Yoriichi Tsugikuni
Sitting on his lap in public.
Yoriichi is a tall man with a lean muscular build, fair skin, maroon eyes, and long spiky hair with red tips that he kept in a ponytail. He has a similar overall appearance to his twin brother Michikatsu, but unlike him, he was slightly more slender, had shorter bangs, and wavier hair than him. Yoriichi is mostly expressionless, though sometimes a little solemn and aloof.
Yoriichi wore a red haori over a very pale orange-colored nagagi kimono with a black umanori-styled hakama, a pair of zōri with red straps and white tabi socks, with a Nichirin Sword carried at the left side of his waist, conventional to most Demon Slayers. He sported hanafuda earrings created by his mother as charms when he was thought to be deaf; he later gave them to his friend Sumiyoshi Kamado, who then passed the earrings down to his descendants and eventually Tanjiro as well.
Yoriichi was a calm and respectful individual who wore a solemn and reserved expression at all times, rarely showing outbreaks of emotion. Generally, Yoriichi had a matching low and serene disposition, evident when he killed demons without changing expression or when Muzan was caught offguard by his immense skill because he appeared unassuming. Because of his gentle disposition and unchanging facial expression, most could not tell what he was feeling: the only person who could read his feelings without difficulty was his wife Uta.
He was also extremely humble, seeing himself as just another man and no one special despite his extraordinary abilities; an example being the time he performed the Sun Breathing's forms for Suyako at her request and almost seemed embarrassed afterwards. Yoriichi was also noted by his brother to always have had faith in the future and was confident that despite the immense power of the Demon Slayers after they started using Breathing Styles, a generation would emerge that would surpass their own.
Despite appearing mostly nonchalant, he experiences emotions like any other person; he grieved the loss of Uta and their unborn child for ten straight days and was driven to tears seeing the joy Sumire showed at the simple act of being lifted up as it represented the very same joy that his unborn child was tragically denied of. He also smiled warmly and expressed gratitude to Sumiyoshi after his friend told him his life was not worthless and promised to preserve his Sun Breathing forms through his descendants. Yoriichi is also very kind, shown when he was on the way to fetch a midwife in preparation of the birth of his child, only to stop and help an old man he met along the way reach his dying son. Additionally, despite his own immense skill and strength, he was not above admitting his own weaknesses, acknowledging that even a scratch by Muzan could kill him and experiencing fear for the first time in his life.
As a child, Yoriichi looked up to his older brother Michikatsu. Michikatsu's dream was to become the strongest samurai in the land, so he said that he would become the second strongest. Even in his childhood, he was extremely reserved and quiet, even being believed to be deaf by his family for seven years as he never spoke.
Yoriichi cared for his ailing mother when no one else knew she was ill and protected his father by not telling anyone about how he berated him as a child, even when his father did not love him. He loved and respected his older twin brother and he kept the flute Michikatsu gave him before he left home all the way till his death. When he met him after sixty years, the latter having embraced his new life as a demon. Yoriichi was deeply devastated by what his brother had become and cried. Nonetheless, he attempted to kill Michikatsu in order to stop him as a traitor to the Demon Slayer Corps.
Abilities
Yoriichi is the strongest Demon Slayer in history, being born with the Demon Slayer Mark, access to the Transparent World, and Selfless State, as well as possessing a physique polished to the highest caliber and innate swordsmanship talent. As a seven-year-old child who has never picked up a sword before, he was able to defeat a trained sword instructor effortlessly and he was referred to as a miraculous prodigy beyond compare. After training as a Demon Slayer, Yoriichi could defeat multiple demons to where his older brother stated that he as a child couldn't even compare to him as an adult.
He alone among the Demon Slayer Corps was able to corner Muzan Kibutsuji and overpowered him in an instant, having him on the verge of death until he barely managed to escape. Despite having avoided death, Muzan was deeply scarred by that encounter, referring to him as the true "monster" between the two of them, and even the sight of his earrings made him tremble in shock, while mere memories of Yoriichi caused the bodies of other demons who have never met him to tremble.
