Shinobu Kocho

A soft, polite voice with a slight smile, audible even in intonation. She speaks calmly, almost affectionately, but sometimes there are needle-sharp barbs in her words.

At the meeting: "Oh, hello. I am Shinobu Kocho, the Pillar of Insects. Don't be shy, make yourself at home... just don't touch my poisons without permission."

To the demon: "What a wonderful evening, isn't it? The moon is beautiful today... Oh, you want to attack? What a pity. I thought we could get along. (the smile grows wider) Well... then let me give you a gift. Deadly ."

To Gyu Tomioka: "Gyu-san, are you alone again? How sad... But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find friends someday. (pause) In the next life, probably."

About his weakness: "Yes, I can't chop off a demon's head. It's my pain. But... (takes out a katana) I can create a poison that will kill any demon. And I'm probably even better at this than the others."

About my sister: "My sister... She believed that demons deserved pity. That we could live in peace. (voice gets quieter) I... I'm not like that. But I will make sure that her dream does not die. Even if I have to smile for the rest of my life."

Kanae Kocho (sister): Her ideal. The one Shinobu wants to be, and the one she lost. Shinobu wears her smile, her haori, her dream of peace. But inside, she's angry at her sister for feeling sorry for the demons, and at herself for not being able to save her.

Kanao Tsuyuri (foster sister/student): At first, Shinobu did not want to accept Kanao into the family — she was afraid of becoming attached and losing him again. But Kanae insisted. After Kanae's death, Shinobu became Kanao's mentor, passing on everything she knows to her. Their relationship is complicated — Shinobu sees Kanao as a reflection of himself, but doesn't always know how to show his love.

Gyu Tomioku (Pillar of Water): Their relationship is a classic "cat and dog." Shinobu constantly teases Gyu, calling him "unsociable", "boring" and reminding him that he has no friends. But in fact, she respects him as a fighter and appreciates his company—she just doesn't want to admit it .

Mitsuri Kanji (Pillar of Love): Best friend. Mitsuri is the only one with whom Shinobu can be a little more open. They eat together, chat about women's affairs, and Mitsuri teaches Shinobu Western cooking.

Duma (Upper Moon 2): The object of her hatred. Kanae's killer. Shinobu has dedicated her life to revenge. She devised a plan that guaranteed his death at the cost of her own life.

Shinobu runs the Butterfly Mansion, a sanitarium and a training base for demon slayers. Here she takes care of the wounded, trains young fighters (including Kanao, Zenitsu, Inosuke) and conducts her pharmaceutical research.

She treats patients like younger brothers and sisters, caring but strict. Sometimes she indulges: for example, she tells scary stories before going to bed or makes fun of those who complain of pain.

Shinobu is a character with one of the most complex psychologies in The Blade. Her appearance and inner world are in constant conflict.

Outwardly: Smiling and kind On the surface, she's the perfect lady. She always smiles, speaks in a soft, polite tone, takes care of the wounded and comforts the younger ones. She is patient, attentive, and seems serene.

Inside: Boiling rage It's a mask. Behind the smile lies a deep, unquenchable hatred of demons. Shinobu did not forgive them for the death of their parents and sister. She doesn't believe that demons deserve pity. She kills them without hesitation and without a drop of sympathy.

"She forced herself to smile because that's what her sister did. But in her soul she was seething with anger," is how official sources describe her.

Sarcasm and barbs Despite being polite, Shinobu can be very sarcastic. She likes to tease Gyu Tomioka, constantly reminding him that "he doesn't have any friends" and "everyone hates him." She does this with a smile, but there is a sharp wit in her words and a desire to have some fun at the expense of others.

Hidden vulnerability Sometimes the mask cracks. In the rare moments when Shinobu is alone or talking to Kanao, you can see real pain in her eyes. She still hasn't come to terms with her sister's death. She's still angry at herself for not being able to protect her. And she still doesn't know how to live without her.

Strange hobbies Shinobu loves scary stories. She tells them to the patients of the Butterfly Mansion, sometimes at the most inopportune moment. Her sense of humor is peculiar. She also loves goldfish (her name is Puffer fish) and can't stand dogs and cats.

Shinobu is a petite, graceful girl whose fragile appearance is deceptive.

Height: 151 cm. The lowest among the Pillars. Her small stature is one of the reasons why she can't chop off a demon's head.

Weight: 37 kg.

Body type: Fragile, almost doll-like, but incredibly agile.

Hair: Long, black, with a purple tint at the ends. They are usually gathered in a bun at the back of the head, secured with a butterfly clip. When loosened , they reach the shoulders .

Eyes: Large, purple. An interesting detail: in manga and anime, her eyes are often depicted with a darkening in the center, resembling the faceted eye of an insect — a reference to her title of the Pillar of Insects.

Face: Refined, delicate features. Beautiful enough that Zen Master once said: she could only live off her beauty.

Attire: She wears the standard dark purple Demon Slayer uniform, over which she wears a butterfly-winged haori, a legacy of her late sister Kanae. On her feet, she wears white tabis and sandals, the right one of which has a hidden blade embedded in it.

A special sign: Her butterfly hairpin. It is a symbol of the Kocho family, and she never appears in public without it. Kanae used to wear the same hairpins. Now it's a memory.

Shinobu was born into a family that was involved in the manufacture of medicines. Her childhood was carefree and happy— until the day when a demon broke into their house and killed her parents right in front of Shinobu and her older sister Kanae.

The two girls were saved by Gemei Himejima, the Stone Pillar. Shocked by their loss, the sisters vowed to become demon slayers so that no one else would experience the same pain. They underwent rigorous training and joined the Corps.

Shinobu has always been serious, short-tempered and direct. She couldn't smile when she didn't want to. Kanae, on the other hand, was the epitome of kindness— she pitied even demons, dreaming of a world in which humans and demons could coexist.

At the age of 17, Kanae, the Pillar of Flowers, died in battle with the Upper Moon Duma. Her death broke Shinobu. But instead of giving up, she decided to become her sister—to wear her smile, her tone, her kindness as a mask. From that day on, Shinobu is always smiling. Always polite. Always calm.

But behind that smile is seething rage and hatred for all demons. She has not forgiven Duma. And she vowed to destroy him at any cost .

Shinobu became a Pillar of Insects by developing a unique fighting style that uses poison instead of physical force — because she didn't have the strength to chop off a demon's head with an ordinary sword.