Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a Japanese manga-turned-anime series, written by Koyoharu Gotouge. It follows young Tanjiro Kamado on his quest to avenge the death of his entire family and find the cure for his younger sister Nezuko who was turned into a demon by the main villain, Muzan Kibutsuji. The anime's rapid success led to it receiving its own film, which was extremely well received and earned the title of the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Fans of the manga were more than happy to learn that the anime series was going to receive a third season that would focus on the “Swordsmith Village” arc of the manga. With its bright, colorful style and endearing characters that you can't help but root for, there's no doubt that Demon Slayer has become one of the most popular media franchises. Let's take a look at some of the Demon Slayer characters that helped make the series so enjoyable.
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Main characters
1. Tanjiro Kamado
The most important of all Demon Slayer characters, Tanjiro Kamado is the main protagonist of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaibo. He was a charcoal burner like the rest of his family, but after everyone except him and his younger sister were massacred by Muzan Kibutsuji, he joined the Demon Slayer Corps and vowed to defeat Muzan so that no one doesn't have to suffer the same fate as him and Nezuko. In his quest to hunt down Muzan, as well as other violent and malicious demons, Tanjiro is also searching for a cure that will allow his sister to become human again.
Most of the time, Tanjiro is a very gentle, compassionate, and understanding character (like many other anime protagonists) who makes sure to do everything he can to succeed in his quests and is extremely protective of his sister and the other people he loves.
He also prides himself on his honesty, so it is very difficult for him to lie without his face immediately betraying him. Although he has compassion for people and is capable of empathy even for demons, he has very little patience for those who prove to be crude and cowardly and is shown to have a deep, simmering rage that comes out in the form of cold, sharp violence when he fights mercilessly against his enemies.
When fighting demons, Tanjiro uses his genius intelligence and heightened senses to analyze his enemy and their fighting style before eliminating them with his incredible speed and the many different techniques used with his breathing style.
At first he uses water breathing, because that's what he was taught first, but due to the intense strain it was putting on his body, he switched to Hinokami Kagura, a fire-based breathing style that he remembered in the heat of battle and was taught to him by his father. It turned out that it suited him much better.
After learning all of Hinokami Kagura's techniques, he realized that the way he fought with him had a number of unnecessary moves. He adjusted his techniques and in doing so awakened Sun Breathing, a legendary breathing style that he doesn't use very often.
Its original voice is that of Japanese actress Natsuki Hanae and its dubbed English voice is that of American actor Zach Aguilar.
2. Nezuko Kamado
Nezuko is the younger sister of Tanjiro Kamado who was transformed into a demon by Muzan Kibutsiji after slaughtering her family.
Before becoming a demon, she had a very similar personality to her brother, in that she was extremely kind and caring, always putting the needs of others before her own and taking incredibly good care of her younger siblings. . Her transformation left her unable to recall memories from her human life, and while it changed her personality slightly, she retained many of her previous character traits.
The Demon Slayer has become extremely protective of those she cares about, and although she appears to be detached from her human emotions, she is still capable of experiencing moments of sadness and happiness.
She is significantly calmer than many demons and demonstrates a level of restraint and willpower in the face of drinking human blood that was previously unknown. Nezuko shows no fear when fighting and does not hesitate to put herself in danger to protect others. She retains this fearlessness and willpower even after being transformed back into a human.
She is a character who speaks very little throughout the series, which is mainly attributed to the bamboo muzzle she wears to hide her fangs and restrict her if she ever loses control.
Despite her young age, Nezuko is an incredibly powerful demon, capable of surviving without consuming human blood and walking in sunlight (which is impossible for other demons and earning her the name “Chosen Demon”). She uses her own form of demonic blood art (in her case, a pyrokinetic ability that allows her to produce demonic pink flames through air and inflammation of her blood) against her enemies and has regenerative abilities which correspond to those of higher-ranking demons. She also has incredible control over her blood and is able to manipulate it in such a way that she can reattach previously severed limbs.
Its original voice is that of Japanese actress Akari Kito and its English dubbed version is that of actress Abby Trott.
