| “ | You're just too poor and uncultured to understand my beauty, refinement, and elegance. Even if you show a cockroach a book, it can't read it! |
” |
— Gyokko arrogantly boasting to Muichiro Tokito in Trading Insults
|
Gyokko (
Before becoming a demon, he was a human by the name of Managi (
Appearance[]
Gyokko had a very bizarre and grotesque physiology, taking on the form of a pale white, abstracted, grotesque humanoid figure with a muscular upper torso that has no arms and resembles that of an armless statue growing from a porcelain vase, similar to a djinn. His midsection is a red-violet color while his lower-half, or his tail is black. He had multiple underdeveloped and infant-like hands; four on his head that replaced his ears and were always present, and several lining up his body and tail which he can retract at will. He also possessed thin fins on the top and back of his head that were akin to hair, which were of a blended hue of purple and blue-violet color and shaped in the style of cornrows and a ponytail.
Gyokko's face was even more distorted, with large green-lipped mouths located where one would expect his eyes sockets to be located, which always displayed his hyperrealistic teeth and sometimes had one of or both of his tongues sticking out. His actual eyes were located vertically from one another on his face; one eye appeared in the constantly open bottom mouth and the other was seated at the center of his forehead. Three dots were on top of the latter eye. The kanji for Upper Rank (
When in battle, Gyokko was shown to molt and transform into his true form, which bore heavy resemblance to that of a merman. In this state, Gyokko retained his facial features and muscular physique but now possessed a more humanoid body covered in transparent scales akin to a fish He also grew much larger, attains a mane of longer fish tail-like hair, dark markings on various places around his body, webbed hands with turquoise blue scales, and a long serpent-like tail in place of his legs. In addition, the mouth which displays his lower eye has 4 stitches, with 2 on each side, giving it a rag-doll like appearance.
Gallery[]
.png "Gyokko body (true form).png (1.19 MB)")
.png "Gyokko's true form (Anime).png (3.18 MB)")
Personality[]
A decapitated Gyokko's enjoyment in being held by Muzan.
Gyokko was shown to be an easily excitable demon, constantly fawning over new inspirations for what he deems his "art" or what he finds to be sublime, sometimes even going against his initial impressions. He was easily swayed into euphoria whenever Muzan was involved, trying not only to please him, but finding joy in being decapitated and having his head held by Muzan. Although he was dismayed he would have to work together with Hantengu, he nonetheless reasoned it was fine since Muzan ordered it. He also seemed to be somewhat sardonic and condescending; upon sensing Akaza's presence within the Infinity Castle, he almost let out his inner feelings to the demon about being glad he believed him to be dead before correcting himself mid-sentence, even if Akaza was not fooled by his false support.
Gyokko enraged at Muichiro's insults towards his vase.
Gyokko was also short-tempered, shallow, and arrogant, especially when it comes to things regarding his "art", as seen when he was easily enraged by Muichiro when the latter began to insult and make fun of the quality of his art to the point of bleeding from his blood vessels out of sheer fury, and through his conversation with the Hashira, constantly praised himself as "beautiful" and his work even more so, further reinforcing his arrogant and narcissistic personality and even insulting Muichiro as an "ape" for not appreciating his art. His arrogance was most prominently displayed after he was beheaded by Muichiro Tokito, referring to the Mist Hashira as an inferior and lower life form while calling himself a superb and chosen being.[3]
Gyokko revealed himself to be incredibly petty and jealous, as seen when he attacked and mutilated Hotaru Haganezuka due to his jealousy of the latter's focus and dedication to his work, surpassing his own zeal when working on his own art and made him want to instead make the latter lose his focus and waste time on the swordsmith due to this petty jealousy.
While demons usually have a scornful view on humans, Gyokko's misanthropy was to the extreme. When Muichiro endured several poison needles from his Blood Demon Art to protect Kozo Kanamori and Kotetsu, he degraded their lives as "worthless" and mocked Muichiro for his decision. Moreover, when beheaded, Gyokko made an impassioned rant decrying Muichiro's inferiority as human and claiming that he had used his "godly hands" to turn the worthless lives of humans into art.
Gyokko's "creation", made up of mangled, still-living victims.
Gyokko had a particularly morbid sense of taste, which was showcased when Doma told him he placed a human head on top of his pots like a plant; although Gyokko was slightly taken aback since the pot was not made with such an intention in mind, he nonetheless approved of such use and decided to use it as further inspiration. The extent of this morbid and violent obsession for his was shown even more when he brutally attacked several swordsmiths and used their corpses to create a "beautiful" piece by mangling their bodies together along with sticking several swords into them.
