Sanemi Shinazugawa²

Sanemi Shinazugawa (不死しなず川がわ 実さね弥み, Shinazugawa Sanemi?), Genya's older brother, is one of the strongest and most agile Demon Slayers, standing out within the elite group as a Pillar, being the current Wind Pillar (風かぜ柱ばしら, Kaze Bashira?).

appearance

He is a man of average height, with a fair complexion and grey eyes. He has a sharp look and no eyebrows, his hair is a warm grey which he keeps short. His bangs are parted parallel to his forehead in two thick locks, one in the centre and the other on the left side of his head. One of Sanemi's most prominent features is his remarkable physique and the numerous scars that run across his face, chest and arms which he does not hide and keeps as a reminder of how hard his job is and of which he is proud. Regarding his attire, it consists of the Demon Slayer uniform, being in his case a customized version of his uniform which is black dyed green, having the upper part of it unbuttoned, exposing his torso and his multiple scars. He also has a white jacket, as well as keeps his sword Nichirin on his belt. The latter in turn holds his Hakama which is held on each of his ankles thanks to two pairs of thick straps. Later between the arcs of the Functional Recovery Training Arc and the Pillar Training Arc, Sanemi cut his hair leaving only the center bangs.

personality

Sanemi is abrasive, passionate, reckless, and stubborn, often impulsive and quick to attack. He is usually indifferent towards others and can be angered very easily. The only person Sanemi ever showed reverence to was Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and this was only after realizing that the man was much more than his outward appearance suggested. Sanemi has also shown a hunger for battle, wishing to be able to meet the Demons that are part of the Twelve Demon Moons and proclaiming his eagerness in fighting Kokushibo, the Upper First Moon. Sanemi's cold, rude, and disdainful behavior is a result of losing too many people he cared about in the past. Later, when he sees those people who have passed away, such as his mother, he can't help but give her a smile so he can see her again. When Genya joins the Demon Slayers on their quest, Sanemi repeatedly ignores him and lashes out at any chance of seeing him, but Tanjiro Kamado is able to tell him that Sanemi didn't really hate him; and in fact still felt the same brotherly love he had for him in childhood. However, this was never openly expressed as he tried to keep Genya away from him and the Slayers so he wouldn't be exposed to danger.

personality

Due to all the losses he suffered in his childhood, Sanemi holds a deep hatred towards Devils and everything they represent, holding a strong belief that humans and Devils do not deserve to peacefully coexist. When he makes up his mind on this matter, it is extremely difficult for even his fellow Pillars to change his mind. In order to prove his point, he ignored Tanjiro's words regarding the fact that his sister Nezuko was incapable of feeding on humans and in order to prove his point, he risked his physicality by injuring Nezuko inside her wooden box[5] and even taunting her with his blood to invite her to attack him[6]. Even after she does not do so, and Kagaya uses this as proof that Nezuko will not attack humans, Sanemi does not truly accept the Kamado siblings.

personality

However, his behavior is not entirely negative towards his younger brother Genya. This is because, as shown by Tanjiro, Sanemi genuinely cares for his brother Genya and his decision to get involved in something as dangerous as hunting Demons, acknowledging that it was his fault that he could not protect him when he needed him most, going so far as to express his wishes that Genya had left the organization in order to live a normal life and start a family. After the battle against the First Upper Moon that ended with the death of his younger brother, Sanemi shows not only great anger and a certain emptiness towards Muzan, but also greater cooperation with people like Giyu, someone he clearly did not get along with in the past. Even when Sanemi leaves the battle against Muzan, he shows undeniable courage and determination, much like his fellow Pillars. After the final battle against Muzan, Sanemi has softened a bit in his personality, showing a more caring and friendly side by smiling next to Giyū, something he didn't usually do and to everyone's surprise, Sanemi shows a tender side towards Nezuko by apologizing for his rude behavior in the past. It gets to the point where he smiles at her and pats her on the head, while he sees Genya in the way she responds.

