Rengoku Kyojuro²

appearance

Kyojuro was a tall, slender, and muscular young adult. He had long, bright yellow hair with flame-like red streaks, along with two bangs that reached his shoulders and two bangs that reached his chin on one side of his head, black forked eyebrows, and golden eyes that faded to red with white pupils. He was known for being charismatic and had an air of great optimism, with an enthusiastic smile almost always on his face. Kyojuro wore the standard Demon Slayer uniform, black in color, tinted brown in the anime, consisting of a brown buttoned jacket with a high collar and long sleeves, a white belt around his waist, and tattsuke-hakama pants. Over this, he wore a haori with a white-yellow gradient pattern and red flame-shaped crests at the end, which his father Shinjuro had once worn and very likely his father had worn when they were Flame Hashira respectively. Finally, he wore red kyahan with yellow flames rising from the bottom up, with pale brown tabi socks and a pair of white zōri with red straps. When he first joined the Demon Slayer Corps, he only wore the regular Demon Slayer uniform, but as he rose in rank, Kyojuro began wearing a completely white haori before donning his signature flame-patterned haori.

personality

Kyojuro was very enthusiastic about his duties as a Hashira and often seemed cheerfully eccentric. He was kind, pure of heart, and boasted extraordinary swordsmanship and technique stemming from strict practice and discipline. He was an honorable warrior who adhered to his code of morals and principles instilled in him by his mother at a young age; the most significant being his belief that those born strong have a duty to protect the weak. Kyojuro also immensely loved his family, showing great respect and concern for his father, Shinjuro Rengoku, even as he slowly became more aggressive and apathetic towards Kyojuro. He was incredibly encouraging and optimistic towards his younger brother, Senjuro Rengoku, believing in him and wishing him the best no matter what. This was further emphasized during his death, where his last words to his father and younger brother were "take care of your body" and "follow your dreams no matter what". Kyojuro also believed that if someone lacks immense skill, their hard work towards their dreams and their desire to help people counts for nothing.

personality

Beneath his enthusiastic demeanor, Kyojuro was highly logical and tactically intelligent, acting swiftly and precisely in battle, especially when the lives of others were at stake. Kyojuro was also good at seeing talent in others, even in Nezuko Kamado, a demon he initially wanted to kill, after seeing her risk her life to fight and protect others. Although extremely optimistic, Kyojuro sometimes had a sense of foreboding that those he believed in might die, especially his friends whom he deeply cared for. He, like most Demon Slayers, absolutely detested demons, generally for their atrocious acts or conflicting moral values. Despite this, Kyojuro acknowledged and accepted Nezuko as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps after seeing her risk her life to protect innocents, demonstrating that Kyojuro was capable of not letting his hatred for demons cloud his judgment.

General skills As a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kyojuro was a very powerful and skilled combatant. [3] Before taking his father's place, Kyojuro had already proven himself to be an amazing fighter. He successfully avenged the deaths of the 9 Demon Slayers who died at the hands of the Flute Demon by himself and then managed to single-handedly defeat Lower Rank Two, Hairo, who even assessed his swordsmanship before dying. Furthermore, his father, Shinjuro Rengoku, stated that after he stopped teaching his son, Kyojuro trained to become a Hashira by learning from the Flame Breathing style guide book, a book that only had three volumes.

As further testament to his abilities, Akaza, the Upper Rank Three and one of the strongest known demons, acknowledged and praised Kyojuro's strength. [5] He even went so far as to offer to turn him into a demon so that he could surpass his human limits and become stronger, something he only offered to swordsmen whose skills he believed were refined to their peak. [6] Akaza also praised his fighting spirit and stated that he was approaching the "Realm of the Highest," implying that he was incredibly close to obtaining the Transparent World.

