History Characters / DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaPillars

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[[WMG:[[center: [- ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'' '''[[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba Main Character Index]]'''\\
[[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaMainCharacters Main Characters]] | [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaDemonSlayerCorps Demon Slayer Corps]] ('''Hashira''') | [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaKibutsujiMuzanAndTheTwelveDemonMoons Muzan Kibutsuji and the Twelve Kizuki]] | [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaCivilians Civilians]] | [[Characters/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaibaOtherDemons Other Demons]]]]-]]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kny_pillars_intro_1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''Akimessatsu'': "Destroy All Evil"]]

Hashira ([=AKA=] Pillars) are powerful demon slayers and nine of the Demon Slayer Corps' most elite warriors. They answer directly to Kagaya Ubuyashiki.

[[foldercontrol]]
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[[folder: As a Group]]
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The Hashira get to their position by being goddamn good at their jobs. You either kill a bunch of demons or kill any ranked member of the Twelve Kizuki. Neither are easy tasks.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: Some of them are pretty eccentric.
* DemonSlaying: Their profession of choice.
* ElementalPowers: The "breaths" of the Hashira. Rengoku explains that the "breaths" of each Hashira are derived from the basic elements of flame, water, wind, stone, and lightning. However, volume 17's extra chapters reveal that the elemental effects that appear from their techniques aren't actually produced by their techniques, rather it's a visualization generated by the viewer's interpretation of their techniques.
* FantasticRacism: While their motto is to destroy only "evil" demons, when confronted with a good demon like Nezuko, they outright refuse to believe it to be true, and some even become incredibly angry.
* TwoGirlsToATeam: There are only two female Hashira out of nine total.
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[[/folder]]

[[WMG:Present Hashira]]

[[folder:Giyu Tomioka]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/TakahiroSakurai (JP), Creator/JohnnyYongBosch (EN)\\
'''Live actor:''' Reo Honda (Stage Play)
[[quoteright:235:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/giyu_tomioka_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:235:''"He whose peerless, cold judgment guides him in slaying demons."'']]

->''"For the weak, there are no rights or other choices. Entirely with force, the strong can make others surrender maybe the oni know of a way to cure your sister, however...! I don't think the oni lord will respect your will or request."''

The Water Hashira. When Tanjiro was thirteen, he convinced Giyu not to kill Nezuko. In response, Giyu sent Tanjiro to his former teacher Urokodaki to be trained.
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* ADayInTheLimelight: He has a two chapter spin-off that follows him on a demon hunt a few days after meeting Tanjiro and Nezuko.
* AdvertisedExtra: While hardly a minor character, a lot of official merchandise and sources (including Shonen Jump's official Japanese website) bills him alongside the main quartet, even though he spends the middle portion of the series heavily OutOfFocus.
* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler:Loses his right arm in the battle against Muzan.]]
* BackToBackBadasses: He adopts this pose with Sanemi during the final battle after [[spoiler:both their blades turn red.]]
* DefrostingIceKing: After Tanjiro managed to open his heart.
* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Shinobu outright tells him that all of the other Hashira dislike him. It seems to take him back a little bit.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Giyu lives with the belief that he is not worthy of being the Water Hashira and standing with the other Hashira after he survives the selection, because of [[spoiler:Sabito]]. Saying that he is underselling his abilities as a Hashira is an understatement, seeing as he is strong enough to trivialize demons as strong as a Lower Kizuki and even hold his own against [[spoiler:Upper-3 Akaza]]. Kagaya, Shinobu, and Tanjiro try to get him to dispose of this mindset, with Tanjiro eventually succeeding.
* HiddenHeartOfGold: Under his stoicism, Giyu is a kind man. He harshly lectures Tanjiro for what he sees as blind naivete, while inwardly sympathizing with his situation and regrets that he didn't arrive in time to save his family from the attack.
* InadequateInheritor: Giyu believes he is unsuited to be the Water Hashira and that he took the position from a more worthy successor. [[spoiler:He later elaborates that Sabito, another pupil trained by Urokodaki at the time, should have been the Water Hashira, while Giyu only survived the selection because of Sabito protecting him. This is combined with his grief at Sabito's sacrifice and the perception that he did not pass the selection on his own merits. This fact haunts Giyu and makes him doubt his worth as a Hashira, rejecting his position as Urokodaki's successor. However, this dissatisfaction is what leads him to recognize Tanjiro as a potential student worthy of Urokodaki's mantle.]]
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:The fox mask Urokodaki gave to him as a protective charm was destroyed early on from the same injury that sidelined Giyu during his selection. This ended up keeping the demon with a grudge against Urokodaki from singling him out as a pupil of Urokodaki, like what happened with Sabito.]]
* JackOfAllStats: This is expected of those who train under the Breath Of Water style as it teaches about balance. However, since Giyuu has more experience, he's more stronger and faster than other students of the Breath Of Water style and is able to endure battles for a longer duration. [[spoiler:He easily defeats Rui and is able to go toe-to-toe against Akaza, showing that Giyuu is a strong swordsman.]]
* {{Leitmotif}}: Has his own unique motif in the anime, an elegant theme that highlights his composed and stoic nature.
* MakingASplash: He is the Water Hashira and has completely mastered the use of Water Breathing.
* NoSell: He has the ability called "Nagi" (Lull) that cancels all abilities around him.
* NoSocialSkills: Giyuu is a generally good fellow, but he just has a hard time getting along with most of the Hashira because they view him in a different manner and he has difficulty truly expressing what he really feels. It is only Tanjiro who Giyuu interacts with and can talk normally to.
* NotSoAboveItAll: Recent chapters reveal that he's on the same wavelength as Tanjiro when it comes to silliness, and is perfectly capable of goofing off in spite of the stoic mask he puts on.
** The thought of him being TheFriendNobodyLikes really does bother him.
* NotSoStoic: The first time he presently loses his cool is when he attempts to kill Nezuko and chews out Tanjiro for being such a naive fool angrily screaming at him that he cannot save his sister. He is greatly angered during the fight against [[spoiler:Akaza and vowed to protect Tanjiro when he got injured and Akaza tried to go after him.]] It shows Giyu is not a man to be messed with, and will definitely protect his loved ones.
* OneHitKill: Easily kills [[spoiler: Rui]], whom Tanjiro and Nezuko had spent a previous episode nearly dying to defeat, with a technique that he created himself.
* OnlyFriend: Tanjiro is the only person he really interacts with the most since Tanjiro is the one who reaches out to him. [[spoiler:Sabito was also his best friend as well since both had been in similar situations in the past.]]
* OutOfFocus: After the first arc, he doesn't have much relevance to the story until over 100 chapters later.
* PoorCommunicationKills: He has a hard time speaking about how he feels, which causes others to believe he is a heartless asshole who thinks he's better than everyone. Only Shinobu is aware of what he is really like.
* SenpaiKohai: As he and Tanjiro are both disciple siblings under Urokodaki, Giyu is the older "brother", and a practitioner of the Water Breathing Arts.
* {{Seppuku}}: [[spoiler:He and Urokodaki have vowed to cut open their own stomachs in apology if Nezuko attacks a human. Thankfully, this doesn't seem to be the case anymore now that Nezuko can walk in sunlight and was given Tamayo's medicine to turn her back into a human again.]]
* SlipknotPonytail: During his fight with Akaza, his ponytail comes off after being delivered a blow from him.
* SoleSurvivor: Before Tanjiro, he was the only one of Urokodaki's pupils that survived the selection [[spoiler:due to having been saved by Sabito after having been injured early on.]]
* TheStoic: Normally expressionless. Albeit he is far from being the most hostile of the Hashira, he is indeed the most antisocial and withdrawn, which, according to Shinobu, has earned him no friends.
* SurvivorsGuilt: Twice. Giyu lost his family in a demon attack and only survived because his older sister hid him. Later, [[spoiler:Sabito saved him during the Final Selection by killing the demons after he was badly injured, but died in the process.]]
* UsedToBeASweetKid: [[spoiler:A few years ago prior to the current events of the story, Giyu was once a happy and kind young boy who loved his big sister. After a demon attack, he became friends with Sabito, another young lad who also went through a similar situation. Both of the young boys bonded together very well and became best friends. However, upon their Final Selection test to becoming Demon Slayers, Sabito risked his life to save Giyu and the other members of their group. Feeling guilty for not being able to do enough to save Sabito, Giyu grew up bitter and lonely, until he finally met Tanjiro, who managed to open his heart and reminded him to fight for the sake of his big sister and Sabito.]]
* WreckedWeapon: He gets his sword broken by [[spoiler:Akaza's hands. Even so, he's still able to fight against Akaza without the sword's tip.]]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mitsuri Kanroji]]
!!! '''Voiced by:''' Creator/KanaHanazawa
[[quoteright:165:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mitsuri_kanroji_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:165:''"She whose peerless heart beats ever loudly."'']]

The Love Hashira.

