Kokushibo

Kokushibo

Devil

Human

 Devil

Kanji

黒死牟 (Demon)

継国厳勝 (Human)

Romaji

Kokushibō (Demon)

Tsugikuni Michikatsu (Human)

Other names

Michikatsu Tsugikuni (Human)

Characteristics

Race

Devil

Kind

Male

Age

20-24 (Physically)

>480 (Chronologically)

Cut

190cm (6'2⅞")

Weight

93 kg (205 lbs)

Membership

Membership

Demon Slayer Army (Formerly)

Twelve Demon Moons

Occupation

1st Greater Demonic Moon Demon

Slayer (Formerly)

fighting style

Breath of the Moon

Blood Power

Personal status

Status

To show

Beginnings

manga

Chapter 98 (Partial Appearance)

Chapter 99 (Full Appearance)

Kokushibo ( 黒 こく 死 し 牟 ぼう Kokushibō ) is a major antagonist in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. He is a demon affiliated with the Twelve Demonic Moons , occupying the highest position, the Upper First Moon.

Almost five centuries ago in the Sengoku era, Kokushibo was a human named Michikatsu Tsugikuni ( 継 つぎ 国 くに 厳 みち 勝 かつ Tsugikuni Michikatsu ), a former Demon Slayer and the older twin brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni .

 

Kokushibo is also the ancestor of Muichiro Tokito and Yuichiro Tokito and the one who turned Zenitsu Agatsuma 's elder Kaigaku into a demon and joined the Twelve Demon Moons.

 

 

Summary

1  Appearance

2  Personality

3  History

3.1  Human past

3.2  Demonic Past

4  Synopses

4.1  Pleasure Quarter Arc

4.2  Infinite Dimension Fortress Arc

5  Relationships

5.1  Yoriichi Tsugikuni

5.2  Yuichiro Tokito

5.3  Muichiro Tokito

5.4  Muzan Kibutsuji

5.5  Akaza

6  Abilities

6.1  Blood Power

7  Fighting Style

7.1  Sword Skills

8  Equipment

9  Genealogy

10  fights

11  Anecdotes

Appearance

As a demon, Kokushibo took the form of a tall, muscular, pale-skinned man with long, spiky hair with red tips that he kept in a ponytail. His most notable feature is the three pairs of eyes on his face with red sclera and yellow irises. His middle pair of eyes featured the Higher Rank kanji, and red flame-like markings were seen on his face and neck. Even so, his appearance was described as extremely dignified and majestic by the Pillar of Mist, Muichiro Tokito.

 

Kokushibo wore a purple and black patterned nagagi kimono and black hakama pants tied with white cloth. He wore a fleshy katana at his waist that had eyes in the space between the tsuka wrapping around the handle of his sword. The tsuba and blade were also later revealed to have eyes and veins.

 

As a human, Kokushibo's appearance was nearly identical to his demonic form, save for the number of eyes, prominent eyebrows, and notably less pale skin. His eyes had brown irises and normal, white sclera like a human. As a child, he was usually seen wearing a white kimono as opposed to the purple and black patterned kimono he wore as an adult.

 

After being beheaded by Sanemi Shinazugawa and Gyomei Himejima , Kokushibo evolved into a grotesque version of his demon appearance, complete with protruding fangs, a pair of horns, sharp fingernails, and several sharp fleshy appendages on the back of his body.

 

Personality

Kokushibo was often very reserved as a demon, and with so little knowledge of the higher ranks, not much was known about him originally. He was an inflexible follower of the rules, punctual, and he showed great respect for the hierarchy of the Twelve Moons - as seen in the meeting of the upper ranks. Kokushibo was also portrayed as being humble, and he wasn't shy about admitting failure or complaining about any difficulties. He has shown a strong sense of loyalty to Muzan Kibutsuji, with most of his actions being done for the sole purpose of achieving Muzan's goals. Despite his outward reserve and humility, he was also rather cold; his words could be extremely harsh, especially when scolding individuals. His threats proved to be nothing short of cruel and extremely serious, and he demanded absolute obedience.

 

Kokushibo also showed genuine delight when the opponents he faced challenged him; such as helping dress Muichiro Tokito's amputated hand on his swordsmanship, praising Gyomei Himejima for his unparalleled human abilities, and sparing Akaza because he loved the challenge of fighting him. However, because of this, he also felt irritation after realizing he was dead and he took pity on Gyomei for his impending death after unlocking his Demon Slayer Marks.

 

He had a complex relationship with his human past. He showed something warm towards his descendant, Muichiro, praising his skills and determination, and decided to convert Muichiro into a demon to spare his life. At the same time, he referred to Muichiro and his abilities as the natural result of transmitting his "cells".

 

In his duel against Gyomei, the demon's jokes suggested a fear of death. When Gyomei's marks appeared, Kokushibo preemptively lamented the loss of a talented fighter and urged him to become a demon to continue honing his skills. He looked surprised when Gyomei vehemently rejected his offer and called his mentality pathetic.

 

It was revealed that as a human, Kokushibo harbors an immense sense of envy towards his younger twin brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, for his natural talent and incredible abilities. These feelings of jealousy and contempt were reinforced by seeing his brother grow into an old man despite Yoriichi awakening his Demon Slayer Mark, which was meant to doom him to die at the age of 25. However, despite this immense jealousy, spite, and outright hatred he harbored for Yoriichi, he still deeply loved his brother, as seen when he was touched by Yoriichi cherishing the hand flute he had made for him when he was a child. Kokushibo shed real tears over his brother's death and even went so far as to keep the flute himself for centuries to come in remembrance of his beloved and hated younger brother.

