Summary:
- There are a total of nine Hashiras in Demon Slayer, each with its own unique abilities.
- As the battle at Infinity Castle progresses, across multiple movies, we will get to see more of these Hashiras.
- So, here is every Hashira in Demon Slayer, their breathing style, and their unique backstory.
Pillar or Hashira in Demon Slayer (Kimetsu No Yaiba) is the highest rank achieved by a Demon Slayer in the Demon Slayer Corps. There are a total of nine Hashiras, and each of them practices a different breathing style that helps them fight in battle. Some breathing styles were invented by the Hashira themselves.
Also Read:
Each Hashira is assigned a specific region to guard and patrol. In this guide, we’ll break down all current and former Hashira, their breathing techniques, and what makes them stand out among the strongest Demon Slayers.
Note: This article features spoilers for Mugen Train arc, Swordsmith Village arc, Hashira Training arc, and Infinity Castle arc.
Table of Contents
Giyu Tomioka
- Weapon: Blue Nichirin Katana
- Japanese Voice Actor: Takahiro Sakurai
- English Voice Actor: Johnny Yong Bosch
Who is the Water Hashira? – Giyu Tomioka
Giyu is the first Hashira in Demon slayer, we’re introduced to. He makes an appearance in the very first episode after Nezuko becomes a demon. After seeing Tanjiro’s determination, he lets Nezuko live on as a demon and shows Tanjiro the path of a demon slayer.
Despite being good at heart, Giyu is often shown to be emotionally distant and disrespectful towards his fellow Hashiras. He even refuses to take part in the Hashira training. However, we later learn that Giyu’s tragic backstory has made him the way he is as a Hashira.
Water Breathing Style Explained
Giyu uses the Water Breathing style, the most popular style we get to see in Demon Slayer, which is used by Tanjiro himself. The Water Breathing Style has a staggering eleven forms, with the eleventh form being created by Giyu himself.
This form uses meditation as a basis. We see Giyu use this in a fight with Riyu in Demon Slayer Season 1. He stops all body movement and achieves a peaceful state. Giyu is then able to deflect all enemy attacks with ease. The Water Breathing Style was taught to him by Sakonji Urokodaki, who was the Water Hashira before Giyu. He even trained Tanjiro in the ways of a Demon Slayer.
What is Giyu Tomioka’s Backstory
Giyu may come across as the typical overpowered character who looks down on everyone else. However, the reality is completely opposite. He actually suffers from imposter syndrome and his backstory has a role to play in this. Giyu’s sister sacrificed her life to save his life from a demon.
After her death, Giyu was taken in by Sakonji Urokodaki who trained him to be a demon slayer. While training, he met Sabito, another one of Urokodaki’s apprentice. The two become best friends. While Giyu was initially weak, Sabito constantly pushed him to persevere and grow stronger.
Sadly, Sabito was killed by a demon during the Final Selection round while he was attempting to save other demon slayers. The loss of both his sister and his closest friend shaped Giyu’s life profoundly. To honor their memory, his haori (traditional Japanese jacket) is split into two parts. The right side is red, given to him by his stser and the left side has the yellow and green geometric patterns Sabito’s haori. He does so, all while feeling that he is not competent enough to be a Hashira.
Kyojuro Rengoku
- Weapon: Red Nichirin Katana
- Japanese Voice Actor: Satoshi Hino
- English Voice Actor: Mark Whitten
Who is the Flame Hashira – Kyojuro Rengoku
Kyojuro Rengoku is first introduced in the Mugen Train arc. Like Tengen Uzui, he has an eccentric personality, but beneath it lies an unwavering sense of honor, believing that the strong must protect the weak. That said, Rengoku is also very strong and can move at speeds incomprehensible to the human eye, which makes him one of the strongest Hashiras in Demon Slayer.
During his battle with Akaza, Upper Moon Three, Rengoku shows great resolve, continuing to fight despite losing an eye and suffering internal injuries. Akaza, one of the strongest Upper Moons even compliments Rengoku, offering him a place among the demons, an offer Rengoku firmly declines.