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* AbsoluteCleavage: Overlaps with CleavageWindow, since her top is unbuttoned to show off the entirety of her cleavage. Despite how much she moves around when fighting, nothing indecent is ever shown. It's even lampshaded by Muichirou, who rather bluntly points out that her breasts could spill out of her uniform at any moment.
* ActionGirl: One of the female Hashira and just as powerful as this implies.
* {{Adorkable}}: Total sweetheart and hilariously awkward when she's excited.
* AllAmazonsWantHercules: Mitsuri aims for this to an extent, after being rejected by all of her previous normal male suitors who thought her inhuman strength was a turn-off. Mitsuri then hoped she could meet a man who’s either equally strong as her or more so she can finally get married. As a Hashira, this comment of hers ambiguously made it seem she either doesn’t consider the other male Hashira strong enough, or she just isn’t attracted to any of them.
* AllLovingHero: She's the nicest, sweetest member of the Hashira who adores everyone.
* AllTheOtherReindeer: Her incredible strength and huge appetite caused a potential suitor to brutally reject her, and she tried everything afterward to appear "normal", much to the concern of her family.
* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Subverted. [[spoiler:During the battle against Muzan, she loses a small portion of her left side of her face and a lower part of her left ear from Muzan, along with gaining a massive scar on her chest that runs along the top of her breasts.]]
* BeautyMark: She has two below the eyes.
* BewareTheSillyOnes: She's the Love Hashira, and acts rather awkward and {{Adorkable}} when not fighting. While being a master of the Breath of Love may not sound impressive, and some of its techniques have rather silly names (like "Lovely Kitty Shower" and "Kitty Paw Love Breeze"), she's still quite strong since the style focuses on fast and powerful blows that are made even more effective due to her being a LightningBruiser who uses a unique WhipSword. Furthermore, due to Mitsuri's unique physiology, she's the only one who can successfully use this style.
* BeYourself: One of the reasons for her becoming a Demon Slayer: Mitsuri realized she wanted to be in a place where she could be useful as herself and be accepted for it rather than hiding it.
* BiTheWay: Swoons over her male and female colleagues alike.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:In chapter 182, she alongside Iguro arrive just in time to protect Tanjiro from Muzan.]]
* BigEater: She eats the most out of the entire cast, putting away bowls upon bowls of food in a single sitting.
* BoobsOfSteel: As a Hashira, she is one of the Demon Slayers Corp' most powerful swordsmen, and she uniquely has a natural physiology that makes her muscles eight times more powerful than they appear to be. She is also the most obviously endowed of the female Hashira, with the Mist Hashria, Muichiro, bluntly observing that her breasts could spill out of her uniform at a moment's notice.
* BuffySpeak: Later it is also shown Mitsuri is just as bad as Tanjiro in explaining the technical aspects of her abilties, using the same "boom, boom" terms, in an attempt to explain how [[spoiler:she achieved the Demon Slayer Mark]].
* BunnyEarsLawyer: She's quirky, silly, and a bit scatterbrained... but she's a Hashira for a reason.
* CoolSword: She wields a unique custom-made sword that uses an incredibly thin, soft metal which [[WhipSword makes it function more like a whip or a gymnastics ribbon]]. She's the only one who's able to use it, and when used with her Breath of Love techniques it can be very effective.
* CleavageWindow: Her top is almost completely unbuttoned to accommodate her breasts, which results in a diamond-shaped window that shows off her cleavage. Blame it on the Demon Corps tailor being a perv.
* ComicalOverreacting: She tends to have dramatic reactions to things that surprise her, often doing goofy-looking [[WildTake Wild Takes]] that contrast with her good looks.
* CustomUniformOfSexy: Mitsuri's uniform top is unbuttoned to show off her cleavage, and she wears a short pleated skirt instead of the standard hakama worn by other Demon Slayers. It turns out she's not the only one the tailor's tried to dress like that, it's just that people like Shinobu are more willing to demand something different.
* CuteBruiser: She's adorable and she's also ''strong'' due to her higher muscle density... despite her appearance, her muscles are eight times stronger than grown men.
* CutenessProximity: Oh, does she love Nezuko...
* DangerouslyShortSkirt: She wears a very short and impractical skirt but still kicks plenty of ass.
* TheDitz: Despite her sweet and compassionate personality, Mitsuri can unfortunately come off as very airheaded due to her quirky behavior. The best example of this is when she tries explaining [[spoiler:the Demon Slayer Mark]] to her fellow Hashira, only to end up saying a bunch of near-incomprehensible nonsense that leaves everyone present in complete disbelief.
* DynamicEntry: [[spoiler:She makes her arrival to the battle against Muzan by breaking through the ceiling and clashing against his whip-like arms with her own WhipSword.]]
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:Her and Iguro, with the assistance of Yushiro, fake their deaths at the hands of Nakime to get the drop on Muzan and make him lose his composure for the first time in the battle.]]
* FeminineWomenCanCook: Her main hobby during her time off is cooking, which she is greatly talented at. She has even taught Shinobu how to make western-style dishes.
* GodivaHair: Her arc kicks off with her in the bath, with her long hair covering up anything not PG-rated.
* GroupHug: She gives everyone a big group hug and sheds TearsOfJoy after surviving the demon attack in the swordsmith village.
* HartmanHips: She has very wide hips that are prominently displayed while she fights.
* HeartBeatdown: This is more or less what her Breath of Love is themed after, with her techniques having names like "Shivers of First Love" and "Kitty Paw Love Breeze".
* HeroicSecondWind: [[spoiler:During the battle with Upper Kizuki 4 Hantengu, she takes a massive blast head-on from Hatred's [[MakeMeWannaShout sonic scream]] that would tear a normal person apart and is left severely weakened and vulnerable. She is saved from death at the last second by Tanjiro, Nezuko and Genya, and their resolve and trust in her inspires her to fight on. She regains her composure and fights Hatred alone to allow the others to locate Hantengu's true body. She is able to hold off the Kizuki's most powerful form until the sun rises and played a pivotal role in his defeat.]]
* {{Irony}}: The Love Hashira who is obsessed with all things involving love is completely oblivious to her closest friend Iguro's feelings for her.
* LightningBruiser: At first Mitsuri’s great physical strength is put on the forefront as her main characteristic, as the setting gives her an extremely unique body condition in that her muscles are so tough that despite her small body, her strength is that of a muscular structure exactly eight times bigger than what she appears to have; later in the series however it is stated that Mitsuri actually excels at speed as well. Her male muscle-bound colleagues, Himejima and Uzui, both who have pure physical strength, said her unique muscles didn't surpass theirs. But Mitsuri is said to be even faster than Uzui, the Hashira whose speed was said to be incredible throughout his part in the Red Light District arc.
* LuminescentBlush: She is often seen with a flushed face when swooning over other characters.
* MadeOfIron: She tanks an attack that'd tear grown men apart and she's only briefly affected by it.
* MagicSkirt: Her short skirt never shows anything above the thighs despite her very acrobatic fighting style.
* MsFanservice: As if her costume wasn't enough, Chapter 100 shows her nude in a hot spring.
* MulticoloredHair: Pink on top, green on the bottom. Actually brought up in-universe: a potential husband rejected her because her hair was too weird, which caused her to dye it for a time. Her hair is supposedly those colors because she ate too much sakura mochi (a kind of mochi which is also pink and green).
* NiceGirl: By far the kindest Hashira. She alone is the only Hashira who didn't want to kill Nezuko immediately upon meeting her. In fact, she's the only Hashira who interacts with Nezuko at all.
* ObliviousToLove: She is unaware that her closest friend, Iguro, is in love with her.
* PlayingWithFire: Mitsuri was originally trained in Flame Breathing under Kyojuro Rengoku before developing Love Breathing as a derivative style.
* SheFu: Mitsuri's fighting style is very graceful and incorporates many flexible, gymnast-style movements and flips, further reinforced by her WhipSword that resembles a gymnastic ribbon. During the Pillar Training Arc, she even forces all of the Slayers training under her to go through a gymnastic training regimen to improve their flexibility, which includes forcing them to wear a LeotardOfPower.
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: Her reason for becoming a Hashira: wanting to find someone who could accept her for who she is.
* WhipSword: Her sword is extremely long and flexible, acting more as a whip or a gymnastics ribbon than a sword.
* WildTake: She is prone to making comically unflattering expressions when taken by surprise or shocked.
* ZettaiRyouiki: Grade B courtesy of her stockings.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gyomei Himejima]]
!!! '''Voiced by:''' Creator/TomokazuSugita
[[quoteright:260:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gyomei_himejima_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:260:''"He who sheds peerless tears of compassion."'']]

->''"If I never got attacked by that demon, I would have lived my entire life not knowing I was strong."''

The Stone Hashira. He is the oldest among the Hashira, as well the largest physically.