skills

As a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Sanemi is a very powerful and skilled combatant. [5] He has demonstrated his extraordinary abilities and proficiency in combat on multiple occasions. By training under Giyu Tomioka , Sanemi was able to fight on equal terms with the Water Hashira. In the battle within Infinity Castle, Sanemi was shown to be capable of instantly annihilating hordes of demons that were comparable to the Lower Ranks in strength. In particular, he was able to hold his own against the Upper Rank One, Kokushibo . According to the demon, Sanemi's physical and technical abilities have reached their peak. [6] Kokushibo also commented that Sanemi and the accompanying Gyomei Himejima stood out as highly skilled even among the ranks of the already powerful Hashira. [7] After the Upper Rank was defeated, Sanemi quickly recovered from his brother's death and proceeded to aid the Demon Slayers against the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji . He played a pivotal role in damaging the demon alongside the attacks of the other combatants and was one of the two Hashira who survived to see the end of the monumental battle. Indomitable Will: Sanemi possesses an unbreakable spirit and incredible willpower. In his confrontation with Kokushibo, the second most powerful demon in existence, he has shown on numerous occasions his complete refusal to give up, despite the seemingly impossible odds against the demon and the numerous grievous injuries he received. Sanemi goes so far as to fight the demon directly, actively battling Kokushibo alone for a long period of time and outright stating that he would kill him for hurting Genya. After the battle ended with Genya's death, despite mourning his beloved brother, Sanemi was able to put aside his grief to confront Muzan shortly after.

skills

Tactical Intellect: Despite appearing impulsive and reckless, Sanemi boasts an impressive ability of observation and understanding in battle, particularly through action-based thinking. He demonstrated this when he deduced the threat of Kokushibo's miniature moon-shaped attacks, and again when he instantly grasped the abilities of Yushiro's talismans despite never having used them or been informed of their properties. Combat Intuition: Sanemi possesses incredible split-second thinking and planning ability. He was able to trap and kill countless Demons on his own despite having no knowledge of the Demon Slayer Corps or Nichirin swords, creating elaborate ways to capture them by arming himself in any way he could and using his Marechi blood. Weapon Versatility: Sanemi nearly stabs Kokushibo with Genya's Nichirin sword.

skills

Sanemi has shown to be quite flexible in the use of weapons, being able to use Genya's sword and shotgun alongside his own Nichirin sword in a high-speed battle against Kokushibo. Additionally, when fighting Muzan, he utilized fire by pouring oil on the demon and lighting it with a match.

skills

Demon Hunter Skills Demon Slayer Mark: During the battle against Kokushibo, Sanemi awakened his own Demon Slayer Mark which resembled a single green-colored paper origami windmill with two dots on either side of his right cheek. The mark drastically increases his physical capabilities, as seen when Sanemi was still able to fight and compete with Kokushibo, even momentarily dominating him in strength, despite being severely injured and slashed across his abdomen. However, despite his physical stamina, strength, and pain tolerance being drastically increased, Sanemi was unable to land a significant blow on Kokushibo without the aid of Gyomei and Muichiro. Furthermore, Sanemi would have been killed twice by Kokushibo if not for his intervention. Bright Red Nichirin Blade - During the battle against Kokushibo, Sanemi strikes Gyomei's spiked flail with his sword, briefly turning them red, allowing them to decapitate the higher-ranked one. [9] Later in the fight against Muzan, Sanemi, learning from their previous encounter, forcefully clashes his sword together with Giyu's, temporarily turning both swords red. [10] Turning his sword red granted him the ability to hinder Muzan's instant regeneration, which proved effective in battle. Muscle Control: Sanemi can control his own muscles to a certain extent, using them to close and prevent fatal wounds from opening in the midst of battle. When Kokushibo slashed him numerous times all over his body, Sanemi was able to manipulate and flex his muscles to prevent his organs from falling out. This ability surprised the demon and allowed him to fight for a longer period of time.

