Who is Kyojuro Rengoku?
Kyojuro Rengoku is a major character in the Mugen Train Arc and a major supporting character in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. He is a Flame Hashira Demon Slayer and a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Voice Actor of Kyojuro Rengoku
In Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Mark Whitten provides the English dub voice for Kyojuro Rengoku while Satoshi Hino provides the Japanese voice.
Appearance
Kyojuro is a tall young adult with an athletic build. He has long bright yellow hair with red streaks on the side of his head, two shoulder-length and two chin-length bangs, black forked eyebrows, and golden eyes that fade to red with white pupils.
Kyojuro’s Demon Slayer uniform consists of a brown gakuran jacket, a white belt around his waist, and hakama pants in a paler brown shade.
Over this, he wears a haori with a white-yellow gradient pattern and red flame-like ridges at the end, similar to what his father Shinjuro and most likely his father wore as the Flame Hashira.
Finally, he wears a pair of white zri with red straps and red tabi socks with yellow flames erupting from the bottom up.
Personality
Kyojuro is very enthusiastic about his responsibilities as a Hashira, and he comes across as a cheerfully eccentric character.
He was amiable, pure of heart, and possessed exceptional technique and swordsmanship as a result of rigorous training and discipline.
He is a devout warrior who upheld his mother’s code of morals and principles, the most important of which is his belief that those born strong have a responsibility to protect the weak.
Power and Abilities
Kyojuro is a formidable swordsman as a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Even Demons as powerful as Akaza, Upper Rank 3 and the fourth-strongest Demon in the world, recognized Kyojuro’s power.
He even offered to turn Kyojuro into a Demon so he could surpass his human limits and become even stronger, something he only did for swordsmen whose abilities he believed was at their pinnacle.
Akaza also praised his battle spirit, saying that it was approaching the “domain of supremacy,” implying that he was on the verge of obtaining the Transparent World if he could just awaken his Demon Slayer Mark.
Shinjuro Rengoku, Kyojuro’s father, stated that after his son abandoned what he taught him, Kyojuro trained himself to the level of a Hashira by reading through a Flame Breathing style instruction book, which only had three volumes.
Physical Abilities
Immense Strength: As a Hashira who spent years honing his physical prowess, Kyojuro possesses incredible physical strength, swinging his katana at supersonic speeds without fail and with terrifying accuracy while fighting.
Despite having his Solar Plexus pierced earlier, Kyojuro’s grip strength was enough to hold down Upper Rank 3, Akaza, one of the series’ physically strongest beings, to the point where Akaza expressed his disbelief and shock over strength he describes as “unbelievable.”
Immense Speed & Reflexes: Kyojuro had incredible speed and reflexes that even a trained and gifted Demon Slayer like Tanjiro couldn’t perceive or detect, and he could even cause ground tremors and nearly launch a train off its tracks. Even Akaza has publicly expressed his awe at his incredible speed.
Mental Capacity
Tactical Intelligence: As a Flame Hashira swordsman, Kyojuro had access to generations of combat knowledge and tactics, as well as training from previous Flame Hashira, such as his father, Shinjuro Rengoku. During the battle with Akaza, he showed great foresight.
After being attacked by Akaza’s Destructive Death: Air Type, he realizes that he needs to fight at close range if he wants to avoid having his head cut off.
Even when Tanjiro Kamado, who is usually deductive and astute, couldn’t figure out how to kill Enmu, Kyojuro instinctively knew that a Demon, no matter what form it takes, will always have a weak spot.
He also knows how to use Total Concentration Breathing, as well as how to plug minor wounds and hemorphage, and saved Tanjiro from death due to blood loss.
Miscellaneous Abilities
Enhanced Senses: Kyojuro, like all skilled Demon Slayers, possesses incredible senses. He sensed Akaza’s massive presence and deduced that he was an Upper Rank based on it.
Kyojuro was also faster and more accurate at detecting demonic presences than Tanjiro Kamado, who has an enhanced sense of smell. This ability also allows him to accurately assess most Demons’ regenerative abilities and weaknesses, such as Enmu’s.
Invincible Will: Kyojuro has an unflappable spirit that has impressed even Upper Rank 3 Akaza. Due to his promise to his late mother, he has instilled in himself an indomitable will and passion since he was a child.
This was most evident during his fight with Akaza. He remained steadfastly resolute even when the Upper Rank overwhelmed him with powerful attacks, inflicting insidious wounds on Kyojuro.
Even after losing an eye and suffering internal wounds as a result of Akaza’s actions, Kyojuro persisted, vehemently expressing his unwavering will and determination to protect the lives of the other innocent people.