His extreme sadism was further exposed when he went into great detail of explaining his "artwork"; from the many distorted body parts that stood out, to the built-in "feature" of being able to twist a stabbed sword in order to cause extreme pain and bleeding to one of the mangled swordsmiths, demonstrating he not only left his victims unnaturally alive, but that unlike other Upper Ranks, Gyokko liked to draw out his victims’ suffering. In addition, when first meeting Muichiro, Kozo, and Kotetsu, he presents himself as a chivalrous host presenting an art piece, but his his delighted expression when witnessing the villager's horror to "Death Throes of the Smiths" made it clear that his courteous behavior was a façade for his own amusement.
As a human named Managi, his disturbed and violent mind was evident since childhood. His morbid sense of beauty and artwork was seen when he thought the corpses of his drowned parents were beautiful, and when he killed and skinned animals and fish to use for his art pieces. His fragile pride was demonstrated when the mere teasing of a village child enraged Managi enough for him to murder the child and stuff the corpse in a vase, the incident which caused him to be nearly lynched before turning into a demon by Muzan.
Gyokko's uncharacteristic unease.
Despite his notorious depravity and arrogance Gyokko could have occasional moments of rationality. He hesitated in allowing Doma to accompany him into the Swordsmith Village knowing that it would be without Muzan's explicit permission, and was disturbed at Akaza lopping of Doma's head in retaliation. When Doma was distracted, Gyokko immediately ordered Nakime to teleport him to his destination before he could ask again. In addition, although at first envious of Hotaru's concentration, he questioned the swordsmith's sanity after he continued honing his blade after being knocked back by Octopus Vase Hell.
Abilities[]
Overall Abilities[]
As the holder of the fifth highest position in the Twelve Kizuki, Gyokko was an extremely powerful demon. His unique Blood Demon Art and techniques allow him to easily outclass the average demons and give him the necessary edge to overwhelm and kill even the Hashira, the most skilled and powerful swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps. As Upper Rank Five, Gyokko is more powerful than Gyutaro and Daki, the former having killed 15 Hashira and the latter having killed 7.[4] Gyokko has displayed many impressive feats, such as spawning a plethora of powerful demon-like creatures with unique attacks, highly unorthodox movement both within and out of his pots, and a second hidden form. Most notably, in his duel with Muichiro Tokito, Gyokko was able to overpower and hold the Hashira back for the majority of their fight, even managing to bring him to the brink of death. If not for Gyokko's inherent egotistical nature and Muichiro awakening his Demon Slayer Mark, the Upper Rank would have more than likely been able to kill him.
Talented Artist: Due to his obsession with pots, Gyokko became very skilled at painting and making them, so much so that Muzan has taken a keen interest in them, even selling them for a high price, implying that they were made with amazing skill and craftsmanship.
Demon Abilities[]
Flesh Manipulation: Like all demons, Gyokko possessed the ability to manipulate his own flesh. He used this ability to shift his facial features and adopt his unusual djinn-like physiology. Gyokko also displayed the ability to grow numerous short arms on his head and torso, even while he was decapitated.[3] Additionally, Gyokko's numerous vases were made from his own flesh, as seen when he was able to instantly form them in his hand in order to use.
Immense Regeneration: As an Upper Rank demon, Gyokko had very powerful regeneration. This was shown when he survived being decapitated by Muzan Kibutsuji and later sealed off the wound and reattached his head.[5] He also displayed the ability to quickly heal injuries inflicted by Nichirin Swords without much difficulty.[6]Most astoundingly, Gyokko was shown being able to survive direct decapitation from a Nichirin sword, attempting to grow his body back from the stump of his neck, though Muichiro was able to overwhelm it by slicing him into countless small pieces, eventually killing him.[7]
Gyokko's fish transmutation ability.
Molting Transformation: In dire situations, Gyokko could molt and transform into his true form, boosting all his abilities and liberates him from his vase, allowing him to move freely without needing to teleport.[8] Gyokko's true body was extremely durable as well, since the Upper Rank remarked that the scales that cover his body are harder than diamond. Furthermore, whatever Gyokko touches was instantly transmuted into fish, which made him extremely dangerous to fight in close range.[9]
Physical Abilities[]
Immense Durability: As an Upper Rank, Gyokko possessed an extremely durable body superior to that of Gyutaro, whose neck was nigh-uncuttable to Tanjiro Kamado. A single slash from Muichiro could only somewhat penetrate his neck instead of cutting it off, although the Mist Hashira's sword was badly chipped and he also had not manifested his Demon Slayer Mark at the time.[10] His durability was further amplified in his molted form, where Gyokko's skin became layered in thick and hard scales that he noted to be harder than diamond,[11] making his body extremely fortified.
Gyokko "teleporting" behind Muichiro to attack him.
