Summary
The Demon Slayer Corps has thrived for centuries in their struggle against demons primarily because of the countless warriors who put their lives on the line to uphold values that are foreign or sometimes detestable to their adversaries. In this brutal confrontation between good and evil, theHashiras have undoubtedly been the organization’s extraordinary assets, as they pose the greatest threat to Muzan and his underlings.
While these skilled combatants come from different backgrounds with varying dispositions, there are very few inDemon Slayerwho could match the indomitable will and fearlessness of the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. Hashiras admire him whileTanjiro and his friends see him as a herowho deserves to be venerated. Despite coming from a broken family and being constantly mocked by his father, Rengoku does not carry the slightest tinge of bitterness. But when the Flame Hashira confronts demons, he transforms into an intimidating and dangerous warrior.
Kyojuro Rengoku Possesses Exceptional Physical Attributes
The Flame Hashira Kyojuro comes from the well-known Rengoku family which has an outstanding lineage of influential swordsmen. His father Shinjuro Rengoku served in the Demon Slayer Corps as a Flame Hashira and even familiarized him with the flame breathing at a young age. But slowly he becameapathetic and violent toward his children, which complicated Kyojuro’s life who had already lost his mother, Ruka Rengoku by this point. Despite the hardships in his path and the struggle of keeping his broken family together, Kyojuro followed his dreams. Shortly before Ruka’s death, he had promised her to protect those who were weak, which later evolved into a driving force behind his determination to fight demons.
Kyojuro’s pledge to his mother is the source of his indomitable spirit and unshakable resolve that makes him appear invincible in combat. In the Mugen Train arc, the Flame Hashira demonstrates extraordinary willpower and undaunted resolve that even impresses the Upper-Rank Three, Akaza. Despite several serious injuries, he refuses to back down and fights with an intensity thatleaves Tanjiro and Inosuke astonished. Although Rengoku ends up losing the battle, the confrontation leaves a lasting impression on the duo who learn to push themselves to their limits even when the odds are stacked heavily against them.
While Rengoku’s unstoppable spirit drives him to take risks, his extrasensory perception on the other hand helps him perceive threats that are overlooked by others. His exceptionally sharpened senses come into play when Tanjiro is seriously injured. Kyojuro manages to perceive his torn blood vessel with remarkable accuracy which helps him avoid blood loss. Interestingly, Tanjiro’s senses are exceptionally honed but Rengoku somehow outshines them when they are fighting together. The Flame Hashira displays his unconventionally strong extrasensory perception when he can feel Akaza’s presence a lot earlier than the Upper-Rank Three directly confronts him. Kyojuro uses his heightened senses to his advantage on multiple other occasions to figure out the weaknesses of his adversaries.
Apart from being infectiously motivated and driven, Rengoku is also very intelligent. As mentioned earlier, Shinjuro hadfamiliarized him with Flame breathingat a young age. However, Kyojuro eventually mastered it himself by reading a three-volume book on the subject. He also educated himself about Total Concentration Breathing on his own, which allowed him to continue fighting despite severe wounds. When Tanjiro’s blood vessels are torn during his fight with Enmu, Rengoku helps him seal minor injuries and hemorrhaging using the same technique. This is a critical application of the technique as Tanjiro could have potentially died due to blood loss if it wasn’t for Kyojuro’s timely intervention.
Rengoku’s cleverness is also on display during his fights when he accesses circumstances intellectually and makes strategies that give him an edge. One noteworthy instance of this is when Akaza attacks him with ̌ Destructive Death: Air Type, Kyojuro immediately realizes that it is counterproductive to fight a long-range battle with the Upper-Rank Three. He then switches his strategy and fights at close range with Akaza which also improves hislikelihood of beheading the demon.
Throughout his career, Kyojuro faced several dangerous demons who pushed him to his limits but despite the odds stacked against him, he always found a way to shock his adversaries. One of the key reasons for this is his incredible endurance and immense stamina. When he fought the Lower Rank Two Hairo, Rengoku was shot multiple times and suffered serious wounds from explosions. But he never looked intimidated or fatigued at any point. He endured the painwithout showing any weakness and displayed immense courage.
