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Demon Slayer's Hashira had long operated on the fringes of the shonen anime, only popping up in moments of dire need for the Demon Slayer Corps or on the rare occasion when one of the Upper Moons in the Twelve Kizuki would spread terror and leave destruction in their wake.
As of Demon Slayer Infinity Castle, however, the group of elite demon hunters have been drawn into sharp focus, becoming key players as the anime hurtles towards the final showdown with Muzan Kibutsuji and his legion of demons. With that in mind, we've put together an essential guide to all of Demon Slayer's main Hashira, both past and present. Spoilers for the first four seasons and Infinity Castle follow.
For more, check out our guide on how to watch Demon Slayer in order, plus the our breakdown of the Demon Slayer Infinity Castle ending and what we know so far about Demon Slayer Infinity Castle 2.
What are the Hashira?
The Hashira is the highest rank of the ancient organization known as the Demon Slayer Corps, a group tasked with protecting the world from the scourge of demons. They are renowned for their fearsome fighting abilities and prowess with their respective Breathing Styles, each having mastered their chosen specialty.
To join the ranks of the Hashira you must either kill 50 demons while operating under the rank of Demon Slayer in the Corps or kill one of Muzan's ultra-powerful Twelve Kizuki. As such, new Hashira are exceedingly rare in the series.
Who leads the Hashira?
The Hashira fall under the purview of the Demon Slayer Corps leader. Previously, that was Kagaya, though he perished in an attack by Muzan at the very end of the Hashira Training arc.
As of right now, the Hashira have no set leader – though Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima is often regarded as the most respected authority among the current group.
Is Tanjiro a Hashira?
Despite being pulled from pillar to post by several Hashira instructors in the Hashira Training arc, Tanjiro is not yet a fully-fledged Hashira. He also hasn't matched the required amount of kills as a Demon Slayer, nor has he single-handedly slain an Upper Moon (though he has been part of team efforts on several occasions by this point in the anime).
Full list of Hashira members
Currently in Demon Slayer, there are seven active Hashira, with the Sound Hashira now on the sidelines after an injury sustained during a fight with the Upper Six demon Gyutaro. The Flame Hashira Rengoku was killed by Upper Three demon Akaza during the events of Mugen Train. A separate Hashira, the Thunder Hashira Jigoro, retired after injury and later mentored Zenitsu in Thunder Breathing.
- Flame Hashira – Kyojuro Rengoku (deceased)
- Water Hashira – Giyu Tomioka
- Sound Hashira – Tengen Uzui (retired)
- Love Hashira – Mitsuri Kanroji
- Serpent Hashira – Obanai Iguro
- Stone Hashira – Gyomei Himijima
- Wind Hashira – Sanemi Shinazugawa
- Insect Hashira – Shinobu Kocho (deceased)
- Flower Hashira – Kanae Kocho (deceased)
- Mist Hashira – Muichiro Tokito
Who is the Flame Hashira?
More like who was the Flame Hashira – Kyojuro Rengoku was the previous Flame Hashira, but was killed by Upper Three Akaza during the Mugen Train arc.
A perennial fan favorite, he was known for his appetite and general good-natured demeanor, often bestowing key advice and training on Tanjiro and his friends, Inosuke and Zenitsu.
A proponent of Flame Breathing, Rengoku utilized a katana in battle and was noted for his spirited effort in battles, as well as his own self-taught knowledge of more advanced techniques.
His backstory, including being trained by his father, is referenced in the opening episode of Mugen Train's adapted-for-TV season.
Who is the Water Hashira?
The first Hashira encountered in the entire series is the Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka, who saves both Tanjiro and Nezuko from a demon attack. He later crops back up on Mt. Natagumo to save Tanjiro and his group from a Lower Rank demon.
The polar opposite to Rengoku's enthusiasm, Giyu is often depicted as a stoic, determined warrior – as exemplified by initially staying out of the Hashira Training, before Tanjiro convinced him otherwise.