When Akaza’s fist pierced Kyojuro’s solar plexus, it triggered a memory in his mind, reminding him of his mother once more, giving him the final push to sever the Upper Rank’s head, even stopping his fists from moving.
But, alas, his efforts were in vain; however, Tanjiro Kamado was greatly influenced by Kyojuro’s incredible determination, giving him the motivation to keep going.
Fighting Techniques
Master Swordsman: As a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kyojuro is one of the organization’s most powerful and skilled swordsmen.
His mastery of the blade is best demonstrated during his battle with Akaza, where he holds his own against the Upper Rank despite being severely injured.
Swordsmanship
Flame Breathing: Sun Breathing is directly descended from Flame Breathing, which is one of the five main Breathing Styles.
Flame Breathing is a combat and breathing style that uses the user’s movements, techniques, and abilities to mimic fire and flames, particularly the powerful burn and scorch of fire.
The majority, if not all, known techniques and forms use extremely powerful single strikes and movements that ‘burn’ the opponents.
When used correctly, the user imagines manipulating and generating fire in a deep shade of orange and red, causing flames to appear to emanate from their weapon, surroundings, or themselves.
Weapon
Nichirin Blade: Kyojuro wields a standard Nichirin Blade, just like the majority of Demon Slayers. The words Destroyer of Demons are engraved on the side of his katana, which is a deep shade of reddish-orange in color. The hilt of his katana is in the shape of a flame, with a red core and a golden border.
Fighting Style
Master Hand-to-Hand Combatant: As a human and a demon, Akaza’s most notable ability is his supernatural skill in unarmed combat.
Akaza has demonstrated his prodigious abilities in various forms of close-ranged combat even before transforming into a demon, being able to intuitively create his own fighting style that was shown to completely lay waste to several grown men at the age of 11.
He could annihilate 67 adult kendo masters with just his fists when he was 18 years old. This ability was further enhanced after he became a demon, to the point where he could fight at subsonic speeds while fully utilizing his martial arts skills for both offense and defense.
When combined with his Blood Demon Art, every single one of his blows and strikes becomes incredibly lethal, making him unrivaled in unarmed combat and martial arts prowess.
Soryū Style: When he lived with Keizo and looked after Koyuki, he taught him Sory Style, a bare-fisted martial arts style. It was the main inspiration for his Destructive Death Style, which he used when he became Akaza, and he used it to kill 67 kendo masters with ease.
Bell Crusher: A technique inspired or created by the Sory Style in which Akaza strikes a sword from the side as it descends to easily break it.
- First Form: Unknowing Fire – Kyojuro’s first form is Unknowing Fire, in which he charges at his opponent at high speed and decapitates them with one or more slashes that burn his opponent’s flesh. This technique was powerful enough to launch the entire Infinity Train a short distance off the tracks.
- Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun – Kyojuro attacks upwards with an arching slash.
- Third Form: Kyojuro swings his blade downwards in an arc in his third form, Blazing Universe.
- Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation – Kyojuro swings his blade in a circular motion that protects him from all attacks and allows him to decapitate multiple enemies at once.
- Fifth Form: Flame Tiger – Kyojuro uses a powerful series of sword slashes to transform into a flaming tiger that charges at blinding speeds towards his opponent.
- Ninth Form: Rengoku – Rengoku is the Ninth Form’s most powerful Flame Breathing technique. The swordsman initiates a devastating dashing slash from a high stance, and the technique had enough power to carve a deep impression in the ground where it was unleashed. Hairo also noted that Kyojuro’s sword was able to burn his flesh while he was using this attack. This attack is depicted in the film as a titanic flaming dragon with blue eyes and blue electricity streaks emanating from its mouth. The surroundings were seemingly engulfed in flames after Kyojuro used this technique in the movie, creating a purgatory-like hellscape and a massive whirlwind of heat and fire in the aftermath of the attack.
Quotes
- (To himself) “Life is a series of decisions. You never have unlimited options… or unlimited time to think, but… what you choose in that instant defines who you are… Warriors who strive to save other people’s lives are precious. Their pure and single-minded dedication is separate from their natural talent. They don’t risk their lives to earn praise. They simply feel that they must. What they choose in that moment, is a cry from the depths of their souls. Isn’t that right… my friends?“
- (To himself) “I can’t believe it! As a Hashira, I’m ashamed of myself! If there’s a hole, I want to go into it!“
- (To Senjuro Rengoku) “And, Senjuro, you’re different from me! You have a big brother! And he believes in his little brother! Whatever path you walk you’ll be a great person! You have a burning passion in your heart! So let’s do our best! Let’s work hard in life! Even if we’re lonely!’
- (To the train Demon) “However, if you bare your fangs at innocent people, my bright red flame blade will burn you to the bone!“
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