 

Likely due to his inferiority complex and immense desire for strength, Kokushibo feared the prospect of suffering defeat. So much so that he became increasingly aggressive and agitated when pushed further into a corner, making him more desperate in his attacks and use of his demonic power. During his battle with the Pillars, he realized the high price he had paid for the strength he so desired, becoming an ugly monster far removed from his idealized dream of becoming the strongest samurai just like his brother, symbolizing how his deep ambitions and resentment had warped him for the worse. Additionally, his exaggerated desire to surpass his brother even manifests in the form of his six eyes, implying his desperation to reach the Transparent World in order to surpass his brother. Later after his death, he greatly lamented and regretted his choices in his life and began to openly question whether the path he had taken was really the right one. Kokushibo died without knowing why he was born and was full of regret and grief that he couldn't achieve everything he wanted.

 

Story

Human past

 

Born during the Sengoku period, Kokushibo's birth name was Michikatsu Tsugikuni. When he and his brother Yoriichi were born, twins were considered a bad omen, and when their father saw that Yoriichi had a strange birthmark on his forehead, he declared that he would kill Yoriichi. However, their mother Akeno Tsugikuni was outraged by his announcement, and a deal was made that instead of being killed, Yoriichi would be sent to the temple and become a priest at the age of ten. Yoriichi and Michikatsu grew up very differently, with Yoriichi confined to a three-tatami room separate from the rest of the house and kept away from his brother. Michikatsu, who snuck behind their father's back to see his brother, took pity on Yoriichi, who was thought to be deaf until the age of seven, and clung to his mother's side every times Michikatsu saw her. At one point, he gifted Yoriichi with a flute he made.

 

Around the age of seven, Michikatsu practiced swordplay while his brother watched. It was then that Yoriichi spoke for the first time, shocking Michikatsu; However, Yoriichi's statement of his goal to become a samurai like his brother was overruled, as he would be sent to the temple at the age of ten. Nonetheless, Yoriichi continued to watch Michikatsu's training, and one day one of their father's men offered to give Yoriichi instructions. Although he only showed Yoriichi a basic stance, the boy was able to land four blows on the man. This incident puzzled Michikatsu, who had never landed a blow before, and he begged his brother to tell him his secret. Much to Michikatsu's disappointment, Yoriichi only expressed his distaste for fighting and stated that he no longer wanted to become a samurai. Once, however, Yoriichi mentioned that before taking a stand, he would take a deep breath, examining his bone alignment, muscle contraction, and blood flow, implying an early form of the solar breathing style that Yoriichi would later adopt. This conversation caused Michikatsu to realize that for Yoriichi, the bodies of living beings were transparent, leading him to pursue bladebending with renewed intensity.

 

As Michikatsu studied swordsmanship, he felt envious of his brother, who he felt was wasting his natural physical talent. He was also worried that now that their father was probably aware of Yoriichi's immense potential, their roles would be swapped and he would be the one sent to the temple instead of Yoriichi. Yoriichi recognized him as well; the night their mother finally succumbed to her illness, he came to Michikatsu's room at three o'clock in the morning to tell his brother the news and to bid farewell to Michikatsu, as he planned to leave for the temple before their father cannot make Yoriichi the family's new successor. Yoriichi expressed his gratitude to his brother for giving him heart and affectionately held the flute Michikatsu had given him earlier. Michikatsu, however, was irritated, wondering how Yoriichi could cherish a flute that couldn't even play in tune, and watched his brother leave without saying anything. His jealousy of his brother only increased when he read his mother's diary after her death, which revealed that Yoriichi had known all about their mother's illness since her death and the growing weakness of her left side. his body, and had planned accordingly. From then on, Michikatsu resented Yoriichi, whom he realized was not only physically gifted, but also a genius. He wished his brother dead and for the next few years, hearing nothing from him, he believed it was true.

 

Ten years later, Michikatsu became a samurai and married a woman who gave birth to two of his children. One night, a Demon attacked his camp and left him the only survivor, but was quickly killed by Yoriichi who came to his rescue and apologized for not being able to save his subordinates. Seeing the object of his hatred again and writhing with jealousy, Michikatsu abandoned his family and became a Demon Slayer to train with Yoriichi. He saw his brother attempt to teach the other Demon Slayers his own breathing technique to no avail. Anyway, he modified them according to their own strength, creating the first breathing techniques. During this time, he trained alongside a Breath of the Wind user and honed his sword skills with them. Eventually, Michikatsu awakened a demon slayer mark and developed a breathing style derived from solar breathing known as Moon Breath. Despite this accomplishment, it left a sour taste as it still wasn't as powerful as Yoriichi's own Breath of the Sun.

 

As a demon slayer, Michikatsu was often proud of his generation's uniqueness, but was angered by his brother's optimism when he brought up the fact that the pair had no successors in line for their styles of unique breaths, the breath of the sun and the breath of the moon.

 

Demonic Past

 

Frustrated at being unable to surpass his brother, as well as fearing the fatal death of those who awakened their Demon Slayer Marks, Michikatsu was persuaded by Muzan Kibutsuji and became a demon, taking the name Kokushibo. Because he was also a breath user, it took him three days to fully transform into a demon. Eventually, he became senior rank one of the Twelve Moons, remaining at that rank for hundreds of years, while his original name was lost to history.