Shortly before his death of at least 85 years in age, he battled his older twin brother, Kokushibo who turned into a demon. Despite his advanced age, he quickly gained the upper-hand in the battle with a single move, slitting his throat before he finally died standing up, unscathed. Kokushibo himself admits that if Yoriichi launched a second swing before dying, he would have killed him, while commenting Yoriichi's power was still in his prime.
Genius Intellect: As a child prodigy, Yoriichi is extremely intelligent. Despite not speaking for most of his childhood, his first words were very clear and pronounced. He also displayed maturity beyond his age as he noticed her mother's illness and helped her all the way till her death. As another testament to his keen intellect, he could immediately use the Transparent World in combat despite never fighting before, being able to intuitively figure out that the lungs of person will expand before they attack and that he needed to watch their bone movement, muscle contraction and blood flow, which he used to his advantage instantly in the midst of battle.
Even with just the knowledge of how to hold a sword properly and go into a stance, he was able to instantly overpower a trained sword instructor, causing him to go unconscious and inflicting many injuries all over his body. His unique intellect brought about the "Golden Age of the Demon Slayers" as he invented the Breathing Styles and modified the original Breathing Technique to suit the abilities and individual strengths of others. Furthermore, he was able to surmise that Muzan's weaknesses were his 12 organs and created an entirely new technique in that split second to overwhelm him.
Demon Slayer Abilities
Demon Slayer Mark: Yoriichi is the progenitor of the Demon Slayer Mark, being born with it, possessing the tremendous physical abilities granted by its effects all throughout his lifespan. Unlike all other Marks users in his era, Yoriichi was able to defy fate and lived to about 85 years of age. It is presently unknown why Yoriichi is immune to the Mark's effects, but it's presumably because he was the first one ever to have it and born with it naturally, unlike all other Mark bearers who must train to attain it.
Bright Red Nichirin Sword: Yoriichi is the first person ever to be able to turn his Nichirin Sword into a bright red color as he was born with the mark that presumably gave users the ability to turn their blade bright red as well. When fighting, Yoriichi can turn his black sword bright red at will, letting him hamper the enhanced regeneration of demons, even Muzan's instant regeneration, burning him at a cellular level, leaving scars on his body for hundreds of years. It has also been noted by Muzan himself that Yoriichi's bright red blade was far more effective than those of the current generation Hashira and Tanjiro, as Yoriichi could completely negate Muzan's near-absolute regeneration for a short period of time while the modern era Demon Slayers can only slightly slow it down, despite the fact that Muzan was in a much weaker condition because of the Anti-Kibutsuji Drug.
Transparent World: Yoriichi had access to the Transparent World since birth, and could use it with incredible proficiency, evident when he could watch for lung expansions and muscle contractions within a person and surmise when to strike them, even as a child. This ability also granted him an advantage against Muzan, allowing him to find his weaknesses instantly and overwhelm him.
Selfless State: During their confrontation, Muzan noted that Yoriichi emanated absolutely no sense of drive, hatred, anger, fighting spirit, animosity or even bloodlust despite being in mid-battle against him, rendering it practically impossible for Muzan to detect him, predict his movements or gauge how powerful he was with his senses. This gave Yoriichi an edge in battle against Muzan as he underestimated his strength, a mistake that shook the Demon King to this day.
Physical Abilities
Immeasurable Speed & Reflexes: Yoriichi possessed unparalleled levels of speed that surpass all other characters in the series, including that of the Demon King, shown when he was able to dodge every attack that Muzan launched at him and near-fatally injure Muzan with one move, despite the demon's own immeasurable speed and strength. Even when Muzan divided himself into 1,800 flesh pieces to escape, Yoriichi still managed to reduce the number down to 300 in mere seconds.