Immense Speed & Reflexes: Gyokko was incredibly fast, as shown when he easily evaded Muichiro's attacks[12] and unleashed techniques that the Mist Hashira was barely able to dodge.[13] Furthermore, Gyokko managed to react to a surprise attack by Muichiro who had awakened his Demon Slayer Mark, which showed that his movement speed would have amplified considerably.[14] Later on, Gyokko managed to hold off the marked Hashira for an extended period of time, even managing to move so fast he appeared to teleport and overpower Muichiro briefly using his sheer speed.[15][16]
Unlimited Stamina & Endurance: Like all demons, Gyokko possessed infinite stamina and endurance. He first displayed this when being decapitated by Muzan, where the Upper Rank didn't show any signs of pain, and even commented on how pleasurable it was.[5] Furthermore, Gyokko commented on how having a sword slash his neck was beautiful.[17]
Fighting Style[]
Blood Demon Art[]
Gyokko puling a swordsmith into his vase to eat him.
Porcelain Vase Spells: Gyokko's Blood Demon Art revolved around his porcelain vases. He was able to spawn them anywhere within his vicinity and create multiple pots of varying sizes at once. Gyokko first displayed the ability to freely teleport from one pot to another instantaneously, offsetting his lack of legs and allowing him to travel far distances with minimal effort as well as to evade attacks easily.[18] Gyokko could also trap objects (such as people) inside his pots. If the object he wishes to seal is too big, the pots can simply compress them to fit inside.[19] The pots also seem to give Gyokko liberty of whatever was inside, which he uses to merge the swordsmiths together in impossible ways and allows him to create whatever he pleases inside them.
Fish demons spawned by Gyokko.
During his attack on the Swordsmith Village, Gyokko spawned numerous gigantic fish-like amalgamations to terrorize the village and kill its inhabitants. They were unable to be killed by regular means and only die when the pots on their back are destroyed.[20] These creatures all possessed unique traits and characteristics, some had sharp claws,[21] some had multiple humanoid legs or even monstrous teeth.[22] They also seemed to be decently powerful, as these amalgamations were able to kill the Demon Slayers that were meant to guard to village.[23] However, their strength still paled in comparison to the Hashira, as Mitsuri and Muichiro swiftly subdued these spawn with ease.[24][25]
Gyokko uses sharp water tendrils to cut his targets.
Gyokko's Blood Demon Art was notably themed around the sea and aquatic lifeforms, as his techniques were based on summoning non-sentient creatures that resembled fish from his pots. These fish monsters similarly possessed differing abilities and characteristics: some of them could shoot out a barrage of poisonous needles at his targets[26] or leave behind dangerous poison once they are killed.[27] He also summoned goldfish-like monsters with scythe-like appendages to threaten Hotaru Haganezuka.[28] Gyokko could also summon giant octopus tentacles from his vases to restrain his enemies or destroy the surroundings.[29] Lastly, Gyokko could also manipulate and create water from his porcelain vases, which he can use as a cannon-like attack in which he shoots out powerful streams of water or shape water into sharp, high-pressure tendrils to cut targets like a sharp whip or even suffocate his targets by trapping them inside an extremely durable vase made of water.[30]
Gallery[]
.png "Gyokko's Vase (1).png (974 KB)")
.png "Gyokko's Vase (2).png (609 KB)")
.png "Gyokko's Vase (3).png (1.25 MB)")
.png "Gyokko's Vase (4).png (1.85 MB)")
.png "Gyokko's Vase (5).png (244 KB)")
.png "Gyokko's Vase (6).png (426 KB)")
.png "Gyokko's Vase (7).png (2.09 MB)")
Techniques[]
- Thousand Needle Fish Kill (
千 本 針 魚 殺 Senbonbari Gyosatsu?)[26] - Gyokko summons floating fish demons from his pots which spit out a barrage of poisnous needles. The poison contains paralyzing properties which immobilize the target.[31]
- Water Prison Pot (
水 獄 鉢 Suigokubachi?)[30] - Gyokko creates a vase structure made out of water that traps the target. The water suffocates the target and prevents them from using any breathing technique, making it difficult for them to break free and escape.[17]
- Octopus Vase Hell (
蛸 壺 地 獄 Takotsubo Jigoku?)[29] - Gyokko manifest gigantic tentacles from his pots to restrain his targets. These tentacles are strong enough to destroy a shed and are noted to be extremely durable.[32]
- Ten Thousand Gliding Slime-Fish (
一 万 滑 空 粘 魚 Ichiman Kakkūnengyo?)[27] - Gyokko summons a total of ten thousand slime-fish from multiple pots to attack his target and devour them whole, leaving nothing but bones. When these fish are cut, they release a poison before disintegrating completely. This poison is percutaneous, meaning it can merely be absorbed through the skin in order to kill a target.[33]
- Killer Fish Scales (
陣 殺 魚 鱗 Jinsatsu Gyorin?)[16] - In his true form, Gyokko delivers a wide-ranged barrage of physical attacks made all the more powerful by his immense speed and unusual body constitution. Through his special scales, he is able to manipulate his direction and attack at odd angles, making his attacks wildly unpredictable.