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* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler:He loses his left leg in the battle against Muzan.]]
* AnAxeToGrind: Himejima wields a hand-axe with a chained spiked flail as his weapon.
* BigBrotherMentor:
** He rescued young Kanae and Shinobu from the demon who killed their parents. While reluctant at first, he eventually became their mentor and is like an elder brother to them.
** [[spoiler:He later develops a similar relationship with Genya, mentoring him despite his consumption of demon flesh and lack of skill in Breaths, teaching him how to fight to his best ability with what he has.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: Bursting onto the scene at the last moment to save lives is a specialty of his.
** In the past, he showed up to save young Shinobu and Kanae as they were about to be killed by a demon, inspiring them to become Slayers.
** [[spoiler:He jumps in to save Sanemi after he was overwhelmed by Kokushibo and takes on the ancient demon himself.]]
** [[spoiler:He arrives to the final battle by saving Mitsuri from Muzan's CombatTentacles after she is poisoned and left vulnerable.]]
* TheBigGuy: Himejima is the largest of the Demon Slayers, standing at an absolutely massive 7'2", and is the strongest one to boot.
* ChildHater: Thanks to his past, he has a very low opinion of children. [[spoiler:But in the past, he was actually in fact a FriendToAllChildren when he was a young priest. And his conversation with Tanjiro in the Hashira Training arc helped soften him.]]
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:He was a priest that took care of orphans in a temple. One night, one orphan (later shown to be Kaigaku) sacrificed the others' lives to save his own from a demon by removing the wisteria incense, causing the demon to enter and slaughter nearly everyone. Desperate to save one of them, Gyomei attacked the demon and killed him brutally. The lone orphan that witnessed the event called Gyomei a monster in her confusion, causing him to almost be executed had Ubuyashiki not intervened. Author notes reveal that the child had actually been referring to the ''intruder'' as a monster, but had been unable to articulate things clearly because she was in shock, and that Himejima's imprisonment is her biggest regret even ten years later.]]
* DisabilitySuperpower: His blindness gives him incredible senses elsewhere, and eventually [[spoiler:helps him to see the 'Pure World' that Tanjiro and Kokushibo can.]]
* EpicFlail: Gyomei doesn't use a sword like most members of the Corps, instead wielding a long chain flail with an ax on one end and a giant spiked weight on the other.
* GeniusBruiser: Gyomei is a massive beast of a man who strikes hard with his Stone Breathing, but he's also incredibly intelligent and analytical.
* GentleGiant: He's the biggest, strongest, and most compassionate of the Hashira. [[spoiler:His compassion shows when Genya tells Tanjiro that Himejima accepted Genya as his disciple, even after learning that Genya's been eating demons to make up for his lack of Breath skills.]]
* HandicappedBadass: He's blind, but he's no less effective as a Hashira, and is even considered the strongest of the bunch.
* KindheartedCatLover: According to Volume 15 extras, he loves cats and calls them cute.
* LightningBruiser: Not only does Himejima sport high defense, but he's also got incredible speed and attack power when swinging his hand-axe and flail. It shows that he is not a Hashira to be messed with.
* LivingLieDetector: He's very adept at reading deception, even managing to guess that [[spoiler:Kokushibo]] was lying about a very crucial detail in their fight.
* NotSoStoic: Normally doesn't express emotions, but when it comes to [[spoiler:Muzan and Kokushibou]], he gets very serious.
* ProphetEyes: Himejima was a simple blind monk before he became a powerful demon slayer. His eyes are always shown with only the whites. With it comes the wisdom of a Buddhist monk and the power of a demon slayer.
* RuggedScar: Himejima got the huge mark on his forehead in his first fight ever against a demon.
* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:After Tanjiro completes his training, Gyoumei compliments Tanjiro for his efforts and says that he accepts him. Tanjiro earnestly declines Gyoumei's compliments at first, but Gyoumei says that he is proud of Tanjiro for protecting the swordsmith villagers and tells him that he's proud of his honesty and bravery, promising to help out Tanjiro whenever he is in need. He even gives Tanjiro a [[AffectionateGestureToTheHead small pat on his head]], reminding himself of the children that he once took care of.]]
* TenderTears: Gyomei sheds tears of compassion on the regular.
* TheEeyore: Constantly crying. Everything is sorrowful to him. [[spoiler:However, he is still able to feel happiness and actually gives a [[WhenHeSmiles genuine smile]] when he witnesses Tanjiro's accomplishment in completing his training, stating how proud he is of Tanjiro's achievements.]]
* WarriorMonk: Regardless of whether he is actually a monk, this seems to be his theme. He carries prayer beads and his hands are always clasped in a praying position. [[spoiler:He really was a priest at a small temple before becoming a Hashira.]]
* WorldsStrongestMan: He's the most powerful of the Demon Slayers' current generation, and the greatest human warrior there is. [[spoiler:Kokushibo even states Gyomei is the mightiest Demon Slayer he's faced in 300 years.]]
* XRayVision: [[spoiler:He gains access to the "See-Through World" during the battle with Kokushibou, allowing him to see the internal makeup of those around him despite being blind.]]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Obanai Iguro]]
!!Obanai Iguro
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KenichiSuzumura
[[quoteright:230:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/obanai_iguro_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:230:''"He whose peerless gaze lets no demon escape."'']]
[[caption-width-right:230:[[labelnote:Click here to see his entire face ('''SPOILER''')]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kny_obanai_face.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]

The Serpent Hashira.
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* AnimalMotifs: Snakes, of course. He uses the Breath of the Serpent style and his techniques involve him moving his sword swings like a snake's slithering movements.
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:In chapter 182, he alongside Mitsuri arrive just in time to protect Tanjiro from Muzan.]]
* ABoyAndHisX: A boy and his snake. [[spoiler:While he was imprisoned as a child, he found a snake that became the first living being he ever trusted, and named it Kaburamaru. He has kept the snake ever since he escaped and it constantly rests around his neck as his companion.]]
* CoolMask: Wears a bandage or cloth mask that covers his mouth. He's never seen without it, [[spoiler:since it covers up the GlasgowGrin he received from a snake demon as a child]].
* CoolSword: His sword has a curving blade similar, to a snake's body to go with his snake motif.
* CrazyJealousGuy: There are implications that Iguro is in love with Mitsuri, and he outright tells Tanjiro to not talk casually with her again after he's done training him.
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:He wishes to die in battle so that his impure blood can be cleansed and he can be reborn into a peaceful world without demons, a world where he could meet Mitsuri again and tell her that he loves her.]]
* {{Facepalm}}: During the Hashira meeting following [[spoiler:the Swordsmith Village Arc]], Iguro gives an epic facepalm after Mitsuri embarrasses herself trying to explain the [[spoiler: Demon Slayer Mark]] in front of their peers. It's as if he's cursing himself for being in love with someone that behaves so stupidly.
* FacialHorror: He wears a mask for a good reason. [[spoiler:His mouth was split open from ear to ear by a snake demon when he was young.]]
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:He and Mitsuri, with help from Yushiro's illusionary talismens, fake being crushed to death by Nakime in order to get the drop on Muzan.]]
* FeatherBoaConstrictor: He has a small snake named Kaburamaru that rests on his neck.
* FragileSpeedster: He's fast and fluid with his motions, but his battle against Hakime shows that he's quite fragile against her, since she can keep Iguro away by using her portals and fortress manipulation.
* GlasgowGrin: [[spoiler:What is under his mask. His mouth was sliced wider to resemble the face of the snake demon that he was given to as a child.]]
* HeroicRROD: [[spoiler:During the battle against Muzan, Obanai's blade turns red at a crucial moment but his body is unable to handle the physical strain that comes with it and he is left frozen in place as Muzan is about to deliver a fatal blow. He is saved at the last moment by Zenitsu, Inosuke and Kanao, allowing him to recover and deal some damage to Muzan.]]
* HiddenHeartOfGold: He may be quite a jerk towards everyone else, but his feelings for Mitsuri are genuine. When they team up to fight against Muzan, he shows concern for her safety and always jumps in to rescue her. [[spoiler:He's even willing to protect Tanjiro if it means defeating Muzan for good as shown in chapter 182.]]
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: [[spoiler:He believes that he is trash due to being born into a family of trash that would steal riches from others and sacrifice their children to a demon in the hopes of good fortune. This self-loathing is the main reason he refuses to confess his love to Mitsuri.]]
* InsecureLoveInterest: [[spoiler:He refuses to tell Mitsuri how he truly feels about her because he feels unworthy due to being born to a wicked family of thieves who sold him to a demon that scarred his face. He wishes they could have met in a more peaceful time in a world that wasn't so cruel.]]
* ImplausibleFencingPowers: The Breath of the Serpent techniques allow Iguro to twist and bend his sword swings like a snake's slithering movements, which can bend his sword swings in swift and unpredictable directions, able to hit a target through the tiniest of gaps. For example, his Pillar training for Tanjiro involved tying dozens of Demon Slayers onto wooden poles at various angles in a small room, such as across the floor from the ceiling and walls, and even extending from other wooden poles. Tanjiro not only has to navigate the very cramped area, but he also has to dodge surprise attacks from Iguro from in-between and behind the poles as well as strike back at him without hitting the tied up Demon Slayers.
* ItsAllMyFault: [[spoiler:Despite considering them all to be terrible and reprehensible people, he still feels a tremendous amount of guilt for getting his entire family, save for one cousin, killed after he escaped from the snake demon. His cousin's words, that they wouldn't have been killed if he had just accepted his fate and been eaten, still resonate with him even in the present.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: Let's see, he shows disdain towards Tanjiro during his trial, he clearly doesn't like Giyu, he uses the trainees in the Hashira Training as obstacles for Tanjiro to face, and threatens Tanjiro to never talk casually with Mitsuri ever again because Iguro is implied to like her. But then again, even Tanjiro notes that Iguro's behaviour wasn't as bad when compared to Sanemi's behaviour. [[spoiler:Tanjiro turned out to be correct since Iguro jumped in to protect him from Muzan's Blood Art.]]
* LoveAtFirstSight: He's been in love with Mitsuri since the moment he met her.
* MismatchedEyes: One yellow, one turquoise. It's revealed in the Databook that he was born with his heterochromia.
* TheOneGuy: He was the first male born to his family in hundreds of years. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, he was given to a snake demon as a child because of this, and was imprisoned and scarred until he escaped.]]
* OutOfFocus: Of all the Hashira, he easily is this. While Tomioka and Shinobu are a frequent presence in the series, Rengoku, Uzui, Tokito and Kanroji have entire arcs where they act as party members, Himejima receives backstory and development in the BreatherEpisode and Sanemi is given backstory through his brother Genya, all Obanai gets before the battle at Infinity Fortress is a few scant scenes. [[spoiler:He is finally given focus during the final battle against Muzan, where we learn about his past.]]
* PeekABangs
* SatelliteLoveInterest: Other than being TheStoic, most of his character is defined by his crush on Kanroji.
* TheStoic: He's a very serious person and rarely changes his expression.
* WeakButSkilled: One extra tidbit of information for a volume release showed the pure physical strength rankings of all Hashira by using arm-wrestling as a gauge. Obanai was at the bottom rankings along with Shinobu, who had already proclaimed herself to be the physically weakest Hashira; he, however, protests that physical strength isn’t everything, having great confidence in his sword skills, which is validated by him being chosen as the swordsmanship mentor during the Hashira training regime. [[spoiler:After his backstory is revealed, it is no wonder that he is so physically weak; he was imprisoned all his childhood in a cage, so his growth was stunted and his body grew up much weaker than an average person's would.]]
* XRayVision: [[spoiler:He briefly awakens to the See-Through World during the final battle and is able to see within Muzan's body and identify the many brains and hearts he has.]]
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sanemi Shinazugawa]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/TomokazuSeki
[[quoteright:225:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sanemi_shinazugawa_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:225:''"He who holds peerless resentment towards demons."'']]