 

At some point, he killed the previous Oyakata (the father of the Oyakata of his time) and brought his head to Muzan.

 

Sixty years after becoming a demon, he came face to face with Yoriichi for the last time. Yoriichi was devastated by his decision to transform, while Kokushibo became disgusted to see his now aged and decrepit younger twin, as well as enraged upon realizing that he defied the fate of all Marked Demon Slayers by being much more. only 25 years old. Beyond that, Kokushibo wasn't as angry to see him as he expected. Seeing Yoriichi crying shocked Kokushibo, as it was the first time he showed emotion in his presence, confusing him. Since Yoriichi was still a demon slayer and wanted to get rid of his human past, he knew he had to kill his younger brother. Despite his old age and apparent blindness, Yoriichi's fighting stance with a view to striking frightened Kokushibo, who then knew his immense skill and power were still present. Although he grabbed his blade in anticipation, Yoriichi had already struck and sliced ​​his neck. Kokushibo grew angry seeing that his brother's strength hadn't weakened at all and waited for a return strike, knowing that it would definitely kill him.

 

Yoriichi never had the chance to completely cut off Kokushibo's head, dying of old age upon rising. At that moment, Kokushibo got really furious, seeing that his ever-excellent brother had appeared in front of him after transcending everything and to die of old age instead of losing a battle, also knowing that even Muzan couldn't scratch Yoriichi, his lucky fair battle is now lost and his brother remains undefeated forever. Enraged by feelings of inferiority, he cut Yoriichi's body in half, but inadvertently broke the flute he gave him as a child. Seeing that he was still thinking about himself even after his transformation, Kokushibo couldn't help but shed a tear. Unable to truly sever his bond with his brother, he decided to keep the flute for himself.

 

After that, Kokushibo helped Muzan kill all of the Breath of the Sun users to prevent another Demon Slayer from having the power to kill the Demon Lord.

 

After battling many Demon Slayers through the centuries, he encountered a Demon Slayer around 300 years before present with an ability similar to Genya's Devouring Demons to enhance his own strength. It is implied that this Demon Slayer's ability was not as skilled as Genya's given that Kokushibo killed him just by cutting his torso in half.

 

Synopsis

Pleasure District Arc

 

Kokushibo was summoned to a meeting of the upper ranks, arriving before all of his colleagues. He sat silently facing a wall, speaking only when his presence was acknowledged by the demon Biwa, and revealing that Muzan had arrived. Muzan revealed Gyutaro's death, berating Kokushibo and his upper rank comrades for being unable to destroy the Ubuyashiki Family and failing to find the Blue Spider Lily. Kokushibo admitted that he had nothing to say in his defense, as Kagaya Ubuyashiki cleverly hid.

 

After Akaza brutally destroyed Doma's head, Kokushibo secretly cut off the former's hand, stating that he had gone too far. He explained to Doma that he had not intervened for his benefit, but for the preservation of the hierarchy of the High Ranks system. He then told Akaza to stage a bloody battle if he wanted to take Doma's position, asking him if he understood what he was being told. Akaza acknowledged this fact; promising to kill the high-ranking top tier, which Kokushibo wished him luck before leaving.

 

Infinite Dimension Fortress Arc

 

During a meeting of the Pillars reporting the appearance of strange marks, Amane Ubuyashiki recalls that these marks were common among a select few users of the original breath style, Kokushibo having been one of those few.

 

Kaigaku recalls meeting Kokushibo while hiring Zenitsu. Then, Kokushibo overwhelmed him and he quickly surrendered. But he decided to give Kaigaku a second chance and offered him a large amount of Muzan's blood, then hoping that Muzan would accept him, he could take a place among the High Moons. Kokushibo told the Demon Slayer to be grateful for his gift, but threatened to behead him if he spilled a drop.

 

After Akaza's death, Kokushibo is seen alone. Whispering how Akaza had given up on his way to reach new heights and how he failed to defeat Kokushibo, and scolded him for his weakness. Simultaneously, he grabs his katana and instantly cuts the surrounding rock pillar into pieces with a single blow.

 

Shortly after, Muichiro Tokito is transported to the same room as Kokushibo. Kokushibo then comments, "You came...Demon Slayer. For some reason...you look familiar". He then deduces that Muichiro is the descendant of a child he left behind after becoming a demon. He also deduces that his human surname of Tsugikuni died out over the generations. After Muichiro calms down and performs various styles of Breath of the Mist, his Demon Slayer Mark appears. Kokushibo then completes how accomplished Muichiro is as a swordsman at such a young age. Kokushibo states that it must be due to the powerful blood he passed down, though Muichiro dismisses such claims. After a few more fights, Kokushibo manages to cut off Muichiro's arm. Muichiro quickly tightens his arm to stop the bleeding, greatly impressing Kokushibo. However, Muichiro is pinned effortlessly against a Pillar when Kokushibo impales him with Muichiro's own sword. Kokushibo then offers Muichiro the chance to become a demon loyal to Muzan, stating that it would not only heal his arm, but also grant him great power.

 

This discussion is however interrupted by Genya firing his gun. Kokushibo effortlessly dodges the gunshot, appearing behind Genya and then proceeding to cut his arms and torso in half, commenting, "Hmm... I see... You're the one eating demons, huh?" However, he realizes that Genya is different from the other imitation demon from 300 years ago and the way to kill him is the same way regular demons are killed, by cutting off their heads. Before he has the opportunity to do so, Genya is saved by his brother. After Genya apologizes for everything he did to Sanemi, Kokushibo states that: "Hmm...brothers and demon slayer, this brings back memories...".