Indomitable Will: Kyojuro possessed a fearless spirit and an indomitable will, which even impressed individuals like the Upper Rank Three, Akaza. From a young age, he had a strong will and passion within himself due to a promise he made to his late mother. [7] Even when the Upper Rank overwhelmed him with powerful attacks, inflicting insidious wounds on Kyojuro, he remained steadfast and resolute. [8] After Kyojuro lost an eye and sustained internal injuries caused by Akaza, he still persisted, vehemently expressing his unwavering will and determination, stating that he would protect the lives of other innocent people no matter what. [9] Finally, when Akaza's fist pierced his solar plexus, it triggered a memory that reminded Kyojuro of his mother again, giving him the final push to sever the Upper Rank's neck. [10] In the end, although his efforts were in vain, his incredible determination had a profound effect on Tanjiro, giving him the incentive to keep going no matter the confusion he faced. [11] Sharp Intellect: As a swordsman hailing from a lineage of Flame Hashira, Kyojuro had access to generations of combat knowledge and tactics, as well as training from previous Flame Hashira, such as his father, Shinjuro Rengoku. [4] Kyojuro could also master the entire Flame Breathing style by simply reading 3 volumes of a book about it. During the battle against Akaza, he displayed sharp judgment as after being attacked by Akaza's Destructive Death: Air Type, he realizes he must fight at close range and wanted to increase the chances of cutting off his head. [12] Even when the usually deductive and astute Tanjiro Kamado didn't know how to kill Enmu, Kyojuro instinctively knew that no matter what form a demon takes, it will always have a weak point. [13]

He also possesses great knowledge in the use of Total Concentration Breathing (BuenoYoPor favorしゅうAsiちゅうYo呼Yo吸きゅう, Zen Shūchū no Kokyū?), knowing how to stop minor wounds and bleeding, and saved Tanjiro from dying of blood loss. [14] As further testament to his tactical intellect, Kyojuro was able to instantly read his allies' sign language indicating the Flute Demon's abilities despite being unable to fully control his movements and execute a countermeasure before the demon's Blood Demon Art affected him.

Physical skills

Immense Speed and Reflexes: As a Hashira, Kyojuro possessed tremendous speed and reflexes, so much so that even gifted Demon Slayers like Tanjiro and Inosuke Hashibira were unable to register his clash with Akaza, with the latter stating that he was on a different level. Kyojuro could even cause tremors in the ground and nearly derail a train by running at such high speeds. [15] Furthermore, Kyojuro could easily move at speeds far faster than the eye could see, decapitating demons before they could react. His reflexes were so quick that he managed to cut Akaza's arm moments before the Upper Rank struck Tanjiro. Kyojuro also managed to keep up with Akaza's high-speed techniques and incredibly fast movements, which he comments are faster than a blink of an eye, [16] sometimes even surpassing him in speed. This surprised and impressed Akaza himself, who openly expressed his astonishment at Kyojuro's skill.

Physical skills

Immense Resilience and Endurance: Kyojuro displayed superhuman resilience and endurance during his battles throughout the series. In his battle with the Flute Demon, Kyojuro ruptured his eardrums, but he was completely unfazed, ignoring the pain and continuing to fight and win. In his battle with Hairo, he suffered dozens of serious wounds and injuries from gunfire and explosions from the former Lower Rank Two, but he continued stalling long enough for all the bombs he planted to be disarmed without showing any signs of pain or fatigue, which surprised Hairo and made him question if the person he knew in the past was truly the same person he was fighting now. Furthermore, in his battle against Enmu when he merged with an entire train, he was able to hold him off in five different train cars without tiring. [18] His incredible resilience and endurance were best demonstrated when he managed to keep up with Akaza, one of the strongest demons in existence, despite pushing himself physically and mentally beyond his limit and suffering multiple irreparable and fatal injuries, such as a shattered eye, broken ribs, and damaged internal organs. [19] Most impressively, he managed to hold Akaza at bay even after the Upper Rank's arm pierced his solar plexus. [20] Despite all his fatal injuries, he never once let go of Akaza in his attempt to let the dawn's light kill him, ultimately forcing the demon to tear off his arms to finally escape.

Physical skills

Immense Strength: After years of perfecting his physical prowess, Kyojuro possessed astonishing physical strength, capable of wielding his katana at speeds faster than the eye can see incessantly with impeccable precision while engaged in combat, and even sending Akaza flying an astonishing distance into a forest with a single sword strike. Kyojuro could also derail an entire train simply by lunging forward. Even when he first became a recognized Demon Slayer, he had enough strength to instantly rupture his own eardrums by striking his ears with his hands. Kyojuro also possessed exceptional grip strength that allowed him to restrain Akaza, one of the physically strongest characters in the series, despite having his solar plexus pierced earlier and suffering multiple other fatal wounds, to the point where Akaza expressed disbelief and shock at Kyojuro's strength, which he describes as "incredible".

