10 Best Yoriichi Tsugikuni Quotes from the ‘Demon Slayer’ Manga & Anime

When discussing Demon Slayer, one usually talks about the demon slayers themselves or the demons. And while the series has offered us a variety of other intriguing characters, we will talk about one specific Demon Slayer – Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the strongest Demon Slayer in history – in this article. Yoriichi Tsugikuni is an exceptionally intriguing character and is known as the strongest Demon Slayer in the history of the Corps. And he definitely deserves an article of his own.
This list will include a total of the best 10 Yoriichi Tsugikuni quotes you need to know from the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime and manga. The quotes are taken from various contexts and situations, and we have decided to list them here for you and also explain the context and the meaning a bit.
1. “Sumiyoshi… those who master their trade all arrive at the same place. Even if the times change or the way to that place changes they are certain to reach the same place. You seem to think I’m someone that’s special but I’m not. I cannot protect anything that’s important to me and I was unable to accomplish even one thing that I should have in this life.”
The relationship between Yoriichi and Sumiyoshi has been debated for years, and even we on Fiction Horizon have provided you with numerous texts detailing that relationship. Sumiyoshi is Yoriichi’s only true friend, and this quote illustrates just how much he values his friendship, as he is willing to spill his guts in front of him, even belittle himself.
Sumiyoshi was, of course, a careful listened and a true friend, so not only did he listen to Yoriichi, but he also encouraged him and always told him that he was, in fact, special, and he truly was. Sumiyoshi was the true definition of a friend.
2. “The Demon Slayers defeated demons, one after the next. When demons killed my elder brother’s subordinates, he too became a Demon Slayer and lent us his strength. Soon after, I found the demon’s progenitor. And in that moment… I knew that I had been born for the purpose of defeating him.”
Another important relationship when Yoriichi is concerned is that he had with Muzan. It wasn’t as friendly as the previous sentence might imply; they were mortal enemies. Yoriichi wanted to kill Muzan for everything his Demons had done, and he almost succeeded in doing it. Muzan was mortally afraid of Yoriichi, which was evident throughout his life.
Also, not killing Muzan – although he considered himself to be predestined to do so – was one of those major regrets that Yoriichi had in his life. Come to think of it; it was probably his biggest regret.
3. “My brother, is your dream to become the strongest samurai in the land? I want to be like you. I… want to become the second strongest samurai.”
Yoriichi loved Michikatsu. He loved him before he became a demon, and he loved him even after the latter had become a Demon. And while Michikatsu was extremely jealous of Yoriichi, the latter adored him and would always be there to protect him.
It was much later that Michikatsu found out what Yoriichi had done for him, and sadly, his jealousy did not allow him to change his attitude until the very end when the two brothers reunited peacefully in the afterlife. This was Yoriichi’s third significant relationship in his life.
4. “My brother… we are not that great. We are merely a fragment of humankind’s long, long history. At this moment, those whose talent will surpass ours are uttering their first cries. They may come to reach the same place. There is no need to worry. We can draw the curtain of life closed without unease at any time. Does that not exhilarate you? Brother?”
Despite what Michikatsu thought, Yoriichi never wanted to be better than him. He never wanted to be superior in that aspect. Yoriichi observed the beauty of the world around them, and he wanted to enjoy it. He wanted to enjoy a Demon-free future, and while he himself did not live to see it, the Demon Slayer Corps made sure that such a future came to be.
Even Michikatsu would, just before dying, realize the error of his ways, so the purification, the catharsis, was thus complete, and Yoriichi’s wish was fulfilled. We are absolutely certain that he would have been very happy to have seen such a world.
5. “My dream was to live a quiet life with my family in a small house where we would sleep side by side. I would be close enough to see the beloved faces of my wife and child and close enough to reach out and take their hands. That would have been enough. But even that… did not come true. Demons exist in this beautiful world.”
As stated, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was a very humble, very modest man. And it wasn’t just for show, really. He was truly like that. He did not consider himself to be special, nor did he want any special treatment. This was evident in his relationships with Sumiyoshi and Michikatsu, but also in his relationship with the world around him.
All he ever wanted was a peaceful life, a Demon-free world whose beauty could bloom for everyone to enjoy. He hated a world where people had to live in fear of monsters, so he worked so hard to fix it. Luckily, his work ultimately paid off.
6. “I think I was born with special strength for the purpose of defeating Muzan Kibutsuji. But I was lacking. In the end, I failed. Because of that, many more people will die. And that pains me.”
As we’ve said above, Yoriichi considered himself to be predestined to kill Muzan. And he was the only one in centuries who came close to doing it, which is why Muzan was so afraid of him.
Muzan was mortally afraid of Yoriichi, knowing that the latter could, indeed, kill him. But, Yoriichi failed, and Muzan went into hiding, and Yoriichi was aware of what that would mean for the future and that many people would die and/or be turned into Demons because of his failure, which is why he regretted his failure up until the day he died. That is why he continued to slay Demons, even after he was expelled from the Corps.
7. “What is the value of a life to you?”
This is actually a question that Yoriichi asked his mortal enemy – Muzan. Muzan had a very specific philosophy in life that resulted from his own traumas and hatred. That is why, as a nigh-immortal being, he did not value life. He thought himself invincible, and that is exactly why this quote is so important, as it was a question for Muzan that would ultimately force him to reconsider his views on mortality; facing Yoriichi showed Muzan that his life was as feeble as any other.
8. “I am a man without any value.”
Going back to Yoriichi, we’ve said that the guy was quite humble, and this short quote illustrates it perfectly. It shows just what Yoriichi thought of himself, and he was, believe us, honest when he said it. Sumiyoshi tried to convince him otherwise, and he was, objectively, very special, but Yoriichi never thought himself to be special or anything else. He just wanted peace and quiet in life, which was evident throughout his life. This quote is simply yet another illustration of that.
9. “What do you find so entertaining? What’s so amusing about this? What do you take life for, exactly? Why can’t you understand? How can you forget?”
This one is related to quote #7 and is part of Yoriichi’s dialogue with Muzan. We have to remember that Muzan thought himself invincible, and even when he faced Yoriichi, whom he did not know at the time, he never doubted his skills. He was aware of his superiority and vainly thought that no one would ever be able to defeat him. And then came Yoriichi. Yoriichi taught him a lesson in fear; while that did not change Muzan for the better, it made him afraid. It made a coward out of him, which is why this is so important.
10. “Someday… the children now being born will surpass us and ascend… to even greater heights.”
Finally, going back to the future, we can only repeat what we’ve said – in his humble worldview, Yoriichi only wanted a beautiful world without Demons, where people could live peacefully and without fear of being slaughtered by monsters. He knew that such a future would arrive one day, and while he was sad that he himself failed to secure it because he did not kill Muzan, he knew that Muzan’s reign would come to an end at one point and that he would see a future in which everyone would be happy.