Sadly, Rengoku dies from his wounds as the sun rises and Akaza escapes. However, his death is not in vain as it drives Tanjiro and his friends to be better demon slayers. Later, Tanjiro even incorporates Rengoku’s sword hilt in his new sword that he gets in the Hashira Training arc.
Flame Breathing Style Explained
Rengoku uses the Flame Breathing Style, a technique taught to him by Shinjuro Rengoku, a former Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps. and Rengoku’s father. The Flame Breathing Style is known to have nine forms, with the ninth form being exclusive to the Rengoku family.
In the Mugen Train anime and movie, Rengoku unleashes the Ninth Form: Purgatory, a technique that literally carves a hole in the ground and allows Rengoku to dash towards the enemy like a meteor. During this attack, Rengoku transforms into a fiery dragon, striking at Akaza with overwhelming force.
What is Kyojuro Rengoku’s Backstory
Kyojuro Rengoku comes from a lineage of Flame Hashira. He was born to Shinjuro Rengoku and Ruka Rengoku. Rengoku’s father served as the Flame Hashira before him, and his family has been a part of the Demon Slayer Corps for generations.
Everything was going well for the Rengoku family until Kyojuro’s mother passed away. This led to his father becoming depressed and abusive towards Kyojuro and his brother, Senjuro. He even became an alcoholic and stopped training his sons. However, this didn’t stop Kyojuro from honing his skills, all on his own and becoming a demon slayer.
Shinjuro seems to not care about his son’s death at first. However, he is shown crying after Tanjiro delivers Rengoku’s final words and leaves. By the Infinity Castle arc, Shinjuro overcomes his past struggles, letting go of his vices and standing guard alongside Uzui to protect Nezuko and the Ubuyashiki children.
Tengen Uzui
- Weapon: Nichirin cleaver swords
- Japanese Voice Actor: Katsuyuki Konishi
- English Voice Actor: Ray Chase
Who is the Sound Hashira – Tengen Uzui
We are first introduced to Uzui in the Entertainment District arc, with him looking for his three wives. The Sound Hashira in Demon Slayer is known for being flamboyant, both for his appearance and his personality. That said, he is often harsh on other people, demanding a lot from them.
However, he has a caring side that we get to see around his wives. Tengen values life above everything and even preaches this same value to his wives when he finds them. We even see this compassionate side with Tanjio when he jumps in front of an attack by Gyutaro (Upper Moon 6) to protect Tanjiro.
He then loses his left hand and eyes, which leads to him retiring as a Hashira. However, the Sound Hashira does make an appearance in the Hashira Training Arc, serving as the first level of Hashira training.
Sound Breathing Style Explained
Tengen uses the Sound Breathing Style, which he himself created. This style is a product of Thunder Breathing. The Sound Breathing style has all the properties of sound and has a total of five known forms. It allows Tengen to move at insane speeds, like lightning.
That said, Tengen’s expertise as a shinobi further amplifies this style, giving him the Musical Score Technique. This technique allows him to look at the battle and enemy moves in a song format, which helps the Sound Hashira understand the enemy’s attack rhythm. Helping him in this style are the two gigantic Nichirin cleavers Tengen carries on his back. He even carries explosive beads and kunai with him, weapons of a typical shinobi.
What is Tengen Uzui’s Backstory
Tengen is a descendant of a shinobi clan and has trained in the ways of a ninja. Tengen and his brothers were trained under their father. However, his father was extremely harsh, even making his sons fight to the death. Owing to this, all of Tengen’s siblings died, leaving only him and his younger brother.
After coming to terms with the fact that he just killed his two brothers, Tengen leaves the clan along with his three wives. He did so at age 15 and rejected his father’s philosophy of “value only the strong and eliminate the weak.” He even disregarded his clan’s philosophy of treating wives as disposable objects. Instead, he preached treating life with extreme care.
Muichiro Tokito
- Weapon: Blue Nichirin sword
- Japanese Voice Actor: Kengo Kawanishi
- English Voice Actor: Griffin Burns
Who is the Mist Hashira – Muichiro Tokito
Muichiro is a prodigy who attained the status of a Hashira in Demon Slayer at just 11 years of age. He is first fully introduced as a character in the Swordsmith Village arc. He is almost the same age as Tanjiro and even smaller in stature. However, the Mist Hashira is one of the strongest Demon Slayers, being one of the few who slayed an Upper Moon demon alone.
