Summary
- Kokushibo, the Upper Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki, is feared and almost equals Muzan in power.
- His fear of death led him to leave his humanity behind and become a demon.
- Despite achieving immortality and power, Kokushibo’s ultimate fear was failure, which he faced in a battle with his brother.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer manga.
Out of the Twelve Kizuki, Kokushibo, the Upper Rank One is the most feared and the most terrifying one in Demon Slayer. In terms of power, he is almost equal to Muzan Kibutsuji, the strongest demon of all time. He was part of the Demon Slayer corps along with his twin brother, and he was a remarkable swordsman before becoming a demon.
Kokushibo was challenged for his position as an upper moon three times, and yet no one could ever defeat him. When he was still a human, he used the moon breathing technique, which was a derivative of his brother’s Sun Breathing technique.
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Origin Of Kokushibo In Demon Slayer
What Made Him Leave His Humanity
Kokushibo’s actual name was Michikatsu Tsukigini. Michikatsu and his twin brother Yoriichi were born in the Sengoku period when it was considered bad luck for twins to be born. Since his twin brother Yoriichi had a strange mark on his forehead, their father announced that he would be killed, but their mother interfered. Both Yoriichi and Kokushibo were raised very differently, as Yoriichi was only confined to his room, separate from the rest of the house, while Michikatsu trained to become a samurai.
However, one incident where Yoriichi managed to land four devastating blows on a man as a child made Michikatsu extremely jealous of his younger brother’s natural talents. When he grew up, he became a samurai and soon after joined the Demon Slayer Corps, where he trained with his brother.
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How Kokushibo Became A Demon
When he was still a samurai, he married a woman and had two children later. One night, Michikatsu and his fellow samurais were attacked by a demon who killed everyone. Fortunately, Michikatsu was able to survive as Yoriichi came to his rescue. After joining the Demon Slayer Corps, Yoriichi invented the powerful sun-breathing style, which he tried to teach everyone, but no one could match his potential. This is how other breathing styles, like the Wind Breathing and Moon Breathing, came into being.
Eventually, Michikatsu also obtained a Demon Slayer mark similar to that of his younger brother. However, instead of being proud of his accomplishments, he became more and more frustrated and also did not want to die, as anyone who inherits the Demon Slayer Mark only lives up to the age of 25. So when Muzan Kibutsuji offered him the chance to become a demon, he accepted gladly.
The path I have walked is nothing but an endless pursuit of strength. I have no regrets – Kokushibo
Changing his name from Michikatsu to Kokushibo, he became one of the most powerful demons and became the Upper-Rank One of the 12 Kizuki, with no one ever being able to replace him.
veryone trembled in his presence, and it is evident from the fact that even when Muichiro Tokito, a powerful Hashira, encountered Kokushibo for the first time, he froze in fear. Also, during a meeting in the Infinity Castle, when he is introduced for the first time, all the 12 Moon Kizuki feared him greatly.
You think you can defeat me? I am an existence beyond human comprehension – Kokushibo
In addition to his amazing swordsmanship, he is also able to use his blood demon art, where he can manipulate his blade in any form he wants. Safe to say, facing Kokushibo is no less than a nightmare. Despite how powerful he is, he is still afraid of a few things that the audience might have missed.
So What Actually Scared Kokushibo?
Even The Upper Moon One Kizuki Had His Nightmares To Deal With
It’s hard to believe that a powerful demon like Kokushibo himself can be scared of anything. After analyzing his character, it appears that Kokushibo is very afraid of death. The whole reason he left the Demon Slayer corps and became a demon was to avoid the curse of the Demon Slayer mark. Despite knowing that becoming a demon would not only result in him losing his humanity but also his loved ones, he still deems it as a necessary step.
The only one I fear… is him (Yoriichi) – Kokushibo
Now, after achieving immortality, he spent all his time in training, rigorously improving his sword skills as well as blood demon art. Even though he eventually got what he wanted, he could not escape the feeling of emptiness inside him. Furthermore, his insecurity that stemmed from his younger brother’s talents remained strong even after his transformation.
He could never escape the shadow of his twin brother, and his hatred only grew worse. When Muzan Kibutsuji went to take on Yoriichi, he realized how powerful Yoriichi was, as he barely escaped his life. So, if Muzan couldn’t defeat Yoriichi, Kokushibo would have no chance against him.
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The Complex Relationship Of Yoriichi And Kokushibo
So what Kokushibo feared was not just death but also failure, and perhaps that was the main reason he chose to leave his humanity behind, gaining power in any way possible to surpass his younger brother. After his transformation, his fear of death was more or less gone. Even after being beheaded in one instant, he managed to regenerate his head, which made him a formidable opponent to the Demon Slayer corps.
However, despite having such immense power, he couldn’t avoid the one thing he feared, perhaps greater than death, which was a failure. When Kokushibo and Yoriichi meet for the last time, the latter is extremely old. Yoriichi, upon seeing how his brother turned out, gets very heartbroken but still has no hatred towards him. The two then engage in a sword fight, and Yoriichi delivers a powerful blow, slicing Kokushibo’s neck.
This proved that even with his poor physical health, he was easily capable of killing Kokushibo. His quick strike toward his neck was perhaps the scariest thing the demon had ever witnessed. He barely managed to survive the attack and knew that the next one would definitely kill him. However, at that very moment, Yoriichi died on the spot due to his old age. Upon seeing this, Kokushibo felt the biggest defeat of his life.
Someday, the children now being born will surpass us and ascend to even greater heights – Yoriichi
Even after sacrificing his humanity in the pursuit of power, he could not beat his younger brother even in his old age. Yoriichi left behind a legacy and inspiration for the next generations of Demon Slayer Corps to come. This is why, despite very few mentions of him in both the anime and manga, he is regarded as one of the most iconic characters in the Demon Slayer universe.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
- Release Date
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April 6, 2019
- Cast
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Natsuki Hanae
, Zach Aguilar
, Abby Trott
, Akari Kitō
, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka - Main Genre
-
Animation
- Seasons
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5