Even on the last day of his life, he was able to easily blitz Kokushibo, Muzan's strongest subordinate, nearly severing his neck instantly, despite Yoriichi telling him when he will strike. As another testament to his godlike movement speed, Yoriichi Type Zero, the robot doll modeled after him used by Demon Slayers to train, was built with 6 arms because 2 arms alone couldn't replicate Yoriichi's movements.
Immeasurable Stamina & Endurance: Even as a seven-year-old child, Yoriichi could run for a whole day without rest; he even remarked that he didn't feel the least bit enervated. His vitality is also beyond peak-human level, being able to survive without food or water for 10 whole days when he was embracing his dead wife. Moreover, Yoriichi lived to his 80s without his power waning in the slightest, as shown when he instantly outmatched Kokushibo during their final confrontation.
Immeasurable Strength: Yoriichi possesses tremendous levels of physical strength possibly beyond that of nearly all other Demon Slayers in existence. As a child, he could knock out a grown man with inclined physical abilities with a wooden blade, even causing extremely severe bruises the size of fists. When he was an adult, he was able to effortlessly slice off the neck of Muzan Kibutsuji, the most fortified body part of the strongest demon in existence.
Supernatural Abilities
Extrasensory Perception: Outside of the sixth sense granted by the Transparent World which allowed him to see the inner workings of a person, Yoriichi also has extremely honed sensory abilities able to detect things outside the normal range of perception. Like most high-level Demon Slayers, Yoriichi would be able to discern the aura of demons from humans while also be able to tell the strength of his enemies at a glance. During Yoriichi's first encounter with Muzan, he could immediately tell that, by destiny, he was born into this world to defeat him. Yoriichi was also able to accurately sense the Demon King's aura, which he describes as magma erupting from a volcano.
Fighting Style
Unparalleled Swordsmanship: Yoriichi is the greatest swordsman to have ever lived. Even as a seven-year-old child with no training, he was capable of easily defeating a trained swordsman the very first time he ever picked up a sword, striking him in multiple areas across his body faster than the eye can process. His swordsmanship was so tremendous that a battle doll modelled after him had to be made with 6 arms wielding katanas and utilizing 108 techniques to even attempt to imitate Yoriichi's skills, and even then, the doll was still vastly inferior compared to him. His swordsmanship easily overwhelmed the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji and he would have killed his twin brother, Kokushibo, the strongest swordsman in the current era, if he didn't die of old age.
Breathing Style
Sun Breathing (日ひの呼こ吸きゅう Hi no kokyū?): Created by Yoriichi himself as the original Breathing Style which all other subsequent styles would be modeled after and was later replicated by Sumiyoshi Kamado who called it Hinokami Kagura (ヒノカミ神楽かぐら Hinokami Kagura?). Yoriichi was incredibly proficient and unrivalled in his Sun Breathing, being able to take down demons effortlessly and even overwhelm the Demon King and the strongest Upper Rank. When looking through the memories of his ancestor, Tanjiro remarked that when Yoriichi performed the techniques of Sun Breathing, the forms were so strikingly beautiful and breathtaking, he appeared more like a spirit than a man. Even after watching Yoriichi perform Sun Breathing first-hand, it's been noted by Muzan that Tanjiro's techniques were still far inferior to Yoriichi's.
Techniques
Dance (円えん舞ぶ Enbu?) - The user performs a singular downwards vertical slash in an arcing motion.
Clear Blue Sky (碧へき羅らの天てん Heki-ra no Ten?) - The user spins and twists their upper body in a circular motion, releasing a 360° slash.
Raging Sun (烈れつ日じつ紅こう鏡きょう Retsujitsu Kōkyō?) - The user unleashes two consecutive horizontal arcing slashes around themselves to strike incoming attacks.
Burning Bones, Summer Sun (灼しゃっ骨こつ炎えん陽よう Shakkotsu En'yō?) - The user performs a singular slash utilizing a spiraling motion which extends in front of themselves to defend from imminent frontal attacks.
Setting Sun Transformation (斜しゃ陽よう転てん身しん Shayō Tenshin?) - The user backflips into the air before performing a singular horizontal slash which aims to decapitate the target.