He is a steadfast Hashira who prioritizes the rank of a person over human value. For example, at the end of the Swordsmith Village arc, he chooses to prioritize the village chief over Kotetsu being killed by a demon. However, he has a change of heart as he then helps Kotetsu. We are then explained that Tanjiro had a role to play in this change of heart.
Mist Breathing Style Explained
Tokito is the sole user of the Mist Breathing style, a product of Wind Breathing. This style has seven forms, with the seventh form being invented by Tokito himself. The seventh form came in clutch in the fight against Gyokko (Upper Rank 5).
It involves the user moving at a really slow speed. However, the moment the enemy attack is about to hit, the user starts moving at insanely fast speeds. This makes it seem like the user just vanished into a mist of cloud. He is also a descendant of the original Sun Breathing users of the Sengoku era, which explains why the young Hashira is so talented.
What is Muichiro Tokito’s Backstory
Tokito’s use of the Mist Breathing style actually stems from his trauma. The Hashira lost his parents at a very young age. After this, he and his twin brother, Yuichiro, lived in a secluded hut. At this time, Muichiro had a cheerful and optimistic character. His brother, on the other hand, was quite pessimistic, a personality that the grown-up Muichiro would later mirror.
One night a demon entered their house. In an attempt to save his brother, Yuichiro jumped in front of the attack but ended up losing an arm in the process. Overcome with rage, Muichiro unleashed a hidden power and killed the demon with his bare hands, though he had no memory of doing so.
By the time he regained his senses, Yuichiro had already bled to death. The trauma of this night gave Muichiro amnesia, shrouding his past in a mist. In the Swordsmith Village arc, Tanjiro helps Muichiro regain his memories since he has the same eyes as his brother, Yuichiro. This acts as a trigger for Muichiro as he then regains his compassionate side.
Mitsuri Kanroji
- Weapon: Whip-like Nichirin sword
- Japanese Voice Actor: Kana Hanazawa
- English Voice Actor: Kira Buckland
Who is the Love Hashira – Mitsuri Kanroji
Mitsuri Kanroji is the Love Hashira in Demon Slayer and as the name suggests, is the most loving and welcoming member of the Demon Slayer Corps. She is extremely friendly towards everyone she meets and even has a childlike demeanor.
We get to see much of her personality in the Swordsmith Village arc. She helps Tanjiro and the gang in the fight against Upper Moon 4, Hantengu. She is able to hold off the demon for quite a long time until Tanjiro and others look for the actual demon and his real body.
Love Breathing Style Explained
Mitsuri uses the Love Breathing Style, which stems from Flame Breathing. She actually used to train under Kyojuro Rengoku in the ways of Flame Breathing. Love Breathing is a technique exclusive to Mitsuri, as she uses the natural flexibility and strength of her body paired with her whip-like Nichirin sword. There are a total of six forms in Love Breathing, with only five being used by Mitsuri.
What is Mitsuri Kanroji’s Backstory
Unlike the rest of the Hashiras, Mitsuri grew up in a loving environment. She was born to a wealthy family as the eldest daughter among five other siblings. Since childhood, Mitsuri was unusually strong, defeating sumo wrestlers in arm wrestling without any formal training.
However, her unusual muscle strength, paired with her naturally pink hair and strong appetite, made her stand out in ways society deemed strange. At seventeen, a marriage proposal fell through when her fiancé rejected her for not being “normal” and stated that he doesn’t want his children to have pink hair. In an attempt to fit in, she then dyed her hair black and even began eating less to appear more “normal.”
When she met another potential partner, she thought of whether or not to keep up the facade. Ultimately, Mitsuri chose to embrace her true self. She met Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who told her that her strength was a gift from the gods and that she should embrace who she is. She then chose to join the Demon Corps and decided to rise to the rank of Hashira to find a suitable partner.
