Hashiras

Shinobu was a short, fair-skinned girl with red lipstick, short black hair with purple ombre extensions at the tips, which was wavy and parted at the top of her head with two long sideburns. Her eyes were special, having a purple coloration with a compound appearance similar to that of insects, as they lacked pupils. Shinobu kept her hair styled at the back of her head in a flat yakai-maki bun, held with a white, turquoise, and light purple butterfly ornament. Shinobu was quite short and was often described as small and weak-looking, which is later reinforced by her statement that she lacked the physical strength to cut off a Demon's head like the other Pillars. According to Zenitsu's comments to Shinobu, her beauty alone would have been enough to earn a living. Her Nichirin sword had a custom design, with a butterfly wing-shaped guard, and the cutting edge was absent from the blade because she lacked the strength to cut off demons' heads. However, the sword was designed to inoculate poison made from wisteria flowers, which compensated for her lack of physical strength.

She wore the standard Hunter uniform, which in her case consisted of a straight-lined, purple-dyed black jacket with black hakama pants tucked into butterfly-patterned kyahan fabric around her legs and purple zori sandals. She also wears a gray haori with a butterfly wing pattern, which fades to turquoise and pink on the sleeves; this haori belonged to her late sister Kanae. When she was younger, her hairstyle was shorter, with a single long sideburn on each ear, and she wore a white haori and did not wear lipstick.[5]

Shinobu was quite relaxed, always with a smile on her face, regardless of the situation. She seems to enjoy teasing others and can be quite sadistic about it, especially towards her colleague Giyu Tomioka.[6] When facing a Demon, Shinobu showed an unexpectedly cruel and sadistic side when she murdered the older sister of the Spider Demons after giving her false hope of wanting to help her, not without first telling her what she intended to do with her and then attempting to kill Nezuko. [7] However, later Shinobu shows a more understanding and compassionate side towards Tanjiro and his sister when she learns their personal story. [8][9]

However, these personality traits mask her true self; before losing her sister, Shinobu was very strict, easily irritated, and almost always disagreed with her sister's opinions, showing herself to be more mature. The circumstances following the death of her sister Kanae caused Shinobu to harbor an intense hatred for demons due to everything she lost at a young age, along with the death of her parents, almost all of her Tsuguko, and the families of her apprentices at the Butterfly Mansion. This hatred is so strong that she is in a near-constant state of extreme anger, [10] sensed by Tanjiro and his keen sense of smell when they have a conversation one night. Her desire for revenge made her unable to live the normal life her sister had wished for her, and instead she dedicated all her energy to defeating demons. [11]

In his presentation, Giyu has the appearance of a young adult of approximately 19 years old. Of average height, white skin, black hair which is long and kept in a ponytail to the lower part of his back and sapphire blue eyes. As characteristic clothing, he uses the regulation outfit of the Demon Extermination Corps, which is slightly tinted blue, also wearing a Haori divided [3] in two colors, one red [4], which belonged to his sister [5] and one in the form of geometric patterns [3] of green, orange and yellow [4]; this last pattern is a reminder of his friendship with Sabito [6].

During the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, he lost his right arm[7] and three months after the incident, he had his hair cut[8].

Giyu has a reserved personality and always wears a serious expression on his face. He demonstrates a strong sense of justice with zero tolerance for those who don't know their own limitations and waste their lives. Although he felt a deep hatred for demons and never hesitated to kill one, he was able to go against the rules of the Demon Slayer Corps by protecting Nezuko Kamado upon realizing that she might be different from other demons[9], and even agreed to sacrifice his life for her and her brother, Tanjiro Kamado, by committing seppuku if the young woman ate a human[10]. This implied that he didn't completely despise demons as the others did[11], and was willing to make an exception by letting them[12] live if they didn't kill or eat humans[13], demonstrating in turn that he was the most pragmatic when dealing with demons instead of hating them as the other hunters did.

He is someone who doesn't talk much and seemed to have trouble interacting with others; because of this, he kept his distance from his companions[14]. This led him to develop a kind of complex about what others thought of him, and he refused to believe he was hated as Shinobu Kochō claimed[15]. After having the opportunity to interact with those around him, he wished to improve his relationship with the other Pillars.

His distant attitude stemmed from developing a strong inferiority complex after participating in the Final Selection, which made him a more severe person; this affected him to the point of wanting to abandon his position as Water Pillar. He came to his senses after Tanjiro Kamado explained that he shouldn't live with the guilt of being a survivor, but rather should live for the people who sacrificed their lives for him[16].

Gyomei was a man of stocky and muscular appearance. He was one of the tallest characters in the series, standing over two meters tall[4] and the oldest of all the members that make up the Pillars group and by extension the most experienced. He had short black hair with a thick scar that ran horizontally along his forehead, this scar being the result of his confrontation against the Demon who murdered the children under his care. He did not have irises, mainly because he was blind[5] and these, most of the time, filled with tears when he was in an emotional situation[3].