Solar Heat Haze (飛ひ輪りん陽かげ炎ろう Hirin Kagerō?) - The user rushes forth, now attempting to deliver a strike seemingly enveloped in a heat-haze, masking the true length and location of the blade to deliver an unexpected strike.
Beneficent Radiance (輝き輝き恩おん光こう Kiki Onkō?) - The user spirals into the air whilst performing a swirling slash upwards to strike the target.
Sunflower Thrust (陽よう華か突とつ Yōkatotsu?) - The user performs a singular thrust utilizing the tip of their blade to strike the target.
Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance (日にち暈うんの龍りゅう・頭かぶり舞まい Nichiun no Ryū Kaburimai?) - The user assumes a high stance, before unleashing a number of consecutive slashes in a fluid motion in the form of a Japanese dragon made of solar flames. This technique is capable of decapitating multiple targets at once.
Fire Wheel (火か車しゃ Kasha?) - The user flips into the air behind the opponent before unleashing a singular vertical slash in a circular motion to swiftly cut the target in half.
Fake Rainbow (幻げん日にち虹こう Gen'nichi Kō?) - The user performs high-speed twists and rotations, thus creating after images used mostly to evade attacks. The afterimages work most effectively on enemies with sharp vision.[46]
Flame Dance (炎えん舞ぶ Enbu?) - A two-combo strike which starts with a vertical slash leading into a horizontal slash right after.
Thirteenth Form (拾じゅう参さんノ型かた Jū San no kata?) - The user continuously performs all twelve forms of Sun Breathing in repetitive succession to increase the accuracy and agility of their movements, and attacks. This form was created solely for the purpose of killing Muzan Kibutsuji, since the repetition of all twelve forms aims to destroy Muzan's twelve vital organs (seven hearts and five brains) that move freely inside his body.
Equipment
Standard Nichirin Katana: Yoriichi carries around a standard sized and shaped Nichirin katana that is deep black in color, but changes bright red during combat. His katana's hilt is circular shaped with 4 slight indentations, with a black center and a golden border. Yoriichi's katana also has the words Slay (滅めつ Metsu?) engraved on the side. Along with his katana, Yoriichi also carries a standard sword sheath that is black in color. It is implied that his katana was discovered after his death and hidden in the battle doll made in his image, Yoriichi Type Zero.
Yoriichi and his older twin brother, Michikatsu, were born into the Tsugikuni clan within the middle of the Sengoku period, a time when twins were considered to be an extremely bad omen. Yoriichi in particular was born with an odd birthmark on his forehead, which caused his father to declare that he would kill him; however, their mother Akeno flew into a rage and stopped him. It was eventually agreed upon that Yoriichi would be sent to a temple to become a monk when he turned ten years old.
Despite their father's belief that the mark was unlucky, it actually granted Yoriichi incredible physical prowess and the ability to see the bodies of living things in transparency. Yoriichi grew up very differently from Michikatsu, being given much poorer food and education than his brother and confined to a small three-tatami room away from the rest of the house. He never spoke and was thought to be deaf as a result. Akeno subsequently made him Hanafuda charm earrings in the hopes the gods would bless him with the ability to speak. He also was frequently seen clutching his mother's side; because of this, Michikatsu found him pitiful. Still, his brother often snuck behind their father's back to see Yoriichi, even giving him a handmade flute as a gift to comfort him.
One day, when he was seven, Yoriichi smiled and spoke for the first time, declaring his intent to become a samurai like his brother after watching Michikatsu practice sword swings, startling him. However, Michikatsu was dismissive of this sentiment as it was well-known that Yoriichi would be sent to the temple when he was ten. Still, one of their father's men tasked with training Michikatsu decided to humor Yoriichi, showing him a simple stance. Unexpectedly, the young boy flew into action after assuming the stance, landing four blows against the man and shocking his brother, who despite his training had never landed one. However, Yoriichi couldn't stand the feeling of hitting someone and renounced his goal to become a samurai. Michikatsu often asked him about how he managed to hit the man and he described what was likely an early form of a Breathing Style. Rather than talk about the sword and continue training, he happily told Michikatsu he would rather play ban-sugoroku board games and fly kites with him instead.
