Gyōmei vs. Kokushibō: What Happened During the Fight & Who Won?

The Demons of Demon Slayer are a truly fascinating lot. They come in all shapes and sizes, and while they are evil in their demonic form, their backstories and their lives while they were human usually contain a very tragic note that makes you feel sad for them. But there are also exceptions, and one such exception is the protagonist of this article – Kokushibo. The Upper Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki, Kokushibo is the most powerful Demon after Muzan and is a character with a truly great story. During the Infinity Castle Arc, Kokushibo fought a series of Demon Slayers, among which was also Gyōmei Himejima. In this article, we are going to tell you who won that fight and how.

Gyōmei Himejima was able to defeat Kokushibo, but it was a combined effort of a total of four powerful Demon Slayers; Gyōmei had the help of Muichiro Tokito, as well as Sanemi and Genya Shinazugawa. Kokushibo was close to defeating all of them, but their combined efforts were enough to surpass the Upper Rank’s powers, and that is how he was eventually defeated.

The rest of this article will further elaborate on the above-given answer, as we will provide you with more details on the fight between Gyōmei, Muichiro, and the Shinazugawa brothers on one side and Kokushibo on the other. This was definitely one of the most thrilling fights in the whole series, which is why we will provide you with a full recap, which also means that there will be spoilers present, which we must warn you about.

Gyōmei and his allies were able to defeat Kokushibo in a fierce fight

Muzan’s most powerful subordinate with the title of Upper-Rank One, Kokushibo, was originally a demon slayer named Michikatsu Tsugikuni and Yoriichi’s older brother. Envious of his brother’s talent, he eventually joined Muzan as a demon to perfect his techniques as a swordsman without worrying about dying of disease or old age. His fighting style was Moon Breathing, which was directly derived from Yoriichi’s Sun Breathing. His sword was part of his body, so he was able to regenerate and change shape at will.

And while he had a very important fight with his brother, Yoriichi, years ago, his final fight happened during the Infinity Castle Arc, when he faced a total of four powerful Demon Slayers, initially led by Muichiro Tokito, who Sanemi and Genya, the Shinazugawa brothers, and Gyōmei Himejima later joined.

The conflict began when Kokushibo and Muichiro Tokito were taken to the same room inside Infinity Castle. Kokushibo was very successful in his fight against Muichiro and, later, the Shinazugawa brothers, who came to help him. After some struggle, Kokushibo was poised to deliver a devastating blow and enjoyed the chance to battle such a proficient Hashira when Gyōmei, the Rock Hashira, appeared. Kokushibo could not contain himself and expressed his unabashed admiration for Gyōmei’s physique.

Gyōmei displays his Demon Slayer Mark, the secret weapon he planned to save for Muzan after a fierce back-and-forth conflict. The two keep up their fierce conflict. Sanemi manages to treat his wound before he can rejoin the fight, and the two are now engaged in a 2-on-1 conflict with Kokushibo. Kokushibo is surprised by how well they can work together despite having diverse communication styles. Sanemi and Gyōmei are abruptly struck by what appears to be an extended blade with three blades protruding from the sides, two on one side and one on the other, while the three of them continue to fight.

Muichiro manages to release himself in the meanwhile. He aids Genya by hanging up his body and giving him a tuft of Kokushibo’s hair with what little life he has left. Then Genya experiences a power he’s never known. The conflict then continues, with Kokushibo making more frequent strikes. He is able to amputate two of Sanemi’s fingers, leaving Gyōmei and Sanemi with no choice but to focus all of their energy on dodging his blows.

Muichiro enters the conflict just as Sanemi appears to be ready to lose, sparing the other Hashira. The upper rank appears to be gaining the upper hand once more, but in a shocking turn of events, Gyōmei is able to sever his right arm, Muichiro stabs him through the torso, immobilizing him, and Genya fires a barrage of bullets at the demon with his weapon, which he modified using his own cells similarly to Kokushibo’s sword. Gyōmei and Sanemi race to kill the demon as the bullets lodged in his flesh transform into “trees” and completely enclose him.

Kokushibo is unnerved by the feeling as he remembers an encounter with his younger brother, Yoriichi, 400 years prior when they had not seen each other for 60 years. Yoriichi was able to strike his brother in the neck during the fight, which had never been done before; however, he passed away while still standing before he could strike his brother again. Kokushibo exploded many blades from his body in a fit of wrath at the prospect of losing, fatally wounding Muichiro and Genya while also seriously hurting Sanemi and Gyōmei. The four continue to advance unabated.

Genya releases another Blood Power, rooting another tree into Kokushibo’s back as Gyōmei smashes Kokushibo’s skull with his flail, and Sanemi rushes forward as Muichiro’s blade becomes crimson, seemingly seeing Kokushibo’s internal organs. Kokushibo celebrates, bragging that all strikes against him are now ineffective because he has beaten Death by beheading him. Shock quickly overtakes his elation when he notices himself in the blade’s reflection.

His new appearance is hideous, with tusks and spikes protruding out of his face, back, and head. He recalls his previous goal of being the strongest warrior in the land and questions whether the course he has chosen is what he really wants. Gyōmei then manages to decapitate Kokushibo once more by using his flail to completely shatter his head as he muses over his motivations. Genya’s bloodthirsty power was utilized against The Top Rank, sucking some of his blood, preventing him from using his bloodthirsty power.

However, Kokushibo has the ability to regenerate fully, and while he prepares to do so, he still notices his brother speaking to him. Kokushibo decides not to regenerate and consents to die since he recognizes that’s not what he wants—he doesn’t want to turn into a monster. He considers what he actually wants to be—he only wants to be like Yoriichi—as he crumbles to the ground.

He only wanted to forget Yoriichi’s face, which he could only recall clearly. As his life raced before him, he acknowledged that by killing his own blood relative and breaking his samurai code, he gave it all up and ultimately accomplished nothing. In his dying moments, Kokushibo called for his brother, asking him why he had ever been born before disappearing entirely and leaving only his shattered flute behind.