 

Sanemi and Kokushibo then begin their intense duel, with Kokushibo being slightly taken aback by the skill of the Wind Pillar. However, he keeps his cool and states that he could not survive if his senses were not sharpened by long experience. This continues for a while, with Kokushibo even stating that long ago, in the Sengoku era, he gained a lot of experience fighting the equally powerful Wind Pillar. Kokushibo then gets a pretty good cut on Sanemi, stating that moving would cause his innards to overflow. Sanemi laughs hysterically, boasting that he has marechi blood. Sanemi uses her abnormal body and breath abilities to control her muscles to clot blood and stop bleeding as much as possible. After some difficulty and Kokushibo relishing the opportunity to fight such a skilled Pillar, he was about to land a major blow until Gyomei, the Rock Pillar arrived.

 

Kokushibo was unable to hold himself back. Openly stating that he admired Gyomei's physical form. After an intense back-and-forth battle, Gyomei reveals his trump card he wanted to keep for Muzan, his demon slayer brand. Kokushibo then confirms that he also has the Demon Slayer Mark. Almost showing sympathy towards Gyomei, he reveals the demon-slaying mark's caveat: "Without exception, those marked die before they reach the age of 25." Stating that the mark reduces life expectancy and that Gyomei should be dead by the end of the night since he is 27 years old. After an existential discussion about what it means to be a demon slayer and a human, Kokushibo offers Gyomei the chance to become a demon so he can survive and continue to hone his craft the same way he did. . Gyomei flatly rejects the offer and states that Kokushibo told a lie: "I suspect there was an exception. There was one who had the mark, lived over 25 years and is still alive.". The two continue their intense battle. After Sanemi manages to stitch up his wound, he joins the fray as the two now take on Kokushibo in a 2-on-1 battle. Kokushibo notes in surprise how easily they are able to cooperate despite using two breaths different. The three continue their fight until suddenly, Sanemi and Gyomei are cut by what appears to be an elongated sword with three blades extending from the sides, two on one side and one on the other. Kokushibo now appears to be completely serious in his encounter, angrily stating, "You just shredded my kimono, not even enough to kill a baby. Once I send you two, the rest will go easily."

 

In the meantime, Muichiro manages to free himself from the pillar. With what little life he has left, he helps Genya by hanging up his body and feeding him a tuft of Kokushibo's hair. Genya then feels a power he's never felt before, but more importantly, he seems to hear Muzan's voice directly, asking Kokushibo how many Pillars he defeated, indicating that Muzan is probably still incapacitated by the initial blast and the Blood Power that Tamayo performed on him.

 

The battle then begins to resume, with Kokushibo's attacks increasing in both intensity and frequency. He is able to cut off two of Sanemi's fingers, and both Gyomei and Sanemi are reduced to putting all their effort into just avoiding his attacks. Although it looks like Sanemi is about to lose, Muichiro joins the battle, saving the other Hashira just in time. Genya, who is hiding from battle behind a wall, recalls a conversation he had with Tanjiro about being the weakest person in a battle and, motivated by this, swallows a broken piece of Kokoshibo's blade in order to gain his abilities. The advantage seems to be moving towards Kokushibo again, but in an unexpected turn of events, Gyomei is able to cut off the upper rank's right arm while Muichiro stabs him through the torso, immobilizing him while Genya unleashes a barrage of bullets at the demon using his weapon. , which he modified using his own cells similarly to Kokushibo's sword. The bullets embedded in the demon's flesh then burst into "trees", completely trapping him as Gyomei and Sanemi rush to finish him off. The sensation unsettles Kokushibo, who recalls an encounter 400 years ago in which he met his younger brother, Yoriichi, after not seeing him for 60 years. During the encounter, Yoriichi managed to land a blow on his brother's neck, something no one had ever done before; however, Yoriichi died standing before he could land the next blow.

 

Enraged at the thought of being defeated, Kokushibo erupts several blades from his body and mortally wounds Muichiro and Genya and severely injures Sanemi and Gyomei. Still, the four charges forward, undeterred. As Muichiro's blade turns red, seemingly seeing Kokushibo's organs, Genya unleashes another Blood Power, rooting another tree into Kokushibo's back as Gyomei strikes Kokushibo's head with his flail and Sanemi rushes forward. with his sword. Their weapons all begin to turn red, and struck by his brother's thoughts, Kokushibo marvels at how the Demon Slayers who came after them have risen to surpass them. However, wonderment soon gives way to rage when Kokushibo's head is severed and, much to the horror of the four Slayers, Kokushibo pushes his head back.

 

Kokushibo begins to rejoice, boasting that now that he has defeated Death by beheading him, all attacks directed at him are now useless. However, his triumph is replaced by disbelief when he sees himself in the reflection of Sanemi's blade. Its new form is monstrous, with tusks and spikes protruding from its head, face, and back. Disgusted by his new appearance, he recalls his original motivation to be the strongest samurai in the land and wonders if the path he took is what he really wanted. As he ponders his motives, Gyomei is able to crush his head with his flail, decapitating Kokushibo again. The Top Rank attempts to regenerate, but to his disbelief, his flesh begins to crumble and he is rendered unable to use his Blood Power due to Muichiro's red blade getting stuck in his body.