The Wind Hashira.
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* AllForNothing: [[spoiler: An incredibly tragic example. Sanemi wanted to save his little brother Genya from becoming a Demon Slayer, knowing it would lead to an early death, and wished for him to have a happy life instead to honor their deceased family. He treated him horribly in the hope of driving him away, acting like the monster Genya saw him as after he killed their mother. Unfortunately, Genya had chosen the life of a Demon Slayer in order to one day apologize to Sanemi, and had been literally turning himself into a monster in the hope of gaining strength to earn his respect. In the end, Genya is the one who gives his life to save Sanemi's, confirming his worst fear. To cruelly twist the knife further, Genya crumbles away as a demon in Sanemi's arms, not even leaving a body for him to mourn over.]]
* AloofBigBrother: He's one of the Hashira and treats his brother coldly [[spoiler:because he was called a monster by Genya in the past and wants him to have a normal life instead of being a demon slayer.]]
* BackToBackBadasses: Takes this pose with Giyu during the final battle after [[spoiler: both their blades turn red.]]
* BerserkButton: Just seeing his brother [[spoiler:Genya]] already pushes his buttons [[spoiler:to the point where Tanjiro intervenes and calls him out for it. Although, it's just a ruse to keep Genya safe from danger and it's revealed by Tanjiro that Sanemi never harbored any hard feelings towards Genya at all.]] He also dislikes slackers and those who run away from ''his'' training, as seen when Zenitsu tries to escape.
* BerserkerTears:
** [[spoiler:He sheds tears of anger while fighting Muzan's lesser demons after finding out that Kagaya self-destructed to weaken Muzan.]]
** [[spoiler:He sheds more tears of anger after Gyomei informs him that Genya died as a result of getting cut a second time by Kokushibo's technique.]]
* BigBrotherInstinct: [[spoiler:He only acts like a prick to drive Genya away in hopes that he'll find a normal life away from the dangers of demon slaying. If you try to harm Genya, he'll fight with all he has to protect him.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:He arrives just in time to block an attack from Kokushibou to save a critically injured Genya.]]
* BloodKnight: He really, '''really''' loves a good fight and pulls off a SlasherSmile when he's really into the battle.
* BlowYouAway: He specializes in using wind element techniques and it shows.
* TheComplainerIsAlwaysWrong: He's the only Hashira to ever disrespect and insult Kagaya, considering him a coward who makes others fight for him at first. He soon realizes Kagaya is a kind man deeply ashamed of his inability to fight, who tells Sanemi not to bother respecting him and to fight to protect people from demons.
* CoolPeopleRebelAgainstAuthority: At first. Sanemi, upon meeting Kagaya Ubuyashiki, is rude, dismissive and outright insulting to Kagaya for never risking his own life while the demon slayers do all the fighting. Kagaya's apology and the revelation that he takes time to memorize the names and backgrounds of every single dead warrior, including Sanemi's best friend, absolutely stun Sanemi into silence and make him realize how wrong he was about him. To top it off, Kagaya says he doesn't need to respect or like him; just keep protecting innocent people.
* CoveredInScars: His entire body is covered in long jagged scars, some of which were self-inflicted.
* {{Fingore}}: [[spoiler:He loses his fingers when Kokushibou uses a slash from his enlarged sword. He would have lost his entire hand if Himejima didn't deflect the slash.]]
* GoodIsNotNice: Sanemi was introduced in one of most unpleasant ways possible: he violently threatened and hurt Nezuko for being a demon based on principle alone, as he is one of the strongest demon slayers around; as the series progresses, however, it is shown that despite being an established jerk, Sanemi isn’t really disliked by his Hashira colleagues, and as long as one doesn’t push his buttons (demons and slacking off) he can be tolerated. All in all, Sanemi is a force that works towards eradicating demons and only hates them with a furious passion due to all the important people in his life they have killed, including slayer colleagues, showing he does care for others.
* HiddenDepths: [[spoiler:Revealed in his sparring match with Giyu, Sanemi actually likes Ohagi and especially enjoys Ohagi made by his grandmother. Sanemi may be a jerk most of the time, but he still values his family very much. He also truly loves Genya and just wants him to be free from harm.]]
* HiddenHeartOfGold: [[spoiler:Although he's treated his little brother very poorly, he'll always be there to look out for him as an older brother should, as seen when he saves Genya from Kokushibou's attack.]]
* ImplausibleFencingPowers: His Breath of Wind style allows him to create cyclones and whirlwinds made up of sword slashes, along with incredibly strong gusts of wind from the force of his swings.
* InelegantBlubbering: [[spoiler:After Genya's death, he is [[BerserkerTears brought to tears]] and is barely able to form coherent sentences between his cries of rage and anguish.]]
* IHaveNoSon: Brother in this case.
* {{Jerkass}}: The most unpleasant of the Hashira. Though his willing to kill Tanjiro and Nezuko on principle is acceptable due to the fact he has a duty to slay demons as they cause a threat to humanity, it's just he was unnecessarily cruel and could've gotten the job done if he had not tried to prove his point.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's not as bad as he seems as he really cares for his little brother Genya and wants him to live a life of safety.
* MadeOfIron: Sanemi has control over his musculature to the point that he can manipulate his muscles to manually close up wounds and keep himself from bleeding out. He can take inhuman amounts of punishment and still continue fighting because of this. [[spoiler:Taken to its extreme during the battle with Kokushibo, where he takes a slash to the midsection that should have disemboweled him, but contracts his abdominal muscles to keep his guts from spilling out and keeps on fighting, a feat which astonishes the demon.]]
* NightmareFace: Oh he can pull off quite the gritty looking expressions, especially when he's pissed.
* PoisonousPerson: [[spoiler:He doesn't wield poison, but his blood is very intoxicating because he is a Marechi, someone whose blood is considered extremely rare and good for demons.]]
* PoorCommunicationKills: Sanemi's rather piss-poor treatment of Genya is primarily because he wants to spare Genya from risking his life hunting demons and to distance himself from his little brother to ensure that Genya does not have any sad feelings or a reason to pursue revenge in the event that Sanemi himself dies. Unfortunately, Genya's love for his older brother only caused him to persist in order to protect him out of penance for calling Sanemi a monster for killing their demonized mother, [[spoiler: which causes Genya to die giving Sanemi and Himejima an opening to take Upper Moon-1's head.]]
* SpiceUpTheSubtitles: Sanemi usually speaks like a rustic thug in Japanese with very informal speech, save the events in which he addresses Kagaya Ubuyashiki, where he speaks eloquently; one fan translation effort decided to show this informality in English in a more blunt manner by adding swearing then and there to portray his roughness.
* SwordAndFist: Sanemi's very capable of using a sword, as well as using unarmed martial arts.
* ThisIsUnforgivable: [[spoiler:Sanemi reacts with great rage towards Kokushibou and says this to him after saving Genya. His rage becomes stronger after seeing Genya getting cut a second time by Kokushibou, this time using all of his strength to defeat Kokushibou after his regeneration stopped working.]]
* UnstoppableRage: When found out Kagaya self-destructed to weaken Muzan he starts to shed tears of rage and unleashes his wrath upon the lesser demons.
* UsedToBeASweetKid: [[spoiler:Genya's backstory showed that he used to be a nice CoolBigBro to him until the day their mother became a demon and killed the rest of his family. Add that to Genya calling him a monster in panic, you have the {{Jerkass}} Sanemi in the present.]]
* WouldHitAGirl: Sanami has no problem stabbing Nezuko as long as the woman is a demon. In the anime, he stabs her three times when he forces her to come out from her box to prove she drinks human blood.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kyojuro Rengoku]]
!!! '''Voiced by:''' Creator/SatoshiHino
[[quoteright:305:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kyojuro_rengoku_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:305:''"He whose peerless spirit burns with the hot fire of pride."'']]