Shinobu Kocho
- Weapon: Poison-coated sword
- Japanese Voice Actor: Saori Hayami
- English Voice Actor: Erika Harlacher
Who is the Insect Hashira – Shinobu Kocho
Shinobu is shown to be the calmest Hashira, always wearing a gentle smile. However, we later learn that all of this is a facade. Beneath it, she harbors deep hatred and anger, born from the loss of her elder sister, Kanae Kocho, who was slain by Doma (Upper Moon Two).
Shinobu hates demons and even attempts to kill Nezuko in the beginning. time. However, she grows sympathetic to Tanjiro and Nezuko’s struggle and eventually even works with Tamayo to develop a drug capable of turning Muzan into a human. Shinobu also wears the smile as a facade as a means to honor her sister Kanae’s kind-hearted nature.
Insect Breathing Style Explained
The Insect Breathing style is a unique style created by Shinobu herself. It is modeled after the Flower Breathing technique, which her older sister, Kanae Kocho, used. The style only has four known forms and is used by Shinobu just to incapacitate her enemies.
Owing to her small stature, Shinobu can’t behead demons and uses her injection-like sword to inject demons with poison. She uses her sheath to mix different poisons and even increase their potency.
What is Shinobu Kocho’s Backstory
Shinobu was born as the youngest daughter alongside her older sister, Kanae Kocho. The sisters lived in a loving and caring home until tragedy struck the family and a demon killed the sisters’ parents in front of them. However, just as the demon was about to kill the sisters, they were saved by the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima.
The sisters then trained to be Hashiras under the Demon Slayer Corps. They even adopted Kanao Tsuyuri, who was a slave, after purchasing her from her master. They then trained her to be a Tsuguko (apprentice of a Hashira). However, tragedy befell Shinobu yet again when her sister was killed by Doma, the Upper Moon Two demon.
Owing to this, Shinobu took charge of the Butterfly Mansion at the age of 14, adopting even more girls whose parents were slain by demons. The mansion now serves as a healing base for the Demon Slayers, with much of the medicine being prepared by Shinobu herself.
Gyomei Himejima
- Weapon: Spiked flail, attached to an axe by a chain
- Japanese Voice Actor: Tomokazu Sugita
- English Voice Actor: Crispin Freeman
Who is the Stone Hashira – Gyomei Himejima
Gyomei Himejima is the strongest Hashira in Demon Slayer. He is the biggest Hashira, who, despite his large and brooding presence, is shown as a gentle giant, often seen praying with tears streaming down his face. Gyomei is the most respected Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps, with every Demon Slayer being relieved every time he appears in battle.
Cautious by nature, Gyomei takes time to trust others and is wary of newcomers. However, after Tanjiro proves himself to Gyomei by succeeding in his Hashira training and being honest about the events that transpired in the last arc, he wins the approval of the Stone Hashira. Gyomei even asks Tanjiro to be his Tsuguko (successor). However, Tanjiro never officially accepts the offer.
Stone Breathing Style Explained
He uses the Stone Breathing style of swordsmanship technique, which has five forms. The Stone Hashira uses a spiked flail attached to an axe by a long chain as his Nichirin blade. All the Stone Breathing moves use the ground in some form or another and incorporate raw strength.
This style was created by Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself, one of the pioneers of the Sun Breathing Style. Yoruiichi invented the style owing to his students not being strong enough to learn Sun Breathing. However, he ended up creating an entirely new branching style in the process.
What is Gyomei Himejima’s Backstory
We don’t get to see much of Gyomei’s story until Hashira Training Arc. He lost his parents when he was very young and later went blind due to an illness. When he was just a teenager, he was taking care of nine orphaned children in a temple once. He also served as a monk and caretaker of the temple.
One night, a child ended up wandering off into the night and stumbled upon a demon. The child made a deal with the demon to spare his life in exchange for letting the demon inside the temple. The demon slaughtered the children, leaving only one survivor, who was too traumatized to recount the truth. Gyomei, not being strong enough at that time, managed to fight the demon with his bare hands.