Supernatural abilities

Supernatural abilities Extrasensory Perception: Kyojuro possessed incredibly refined senses, as when he could feel and perceive Akaza's immense presence and demonic aura. [22] Kyojuro was also able to detect demonic presences faster and more accurately than Tanjiro Kamado, who possesses a keen sense of smell, when he detected two demons one after another on a train before anyone else noticed. [23] This ability also allowed him to accurately gauge the regenerative abilities and weaknesses of most demons, such as Enmu. [13] Kyojuro was also able to accurately perceive Tanjiro's wounds and the torn blood vessel, allowing him to teach him how to close that wound and prevent him from dying from blood loss. [13] Furthermore, he was able to detect malice in Enmu's spells and avoided being incapacitated.

Style is fought for.

Fighting style Master Swordsman: As a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kyojuro was one of the most powerful and skilled swordsmen in the entire organization. [24] Furthermore, Kyojuro is part of the Rengoku family, which has an impressive lineage of powerful swordsmen and Flame Hashira, giving Kyojuro an advantage in developing and refining his swordsmanship. His extraordinary swordsmanship has been demonstrated on multiple occasions throughout the series. In his battle against the former Lower Rank Two, Hairo, Kyojuro was able to overcome the demon's bushido sword style, which Hairo appreciated as he was decapitated. Kyojuro's precise swordsmanship could also slow down Enmu in his fused form, giving him the opportunity to explain his plan to Tanjiro and Inosuke. His mastery of the sword is best shown during his battle with Akaza, in which he was more than capable of fighting on equal terms with the Upper Rank who had killed countless Demon Slayers and even multiple Hashiras over the last century, even to the point that Akaza constantly praised Kyojuro's swordsmanship.

breathing style

Flame Breathing (炎ほのおYo呼Yo吸きゅう, Honō no kokyū?): A breathing style taught to Kyojuro by the previous Flame Hashira, Shinjuro Rengoku, and later mastered by reading the instruction books left by previous Flame Hashira in the Rengoku Family. [4] As the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro is the most skilled Flame Breathing user of his generation. He evidently became proficient in fighting with this breathing style, being able to single-handedly defeat the former Lower Rank Two, Hairo, and later defend himself against Upper Rank Three, Akaza. [8] Techniques First Form: Unknown Fire (壱SíElBuenoSí 不知火Por favor, Ichi no kata: Shiranui ? ) [25] - The user charges towards their target at high speed and unleashes a single strike aimed at decapitating them. Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun (GoodMeTheGoodYes butMeMore炎MoreAndMore, Ni no kata: Nobori En Diez ?) [26] - The user launches an upward arcing sword slash. Third form: Blazing Universe (参YoElBuenoSí YoYo炎MásAsiYo象Por favor, San no kata: Kien Banshō ?) [16] - The user swings their sword downwards in an arc. Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation (肆炎のうねり, Shi no kata: Sei En no Uneri) [27] - The user swings their sword in a circular motion used to defend against incoming attacks or cut multiple targets in a single strike. Fifth Form: Flame Tiger (A míYoElBuenoSí 炎Más虎Yo, Go no kata: Enko ? ) [28] - The user performs a series of powerful sword strikes that seemingly take the form of a flaming tiger.

breathing style

Ninth Form: Rengoku (玖くElBuenoSí 煉MásPeroSí, Ku no kata: Rengoku ?, lit. Ninth Form: Purgatory) [29] - The most powerful Flame Breathing technique. The user adopts a high stance with their sword before lunging forward at high speed. The technique is powerful enough to completely excavate the ground in its path. In the film and anime adaptation, this technique apparently took the form of a flaming Japanese dragon that envelops the user as they charge towards the target.

equipment

Team Standard Nichirin Katana: Kyojuro carried a standard-sized and shaped Nichirin katana with a red flame-like pattern along with the words Demon Slayer (butYa¿Quién?YoperoYo殺Ya, Akki Messatsu?) engraved on the side of the blade. The katana's handle is wrapped in white silk cords. Kyojuro's katana's tsuba is flame-shaped with a red core and an orange edge. He also carried a standard white and gray sword sheath.