->''"He said it was pointless. But! My passion won't die because of that! The flames in my heart will never ever disappear! I'll never be disheartened."''

The Flame Hashira.
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* ArcHero: Of the Infinite Train Arc.
* BigBrotherMentor: He was previously Mitsuri's mentor (her Breath of Love is an offshoot from his Breath of Flames) and he also briefly but enthusiastically acts as one to Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke. Bonus points for being an actual big brother.
* DyingMomentOfAwesome: Even with [[spoiler: Akaza's hand stuck through his guts, he nearly chops off the demon's head and gives every last ounce of energy to put fear into Upper-3.]]
* ElementalHair: His spiky, two-toned red and yellow hair looks, of course, like flames.
* EvolvingAttack: This is how Rengoku's Breath Of Flames works. Every time he uses his techniques, they grow stronger through every next use, making his fighting style a very powerful one.
* EyeScream: [[spoiler:He loses his left eye to Akaza during the battle against him.]]
* FamilyBusiness: The Flame Hashira, like his father and several past generations of Rengoku family members dating back to at least the time Kokushibou was human, potentially 300 years ago; Kyoujuro says that the Flame Breathing style always produces a Hashira with no exception, so it seems the Rengoku family pretty much has an extensive record of Hashira in their pedigree.
* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:He dies peacefully by the sides of his friends and trainees, smiling proudly at them.]]
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:He gently refutes Tanjiro's claim that he defeated Akaza, saying that as the one dying, he's the one who lost the fight.]]
* HereditaryHairstyle: His father and younger brother both share his red and yellow hair.
* HiddenDepths: The dream world cast by Enmu sheds some light on Kyoujuro’s past. [[spoiler:He has always been diligent and duty-bound, but he comes from a position where he had to become the sole emotional steadfast figure of his family after his mother died by succumbing to illness, as well as his father losing himself to alcohol as a result from that and losing faith in his swordsmanship; Kyoujuro had to be strong for his brother who felt useless due not having the talent to be a swordsman and having a father who became a wreck that just yelled at his sons, while he himself had nobody else to rely on. With all that, Kyoujuro doesn’t falter, really becoming a man who isn’t held back by his family issues, not once blaming his father for anything, even if the visualization of his subconscious core implies that really deep down Kyoujuro had some fragility he had to hide deep within.]]
* HotBloodedSideburns: Kyoujuro’s are so extreme in that his long side-burns actually look like flames due to how his hair is styled and colored like fire.
* HumbleHero: Kyojuro is kind, polite and refuses to hold himself above others.
* MasterSwordsman: He's one of the best swordsmen in the organization and able to keep up with [[spoiler:Upper Moon 3 Akaza for the entirety of their battle.]]
* MentorOccupationalHazard: [[spoiler:Is killed within a ''day'' of deciding he'll mentor the boys. He was previously Mitsuri's mentor as well, and she's horrified by the news of his death.]]
* NiceGuy: Up there with Tanjiro as the nicest character in the entire series.
* PerpetualSmiler: He is rarely seen without a smile on his face.
* PlayingWithFire: He is the Flame Hashira with mastery over Flame Breathing.
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler: First major death in the series, being killed by Akaza at the end of the Infinite Train Arc. His death ends up hanging over the rest of the story.]]
* SmallRoleBigImpact: [[spoiler:Kyojuro is the first Hashira that the main trio (Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke) are officially drafted on a mission with. Kyojuro dies on that same mission, but he leaves quite the impression on Tanjiro, both as a mentor figure and friend; while not performers of the same Breaths, Flame and Sun God had its synergy, with Tanjiro first thinking Kyojuro would have the answers to know more about his new Breath, but even if the Breaths weren't the same, Kyojurou's flaming determination became a part of Tanjiro quite literally, as Kyojuro's original sword guard was preserved and then embedded on Tanjirou's fourth sword in the series. Kyojuro's death is also the first one Inosuke reacts to with proper sorrow.]]
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: He loves sweet potatoes and eats foods that include sweet potatoes in their ingredients.
* UnusualEyebrows: Of the fiery, forked variety.
* XRayVision: [[spoiler:Rengoku displays the ability to see within Tanjiro's body and identify his internal injuries after the fight aboard the Infinity Train. This is quite similar to the "See-Through World" ability that other Hashira would later develop, but how Rengoku can do this is never given a proper explanation as he dies shortly afterwards.]]
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shinobu Kocho]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/SaoriHayami
[[quoteright:265:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shinobu_kocho_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:265:''"She whose peerless dances deliver poisonous bites."'']]

->''"I may be the only swordslady among the Hashira who can't cut a Demon's head off. But anyone who creates poison that can kill demons can be quite amazing."''

The Insect Hashira.

