The very lifeblood of the Demon Slayer Corps whose strength acts as the foundation of their operations, the Hashira are the nine most powerful warriors among the organization’s ranks. In effect, they are the “pillars” upon which the corps rests, reflecting the literal translation of the title Hashira. Often regarded as the most skilled combatants among all characters inDemon Slayer, the Hashira have played central roles in humanity’s fight against the demons. They are also the greatest deterrent against a complete takeover of society bythe Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji, and many of them are comparable in strength to the Twelve Kizuki — the twelve most powerful demons who report directly to Muzan.
After the leader of the corps — a position currently occupied by Kagaya Ubuyashiki — theHashira are the highest ranking membersand command authority among all ranks, superseding even the Kinoe. Each Hashira is often assigned a particular region to patrol, where they are responsible for gathering information on demon activities within their territory and mounting offensives against them when required. Hashira are also usually sent on missions exceed the capabilities of lower ranking members, and are sometimes even in charge of supervising less qualified members of the corps on assignments from time to time. This can be seen in both the Mugen Train and Entertainment District Arcs ofDemon Slayer, where Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were escoreted by the Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku and the Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui respectively.
RELATED:Demon Slayer: 8 Things You Didn’t Know About The Hashiras
Who Are The Hashira?
Selected from among the ranks of elite Demon Slayers in the corps, each Hashirahas their own Breathing Style, with some adhering the more traditional elementally grounded routes and others that come up with their own variants such as Serpent Breathing, Stone Breating, Sound Breathing, Insect Breathing, or Love Breathing. Most wield Nichirin swords like the rest of the corps, with the colour of their sword corresponding to their Breathing Styles, however, some, such as Gyomei and Uzui make use of alternatives such as a flail and axe or a pair of massive Nichirin cleavers respectively. As per the story, Demon Slayers following the Flameand Water Breathing Styleshave succeeded in becoming Hashira in every era. Every Hashira’s weapon has the phrase “Destroyer of Demons” engraved on it, as well as a unique symbol on their hands corresponding to the Breathing Style they use.
Moreover, Hashira are also compensated far more generously for their services than any other rank, being paid whatever sums they desire. It is also quite likely that they can retire at any age, although this is yet to be confirmed entirely. Such autonomy within the ranks is a marker of their monstrous strength, and onlythe upper ranks of the Twelve Kizukican hold a candle to their might. Throughout the series so far, Hashira have displayed feats that far exceed the capabilities of the average Demon Slayer — be it moving faster than the eye can see, dispatching hordes of demons in an instant with ease, or going toe-to-toe with the strongest of Muzan’s lieutenants.
From the current crop of Hashira, several havelost close family members to demons— as in the case of Shinobu and Sanemi — which is the source of their resolve against demon kind. On the other hand, some members of the ranks, such as Rengoku were the children of former Hashira, having grown up in the tradition from their early years. The cast of Hashira in the story boast a vibrant array of personalities, reflecting the diversity of perspectives and Breathing Styles among them. Spanning the likes of Tengen Uzui’s flamboyance, to Giyu Tomioka’s stoic demeanor, Sanemi Shinazugawa’s abrasiveness, to Mitsuri Kanroji’s joviality, and finally, from Gyomei’s gentle and kind nature, to Obanai’s harshness. However, despite all the differences they share and the friction that arises from their contrasting approaches to managing their responsibilities as Hashira, every single one of them is intensely devoted to their roles and do not tolerate any sort of shortcomings from themselves or their peers within the ranks. The process of becoming the Hashira is quite lengthy and arduous, and few Demon Slayers ever succeed due to the incredibly high demands involved.
How Do Demon Slayers Become Hashira?
There are essentially two routes a candidate can take to being considered for a Hashira post, with each coming with its own set of hurdles. First off, they must either amass a kill count of 50 demons while ranked as a Kinoe — the highest in the Demon Slayer Corps, second only to the Hashira themselves — or slay one of the Twelve Kizuki in combat. Both these conditions are extremely difficult to fulfill for Demon Slayers of any rank, highlighting the elite levels of swordsmanship they must reach to even be seen as worthy of the title of Hashira. The other route is only applicable toexceptionally talented Demon Slayerswho become designated successors to certain Hashira, earning the title of Tsuguko. Candidates can either apply, or get scouted by one of the current Hashira, and they will only be able to ascend to the rank of Hashira once their predecessor dies or retires, leaving the position vacant. In most cases, taking either of these routes requires at least five years of intense training, if not more, with only certain prodigious individuals able to complete it in under half that duration. The only known exceptions so far in Demon Slayer are Muichiro Tokito and Gyomei Himejima, the surrent Mist and Stone Hashiras, who rose up to the rank of Hashira in a matter of months.
Hashiras also conduct special training sessions with lower ranked members of the corps, with each of them overseeing a separate part of the traing regimen. Due to the grueling nature of these sessions, Hashira Training is often seen as a never-ending trip to hell by many among the corps. The sessions themselves focus on theall-round development of Demon Slayersof all classes, covering their endurance, flexibility, agility, sword skills, strength, and muscle reinforcement. All Hashira must take part in each other’s traing sessions, as this allows them to elevate their own abilities after being constantly attacked by wave upon wave of juniors.