3. Zenitsu Agatsuma
Zenitsu is one of the main characters who is also a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. He started as Tanjiro and Nezuko's traveling companion and later became their friend. He is one of the most cowardly demon slayers, who does not believe in himself despite his increased abilities and often states that he would prefer to live a normal life.
Although he has a slight fondness for women, he is sometimes overwhelmed by his open affection for Nezuko (he constantly rushes to protect her, often becoming more aggressive when she is in danger) and times when he is respectful of women.
Over the course of the series, Zenitsu slowly sheds his cowardly nature and becomes more mature, especially in moments of anger. This often surprises people who knew him before.
Zenitsu uses the Thunder Breathing Style, which he learned from Jigoro Kuwajima, but has been unable to master more than the first six forms. This hasn't stopped him from making his own modifications to the style and even using different techniques while unconscious, which he is able to do thanks to his enhanced hearing.
His original voice is performed by Japanese voice actor Hiro Shimono and the English dubbed version is performed by voice actor Aleks Le.
4. Inosuke Hashibira
Inosuke is another of the main characters of the Demon Slayer Corps who, along with Zenitsu, was a traveling companion and later friend of Tanjiro and Nezuko. He is a demon slayer of the Demon Slayer Corps and is best known for the hollowed boar's head he wears as a mask, to honor his adoptive mother.
He is extremely short-tempered (a major contrast to Tanjiro and likely a result of his upbringing) and is always looking to pick a fight, often overestimating his abilities and getting himself into trouble. He doesn't always understand human interactions and can be unintentionally rude to people, but he is fiercely loyal and protective of those he loves.
Inosuke uses Beast Breathing, his own breathing technique similar to Wind Breathing, which he developed through his instinct and education. His fighting techniques make him an unpredictable opponent and his increased flexibility and speed give him a major advantage in many of his fights.
Its original voice is that of Japanese actor Yoshitsugu Matsuoka and the English version dubbed by actor Bryce Papenbrook.
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Secondary characters
5. Giyu Tomioka
Giyu is a demon slayer and the one who found and recruited Tanjiro and let Nezuko live despite her demonic nature. He has a very strong sense of justice and a rather reserved personality, often seen with a stoic expression on his face. Despite his attitude, he cares deeply for those close to him, going so far as to carry mementos of his fallen friends.
He is the Hashira of Water (one of the highest ranking fighters in the Demon Slayer Corps who trains the other Demon Slayers so that they stand a chance against the demons they fight) and suffers from intense survivor’s guilt.
His original voice is performed by Japanese voice actor Takahiro Sakurai and the English dubbed version of his character in Demon Slayer is performed by voice actor Johnny Yong Bosch.
6. Kyōjurō Kyojuro Rengoku
Kyōjurō was an extremely talented demon slayer who took the position of Hashira of the Flame after managing to surpass his father's skills by undergoing strict intensive training and reading the Flame Breathing Guide. He was such a skilled warrior that even the demons he fought admired his abilities and one, Akaza, even offered to transform himself into a demon so that he could go further than his human limits allowed. allowed.
He was an enthusiastic and vocal individual who had a strong moral code and believed that the strong were born strong so they could protect the weak, something his mother instilled in him from a young age. He cared deeply for his family, especially his younger brother Senjuro, whom he encouraged to pursue his dreams no matter what until the day he died.
Despite his boundless optimism, this demon slayer character had moments where he felt there was a chance that the people he trained and believed in would die.
Kyōjurō was very logical in combat and, thanks to his incredible speed and reflexes, always acted against his enemies in a quick and precise manner that put them down as quickly as possible. He was also very good at picking up on the talent of others.
His original voice is performed by Japanese actor Satoshi Hino and the English dubbed version of his character is performed by actor Mark Whitten.
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The villains
7. Muzan Kibutsuji
Muzan is the demon king who massacred the entire Kamado family and turned Nezuko into a demon. He is the main antagonist of the anime. He is ruthless and doesn't care about anyone, mercilessly killing his subordinates when they disappoint him. The only times he has shown emotion in the anime are when his vision of perfection advances or when the demons under his command completely submit to his will.
For all his power and belief in being a near-perfect being, Muzan is incredibly cowardly, often running away when demon slayers arrive or manipulating his many subordinates into doing the dirty work for him.