Physical skills

Immense Speed and Reflexes: Sanemi possesses tremendous speed and reflexes. He is said to be the second fastest runner among the Hashira. During the Hashira's training, when he was arguing with Tanjiro over Genya, Sanemi moved using a burst of speed so fast that it looked like he teleported according to some observers. Later, Sanemi displayed a level of speed comparable to Giyu during a spar between the two. When faced with demons on par with lower-ranked demons, Sanemi was able to effortlessly slice them to pieces while still sitting down. [11] Sanemi was shown to be much faster than Muichiro in the fight against the higher-ranked one, Kokushibo, as the former was able to keep up with the demon's techniques while the latter was easily defeated despite being marked. Upon awakening his Demon Slayer mark, Sanemi was able to compete with and briefly overpower Kokushibo. Furthermore, he was also able to keep up with a weakened Muzan while receiving support from the other Hashira for a considerable period of time.

Physical skills

Immense Stamina and Endurance: Despite suffering dozens of scars and cuts all over his body, Sanemi never once showed any signs of pain or agony, to the point that he was willing to cut himself with his katana to test Nezuko Kamado: in fact, he did not even flinch from doing so. His incredible stamina and resistance to pain also shone through during his battle with Kokushibo, where he was able to keep up with the High-Rank Demon for an extended period of time by himself without the Demon Slayer Mark, and despite receiving numerous grievous wounds from one of Kokushibo's techniques, he still continued to fight, which surprised even Kokushibo. During the final confrontation with Muzan, he was able to fight the Demon King for roughly half an hour straight without resting, pushing his physical and mental capabilities to the limit without tiring. When Muzan was cornered, he was one of the first to act, having enough energy to unleash two more Wind Breathing techniques. Immense Strength: Due to years of hard training, Sanemi possesses incredible physical strength. He could lift Nezuko Kamado into her box with a single hand effortlessly, knock out Zenitsu Agatsuma with a casual punch, break a wooden sword because he swung it too hard, and cut off Tanjiro Kamado's ear with a single kick. He was also briefly able to compete with Kokushibo, one of the physically strongest demons in existence in a sword fight, and was even able to push the demon's sword down by parrying the blow with his own.

Supernatural abilities

Supernatural abilities Marechi Blood: Sanemi's blood was revealed to be one of the rarest blood types, making it incredibly intoxicating and delicious to Demons. It is also unique due to its intense potency that the slightest scent of her blood causes Demons to salivate and immediately lose focus, as her blood was able to affect the strongest of the Upper Ranks, Kokushibo. However, its effect wore off after a while and was shown to be completely ineffective against Kokushibo after growing accustomed to him and Muzan. Despite the potency of her blood, Nezuko was shown to be able to withstand it due to her own strong conviction and will to not eat humans, which is further cemented and strengthened by the hypnosis planted in her brain by Sakonji Urokodaki. In addition to its potency against a demon's senses, Sanemi's blood was able to clot through his mastery of Total Concentration Breathing, allowing him to stop his bleeding completely and continue fighting even when cut.

fighting style

they cut. Fighting style Master Swordsman: Being a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Sanemi is one of the most powerful and skilled swordsmen in the entire organization. [12] His swordsmanship matched that of Giyu Tomioka, an extremely skilled swordsman in his own right, during their sparring match while undergoing Hashira Training. Sanemi's swordsmanship skills allowed him to keep up with and impress the Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, a demon with centuries of swordsmanship under his belt. [13] Sanemi could also adapt and work with Gyomei's Stone Breathing techniques to push Kokushibo back.

Breathing style

. Wind Breathing (PleaseYesYo呼Yo吸きゅう, Kaze no kokyū ? ): A breathing style that Sanemi learned and mastered under Masachika Kumeno after receiving tutelage from an unknown cultivator. As a Wind Hashira, Sanemi was considered the most skilled Wind Breathing user of his generation. His level of skill with Wind Breathing reminded Kokushibo of the first Wind Hashira during the Sengoku Era, the Golden Age of Demon Slayers. Techniques First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter (壱YesTheGoodYes 鹿Yo旋YoPleaseEl・OkayElぎ, Ichi no kata: Jin Senpū - Sogi ? ) [14] - The user dashes forward at blinding speeds and continuously slashes in a horizontal cyclone pattern. Second Form: Claws, Purifying Wind (GoodYoTheGoodYes ªYes々Yes・PhotographyButYoYoPleaseYes, Ni no kata: Sōsō - Shinato Kaze ? ) [15] - The user raises the sword to the right, above his head and launches four vertical slashes at once towards the enemy that look like claws. Third Form: Transparent Stormwind Tree (参YoElGoodYesButYesGoodMorePleaseButButYo, San no kata: Seiran Fūju ? ) [16] - The user unleashes a whirlwind of slashes around his body that can defend him from incoming attacks and cut down his surroundings. Fourth Degree: Rising Dust Storm (肆ElElGoodYesButPleaseMePlease砂ElYoYoGoodMore, Shi no kata: Shōjō Sajinran ? ) [17] - The user launches several slashes above themselves from below their target. Fifth Form: Cold Mountain Wind (To meGoodYoYes TodayGoodYoMorePleaseおろし, Go no kata: Kogarashi Oroshi ? ) [18] - The user creates several circular arcing slashes that increase in size from above their target. Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist (PleaseYesGoodYes 黒YesPleaseBut烟MoreGoodMore, Roku no kata: Kokufū Enran ? ) [19] - The user twists his body in an uppercut motion, creating a tornado of cuts.