 

As he falls to the ground, disintegrating, he bitterly reflects that he only wanted to be like Yoriichi. He remembers that the only thing he wanted to forget is the thing he can only remember vividly, Yoriichi's face. As his life flashed before him, he admits he gave it all up and in the end accomplished nothing by killing his only blood relative and betraying his samurai code. In his final moments, he asked why he was ever born, calling out to his brother for an answer, before disappearing completely and leaving only his broken flute behind.

 

Relationships

Yoriichi Tsugikuni

 

Yoriichi was Kokushibo's younger twin – Michikatsu in this case since that's the name Yoriichi knew him. During their childhood, Michikatsu always viewed Yoriichi as inferior to him. When the twins were born, Yoriichi was ostracized by his brother because of the grotesque mark he wore, while Michikatsu was chosen to be the family's successor. He took pity on Yoriichi for what he perceived to be childish behavior, spurred on by the way Yoriichi clung to their mother. Despite this, Michikatsu went out of his way to talk and interact with his younger brother, even risking being beaten by their father who forbade interactions between the two. On one occasion, Michikatsu snuck out and gave Yoriichi a handmade flute. He told him to blow on it whenever he was in trouble, stating that he would come right away to protect his younger brother.

 

When Yoriichi was revealed to have a prodigious natural talent for swordsmanship, the brothers' roles within the house were reversed. Michikatsu was no longer seen as the family's successor, occupying his brother's small secluded bedroom while Yoriichi took his place as the family's heir. This event fueled Michikatsu's desire to master the ways of the sword and would stoke budding emotions of jealousy towards his brother.

 

When their mother died suddenly, Yoriichi informed Michikatsu that he would be leaving home. As he said goodbye, Yoriichi took out the flute Michikatsu had given him. He smiled, holding him close, telling Michikatsu that he was precious and that he thought of him as himself. Michikatsu was disturbed by his brother's smile and confused that his brother treasured what he considered a "piece of junk". After reading their mother's diary, Michikatsu discovered that Yoriichi was not clinging to his mother but actually supporting her, knowing how much her illness was weakening him. This realization infuriates Michikatsu, a deep hatred and jealousy towards Yoriichi taking root in him, to the point that he wishes Yoriichi had never been born and mentally begs him to die.

 

Despite the monstrous jealousy he harbored towards Yoriichi, Michikatsu still had a complex and deeply buried love for his younger brother. This is strongly implied by the tears shed by him after realizing that the flute he gave to his brother remained with Yorichii after all this time. In turn, Michikatsu was unable to part with the flute after the latter's death, and kept it on his person for hundreds of years thereafter until his own demise.

 

Yuichiro Tokyo

 

Kokushibo had no interaction with Yuichiro since he had died years before Muichiro became a swordsman. However, Yuichiro is a descendant of Kokushibo's immediate family.

 

Muichiro Tokyo

 

When two swordsmen meet for the first time, Kokushibo immediately notices that Muichiro looks familiar to him. After telling Kokushibo his name, Muichiro is stunned when told that he is a descendant of Kokushibo. The aura given off by Kokushibo is intimidating to the point that Muichiro is left shaking and unable to move. However, he is able to overcome his fear and attack Kokushibo but is easily overpowered. Kokushibo openly says that Muichiro has developed swordsmanship for someone his age and is impressed to the point where he will convert him into a demon to serve Muzan.

 

As the battle between Kokushibo and the Slayers comes to an end, Muichiro is able to close in on him and stab him with his transformed red katana, temporarily immobilizing him. However, Kokushibo continues to punch and mortally wounds Muichiro. At the end of their battle, Kokushibo displays his remorse for slaughtering his descendants.

 

Muzan Kibutsuji

 

Not much is known about Kokushibo's perspective towards Muzan, he was willing to become a demon on his own because he believed he wouldn't live long after being marked. However, it can be assumed that Kokushibo holds Muzan in awe as he calls him "Lord" as well as "his lordship". In return, Muzan considers him a business partner.

 

akaza

 

There is hostility between Kokushibo and Akaza. He doesn't get along with Akaza, as he sees him as a weakling who disrespects Kizuki who is of a higher rank than him. This is first shown when he berates him for trying to fight Doma, and later when he calls him "very weak" for refusing to continue fighting against Giyu Tomioka and Tanjiro Kamado. However, despite not getting along with Akaza, Kokushibo later shows his appreciation towards him after learning that Akaza was almost able to regenerate his head, prompting Kokushibo to attempt the same.

 

Abilities

Overall Abilities: Kokushibo was an extraordinarily powerful demon, proven to be the strongest of the Twelve Moons and the second strongest demon in existence, second only to Muzan Kibutsuji himself. As one of the oldest demons in the series, he had fought many demon slayers and gained vast experience and knowledge of combat. He was able to easily decipher the techniques and skills of at least two Hashira and overwhelm them in battle. His physique is one of the finest and most immense in existence, as he is not only a Total Concentration Breath user, but also a marked individual as well as a member of the Twelve Moons who possesses the strongest concentration of blood improving Muzan's physique in the organization.

 

These all-encompassing abilities and skills allowed Kokushibo to defeat two Pillars with minimal effort and then battle against Sanemi and Gyomei, the latter of whom is considered the strongest Demon Slayer in the current generation Demon Slayer Corps. . Even when Gyomei and Sanemi awakened their Demon Slayer Marks, which increased their physical abilities well above their normal limit, he was still able to hold his own against both of them simultaneously.