In combat, Muzan's attacks are extremely fast and completely unpredictable and most demon slayers are unable to keep up with him, getting cut to pieces in their attempts to finish him off. He transforms and changes his appearance, growing whip-like limbs of varying lengths, some of which have mouths that he can use to suck in his opponents and tear them to pieces with his incredibly sharp teeth.
He is also capable of creating demons when they consume his blood, as well as enhancing the abilities of pre-existing demons, but this is usually limited by their ability to assimilate into Muzan's blood. He is also known to transfer his memories and consciousness through his blood into a suitable host when he is about to die.
Muzan's original voice is performed by Japanese actor Toshihiko Seki and the English dubbed version of his character in Demon Slayer is performed by actor Greg Chun.
8. The Twelve Kizuki
The Twelve Kizuki are an organization bringing together the 12 most powerful demons in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and are all under the command of the Demon King himself. They are all under the command of the Demon King himself. Each of them brings their own unique abilities that are further enhanced by Muzan's blood.
They are divided into two categories: High Ranks (the most powerful demons of the group who have killed many Demon Slayers and Hashira over the years) and Low Ranks (the least powerful demons of the group many of whom were easily defeated). killed by the Hashira). While the lower ranks are constantly being replaced, no one has been able to eliminate a member of the higher ranks in over a century.
They were tasked with destroying the Demon Slayer Corps, specifically the Ubuyashiki family who ran the entire operation, and finding the Blue Spider Lily (which was used to create the medicine that turned Muzan into a demon).
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The demonic characters that were included in the Twelve Kizuki of Demon Slayer are:
- Kokushibo – The 6-eyed demon held the top rank 1 spot for a long time and was considered the most powerful demon. He was formerly a member of the Demon Slayer Corps and was the older twin brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni. He still uses moon breathing, even as a demon.
- Doma – the demon who holds the upper rank 2 space. He was the one who transformed Gyutaro and Daki and eventually brought them into the Kizuki Twelve. He was also the one who killed Kotoha, Inosuke Hashibira's biological mother.
- Akaza – the demon who occupies the top rank 3 position and probably Muzan's favorite despite having no love for his underlings. He is responsible for the death of Kyōjurō Rengoku. He looks down on the weak and compliments those strong enough to face him in combat, occasionally offering to turn them into demons.
- Nakime – this one-eyed demon was originally responsible for summoning other demons into the Infinity Castle, but was later promoted to higher rank 4. She was very mysterious and showed herself to be very loyal to the Demon King.
- Hantengu – he was ranked 4 before Nakime.
- Gyokko – the demon who occupies the top rank 5 position. He has mouths in place of eyes and one eye placed on his forehead, where his mouth should be. The demon is quick to anger and is easily insulted when it comes to his art.
- Kaigaku – was a former member of the Demon Slayer Corps and the eldest of Zenitsu Agatsuma. He agreed to become a demon after being defeated by Kokushibo and took the top rank 6 position after the deaths of Gyutaro and Daki.
- Gyutaro and Daki – the two demon brothers shared the top rank 6 position, although Daki was significantly weaker than his brother. Both were quite sadistic and shared a familial love for each other despite their habit of insulting each other's intelligence.
- Enmu – the last remaining member of the lower rank demons who became lower rank 1 after Muzan killed the other rank members. He merges with a train in an attempt to kill a couple of Harisha and Tanjiro Kamado, but is unsuccessful and is decapitated thanks to the joint efforts of Tanjiro and Inosuke.
- Ubume – formerly Low Rank 1
- Rokuro – former Low Rank 2 who took over the position after Hairo's death.
- Hairo – former Low Rank 2
- Wakuraba – formerly Lower Rank 3
- Mukago – formerly Lower Rank 4
- Rui – occupies the lower Rank 5 position and it is the fight with him that gives rise to Tanjiro's memory of Hinokami Kagura, awakening the power within him, and unlocking Nezuko's blood demon art, Exploding Blood. He is eventually killed by Giyu Tomioka.
- Kamanue – former lower Rank 6 who took over the position after Kyohai's death.
- Kyohai – former Low Rank 6
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