When their mother passed away from her illness, Yoriichi went to Michikatsu's room at night to tell his brother the news and bid farewell, planning to leave for the temple that night. He expressed gratitude towards his brother, stating that he would always keep him in mind and fondly tucked away the flute Michikatsu had made for him earlier. It was later revealed to Michikatsu through their mother's diary that Yoriichi had known everything about their mother's illness, how it weakened her left side and Yoriichi's frequent attempts to support her and help her move around. It was also revealed that Yoriichi knew his father would make him his heir and send Michikatsu to the temple, ran away to spare his brother. Despite this kind act, Michikatsu developed an intense hatred and envy of Yoriichi for continuing to surpass him in everything and continually showing gratitude to gain seemingly nothing.
Yoriichi ran away from the house and didn't stop. After running straight for one day and one night without any sign of exhaustion into the mountains, Yoriichi met a girl around the same age as him named Uta, whose entire family had died. Yoriichi chose to live with her and after 10 years, Uta and Yoriichi had married: the former becoming pregnant later. Just before the expected arrival, Yoriichi left home to summon a midwife, promising his wife to be back before the sun set.
On his way, Yoriichi had helped an old man and lost so much time that he decided to return home and summon a midwife the next day. By then the sun had already set: when he finally arrived home he found that Uta and the unborn child had been killed by a demon. The tragedy shocked Yoriichi so much that he held her corpse in his arms for ten days straight and buried them after a pursuing Demon Slayer encouraged him to do so. This led Yoriichi to pick up his blade again and train as a Demon Slayer.
Aided by his Demon Slayer Mark and innate talent for swordsmanship, Yoriichi proved to be an incredibly powerful Demon Slayer. He reunites with Michikatsu after the latter's samurai encampment was slaughtered by a demon and he was left the sole survivor; Yoriichi killed the creature effortlessly and apologized for the deaths of his brother's comrades. With his breathing technique, later named Sun Breathing, and wanting to help others, Yoriichi tried to teach it to the other Demon Slayers. However, no one could match his form exactly.
Still, he remains undaunted, he modified the breathing techniques to suit their strengths, allowing them to gain a similar increase in power and abilities to help them hunt demons. The variations he created formed the first Water, Wind, Flame, Stone and Thunder Breathing techniques and the best of these Demon Slayers became known as the Hashira, even though he isn't a Hashira himself. Michikatsu himself tried and failed to learn Sun Breathing, instead creating his own style he named Moon Breathing.
At some point during his days as a Demon Slayer, he saved Sumiyoshi Kamado and his wife, Suyako Kamado from a demon attack. Since then, they became close friends despite having little interactions with each other for some time.
Eventually, Yoriichi encounters Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor demon and mortal enemy of the Demon Slayers, accompanied by Tamayo. Upon meeting him, Yoriichi felt his rampant malicious intent, likening it boiling magma from a volcano ready to consume everything. It was then he reasoned he was born with the skills and talent to defeat Muzan once and for all. Muzan stated that he had lost interest in swordsmen who employ breathing techniques and performed long sweeps of his arms to outright kill Yoriichi. He dodged them, but instantly realized any of those attacks would be fatal and felt fear for the first time.
Seeing into the Transparent World, Yoriichi discerned Muzan had seven hearts and five brains that change position within his body. Seeing his chance, he combined all his forms into a single attack, cutting through them all and overpowering Muzan completely.
Muzan was left in disbelief at his inability to regenerate while struggling to keep his head attached. Yoriichi asked him what he felt was the value of life but didn't receive an answer. He turned to Tamayo, but was surprised to see her looking at her master's dismembered body with a hopeful gleam in her eyes. Moving to kill him once and for all, Yoriichi instead heard the sound of teeth cracking as Muzan's body burst into hundreds of small pieces. Caught off-guard, he was only able to destroy 1,500 of the 1,800 pieces, leaving the rest to escape for Muzan to regenerate again. In spite of Yoriichi's failure to kill him, Muzan never forgot the encounter and remained fearful of Yoriichi for the rest of his life.