Giyu uses a Water Breathing style, most notably used in the battle against Lower Rank Rui. He helped defeat Akaza alongside Tanjiro in Demon Slayer Infinity Castle.
Who is the Sound Hashira?
The Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui is one of the most popular Hashira due to his over-the-top appearances in the Entertainment District arc, as well as his particular quirks (his harem of wives included and love of all things 'flashy' included).
Tengen uses Sound Breathing and a pair of swords in battle, with his most prominent moment arriving in the battle against the pair of Upper Six demons, Daki and Gyutaro.
Tengen was forced to retire from the Hashira after losing an eye from Gyutaro's attack, though ultimately helped defeat the Twelve Kizuki members. He is still seen in the series, however, including when he was bringing his own imitable brand of motivation for the cadets in the Demon Slayer Corps during the Hashira Training arc.
Who is the Love Hashira?
The Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji is one of the most unique-looking Hashira, replete with bright pink hair and green highlights. Frequently excitable and passionate, it is revealed in a manga side story that she originally joined the Demon Slayer Corps in order to find a strong husband.
Her shining moment so far in the anime arrived in the Swordsmith Village arc, aiding Tanjiro in his fight against the Upper Four, Hantengu. Her use of Love Breathing makes her a formidable opponent for most demons, while the Hashira Training showcased her world-class flexibility in battle – which proves a potent weapon in battle alongside her trademark whip sword.
The Love Hashira will appear in the Demon Slayer Infinity Castle trilogy.
Who is the Serpent Hashira?
He may look like a demon from his appearance, but the Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro (who has heterochromia, with one yellow and one green eye) stands out as one of the Hashira's finest combatants.
Iguro's unique look includes a bandaged mouth, with his snake companion never too far from his side. However, anime viewers have seen little of Iguro's true prowess to date, remaining one of the few Hashira to have never fought an Upper Rank during the present events of the series.
Who is the Stone Hashira?
The Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima is best known for his emotions bubbling over, but the series has predominantly been focused on other Hashira, barring his own episode in the Hashira Training arc. As you might expect by this point, he uses the Stone Breathing and wields a flail and axe. One of his trademark moves is Repetitive Action, which greatly boosts a user's strength.
Gyomei's backstory is one of the more tragic among the Hashira, wrongly being accused of murder and imprisoned as a child.
Much like the Serpent Hashira, Gyomei hasn't fought an Upper Rank demon on-screen, though he appeared in the Infinity Castle movie.
Who is the Wind Hashira?
Sanemi Shinazugawa is the Wind Hashira and older brother of the demon slayer Genya. His first appearance in the series puts him in conflict with Tanjiro and his half-demon, half-human sister Nezuko and even calls for her execution, but his stance soon softens.
He is a user of the Wind Breathing technique and took down a legion of unnamed demons in the first Demon Slayer Infinity Castle movie.
Who is the Insect Hashira?
The Insect Hashira is Shinobu Kocho, with her sister Kanae previously taking up the position of the Flower Hashira before her death.
She initially tried to kill Nezuko during her first appearance, but has since become a trusted ally and confidant to her and Tanjiro. Her fighting style is Insect Breathing, with Shinobu being able to masterfully use poison to defeat her enemies. The Insect Hashira will played a key role in the first Infinity Castle movie, ultimately perishing at the hands of Upper Moon 2 demon Domu. She previously helped Tanjiro fight off one of the spider demons in the first season's mini-arc on Mt. Natagumo.
Who is the Mist Hashira?
Finally, the Mist Hashira is Muichiro Tokito, a key ally for Tanjiro during the events of the Swordsmith Village, even if his fearsome performance against Hantengu belied his typically reserved, dopey nature.
Muichiro once watched his twin brother die at the hands of a demon, which activated his Demon Slayer mark and led him on the path to becoming a Hashira. He is the youngest Hashira at only 14 years old and utilizes the Mist Breathing style.
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