 

As a testament to his power, it ultimately took a combination of attacks from Gyomei Himejima, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Muichiro Tokito, and Genya Shinazugawa to even inflict a significant injury on him. He was so strong that the only way for the Demon Slayers to win was to immobilize him, which cost the lives of Muichiro and Genya, the latter having to use a Blood Power to do so, which means that normal attacks wouldn't work against Kokushibo at all. Towards the end of their fight, he even gained the ability to regenerate his severed head, leaving the sun as his only weakness. In the end, Kobushibo's loss was mostly the result of his resolve wavering upon realizing that his lust for power had turned him into a monster, causing him to stop regenerating, rather than his opponents' skills.

 

Biological Absorption: Kokushibo possesses the ability to absorb human bodies through physical contact. Although this trait was never displayed, it indicated that Kokushibo would absorb demons that challenged him and were defeated. It can probably be assumed that he uses this method as a faster alternative to consuming humans or demon slayers.

 

Demon Slayer Mark  : Kokushibo awakened his mark when he trained under Yoriichi. Its specific abilities are unknown, but what is known is that it greatly enhances the Demon Slayer's abilities, making them much stronger and faster than what they can normally accomplish, but at the cost of be cursed to die at the age of 25. As a demon, not only was Kokushibo no longer bound by the curse as demons are immortal, but the mark's abilities were further enhanced than when he was a human.

 

Transparent World: Similar to Tanjiro, Kokushibo gained the ability to constantly see the "Transparent World" through the use of his three pairs of eyes. This allows him to see the muscles, blood flow and joint movements of his opponents. He can accurately predict and anticipate his opponents' moves and attacks with this ability. He was also able to identify that Muichiro was his descendant, immediately discern the skill level of Muichiro, Sanemi, and Gyomei with a single look, and see that Genya Shinazugawa was consuming demons to gain strength by examining his cell structures.

Extrasensory Perception: Kokushibo can sense the presence of other people outside his range of perception, as shown when he dodged Genya's gunfire and appeared directly behind him despite Kokushibo not looking at all Genia. With the Transparent World, he could perceive bodily structures and see through his opponents' bodies and use this information to predict their attacks and movements. He also appears to be extremely adept at using the transparent world, being able to trace a young child's heritage back to his own lineage with just a glance. He is also able to immediately determine the strength of his opponents by examining their muscles and body structure. Outside of his vision, Kokushibo also seems to be able to keep track of the location of his peers around Infinity Castle, which is evident as he no longer felt Akaza's presence when he died.

 

Flesh Manipulation: Like all demons, Kokushibo possesses the ability to manipulate his own flesh, albeit to a much higher caliber since he has assimilated much of Muzan's blood. He used this ability to grant himself multiple eyes which increase his vision to superhuman levels. He also used this ability to create an extremely durable and sharp katana with a handguard and scabbard. Because of this, his katana can never be destroyed as he can regenerate it as he would from normal wounds.

 

Sword Manipulation: As an extension of his flesh manipulation ability, Kokushibo can manipulate a detached part of his body in the form of his katana. This allows him to easily regenerate parts of his body if destroyed or damaged, which has been shown many times when the blade reverts to its original form when Gyomei or Sanemi damage it with their attacks. Additionally, he can freely manipulate the shape of the blade, shown when he grew three additional blades from the original blade to increase its range and further increase its size, turning it into a weapon similar to the Shichishito ( seven-pointed sword). While engaging in combat, he can manipulate the length and size of his sword strokes, allowing him to cover a distance normally unattainable by a human swordsman. Later, Kokushibo also showed the ability to grow taller and protrude multiple blades from his own body, allowing him to perform a multitude of blows without a swinging motion. This attack was powerful enough to easily detonate two Pillars and destroy Genya's Blood Power, as well as bisect many columns in the room, from its activation.

Monstrous Transformation: Later, after pushing his head back while fighting Gyomei and Sanemi, Kokushibo was able to transform into a more monstrous form with multiple appendages on his back that enhanced all of his abilities and powers to roughly the same level as King of Demons, Muzan Kibutsuji. Kokushibo himself said that in this state, any attack on him would be meaningless and the sun would be the only way to kill him.

Immense Durability: Kokushibo had shown immense physical durability, as seen when, despite Gyomei using his flail and ax to attack both ends of his neck, he still didn't move. His neck was only severed due to the combined efforts of Gyomei and Sanemi putting all their strength into forcing his neck to be sliced ​​with Gyomei's axe, as well as both of their weapons turning bright red, further hampering his regeneration. and sustainability.

 

Immense Regeneration: Kokushibo has one of the strongest regeneration abilities in existence, second only to the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji. His regeneration rate is even faster than Akaza and Doma, pushing his ear and right arm back nonchalantly and effortlessly. Later, after being decapitated by two Marked Pillars, Kokushibo was able to regenerate his entire head and managed to defeat death by decapitating after being decapitated by weapons made of scarlet crimson ore and scarlet iron sand, a feat considered as impossible for demons and only accomplished by two other demons: Akaza and Muzan. However, while the speed at which he repelled his head was much faster than the first, his regeneration after being decapitated became unstable, causing him to take on a monstrous visage. His newly regenerated body was also unstable, requiring constant regeneration to keep him from collapsing.

 

Immense Speed ​​and Reflexes: Kokushibo possessed immense levels of speed likely far exceeding those of any of his other higher ranked brothers, as shown by the fact that he severed Akaza's arm before he, or any of them. of the other higher-ranking demons present, not realizing it. He displayed his phenomenal speeds on several occasions. First, he was able to effortlessly surpass Muichiro's misty breathing techniques, moving so fast that he seemed to have teleported. Muichiro himself stated that Kokushibo's speed was in another dimension compared to his own, despite being marked. When Genya used his shotgun to shoot the top tier from a distance, Kokushibo managed to "teleport" to his location before the bullets could reach him, even getting his arm cut off just as he arrived. Afterwards, he cut off his other arm and his torso so quickly that it looked like he wasn't even moving.