However, when the sun rose, the demon’s body disintegrated. With no proof of his innocence, Gyomei was accused of murder. Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, knew the truth about the demon and saved him, recruiting him into the Corps. Gyomei proved his worth and in just two months’ time attained the status of a Hashira.
Sanemi Shinazugawa
- Weapon: Green Nichirin sword
- Japanese Voice Actor: Tomokazu Seki
- English Voice Actor: Kaiji Tang
Who is the Wind Hashira – Sanemi Shinazugawa
The Wind Hashira is the most hotheaded and unpredictable Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps. We get a first glimpse of this when he stabs Nezuko and tempts her with his own blood. However, to his and all the Hashiras’ amazement, Nezuko resists the temptation.
He shares a toxic relationship with his younger brother, Genya, often being rude to him. While it comes off as rude at first, he does so to protect his brother and make him leave the Demon Slayer Corps. He even injures the trainees in the Hashira Training Arc and gets in a fight with Tanjiro.
Wind Breathing Style Explained
Sanemi uses the Wind Breathing style, a highly offensive technique with nine known forms, making him one of the fiercest fighters in the Corps. The style uses fast movements accompanied by torrents of whirlwinds, with most of the attacks using a fast spinning movement.
The Wind Breathing Style is known for its increased range and speed. It is also highly aggressive and chaotic, which is fitting for a character like Sanemi.
What is Sanemi Shinazugawa’s Backstory
Sanemi’s tragic backstory fuels much of his rage. After his mother was turned into a demon and slaughtered Sanemi’s siblings, he was forced to kill her himself, leaving only him and his younger brother, Genya, alive. The brothers joined the Demon Slayer Corps.
However, Sanemi was always hostile towards his brother in an attempt to protect him. At one point, he even attacked his own brother in a desperate attempt to push him away from the dangerous life of a Demon Slayer.
Obanai Iguro
- Weapon: Twisted Lavender Nichirin sword
- Japanese Voice Actor: Kenichi Suzumura
- English Voice Actor: Erik Scott Kimerer
Who is the Serpent Hashira – Obanai Iguro
Obanai is like a blend of Tokito and Sanemi, sharing the stoicism of Tokito and the aggressive nature of Sanemi. He is often very harsh towards his fellow Hashiras and holds them to a higher standard, except for Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, for whom he secretly harbors deep affection.
In fact, the signature green-striped, thigh-high socks that Mitsuri is always seen wearing are gifted to her by Obanai himself. Accompanying Obanai is his loyal companion, an albino snake named Kaburamaru. He found the snake as a child when he was caged by his family. Since then, the two have been together, with Kaburamaru even helping the Hashira in battle.
Serpent Breathing Style Explained
Obanai uses the serpent breathing style, which he invented himself. As the name suggests, it mirrors the slithering movement of a snake. The style comes from the Water Breathing style and has five forms. Even the moves of this style are very similar to that of Water Breathing, consisting of sweeping movements.
The fifth form of the Serpent Style even allows Obanai to behead multiple demons at once. That said, while Iguro’s sword may appear to be curved, it actually looks that way owing to the Serpent Hashira’s quick wrist movements.
What is Obanai Iguro’s Backstory
Obanai Iguro’s story is explained later in the Infinity Castle arc. He was born into a snake-demon-worshipping clan, which explains his breathing style. The family used to steal the riches of people the snake demon would kill. They would even offer their newborns to the demon to keep it happy. For much of his life, Obanai was kept locked in a cage.
The snake demon twisted fondness for Obanai, owing to him being the first male born into the clan in 370 years. As a mark of ownership, they then ordered the clan members to cut Obanai’s face to resemble a snake. Obanai was then put back in his cage, with bandages across his wound. In this time of isolation, he met Kaburamaru, the only one he could trust.
Eventually, Obanai attempted to escape. However, he was chased by the demon and just before Obanai could be killed, he was rescued by the Flame Hashira, Shinjuro Rengoku. Still, Obanai’s actions had consequences. Owing to Obanai running, the demon ended up killing more than 50 members of his clan. Since then, Obanai has had survivor’s guilt, paired with self-loathing. As a Hashira, he channels that pain and hatred into his battles.