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* ActionGirl: One of the two female Hashira, and she backs up her rank.
* AnimalMotifs: Butterflies. She wears a butterfly-shaped hair ornament on the back of her head, her haori is designed to resemble butterfly wings, and her family name Kocho contains the kanji for "butterfly". In the manga, her eyes are depicted with a grid pattern that resembles a butterfly's compound eyes, and even her consuming large amounts of wisteria to make her flesh toxic to demons parallels the monarch butterfly's toxicity caused by its consumption of milkweed.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: She can be generally friendly and kind to most of the people she meets, but when it comes to fighting demons, she doesn't even give the slightest bit of empathy. [[spoiler:She especially loses her cool when facing her nemesis Doma.]]
* CoolBigSis: She acts like Kanao's big sister in addition to being her mentor.
* CoolSword: Her sword is unique in that it doesn't have a cutting edge and is shaped more like a rod, but it ends in a needle-like tip that allows her to inject poison into a demon's body. Her sword's sheath is also modified to mix poison and coat her sword in it.
* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler: Her dying words to Doma? "Go to hell!"]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler:After avenging her sister Kanae by poisoning Doma for Kanao and Inosuke to finish, her spirit is finally content and tells Doma's spirit her final thoughts about him. She later gives encouragement to Kanao before moving on happily to heaven with Kanae and both of their parents together, warmly embracing one another.]]
* EmptyEyes: Shinobu's irises noticeably have no pupils, although in the manga they have a grid pattern mimicking an insect's compound eyes, which goes hand in hand with her butterfly motif.
* FragileSpeedster: Shinobu has no real durability and can't take hits. Despite this, she's the fastest of the Hashira.
* HairDecorations: She has a single butterfly-shaped hairclip on the back of her head, which ties into her butterfly motif. [[spoiler:Kanao later wears it herself as a TragicKeepsake after Shinobu is killed by Douma.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Shinobu, realizing that she likely stands no chance in battle against the Upper-2, consumes tons of Wisteria Flower poison to make her body toxic, knowing if they encounter him, Doma's voracious appetite regarding women will make it so he is unable to resist eating her. As a result, even he will be susceptible to this high dosage of toxin, allowing Kanao to finish him off. It takes help from Inosuke, but it works.]]
* HiddenDepths: She's considerably a more angry and and impatient person than how she portrays herself, which balances out with her profound innate kindness. Flashbacks to when she was younger show that she wasn't always the PerpetualSmiler she is now, and was much more willing to show other emotions like anger or frustration.
* HiddenWeapons: Poisoned blades in her sandals.
* HospitalHottie: A young attractive person whose house is the defacto hospital of the Demon Hunters, and she's also as skilled at making medicines as she is with poison.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: Shinobu brutally toys with the 'Big Sister' spider demon, promising they can be 'friends' if she lets Shinobu torture her for the people she's killed. Given her feelings about demons, it's quite clear Shinobu was trying to freak her out before killing her.
* {{Leitmotif}}: Has her own theme in the anime like Giyuu, being an intense, techno beat combined with a genuinely [[GoodIsNotNice sinister sounding]] orchestral element. Outside combat, it sounds even creepier, as seen when she interrogates the Elder Sister Spider Demon.
* LifeIsntFair: She tells Tanjiro that she resents the fact that her sister had to die due to her kindness towards demons when Tanjiro is very much the same as her sister, but was blessed with Nezuko. However, she tells him that she expects that he makes sure that said kindness is not futile, as it's the same as her sister's.
* ManipulativeBitch: She is able to easily manipulate people into doing what she wants, such as getting Zenitsu and Inosuke to take training seriously. Although, it's not a villainous example because she's not a bad person.
* MasterPoisoner: She makes up for her lack of physical strength with her skill in concocting wisteria poisons that can kill demons within minutes, which she can inject into a demon's body with her uniquely-made sword. She's also skilled with pharmaceuticals in general.
* MeaningfulAppearance: A very subtle example. With the spots along its rim, her outfit specifically resembles the wings of a '''monarch''' butterfly, while its color scheme is reminiscent of milkweed, which the monarch feeds on. The plant is toxic, and feeding on it makes the monarch toxic in turn, similarly to how Shinobu uses wisteria to make her demon-slaying poisons.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: [[spoiler:Kanao's mentor, and like many mentors, ends up killed right in front of Kanao by Doma.]]
* MulticoloredHair: She has black hair with purple ends.
* MySiblingWillLiveThroughMe: [[spoiler:She assumed her sister's disposition and mannerisms when she was killed as a way to provide for the Butterfly Mansion, for Kanao, and as a Hashira; she tells Tanjiro that it was her sister's boundless optimism and hope to establish a peaceful connection with the Demons that guide what she currently is, so she seeks to emulate her sister as much as she can.]]
* NoSenseOfPersonalSpace: Has a habit of getting very close to people when talking to them.
* NotSoStoic: Her calm stoicism vanishes when she faces [[spoiler:Doma, her sister's killer.]]
* ObliviouslyBeautiful: Played with. It's noted by Zenitsu that Shinobu is overwhelmingly beautiful and stunning enough that she could easily make a living on her looks alone. She seldom takes advantage of these attributes at all [[spoiler:until her fight with Doma, luring him to consume her wisteria-poison-doused body.]]
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: She drops her kind demeanor when facing Douma, showing fury for the first time.
* PerpetualSmiler: It's rare when Shinobu isn't sweetly smiling.
* PoisonousPerson: [[spoiler:For her plan to avenge her older sister, Shinobu constantly consumed wisteria poison for a year in order to have her body become an equivalent dose of 37 kilograms of wisteria poison, lethal for most demons and powerful enough to weaken Doma after it sets in.]]
* ReversePsychology: Uses this on Inosuke with excellent results. When training him to maintain constant Total Concentration breathing, she pleasantly informs him that it's perfectly fine that ''he can't do something so infinitesimally easy as this'' despite seeming so strong. He starts training ''immediately''.
* SilkHidingSteel: She's [[PerpetualSmiler constantly smiling]] and always acts ladylike and polite, but she shows very little mercy when fighting demons and [[StepfordSmiler there's a lot of pent-up anger behind her smile]]. She can also be good at manipulating people to do what she wants, like using reverse psychology on Inosuke and taking advantage of Zenitsu's weakness for cute girls in order for both of them to take their training seriously.
* StepfordSmiler: She smiles through her anger and resentment toward demons because she knows it's what her beloved older sister would have wanted... even though her older sister died because of this kindness.
* StepfordSnarker: Shinobu can certainly throw barbs (as Giyu and Inosuke can attest), not only the Wisteria poison kind. She has a razor-sharp tongue.
* ThanatosGambit: [[spoiler:Chapter 162 reveals Shinobu planned for herself to get eaten by Doma knowing he's a glutton with an appetite for women... so after enough time, Douma would feel the effects of a 37 kilograms dose of wisteria poison (an amount lethal for demon) from the inside.]]
* TranquilFury: In spite of her cheerful demeanor, Tanjiro sensed from talking to her that she's actually in a constant state of anger. She confirms this, [[spoiler: and has been this way ever since her sister was killed.]]
* TragicKeepsake: Kanae’s haori (coat) was passed down to Shinobu after she died.
* {{Troll}}: She's legitimately able to get under [[TheStoic Giyu's]] skin.
* WeakButSkilled: Physically, she's the weakest Hashira, as she doesn't even have the strength to decapitate a demon. But her speed and arsenal of poisons make up for it.
----
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Muichiro Tokito]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KengoKawanishi
[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/muichiro_tokito_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:220:''"He who holds peerless swordsmanship talent."'']]

The Mist Hashira.
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* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler:Gets his left arm and leg cut off by Kokushibou. His arm from attempting to fight Kokushibou alone, and his leg when he tries to stop Kokushibou for Genya to defeat Kokushibou after eating his broken blade.]]
* TheChosenMany: Like Tanjiro, he is connected to the Sun Breathing legacy, meaning he's one of a few linked to said Breath. However, unlike Tanjiro, he's been unable to use it at all despite this. [[spoiler:It's only when he's able to remember his father's words (his father having been similar to Tanjiro) that he is able to reach an awakened state.]]
* ColorCodedEyes: Big gray eyes without visible pupils reflect his cold, detached attitude.
* ConfusionFu: The Breath of Mist techniques are all about Muichiro using deception to confuse his opponents and using very tricky sword techniques. In the Databook information, it reveals that Muichiro wears clothes of longer length to conceal his body proportions, thus giving him an advantage with his sword techniques.
* CustomUniform: Most members of the Corps wear a gakuran-style jacket with hakama tucked into their sandals. Muichiro's jacket has wide, Japanese-style sleeves and he wears his hakama loose, since he wears long clothing to conceal his body in order for his Breath of Mist techniques to be more effective.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: [[spoiler:He lived together with his older twin brother Yuuichirou who was strict and tried to drill his kindness out of him due to the fact their father died trying to find herbs for their sickly mother. Then one night, a demon came and attacked Yuuichirou, causing Muichiro to snap and kill the demon. By the time he returned to his brother, he was on the verge of death begging for the gods to spare his kind brother and punish him instead. He then spent a few days watching his brother's corpse and himself be eaten by maggots and would have died had Ubuyashiki's wife and children not rescued him. The trauma of the incident caused Muichiro to completely shut himself off emotionally.]]
* DeathOfAChild: [[spoiler: Think that being one of the youngest characters in the series at just 14 would spare him? Nope, he ends up being killed by Kokushibo during the Infinity Fortress Arc.]]
* EmotionlessGirl: A Gender-Inverted example. He constantly has a dull and expressionless appearance and overall lack of outward expression. [[spoiler:Though this is from suffering from emotional trauma and memory loss, and being unable to process his emotions and reactions. Once his memories do return, he begins to be more expressive.]]
* EyelidPullTaunt: He is shown doing this kind of taunt towards Gyokko on the cover page for chapter 120 during their second fight. This is done as part of his ploy to enrage the narcissistic demon.
* FlowerMotifs: [[spoiler: The flashback chapter associates Muichiro's identity with ginkgo leaves. Traditionally in Japan, ginkgo symbolizes strength and endurance. It conceptually connects with the "mu" in Muichiro standing for infinity—he can invoke infinite strength.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Tanjiro. Both are connected to the Sun Breathing legacy and are about the same age. [[spoiler:However, Muichiro did awaken to his abilities before Tanjiro (implied to have been how he killed the demon), but he failed to save his brother.]]
* ForgetfulJones: Regularly forgets what conversations he’s having halfway through. [[spoiler:Partly because he's recovering from amnesia after the incident which resulted in his older brother dying.]]
* FragileSpeedster: He's quick and swift in movement, with great techniques of deception to confuse his opponents. [[spoiler:However, Kokushibou is able to easily overpower Muichiro because of his mastery in swordsmanship and being able to predict Muichiro's movements and techniques.]]
* HalfTheManHeUsedToBe: [[spoiler:He is sliced in half horizontally by Kokushibou.]]
* HandHidingSleeves: When his arms are at his sides. His oversized uniform makes him look even smaller.
* HeroicLineage: [[spoiler:It is later revealed that Muichiro is the direct descendant of Michikatsu Tsugikuni (now currently known as Kokushibou), the older twin brother of the first Sun Breath user Yorichii Tsugikuni. However, Michikatsu was far from being heroic.]]
* LonghairedPrettyboy: One could easily mistake him as a girl.
* MeaningfulName: The 'mu' part of his name means 'nothing', which is used in two different ways. [[spoiler:His older brother used to tell him that the 'mu' in his name meant words like ineffective and invalid in an attempt to force his compassion out of him. But when Yuuchiro was dying, he confesses the actual meaning of the 'mu' in Muichiro's name is for infinity, being one able to have compassion for others to draw out infinite strength. Fittingly, Muichiro remembering this awakens his Mark.]]
* SmallAnnoyingCreature: His crow, who brags about him any chance she gets.
* SuperMode: Is descended from a Sun Breathing user... but for some reason isn't able to use it.
* TeenGenius: being 14 years old, he is one year younger than Tanjiro, yet he became a Hashira within months.
* TogetherInDeath: [[spoiler: After he dies, he reunites with Yuichiro in the afterlife.]]
* TookALevelInKindness: After the Swordsmith Village arc, he's on friendly terms with Tanjiro. However, it's only reserved to him as he coldly dismisses the other trainees who were training under him for two weeks, while Tanjiro was only there for five days.
* TrashTalk: Muichiro spits out insult after insult towards Gyokko during their second fight, showing how little he thinks of the demon. It is very effective in getting under his enemy's skin.
* TraumaInducedAmnesia: [[spoiler:The sheer trauma of the event where a demon mortally wounded his older brother and he killed the demon in response caused him to not only suppress his emotions but even forget his brother's existence. It's only when he remembers him and his dying words that he is able to awaken.]]
* UsedToBeASweetKid: [[spoiler:Muichiro in his childhood was the kinder of the twin brothers, and believed in the words of their father about kindness to others being a source of a larger strength, something his brother often disparaged. Then a demon came and critically wounded Yuuichirou, and Muichiro killed the demon in response, but was so badly injured he was unable to move and was forced to watch his brother's corpse decary for days while maggots began eating it until he was rescued. The experience caused Muichiro to repress his memories and left an empty shell of the person he was previously, ironically becoming similar to his brother.]]
* TheWorfEffect: Throughout the series, he is stated to be one of the most skilled Hashira with other members like Tengen deeply admiring his talents, and he lives up to it by easily dispatching [[spoiler:Upper Moon 5 Gyokko]] once he awakens to his potential. [[spoiler:However, when he encounters his ancestor Kokushibo, he is completely outmatched and unable to land a single blow, with Kokushibo effortlessly controlling the fight and ending it when he chooses to. He is only saved from being turned into a demon by Genya's timely intervention.]]
* XRayVision: [[spoiler:Muichiro is able to gain access to the See-Through World like his ancestor Kokushibo in their battle, but he dies not long after attaining it.]]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tengen Uzui]]
!!!'''Voiced by:''' Creator/KatsuyukiKonishi
[[quoteright:210:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tengen_uzui_anime.png]]
[[caption-width-right:210:''"He who charges across the battlefield in peerless flamboyance."'']]
[[caption-width-right:210:[[labelnote:Tengen after retiring (spoiler warning)]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kny_tengen_retired.jpg[[/labelnote]]]]