 

Later, when his fight against Sanemi started, he was able to easily follow his techniques and moves despite the latter having to practice to the limit to stay alive. When Sanemi used his brother's shotgun to shoot the top rank, Kokushibo was quick enough to block the bullets even when the shotgun was very close to him. After feeling the need to try harder, Kokushibo mastered the Pillar of Wind with a single technique that was fast enough that he couldn't escape in time, delivering a multitude of cuts and slashes all over. his body. Against Gyomei, the strongest Pillar of the current generation, Kokushibo was still more than capable of keeping up with his unorthodox attacks. Even after both Pillars were tagged, an enraged Kokushibo could unleash sword attacks that even they couldn't fully react to. His speed posed such a threat to his opponents that Muichiro had to sacrifice a leg to stop the Top Rank from moving so that Genya could completely immobilize him with his Blood Power.

 

Immense Strength: Kokushibo has displayed incredible physical strength, lifting a gigantic sword much heavier than a regular katana and swinging it endlessly at speeds faster than the eye can see without rest or effort. Since he assimilated more blood from Muzan Kibutsuji than higher rank three, Akaza, a demon who can smash the ground with his bare fists, it can be assumed that Kokushibo possessed physical strength greater than or comparable to him.

 

Indomitable Will: Solely because of his goal of surpassing his younger twin brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Kokushibo possesses superhuman will and an indomitable spirit. When he was about to be killed, he forced his regeneration to evolve and regrow his own head with myriad buffs, all because he didn't allow himself to die until he had achieves its goal.

 

Tactical Intelligence: As a skilled swordsman who has been around for over four centuries, Kokushibo has experienced countless combat situations and threats which he has learned to overcome and circumvent. This was shown during his battle with Three Pillars and Genya, where he was able to adapt to their special and unique fighting styles and tactics almost instantly upon witnessing them. For example, after Muichiro unleashed his first attack on the upper rank, he was able to determine that he was a Mist Breathing user, a talented one at that. This was further accentuated by the fact that Kokushibo was able to face both Sanemi and Gyomei simultaneously despite both being marked and using different blast styles meaning he would have to face 2 opponents very different at times, which he did successfully, even overwhelming them several times.

 

Unlimited Stamina and Endurance: Kokushibo possesses absolute and infinite stamina and vitality, never tiring and always remaining in peak physical and mental condition at all times, while being able to withstand waves of assault like nothing else. 'was. Although his ear and then entire limbs and parts of his body were repeatedly ripped out and destroyed, he never once showed any sign of pain or agony. Even when his head was crushed by the spiked flail of Gyomei Himejima, he remained resistant.

 

Blood Power

 

Crescent Moon Blades: Complementing his Breath of the Moon fighting style , his Blood Power allows him to create and manipulate dozens of traditional crescent moon-shaped sharp blades from his flesh katana. They are believed to be created from his blood and can be bright yellow or bright blue in color. These crescent moon blades are extremely chaotic, constantly changing in size, length, and speed, making Kokushibo's attacks extremely unpredictable and unreadable as they have no set pattern. This Blood Demon Art greatly enhances the power of his techniques, making each of his sword swings extremely deadly and dangerous. He also appears to be able to use his Blood Power while his katana is unsheathed, allowing him to create crescent moon blades even without swinging his sword or triggering a technique. The volatile nature of his Blood Power makes it extremely difficult to circumvent Demon Slayers. Sanemi said that without his years of demon hunting experience, he wouldn't have been able to hold his own against Kokushibo's attacks.

 

Kokushibo's Blood Power appears to have a secondary ability that allows him to manipulate the shape and range of his sword slashes when unleashing his Moon Breathing techniques. His slashes usually create and are surrounded by a red/orange crescent shape that carries his crescent moon blades. Kokushibo seems to be able to control these slashes to some extent, increasing their range and shape to attack his target in ways not possible under normal circumstances. When he warped his katana to make it look like a branch, his slashes turned into a light purple color. Kokushibo has shown the ability to exponentially increase his sword's range with his Moon-Dragon Ringtail technique and shape his slashes into a circular shape with his Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves technique.

 

Fighting Style

Master Swordsman: By training and perfecting his swordsmanship skills for over 400 years and greatly improving his physical abilities, Kokushibo has become the most powerful and skilled swordsman of the modern era, and the second-largest swordsman the strongest in existence, behind his younger twin brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni. As Demon Slayers in the Golden Age, his swordsmanship was already exceptional as he learned them from Yoriichi himself and later said their techniques were so refined and legendary that they had no hope. be passed on to future generations.

 

Kokushibo's skill in the blade allowed him to defeat Akaza, a hand-to-hand combat and martial arts prodigy, as well as surpass Doma. With his exceptional swordsmanship, he could single-handedly take on Sanemi, Muichiro, and Gyomei when marked as well as Genya when he assimilated his blood and obtained a small portion of his power and had access to the arts of blood demon. Kokushibo's swordsmanship was enhanced by the development of his own Blood Demon Art, which greatly enhanced the lethality and power of his techniques, making each of his sword swings incredibly deadly.

