special type of super durable gourd. The objective is to blow into the gourd with enough strength to make the gourd break apart. As training progresses, the gourd is replaced by larger and larger variations of the same type of gourd.
Known Breathing Styles
- Note: The colors used to represent the Breathing Styles above are not necessarily based off of the color associated with each style's Nichirin Blade. For Nichirin Blade colors, see here.
Demon Slayer Marks
A select few in the Demon Slayer Corps have recently developed a mysterious marking that can be unlocked and may appear on the body of a strong Demon Slayer. It resembles the Demon Crests that Demons posses. These marks are referred to as Demon Slayer Marks. It looks somewhat like a tattoo, scar, or birthmark and each Demon Slayer Mark looks unique, relating to the Breathing Style of the bearer.
Yoriichi's Demon Slayer Mark.
The first recorded occurrence of these markings were in the Sengoku Era, possessed by the first person with a Demon Slayer Mark was none other than the first Breathing Style user, Yoriichi Tsugikuni and a handful of swordsmen who practiced the Sun Breathing technique. It is said that the Demon Slayer Mark has resonated since then and has been awakened by other Demon Slayers, which would later lay the foundation for the "Golden Era" Demon Slayer Corps that almost succeeded in killing Muzan Kibutsuji.
Demon Slayer Marks disappeared for a long time, due to the countless times the Demon Slayer Corps was nearly annihilated, until it reappeared on Tanjiro Kamado, and subsequently, the other Hashira that resonated with his mark.
For unknown reasons, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was born with a Demon Slayer Mark.[7]
Unlocking
The Demon Slayer Mark can only appear in Demon Slayers that survived the life-threatening conditions of having a heart rate over 200 bpm and a body temperature over 39° Celsius.[8] The precondition in unlocking it is that an individual directly related to the Sun Breathing has been born with it.[9]
The Demon Slayer's mark also has the ability to act as a catalyst, and spread from the original user to other strong Slayers, such as the Hashira, through resonance, granting them Demon Slayer Marks of their own.
Mark Abilities
The Demon Slayer Mark grants the user a number of abilities that are very advantageous in battle, especially against Demons.
- Enhanced Physical Capabilities: Upon activating the Mark, the user is granted superhuman strength, speed, and enhanced breathing techniques beyond that of a normal Breathing Style user. Their strength and speed could even rival that of the strongest Demons, like the Upper Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki.
- Transparent World (
透 き通 る世 界 Sukitōru Sekai?): The user becomes able to see the muscles, blood flow, and joint movement of living beings, allowing the user to accurately predict and react to their opponents movements, as well as confirm the well-being of others. Additionally, the user gains hyper-perception, allowing them to perceive the world around them at a much fast rate, making it appear to them as if the world was going in slow motion.[10]
- Crimson Red Nichirin Blade: Demon Slayer Marks may enable the users to dye their Nichirin Blade in a crimson red color, giving their blades the ability to hamper the enhanced regeneration of Demons.[11]
Curse of the Mark
Having the Demon Slayer Mark has its costs. Demon Slayers who have awakened the Demon Slayer Mark are said to die upon reaching the age of 25, which Kokushibo speculated to be because the mark exchanged the life span of its user for power.
There are ways to avoid dying through the curse, as shown by Yoriichi and Kokushibo. Through unknown means, Yoriichi was able to defy fate and lived to be 85 years old, while Kokushibo chose to become near-immortal by becoming a Demon.
Notably, all records of users of the Mark dying at the age of 25 are of much older era than present times, which means this could merely be a superstition, as many Demon Slayers die at a young age because of their dangerous line of work.
Equipment
Uniform
The members of the Demon Slayer Corps wear a uniform that is highly durable and light-weight. The uniform cannot be easily damaged by minor Demons. They sport their uniforms with a white belt and hakama pants, also wearing a white long-sleeved collared shirt under the uniform.
The Demon Slayer uniform appears remarkably similar to a Gakuran uniform.
Nichirin Blade
Tanjiro's Nichirin Blade changing color.
The Nichirin Blade is the signature weapon of the Demon Slayer Corps. It is a katana sword made from a special ore that constantly absorbs sunlight.
The blade changes color upon the wielder drawing the blade for the first time. The color that the blade changes is dependent on the user and the different colors bestow different properties on the blade.
Kasugai Crow
Upon passing the entrance exam, each new Slayer is also assigned a Kasugai crow. These crows posses the ability to speak in full sentences, though their speech is very loud and somewhat limited.
It is the job of these birds to deliver missions to their designated Demon Slayer.
History
It is implied by Kagaya Ubuyashiki that Muzan Kibutsuji came from the same family as him about 1000 years ago.[12] Kagaya states: "This led to the family bloodline being cursed. Every child born in our family was weak, and they died right away. But when our family was about to get wiped from existence, the priest gave us some advice. A Demon came from our bloodline. So you must dedicate your soul to defeating him. And if you do that, your family will not die out. We have received wives from our priests for generations. And our children are more resilient to death now. But nobody in our family has lived beyond thirty."[13] This indicates that the Ubuyashiki family has led the battle against Muzan for almost 1000 years.
Trivia
- Rank symbols can be shown at the back of each Slayer’s hand. In the Hashira’ case it’s their title which becomes visible.[6]
- While all Demon Slayers are assigned a Kasuagi crow, Zenitsu was assigned a sparrow. The reason for this is unknown, but oddly enough, Zenitsu is still able to understand the sparrow and receive accurate messages and commands from it.
References
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 204 (Page 10).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 4 (Page 2).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Volume 2.
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 8 (Page 12).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 75 (Page 9).
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Kimetsu no Yaiba First Fanbook.
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 177 (Page 3).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 129 (Pages 3-4).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 128 (Pages 14-16).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 151 (Page 18).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 176 (Page 4).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 137 (Page 5).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 137 (Pages 5-6).