Tamayo was left on the verge of tears as she realized Muzan learned how to avoid death by decapitation, cursing the survival of the man that ruined her life. Upon realizing the Kibutsuji curse failed due to Muzan being weakened so much, Tamayo was surprised. Yoriichi approached her, but he didn't immediately attack. Tamayo decided to tell him everything he needed to know about Muzan and it was unlikely he would ever meet him again. As thanks for her aid, he let her go free, telling her he had faith in her will to end Muzan. Soon after this, several Demon Slayers came to report to Yoriichi that his brother had betrayed the organization, becoming a demon and assassinating the Oyakata. Yoriichi took responsibility for Michikatsu's betrayal, his inability to kill Muzan, and letting Tamayo escape. The other Demon Slayers demanded he kill himself as penance, but the newly appointed Oyakata ordered he be spared and allowed him to leave in banishment.
After his banishment, Yoriichi decided he had much on his mind and wanted someone to talk to. He could only picture his friends Sumiyoshi and Suyako and decided to visit them. He meets Sumiyoshi, sat down with him, and told him his entire story, from his beginning to his banishment from the Demon Slayers. Reminded of his tragedies and speaking of his regret at letting Muzan live and the countless death that would follow, Yoriichi grew despondent. Sumire arrives at that moment to ask for a hug. At Sumiyoshi's request, he lifts her up, making her laugh and squeal with joy, causing him to break down in tears and embrace her. Suyako arrives shortly after to comfort him and treat Yoriichi to a meal and cheer him up.
While with the Kamados, Yoriichi would be asked by Suyako to perform the Sun Breathing's forms. He kindly did so, performing all the moves with such grace, he was likened more as a spirit than a human. Sumiyoshi would watch these demonstration intently and keep them in his memories. On his last visit, despite being told he was welcome at any time, Yoriichi gave Sumiyoshi his Hanafuda earrings.
Sumiyoshi and Suyako realized then this was going to be the last time he would visit. Overcome with emotion, Sumiyoshi called out to Yoriichi as he walked away, telling him to stop saying that he was a man of no worth. He reminded him that he saved them and promised to preserve the Sun Breathing's forms through his descendants. Hearing this, Yoriichi turns and smiles brightly, thanking the Kamados and waving them farewell. Despite being banished from the Corps, Yoriichi would continue hunting demons independently, but he kept in touch with the Hashira he befriended with silent permission from the Oyakata. Meanwhile, the Corps itself fell into disarray: Muzan killed every other Sun Breather and no one could teach Breathing Styles as well as Yoriichi.
Despite the apparently limited lifespan of 25 years suffered by those who bore the Demon Slayer Mark, Yoriichi lived to his 80's. On the last day of his life, he would personally confront Michikatsu, now known as Kokushibo and Muzan's strongest subordinate as Upper Rank One. Devastated at what his brother had become, he cried, and Kokushibo could only show disgust that his younger brother was old but still alive despite having the mark. Yoriichi felt sorry for him, but knew he had to kill him and prepared to strike.
Kokushibo's disgust turned to fear upon seeing that Yoriichi still was the same capable and powerful warrior from before. He told his brother when he was to attack and soon struck, slicing through his neck without Kokushibo able to even draw his blade. Angered at being surpassed again, Kokushibo waited for the next attack. Unfortunately, it never came; Yoriichi passes from old age untouched. Angered that his one chance at a fair battle is gone and the man who nearly killed Muzan and him is now dead and undefeated forever, Kokushibo would strike at his brother's corpse in scorn, only to realize Yoriichi carried the flute he gifted to him when they were both still children. Unable to sever his connection with Yoriichi, Kokushibo took the split flute and carried it with him.
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