Who Is Yoriichi And Is Yoriichi A Demon?

For those who saw the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba series, for sure you are wondering why is that distinctive character almost looks like Tanjiro because of the same scar pattern near his right eye. That person is not related to Tanjiro at all, nor is a reincarnation of the protagonist. This person is wholly different but has played a significant role that’s connected to the main character.

He is Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the strongest Demon Slayer in the entire series. He is a legendary member of the Demon Slayer Corps due to being a master swordsman, as well as being a master of the Breathing Styles. Also, he is not a demon and is not Kokushibo at all.

To know more about this badass and overpowered character in the Kimetsu no Yaiba series, I will discuss more about the background of Yoriichi. You will also discover his overall appearance throughout the series, his personality, his background, his significance to Tanjiro, and his twin brother. This will help you learn more about him, and so as the fact that he is not Kokushibo.

Who Is Yoriichi?

Yoriichi is the most powerful Demon Slayer of the Demon Slayer Corps of the Sengoku Era. He has a twin brother, Michikatsu, who was born in the Sengoku period. However, twins during that period are oftentimes considered as a bad omen, added with the fact that Yoriichi was born with a scar, which made his parents think that he is the “bad” twin who would bring misfortune to their family.

Yoriichi’s Story

But his parents would now know that it granted Yoriichi the natural ability to increase his physical strength, as well as an enhanced vision to see bodies with total transparency. Yoriichi was the brother who was treated poorly because of his scar and what his parents believed of him, unlike Michikatsu who was raised so well. 

Because of this mistreatment, Yoriichi was assumed to be deaf, resulting in his mother giving him Hanafuda earrings (the ones that Tanjiro wore) so then he would be blessed. Despite being pitied by his older twin brother, Michikatsu would still see his younger brother. Eventually, it gave him the ability to speak at age seven.

Since his parents are planning to bring him to a temple to become a monk by age ten, he was never taught by his father when it comes to swordsmanship. But since Yoriichi got inspired by his older brother when he saw him training, he decided to give it a try. When one of his father’s men who’s instructing Michikatsu taught Yoriichi a very simple move, Yoriichi surprisingly showed some natural talent and landed four blows towards the instructor, which shocked his older brother. They still did not know that it was a stance of a Breathing Style.

When his mother passed away from an illness, he ran away so then the older brother can become the inheritor. However, instead of being thankful, Michikatsu’s already-built jealousy (due to the fighting style that Yoriichi demonstrated during his training) grew into hatred because of the latter’s total kindness and sense of gratitude without even receiving anything in return. They would meet several years later.

Yoriichi then discovered his brother as the sole surviving samurai in the latter’s encampment, as his comrades were killed by a demon. Yoriichi then demonstrated the Sun Breathing style to defeat the demon, which amazed his older twin brother. Yoriichi then decided to teach his technique to others but was unable to since no one could replicate it. Due to being a master of demon-slaying, he created variants of it to match the fighting styles of the people he would teach, and then label the strongest disciples of his as the Hashira. Thus, he was able to form the foundation of the Demon Slayer Corps.

As for the rest of Yoriichi’s story, that’s for you to find out as there will be lots of spoilers, and it seems that I have mentioned a lot already about his background.

Yoriichi’s Appearance

He is a muscular and tall man who has spiky hair with red tips, tied up to a ponytail. He is also known for his scar that looks similar to Tanjiro’s, but a bit lighter in color and more pronounced. 

Much like most Demon Slayers, he wears a black hakama with his Nichirin placed at the left side of his waist. He also wears an orange nagagi with red haori over it. He also sports the same hanafuda earrings as Tanjiro’s.

Yoriichi’s Personality

Yoriichi is a calm person who often shows no expression at all. He is also a very respectful person who has a reserved appearance at most times, masking his true emotions. But the truth is that he is very solemn when expressing his emotions. 

He is also a very humble person who always views himself as a normal person, despite being the wielder of the Sun Breathing style. 

Yoriichi’s Abilities

Yoriichi is the most powerful Demon Slayer in the entire series, even stronger than Tanjiro and all of the Hashira. He is naturally born with the Demon Slayer Mark, the bright red Nichirin Blade, Selfless State, Sun Breathing, and Transparent World. 

He is also born with a very strong physique, as demonstrated when he was a child, along with a natural talent in swordsmanship. Upon training as a Demon Slayer, he would become a master to the point of creating variants of the Sun Breathing style.

He is the wielder of the Sun Breathing Style and is its creator. It is the most powerful Breathing Style that all other Breathing Styles are rooted in. Yoriichi was the creator of all of the known techniques of this Breathing Style and even created new types of Breathing Styles so then he can share the art of demon-slaying with other people.

He also has the Demon Slayer Mark, the scar on his face, that grants him more innate abilities. Unlike most wielders, who died from its curse that only shortens their lifespan to 25 years of age, Yoriichi lived for 85 years. This scar grants him the ability to produce a bright red glow on his Nichirin Blade, which is effective in killing demons. It also granted him the Transparent World, which helps him view almost every aspect of the human body such as breathing and muscle contraction.

He is also known as a child prodigy, making his twin brother consider him a genius. His strength is also so immeasurable, that he is the only person who was close to defeating Muzan Kibutsuji and Kokushibo. His calm emotions also made him capable of entering the Selfless State, an ability that almost killed Muzan during Yoriichi’s final battle.

Is Yoriichi A Demon?

Yoriichi is not the one who turned into a demon, despite looking like one. The reason why he was assumed by some fans is because of his older twin brother. Michikatsu became the demon due to his jealousy of his younger brother, coupled with frustration due to never surpassing the latter. 

Since he also bears a Demon Slayer Mark, he gained a fear of living a short lifespan, making him seem like the polar opposite of Yoriichi in terms of character. Because of this, he got persuaded by Muzan, turning him into the demon Kokushibo. 

Who is Kokushibo

Kokushibo has the highest position in the Twelve Kizuki, Muzan’s elite demons. He is a swordsman and a demon at the same time. He is also known as an extremely powerful one, deserving the highest rank among Muzan’s demons. His 400 years’ worth of age as a demon also made him grow more powerful in the process. He and Yoriichi looked so alike when Michikatsu was still a human, and even had a Demon Slayer Mark as well. In his demon form, he possesses the marks and now has six red eyes.

He is also one of the two demons who can perform a Breathing Style, the Moon Breathing. This is one of the deadliest forms of Breathing Style in the series, close to Sun Breathing in terms of overall power. This, along with his demon blood art of forming crescent Moon Blades, made him a deadly opponent for the Hashira. Also, Kokushibo is knowledgeable of the Breathing Styles, being a Demon Slayer himself in his human life.

Why Did Yoriichi Become A Demon?

Yoriichi never became a demon at all. He lived as a human being for 85 years, surpassing the curse of the Demon Slayer Mark. As a result, he was able to engage Muzan and Kokushibo in one final battle. In this battle, you will see how Muzan almost got killed, as well as Kokushibo. This proved that if Yoriichi had the chance to battle Muzan and his older brother when he was younger, he would have defeated them effortlessly. 

This just shows that Yoriichi is a true Demon Slayer not just because of his strength, but because of his characteristic of being solemn and kind. Take note that he had a twin brother, which does not make him a demon at all. Yoriichi is an example of a person who shows that being light-hearted with peace of mind makes things much better for you in life, enough to prevent the darkness from taking over your mind from doing greater things.