Yahoo News Demon Slayer's Upper Rank demons explained
Demon Slayer season three is finally here! After more than a year of waiting, fans of Tanjiro can rest easy knowing their favourite boy is back to fight demons and sincerely express his emotions.
Unfortunately for our heroes, some of the villains facing the Demon Slayer Corps make the idea of fighting a giant evil train seem like a walk in the park.
Demon Slayer season three will see Tanjiro, Nezuko, Inosuke and Zanitsu facing off against the most fearsome of Muzan Kibutsuji's Twelve Kizuki, the six Upper-Rank Demons. But who exactly occupies slots on the big bad's BFF ranking?
In case you forgot, there used to be a parallel group of Kizuki, the Lower Rank Demons. Unfortunately, they all got the chop at the start of the Mugen Train Arc, apart from half-man half-train Enmu, after Kibutsuji decided they were no longer fit for purpose. Ouch.
Demon Slayer season three (beyond episode one) and some manga spoilers follow.
Upper Rank 6: Gyutaro and Daki
These two are now former Upper Rank Demons, but it's worth including them given the impact they had on Demon Slayer season two. Gyutaro and Daki were an abused and neglected brother-and-sister duo that roamed the streets of the Entertainment District when they were humans, before being turned into terrifying demons by Doma (see below).
Our hero's encounter with the duo was near deadly as Gyutaro's Demon Blood Art allowed him to create vicious blades with his own blood, and the pair could only be defeated if they were beheaded at the same time.
Upper Rank 5: Gyokko
Gyokko is that horrid little guy who lives in a vase you saw in the season three opener. His physicality is really unique, with mouths where his eyes should be and tiny doll-like hands along his arms and back. Beyond his horrifying appearance, Gyokko's most important trait and something to keep an eye out for is his pride in his 'artwork'.
As Demon Slayer season three progresses this will eventually put him at odds with the artisans of Swordsmith Village, especially Haganezuka, whom he sees as a sort-of artistic rival. In typically-morbid Demon Slayer fashion, Gyokko has a penchant for creating grotesque tableaux with the bodies of his victims (think Hannibal, but somehow more flamboyant).
Part of the fun of Demon Slayer's action is the truly bonkers Blood Demon Arts the Kizuki possess, so we won't spoil too much here - but suffice to say that Gyokko's obsession with vases, and his peculiar summoning abilities, make him a terrifying opponent.
Upper Rank 4: Hantengu
Hantengu is the other major Kizuki featured in Demon Slayer season three, who you probably spotted hanging out on the stairs of the Infinity Castle during the season premiere. Hantengu's biggest trick is his ability to manifest clones of his younger self, each embodying a different emotional state from his past. While the 'main' Hantengu body, the version that appeared in season three episode one, is shown to be cowardly and paranoid – his younger bodies are far more frightening.
The idea that Hantengu contains these multitudes is indicative of his life before he was turned into a demon. As with most of Demon Slayer's primary antagonists, Hantengu has a surprisingly tragic backstory that ties his current state to a particularly traumatic childhood.
Upper Rank 3: Akaza
You know Akaza, he's the hot one from the end of Mugen Train. Sure, he killed Flame Hashira and all-around good guy Rengoku, but who among us hasn't done things we regret? Akaza's appearance at the start of Demon Slayer season three is one of the show's most epic sequences to date, but fans shouldn't expect to see much more of this angsty man in the foreseeable future.
In the original manga, Akaza doesn't play a major role in the Swordsmith Village Arc but does get very involved in the subsequent storylines. Akaza's defining trait is his desire to test his strength, and his dislike of people he sees as weak. This combination causes him to seek out fights with the strongest Demon Slayers he can find, and also puts him at odds with other demons.
Unluckily for them, Akaza is a ferocious fighter thanks in part to years of dedicated martial arts training when he was human. He also possesses incredible durability and regenerative powers, even compared to other Kizuki we meet, because of the amount of Muzan Kibustuji's blood he's imbibed – remember, that's how demons are made.
Upper Rank 2: Doma
Doma might be the most charming baddie in Demon Slayer's entire roster, which makes sense given the fact he runs a cult that worships him as a god. His great hair, cute beret, and smarmy wit might make him a fan-favorite, but he's not so popular with the other Kizuki. In fact, we got a taste of his rivalry with Akaza in the show's season three premiere, although we're not expecting to see him reappear any time soon.
Without spoiling too much, Doma has a deadly connection with one of the main characters that we can't wait to see pay off. Beyond his backstory, Doma's Blood Demon Art is also noteworthy for manifesting more like a superpower than almost any other we see in the show.
Upper Rank 1: Kokushibo
The number one ranked Kizuki is the terrifying Kokushibo, whose six orange eyes mark him out as one of Demon Slayer's most striking character designs.
He also bears a major resemblance to Tanjiro thanks to his red-tipped hair and flame-marked face, although that appears to be a coincidence. Kokushibo's history is long and involved, and we won't spoil too much here, but the key thing to look out for is his relationship with the Demon Slayer Corps – especially the Mist Hashira Takito.
Kokushibo's powers also derive from some very spoileriffic events, but let's just say he has impressive mastery over the Breathing techniques the various Hashira use.
Demon Slayer seasons 1-2 are available on Netflix, with new episodes of season 3 airing every Sunday on Crunchyroll.
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