 

Sword Skills

 

Breath of the Moon ( 月 つきの 呼 こ 吸 きゅう Tsuki no kokyū ): Like Kaigaku, Kokushibo was a demon who used breath styles. His breath style, in particular, is one of the most dangerous and powerful displayed so far. Enhanced with his Bloodthirsty Power, he can create many chaotic crescent moon blades when slashing that vary in length and size when performing crescent-shaped sword attacks. Kokushibo himself had continued to develop this style of breathing and had created over a dozen techniques over the centuries he had lived.

 

First Movement : Dark Moon - Nocturnal Shrine ( 壱 いちノ 型 かた　 闇 やみ 月 づき・ 宵 よいの 宮 みや Ichi no kata: Yamidzuki - Yoi no Miya ): Kokushibo rapidly draws his sword and rapidly slices in a singular crescent-shaped horizontal motion, creating many chaotic crescent blades. This technique is extremely reminiscent of Iaijutsu.

Second Movement: Mother-of-Pearl Flower in Moonlight ( 弐 にノ 型 かた　 珠 しゅ 華 かの 弄 ろう 月 げつ Ni no kata: Shuka no Rōgetsu ): Kokushibo performs several crescent-shaped slashes that defend him from incoming attacks, sending out a barrage of crescent blades.

Third Movement: The Killing Moon of Abandonment - Chain ( 参 さんノ 型 かた　 厭 えん 忌 き 月 づき・ 銷 つがりSan no kata: Enkidzuki - Tsugari ): Kokushibo swings his sword rapidly in two gigantic crescent slashes, from which a storm of smaller crescents has spread, causing massive destruction in a small area.

Fifth Movement: Cursed Vortex of the Spectral Moon ( 伍 ごノ 型 かた　 月 げっ 魄 ぱく 災 さい 渦 か Go no kata: Geppaku Saika ): Kokushibo makes several overlapping curved slashes, creating an ascending vortex of sword slashes and crescent moon blades.

Sixth Movement: The Lonely Moon in Eternal Darkness - L'Avici ( 陸 ろくノ 型 かた　 常 とこ 夜 よ 孤 こ 月 げつ・ 無 む 間 けん Roku no kata: Tokoyo Kogetsu - Muken ): Kokushibo launches a wild barrage of crescent-shaped slashes several meters in front of him. This technique was powerful enough to overwhelm Sanemi Shinazugawa and so long-ranged that it tore through surrounding pillars.

Seventh Movement: Mirror of Woe - Reflection of the Moon ( 漆 しちノ 型 かた　 厄 やっ 鏡 きょう・ 月 づき 映 ばえShichi no kata: Yakkyō - Dzukibae ): Kokushibo swings the gigantic version of his sword into a powerful crescent-shaped frontal slash that creates powerful, long-range, multi-directional slashes into the ground.

Eighth Movement: Lunar Ouroboros ( 捌 はちノ 型 かた　 月 げつ 龍 りゆう 輪 りん 尾 び Hachi no kata: Getsuryū Rinbi ): Kokushibo uses the gigantic version of his sword and creates a singular gigantic crescent-shaped gash that slowly decreases in size, creating dozens of crescent moon blades.

Ninth Movement: Waning Moon - The Perpetual Cycle ( 玖 くノ 型 かた　 降 くだり 月 づき・ 連 れん 面 めん Ku no kata: Kudaridzuki - Renmen ): Kokushibo creates a stream of crescent-shaped vertical and horizontal slashes at long ranges as well as numerous crescent moon blades with the gigantic version of his sword.

Tenth Movement: Strike of the Piercing Cycle - The Moon of Ivy ( 拾 じゅうノ 型 かた　 穿 せん 面 めん 斬 ざん・ 蘿 ら 月 げつ Jū no kata: Senmenzan - Ragetsu ): Kokushibo creates a long-range triple-layered slash twister full of crescent moon blades with the gigantic version of his sword.

Fourteenth Movement: Tenman's Crescent Moon ( 拾 じゅう 肆 しノ 型 かた　 兇 きょう 変 へん・ 天 てん 満 まん 繊 せん 月 げつ Jū Shi no kata: Kyōhen - Tenman Sengetsu ): Kokushibo wields the gigantic version of his sword and creates a chaotic vortex of powerful, ultra-long-range omnidirectional slashes that destroy anything within its attack radius.

Sixteenth Movement: Lunar Rainbow - Selenite Fragments ( 拾 じゅう 陸 ろくノ 型 かた　 月虹 げっこう・ 片 かた 割 われ 月 づき Jū Roku no kata: Gekkō - Katawaredzuki ): Kokushibo creates a barrage of crescent descending slashes from an extremely long and wide range, resulting in a powerful six-fold slash crashing down on his opponents; the attack itself is powerful enough to create several miniature craters where the nicks landed.

Equipment

Kyokokukamusari ( 虛 きょ 哭 こく 神 かむ 去 さり Kyokokukamusari |lit. Hollow Cry of the Unholy): Kokushibo wields a meaty, demonically modified version of a Sun Katana he used when he was a Demon Slayer. As his appearance suggests, the katana is created from the flesh and blood of Kokushibo himself and due to his body's immense durability and hardness, his katana is as sharp, if not sharper, than a sword. ordinary sun. His sword is fleshy red in color, similar to the color of blood, with veins and eyes all around the blade and even the hilt. However, it is unknown if these eyes can be used to expand his vision. The hilt of his katana is circular in shape with 4 slight indentations, a center with 3 eyes and several black veins and a gold border. He also wears a waist-length sword scabbard that has the same fleshy appearance as his katana.