Interestingly, the Flame Hashira showed somewhat similar endurance and boldness when he fought the Flute Demon, who used to utilize his instrument to disrupt people’s nervous systems. As soon as Rengoku learned his enemies' power, he ruptured his eardrums without showing any signs of pain. But these examples of his endurance are dwarfed when compared with his fight with Akaza. The Upper-Rank Three pierced Kyojuro’s solar plexus with his arm. He also smashed Rengoku’s eye and damaged his internal organs. Despite these terrible wounds, the Flame Hashira bravely fought Akaza. He held onto him waiting for the sunrise,even in his precarious state.
Apart from his indomitable spirit, extreme endurance, and immense stamina, Kyojuro is special because of his speed and reflexes. During his fight with Akaza,his friends Tanjiro and Inosukecould barely keep track of his movements. He would couple his swift movements with incredibly quick techniques to surprise even the Upper-Rank Three, who is one of the most powerful demons in existence. Akaza was amazed by his reflexes and fighting prowess to the point that he invited him to join the demon so that his potential was not wasted.
The Flame Hashira was also exceptionally strong as he had conditioned his body from a very young age.In the Mugen Train Arc,he dashed forward with such immense strength that he lifted the train off its tracks. When he held onto Akaza, the Upper-Rank Three struggled to set himself free. Akaza felt that Rengoku’s strength was unbelievable, which is a huge compliment because the Upper-Rank Three is a very strong demon. However, Kyojuro is unique not just because of his exceptionally honed physical attributes but also due to his impeccable combat skills.
The Flame Hashira is a Monster On the Battlefield
During his early days inthe Demon Slayer Corps, Kyojuro Rengoku was tasked to fight the Flute Demon, who had killed nine demon slayers by that point. Rengoku fought him alone and managed to put an end to his reign of terror. He then went on to defeat Lower Rank Two, Hairo proving his value as a demon slayer. As mentioned earlier, Kyojuro comes from an exceptional lineage of strong swordsmen, which has allowed him to work on his skills from a young age. His father helped him learn Flame Breathing, which played a vital role in his illustrious career. This early introduction to combat knowledge helped him singlehandedly win the battles against the Flute Demon and Hairo.
Thanks to the training from Shinjuro, Kyojuro went on to become one of the most skilled swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps. His skills inusing his Nichirin Bladewith precision and control were second to none. One memorable instance of him overpowering his adversaries using his swordsmanship alone was when he fought Hairo. The Lower-Rank Two relied heavily on his bushido sword style during combat. When he tried to use the same technique against Rengoku, he was easily overpowered and killed. In his last moments, Hairo praised Kyojuro’s dexterity with the sword.
During his fight with Akaza, Rengoku relied heavily on his swordsmanship and several times even surprised the Upper-Rank Three. He wenttoe-to-toe against Akazawho had been fighting for centuries and had even killed several Hahiras. This was made possible primarily because of his mastery of the Flame Breathing. He perfected his technique to the extent that he could be called his generation’s most proficient Flame Breathing user. Notably, the dangerous breathing style has six forms in total that are named: Unknowing Fire, Rising Scorching Sun, Blazing Universe, Blooming Flame Undulation, Flame Tiger, and Rengoku.
The varied forms of Flame Breathing give Kyojuro Rengoku a host of combat skills that are extremely effective. When he uses them together, Rengoku can easily overwhelm even the most dangerous adversaries. However, Kyojuro never got toawaken his Demon Slayer Mark. Most of his Hashira peers went on to get one following the battle in the Swordsmith Village. The mark not only enhances physical strength and endurance but also gives the user access to the Transparent World and Bright Red Nichirin Sword.
With the aforementioned abilities unlocked, Hashiras can push past their human limits and achieve incredible feats. One could only imagine how valuable Kyojuro Rengoku would have turned out to be for the Demon Slayer Corps had he managed to get the mark as well. Flame Hashira’s contribution even without it is nothing short of legendary. It’s no surprise that the members of the Demon Slayer Corps can feel the void he left behind. But his far-reaching influence inspired Tanjiro and Inosuke who went on to fight some of themost dangerous demons in existence. Therefore, it won’t be far-fetched to claim that Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku is probably one of the best Hashiras to have ever lived.