Breathing style

Seventh Degree: Gale, Sudden Gusts (YoYoTheGoodYes 頸ThePleaseBut・Yomore狗ThePleaseYes, Shichi no kata: Keifū - Tengu Kaze ? ) [20] - The user leaps into the air while swinging his sword, generating hurricane-force winds that tear his opponent apart. Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash (ButYesTheGoodYesYoYo烈ButPleaseYesButYoり, Hachi no kata: Sho Rekkaza Kiri ? ) [21] - The user leaps into the air and swings his sword horizontally, creating circular torrents of wind that cut the opponent instantly. Ninth Grade: Idaten Typhoon (玖IGoodYes 韋I駄ImoreIPleaseBut, Ku no kata: Idaten Taifū ? ) [22] - The user performs a backflip in the air and, while upside down, unleashes a powerful, circular gust of wind that slices through everything below it.

equipment

Standard Nichirin Katana: Sanemi carries a standard sized and shaped Nichirin katana with a black blade that has a green, irregular jaw-like pattern etched on both sides. The tsuba of his katana has an abstract shape with 8 prongs with an overlapping pattern; each plate has a forest green core with a silver edge. The hilt of his katana is two-toned, with white cord covering its upper and lower thirds and a green cord in the middle. As a Hashira, Sanemi's blade has the words Demon Destroyer (ButYaWho? YobutYo殺Ya, Akki Messatsu?) etched on the side. With his katana, Sanemi has a standard sword scabbard that is a dark shade of gray with silver markings resembling scars scattered over it.

Genya's younger brother's personality

Personality Since his first appearance, he was a temperamental and rude young man, pulling Kanata Ubuyashiki's hair without showing any remorse. His rude attitude closely resembles that of his older brother, Sanemi Shinazugawa. Much later, having the opportunity to interact with other Hunters and Tanjiro Kamado, he began to show himself more sociable and charismatic, but maintaining part of his bad temper. Being unable to use a breathing technique like the rest of the Hunters, he felt insecure about his abilities especially after seeing his older brother's negativity towards his desire to be part of the Demon Slaying Corps. After this event, he decided to participate in the Final Selection in order to have his brother's acceptance.

What happened between Genya and Sanemi?

The relationship between Sanemi and Genya took an unexpected turn when Genya made the mistake of calling his brother a murderer for defending himself and ending the life of their mother, who had become a demon on what was the most complicated night for the Shinazugawa siblings. From that moment on, Sanemi and Genya began to grow increasingly distant. Genya secretly regretted having called Sanemi a murderer at a time when the latter was particularly emotionally fragile. To make matters worse, Sanemi's temper grew much more sour, hating Muzan's demons more and more, and trying to convince Genya that he wasn't talented enough to become a demon hunter like him. Sanemi also erupted in anger when he learned that Genya had started eating demons to become more powerful. It's at this point that we must move on to chapter 166 of the manga. It reveals that Sanemi doesn't actually hate his brother; he simply wanted him to live a quiet life and raise a family while he took care of defeating Muzan. For this reason, Sanemi also repeatedly underestimated Genya's abilities as a demon slayer. His idea was to discourage his brother until he made the decision to leave the Demon Slaying Corps on his own.