The former Sound Hashira.
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* AnArmAndALeg: [[spoiler:Loses his arm to Daki and Gyuutarou.]]
* AgentPeacock: Positively obsessed with flamboyance. This includes adding pieces of gemstones onto his clothing to add to his flamboyance.
* ArcHero: Of the Red-Light District Arc.
* {{Biseinen}}: Ridiculously muscular, but with a pretty face.
* BlingOfWar: Despite being a shinobi-themed demon slayer, Tengen is a self-proclaimed god of festivities who’s all about flamboyancy. His forehead protector is adorned with jewels, his arms are adorned with four massive golden bracelets, two in each arm.
* CampStraight: A self-proclaimed elegant, flamboyant ladies' man. Case in point, he's HappilyMarried to ''three wives''.
* CareerEndingInjury: [[spoiler:The loss of his arm and eye greatly impede his responsibilities as a Hashira, so he chooses to retire and take a supporting role on the sidelines, still assisting the Demon Slayer Corps in any way he can.]]
* CatchPhrase: He loves referring to anything and everything as "Flamboyant".
* DualWielding: A pair of swords that look like giant knives.
* EyepatchOfPower: [[spoiler:He's shown to wear one after losing his eye. It also has jewels embedded on its surface.]]
* FacialMarkings: A design around one eye.
* {{Familiar}}: Befitting for a shinobi, Tengen has animal familiars in the form of comically muscular, bipedal mice that all wear similar, blinged-out forehead protectors like him.
* HairTriggerTemper: He's very strict about slackers, as seen in the Hashira Training Arc.
* HappilyMarried: He cares greatly for all three of his wives.
* HavingABlast: His swords have a unique property that allows them to explosively detonate when he swings them with enough force, something that no demon before the present storyline has survived against. How exactly they can do this is simply [[HandWave Hand Waved]] as something that no one is entirely sure of.
* HiddenDepths: For all his narcissism, he does care about other people. He told his wives to focus on protecting their own lives rather than live by laying down their lives for missions, a mentality common among the ninjas especially women ninja. And he was quite enthusiastic to see Tanjiro healed up and ready for his Hashira Training.
* HiddenHeartOfGold: Tengen treats Tanjiro's group with contempt and annoyance during the first half of the Red Light District Arc, appearing to just keep them around for reconnaissance and nothing else. However, when he realizes the severity of the situation he requests that they fall back and leave the rest to him, as they are not ranked high enough within the Corps to deal with an Upper Moon, displaying a surprising amount of concern for their well-being.
* HumbleHero: Though you would never guess it due to his narcissistic personality, he is shockingly humble in regards to his fighting ability, acknowledging that other Hashira like Himejima, Tokito and Rengoku are far superior to him as Demon Slayers.
* ImplausibleFencingPowers: Can you believe that Tengen can swing both of his swords by holding onto just the tips of his swords and with only two fingers? It comes with being a shinobi and a Hashira after all.
* MassiveNumberedSiblings: He had eight siblings, but seven of his siblings were killed when he was 15 years old.
* {{Ninja}}: One of very few remaining ones.
* {{Polyamory}}: Has three wives.
* RetiredBadass: [[spoiler:Decides to give up his position as Hashira after the loss of his arm and eye, though he does come back to help train Demon Slayersand to protect Ubuyashiki's children along with Shinjuro Rengoku while they assist the Demon Slayers against Muzan.]]
* SleevesAreForWimps: His uniform is sleeveless, which lets him show off his muscular arms.
* SuperHearing: He possesses supernatural hearing like Zenitsu does. Tengen was able to pinpoint the location of the underground site where Daiki was keeping all her prey to later feast on by just hearing through solid layers of soil. This is also a key element for his Sound Breathing techniques. By listening to the rhythm and movements of his opponent, he can predict their next moves and find openings to use his techniques, something that he refers to as his opponent's "Score".
* ThrowDownTheBomblet: He incorporates the usage of anti-demon bombs with his Sound Breathing sword techniques.
* TookALevelInKindness: After his life was saved by Tanjiro and Nezuko, he decides to retire due to the loss of his left arm. When he and his wives meet him again during the Hashira training, they're on good terms with him.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: The hair under his headwrap is stark white in color.
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[[/folder]]


[[WMG: Former Members]]

[[folder:Sakonji Urokodaki]]
!!! '''Voiced by:''' Creator/HochuOtsuka (JP), Brook Chalmers (EN)\\
'''Live actor:''' Tomoyuki Takagi (Stage Play)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sakonji_anime_3.jpg]]

An old master of Water Breathing who taught Giyu Tomioka and later, Tanjiro. He was the former Water Hashira.

