| “ | You see, it's easy to find a way into the hearts of children who have been hurt. If their parents won't love them, they'll turn to anyone who will. More than one of my little ones has clung to me, thanking me, right until the moment I swallowed them. Truly a blessing. I've been so happy. But I have no place for a child who holds his head high and meets a parent's eyes without fear. |
” |
— Ubume to Masachika Kumeno in Signs from the Wind
|
Ubume (
Appearance[]
Ubume is a petite woman whose long, black hair was styled in a braided bun. She had blood-red eyes, her left eye having the kanji for Lower (
Personality[]
When she was a human and a mother, Ubume was rumored to be a kind parental figure who cared immensely for her loved ones, especially her only daughter, Sae. However, these rumors belied the truth that she was a wicked and twisted person who cared only for her personal happiness, even if it came at the expense of others' well-being. Ubume displays a kind and compassionate disposition on the outside that masks her cruel, merciless, and unempathetic nature.
She feels immense ecstasy when she's nursing children in pain, her daughter included, and to maintain that feeling, she's even willing to go as far as to torture children and sabotage their recovery to continue nursing them. She shows great fury when defied, decrying any child who refuses to play along with her whims as ungrateful and traitorous while painting herself as the one who was wronged, excusing her actions as displays of motherly compassion even despite the fact that she's the one who inflicts the suffering on others.
She was also shown to be hypocritical and ungrateful when one of her victims did show affection towards her. This is best exemplified when a young girl she had kidnapped pleaded with Masachika Kumeno to not hurt Ubume, causing him to become disoriented. Ubume tossed the girl aside and used the opportunity to land a fatal blow on the Demon Slayer, mockingly claiming that he should've cut down the child.
In the end, her deranged personality was present even when decapitated, as her false smile remained on her severed head as she disintegrated into ash.
History[]
Multiple decades ago, Ubume was a human by the name of Yae (
Abilities[]
Overall Abilities[]
As Lower Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki, Ubume was the strongest Lower Rank at the time and the closest to matching the strength of the Upper Ranks. She was able to stand her ground against both Sanemi Shinazugawa and Masachika Kumeno (who were Kinoe-ranked at the time), two powerful Demon Slayers trained with their respective Breathing Style, Wind Breathing, even killing the latter before she died.
Manipulation: Ubume is seen to be very manipulative and persuasive with her "children". Part of this ability revolves her Blood Demon Art, but she is seen to easily talk herself out of a situation, showing her true nature. Her manipulations have proven themselves to be so effective that her victims would even go as far as to defend her despite her abuse, coming to sympathize with her and view her as their loving mother.
Physical Abilities[]
Enhanced Speed & Reflexes: As a member of the Twelve Kizuki, Ubume possesses excellent speed and reflexes which allowed her to dodge Sanemi's and Masachika's attacks with relative ease.
Fighting Style[]
Blood Demon Art[]
Illusion Manifestation: Ubume can cast powerful illusions at will. She initially uses it to change a room in a mansion into fleshy walls of her stomach. The illusions are so powerful that even a Kinoe-ranked Sanemi failed to sense he was under its spell and continued to struggle against Ubume but to no avail. He only escaped this illusion through Masachika, who broke the incense burner that dispensed illusory flagrance with assistance of the demon-dispelling mirror, which greatly weakened her illusions.
Battles[]
Pre-Series Battles
Trivia[]
- Ubume is not Yae from Giyu Tomioka's Story, as the kanji for each of their names are completely different.
- The timelines of the events that the two characters are too far apart for it to be the case as well.
- The name, Ubume, is composed of the kanji for "woman, mother-in-law" (姑 u?), "to catch, to obtain, to harvest, seize" (獲 bu?) and "bird, inferior" (鳥 me?).
- Ubume are mythical creatures in Japanese folklore that are believed to be the spirits of women that died during childbirth or before being able to properly care for her child. The spirit remains on earth, still concerned for the welfare of her child and seeking a proper caregiver. The aspects of Ubume are referenced by the demon's motivation of playing the role of a proper mother to children she kidnaps and with her motivations stemming from her biological daughter's death, as Ubume sought to continue providing care for Sae forever.
- Her human name, Yae, contains the kanji for "distant, overflowing, full" (弥 ya?) and "glory, honor, to flourish" (栄 e?).
- She has stated that Muzan is the one who gave her this name.
Quotes[]
- (To Sanemi Shinazugawa) "Act? Oh dear. [...] It's the honest truth. Illness stole my own dear daughter from me. Now, in her place, I ease the suffering of children not blessed with kind, loving parents. You see, I can always tell which ones they are. The pain they've suffered. How sad they've been. I take these poor children as my own and become their beloved mother."[1]
- (To Uraga) "So you've abandoned your mother then? [...] Just like her. Honestly, I have such ungrateful children. All the time I spend on you, and for what? Such a bother. Well if you're going to betray me, you can get out of my sight this instant. There's no point in you being alive anymore. I don't want you. Go ahead and die."[1]
- (To Masachika Kumeno) "I abandoned that name long ago. My name is Ubume. A gem of a name bestowed upon me by my lord when he gave me this wonderful new form."[1]
- (To Masachika Kumeno) "You see, it's easy to find a way into the hearts of children who have been hurt. If their parents won't love them, they'll turn to anyone who will. More than one of my little ones has clung to me, thanking me, right until the moment I swallowed them. Truly a blessing. I've been so happy. But I have no place for a child who holds his head high and meets a parent's eyes without fear."[1]