.gif "Thousand Needle Fish Kill (Anime).gif (4.69 MB)")
.gif "Water Prison Pot (Anime).gif (6.3 MB)")
.gif "Octopus Vase Hell (Anime).gif (4.2 MB)")
.gif "Ten Thousand Gliding Slime-Fish (Anime).gif (7.2 MB)")
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Battles[]
Trivia[]
- The name "Gyokko" contains the kanji for "ball, jewel" (玉 gyoku?) and "pot, jar, vase" (壺 ko?).
- The gyo in Gyokko's name is also homophonous to the Japanese pronunciation for fish (魚 gyo), which ties back into Gyokko's marine life theming.
- Gyokko's human name, Managi (益魚儀), contained the kanji for "benefit", "fish", and "ceremony".
- Gyokko's summoned fish-like demons are reminiscent of Junji Ito's fish demons from "Gyo."
- The three dots on Gyokko's forehead resemble two Japanese map marker symbols, chizukigou (地図記号) that indicate a tea plantation and a place of historic importance respectively, both harkening back to Gyokko's egocentrism and vase-theming.
- Gyokko is one of Muzan's favorite Upper Ranks, primarily because his ornate pots can sell for a high price.[34]
- Gyokko is one of the only Upper Ranks (the other being Nakime) who does not have a back story mentioned in the manga regarding his past or his first meeting with Muzan. However, the second fanbook provides a brief summary of his past as a human.
- Gyokko looked down on all living beings except Muzan.[1]
- Only three people, including Muichiro Tokito, have seen Gyokko in his true form.[11]
- In the manga, Gyokko's Blood Demon Art, Killer Fish Scales is shown to be a destructive, frenzied attack that is able to level a forest. In the anime, it is instead shown as Gyokko gliding and floating at odd, impossible angles to quickly attack Muichiro.
- In Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Sweep the Board!, Gyokko is shown to be able to utilize his porcelain vase spells even when in his true form.
Quotes[]
- (To Akaza) "It is Lord Akaza! Oh my! I'm glad to see you are well. It's been about 90 years, hasn't it? I'd begun to think you were defeated. My chest was tight from worrying."[2]
- (To himself) "That tasted terrible! I knew it! The flesh of mountain swordsmiths isn't fit to eat! But that is all right... as long as we crush this place... Hee!... it is sure to weaken the Demon Slayers!"[35]
- (To Muichiro Tokito) "So...has the poison begun paralyzing your arms and legs? It really is humorous. You save a worthless life and then lose yours in a worthless place."[36]
- (To Muichiro Tokito) "Hyo hyo! What a childish provocation! Did you think I, Gyokko, would be undone with such prattle? You seem desperate. It's embarrassing."[37]
- (To Muichiro Tokito) "Now I will show my true form! You're only the third to ever see this! [...] Shut up! Once I get this serious, no one has ever survived!"[38]
- (Gyokko's final rant) "Arrrgh! This shouldn't be! Gyokko! Losing his head! To a mere human! What a horrible lower form of life! I am worth a hundred of you! I am a chosen- a superior being! But you're weak! You're dying from the moment you were born! With my godly hands I took your ridiculous and worthless lives... and turned them into sublime art! You ungrateful maggots!"[39]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Kimetsu no Yaiba Second Fanbook.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 98 (Page 3).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 121 (Page 19).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 88 (Page 6).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 98 (Page 16).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 16-18).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Anime: Episode 53.
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 120 (Page 17).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 120 (Page 15-17).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 16).
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 120 (Page 11).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 7-8).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 11).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 119 (Page 4).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 120 (Page 14).
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 121 (Page 7).
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 19).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 7).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 3).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 108 (Page 3).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 112 (Page 5).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 112 (Page 8).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 112 (Page 9).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 107 (Page 3).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 112 (Page 12).
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 10).
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 120 (Pages 5-6).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 117 (Page 9).
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 119 (Page 7).
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 18).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111 (Page 14).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 119 (Page 8).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 120 (Page 8).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba First Fanbook.
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 105 (Page 18).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 111.
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 120 (Page 4).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 120 (Page 10).
- ↑ Kimetsu no Yaiba Manga: Chapter 121.