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* AdultFear: As Urokodaki’s students are like his children, sending them to the final selection ends up being this because none of them [[spoiler:save for Giyu]] ever return alive due to a vengeful demon he encountered in the past killing every last one of them, and wants to prevent the same from happening to Tanjiro.
* CoolMask: His face is [[TheFaceless always covered]] by a {{tengu}} mask.
* TheFaceless: He has yet to be seen without his tengu mask covering his face. According to a Taisho Secret, he had been mocked in the past by demons who said his face was "too kind", which is why he always wears the mask.
* HowWeGotHere: [[spoiler:As he is watching over Nezuko in a hidden location to protect her from Muzan, who had taken the curing medicine given by Tamayo and is currently resting, he thinks to himself about how they were able to reach to this point of confronting Muzan. He thinks back to how Tanjiro came for his help a while back and described the two siblings as small but crucial cogwheels placed in a large machine, progressing the goals of the Demon Slayers in hopes of defeating Muzan once and for all. He encourages Nezuko and Tanjiro to never lose in this final battle.]]
* MentorOccupationalHazard: Inverted; he actually wants to keep Tanjiro from taking part in the Final Selection because he's outlived most of his students [[spoiler:which include Sabito and Makomo, who are revealed to be DeadAllAlong]]. Giyu is one of the few students under his tutelage who has survived.
* OhCrap: [[spoiler:He panics when Nezuko wakes up and runs off on her own to save an injured Tanjiro because of how dangerous this situation is with Muzan being too powerful.]]
* OldMaster: He was the previous Water Hashira and the master of Giyu, who took over the position. Giyu sends Tanjiro to him so he can also be trained in Water Breathing.
* ParentalSubstitute: Urokodaki serves as one for all the orphans that are under his care, including Tanjiro, Nezuko, Giyu, and Sabito. He even crafted good luck charms for them in the form of warding masks and dolls. This is one reason he didn't want Tanjiro to attend the final selection, fearing he would meet the same fate as the others.
* RetiredBadass: He is the former Water Hashira before Giyuu.
* SnipeHunt: His task of having Tanjiro cut through a thick boulder was meant to be this, as he wouldn't recommend him for the Final Selection test unless he could first do this. Fortunately for him, by the time Tanjiro is somehow able to do it, the training and encouragement he received from Sabito and Makomo [[spoiler:two disciples of his who died trying to pass the test]] helps Tanjiro to survive and slaughter the demon Urokodaki had captured for the test.
* TrainingFromHell: Tanjiro is put through this under his tutelage.
* WhamLine: Following TheReveal.
--> '''Urokodaki''': [[spoiler:Tanjiro... how did you know the names of those dead children?]]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Jigoro Kuwajima]]
!!! '''Voiced by''': Creator/ShigeruChiba
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jigoro.jpg]]

->''"Master it, Zenitsu! You may cry and you may run, but never give up. You must believe that these days of hellish repetitive training will eventually pay off. Be rid of all your impurities. Become a blade... that's stronger than anyone!"'' (Chapter 33)

Zenitsu’s master who rescued him from being tied to a woman pilled with debts. He was once the Thunder Hashira, but now retired he decided to pass on the Thunder Breathing style to the next generation. Originally an unnamed elder who Zenitsu affably calls ''Jii-chan'' (gramps in context) but is only identified as ''Shihan'' (master); he is the first person to see through Zenitsu’s layers of apparent cowardice, noticing that underneath it all, Zenitsu has potential, thus never giving up on his disciple despite the latter’s protests and tantrums. His name was later revealed to be ''Jigoro Kuwajima'' in the series' first supplementary light novel.

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* AdaptationExpansion: The anime expands a lot more about his relationship with Zenitsu.
* ArtificialLimbs: Jigoro has a peg-leg, a wood construction, which is likely one of the reasons for his retirement, a Breath of Thunder adept has their legs as the basis of their strength, which is pure speed, without both of them Jigoro is effectively crippled.
* CoolOldGuy: He's a little rough on Zenitsu, but ultimately cared for the young boy and wished him to share the position of Hashira with his rival Kaigaku.
* CoordinatedClothes: Jigoro gave the haori Zenitsu wears which is styled after his own, he also gave one to Kaigaku but his “better” disciple didn't want to wear it.
* NoNameGiven: Introduced with no name, Zenitsu calls him gramps. He, however, insisted on being called "Shihan" (master), but later concedes and accepts Zenitsu calling him gramps, [[spoiler:which is one of the reasons Kaigaku felt Zenitsu was given special treatment]]. The series' first supplementary light novel revealed his name as Jigoro Kuwajima.
* ParentalSubstitute: Practically became Zenitsu’s grandfather after taking him under his wing by freeing the troubled youth from the woman pilled with debts, and Zenitsu definitely sees him as such. [[spoiler:His death was enough to make Zenitsu become more serious than he had ever been in the series until then, fighting the cause of his death, the traitor disciple Kaigaku, without ever relying on his trance sleep mode.]]
* RuggedScar: Jigoro has quite the noticeable one under his left eye, giving him the appearance of a seasoned hunter.
* {{Seppuku}}: [[spoiler:Chooses to atone for the fact that one of his greatest pupils (Kaigaku) betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps and became a demon, by committing ritual suicide, seppuku.]]
* SoProudOfYou: [[spoiler:In Zenitsu's vision, all he can tell the young boy is how Zenitsu has always been his pride and joy. This moves Zenitsu to tears.]]
* ToughLove: Jigoro had a very firm hand approach when training Zenitsu, beating him every time his pupil tried to run away as Zenitsu threw tantrums and bawled his eyes out all the time, saying he was worthless and couldn’t get strong no matter how much training he did; however, Zenitsu gets to the point where he realizes that despite the firm hand Jigoro, never abandoned him, and honestly believed Zenitsu could be better, in contrast to other people in Zenitsu’s life that found him to be worthless on sight or pretended to be nice to later use and abuse him.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Died without ever actually appearing in the series’ current events. He appeared only in one flashback before dying later in the story, although by a technicality he does appear in the present to talk with Zenitsu again in a vision from the afterlife.]]
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shinjuro Rengoku]]
[[quoteright:341:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shinjuro.jpg]]

The father of Kyojuro and Senjuro and the former Flame Hashira. He retired and gave his position to his eldest son Kyojuro.

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* AbusiveParents: As a result of his alcoholism, he is very abusive towards his sons, screaming at the and smacking them, if they don't meet his expectations, one of notable victims is Senjuro, he also quick to assume the worst of them. Senjuro tried to tell him Kyojuro's last message to him, which involves telling him to take care of his body, but he was [[NotNowKiddo shamed from talking]], assuming that the message involves blaming him for everything, also screaming him to [[GetOut get out immediately]]. Shortly afterwards, Senjuro was finally able to deliver the message, which knocked some sense on Shinjuro.
* AlcoholicParent: Shinjuro is a drunkard who carries a jug of alcohol with him and relapsed badly. [[spoiler:He relapses worse when Kyojuro dies. Currently, he seems to have recovered and is now in better condition, possibly remaining sober from now on.]]
* HereditaryHairstyle: Both of his sons share his red and yellow hairstyle.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's very strict as a father towards his sons and very short-tempered towards everyone else. However, he truly cares for his family's well being and [[spoiler:will gladly return to his position when he's needed.]]
* ParentalNeglect: He completely ignores Senjuro.
* RetiredBadass: He handed the position of the Flame Hashira to Kyojuro. [[spoiler:After Kyojuro's passing, he returns to his position as the Flame Hashira after witnessing Ubayashiki's son using his ability to command the Demon Slayers, even after knowing that his father self-destructed to weaken Muzan. Defending Ubuyashiki's children alongside Tengen Uzui, he vows that he will follow his son Kyoujuro's example and protect the children so as to not bring shame to the Rengoku family.]]
* StrongFamilyResemblance: His two sons, Kyojuro and Senjuro, greatly resemble his appearance.
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[[/folder]]

[[folder:Kanae Kocho]]
!!! '''Voiced by:''' Creator/AiKayano
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kny_kane_kochou_ani.jpg]]
->''"Once you decide to defeat a demon, defeat it. Once you decide to win, then win. Win, whatever the cost."''

Shinobu's deceased older sister, who served as the Flower Hashira.
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* ActionGirl: Kanae was a demon slayer, so it came with the territory. Not to mention that [[spoiler:she was last seen in Sanemi's first Hashira meeting flashback, suggesting that she was a Hashira at some point before her death.]]
* AllLovingHero: Like Tanjiro, Kanae has empathy towards demons. She doesn't even bear hatred towards her killer, [[spoiler:Doma]], and instead pities that he is incapable of feeling love and emotions.
* CoolBigSis: To Shinobu and Kanao. They both did not take her death by [[spoiler:Douma]] lightly and bore a personal grudge against her murderer.
* HairDecorations: She has two butterfly-shaped hairclips, one on each side of her head. In the present, Kanao wears one of Kanae's hairclips as a TragicKeepsake.
* NiceGirl: According to Shinobu, Kanae is exactly like [[AllLovingHero Tanjiro]] personality-wise, to the point where she believes that there are good demons out there.
* PetalPower: Flower Breathing users have flower petals added as a visual effect to their sword attacks.
* PinkMeansFeminine: The anime reveals that her nichirin blade was pink, like her Flower Breathing succesor Kanao's would eventually be.
* ThePollyanna: Kanae maintains a positive attitude throughout her life.
* PosthumousCharacter: She has been dead since before Tanjiro joined the Demon Slaying corps, and is only shown in Shinobu, Kanao, and Sanemi's flashbacks.
* TogetherInDeath: With her little sister Shinobu and their parents in the afterlife.
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[[/folder]]

* PlayingWithFire: Mitsuri was originally trained in Flame Breathing under Shinjuro Rengoku before developing Love Breathing as a derivative style.