His signature attire was the classic Demon Slaying Corps attire. His attire lacked any visible customization except for the use of thick bandages to hold up his Hakama like pants[5]. He wore no socks with his Zori sandals[6] that had thick green strings, keeping the sleeves of his jacket up to display his thick, strong arms. He also wore a green Haori[7] with long sleeves and white borders which had Sanskrit writing on each side and printed on the back (in the manga) in a clear allusion to his religiosity. He usually wore a string of thick red beads around his neck[5] and was constantly seen holding prayer beads whenever he was not in battle[3].

During the final confrontation against Muzan Kibutsuji, Himejima loses his left leg.[8

Gyomei was a very religious person and could often be seen reciting the Amitabha mantra in situations that saddened him and offering prayers to those around him. For the most part, he remained serene, kind, and very emotional. He frequently cried in all sorts of situations.

Despite his manly personality and tendency to become emotional to the point of tears, Gyomei held an objective and doubtful view of the people around him; being fully aware of the possibilities that others, particularly children or those younger than him, could do when given the chance. Due to his experience before becoming a Demon Slayer, it had further strengthened his quietly doubtful nature to the point where it took him a while to fully accept people; but once he accepted those around him, he would reject even what others would say about them, fully believing in the person he accepted.

Being the most experienced of all the Pillars, he was the most respected by all his peers. At times, Gyomei acted as the leader of the Pillars, and even Kagaya Ubuyashiki trusted him completely, providing him with information he couldn't share with others.

Mitsuri was a young woman of average height, fair skin and slim build with a curvy and voluptuous figure. She had large eyes of a peculiar lime green and also had two moles located parallel below her cheekbones, most of the time her cheeks were rosy. She had pink hair with a green gradient that extended to the lower parts, it was quite long and she usually wore it tied in three braided pigtails; the pigtails located on the left and right fell in front of her shoulders while the center braid fell down her back. Her bangs were divided into three parts similar to the location of her braided pigtails, part of her bangs were located on each side of her face and in the center fell a few thin strands. Her signature attire consisted of her customized version of the Demon Slaying Corps member's attire. She wore a white shirt and a slightly pink-tinged black jacket, both unbuttoned due to her large breasts, revealing a plunging neckline. She wore a short black skirt also with a slight pink tinge at the bottom, held in place by a white leather strap where she carried her Nichirin Sword. She also wore a long-sleeved white haori and a pair of navy blue thigh-high socks that were covered with another pair of green striped knee-high socks along with pink lace-up Japanese sandals.

Mitsuri was a cheerful, passionate, and kind young woman. At times she tended to get nervous and was easily frightened; she also wasn't good at enduring insults from others. She loved to love others, which was probably related to her title as the Pillar of Love. After joining the Demon Slayer Corps, she revealed that her reason for joining was because she wanted to find a man stronger than herself, a task she considered difficult due to her superhuman strength.

Before becoming a demon slayer, at 17, she was excited to get married but ended up being affected by her fiancé, who insulted her appearance, strength, and eating habits. This damaged Mitsuri's self-esteem, causing changes in her personality and appearance, making her seem weak; desperate for acceptance and love, she dyed her hair black and barely ate, spending most of her time thinking about whether she was doing things right and what she should change to please others.

After realizing that her companions accepted her as she was, she also managed to accept herself. Since then, she began to be quite expressive and emotional; it was normal to see her always with a smile on her face, and she spent most of her time congratulating and showing appreciation for others. She didn't seem to have trouble showing her affection to others and, although she didn't always show it with words, in most of her thoughts she tended to name each of the good attributes of those around her, as she demonstrated when she saw Obanai Iguro after a while and considered that his persistence was even more amazing than before, or when she saw Nezuko Kamado for the first time and it pained her to have to execute such a charming young woman.

Muichiro is a short teenager, standing at 160cm, with a muscular build and fair complexion. He has long, straight black hair that fades to a bluish-mint green as it approaches his waist. He usually wears it loose, with a few strands sticking out on either side of his head, a slightly shorter set of hair framing his face, and a stray fringe across his forehead. He also has large, bluish-mint green eyes that often give his expressions a blank look. His eyes and hair are traits he shares with his twin brother, Yuichiro Tokito. His signature attire consisted of the classic uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps. The most notable customizations were: the fabric of the entire uniform was lightly dyed turquoise, his jacket and trousers were loose-fitting at the bottom, and on his feet he wore dark blue tabi socks and a pair of white zōri sandals with dark blue straps.

Muichiro was a child with an eccentric and stoic personality, constantly seeming to wander in his thoughts and having a short attention span. He rarely showed emotion, often maintaining an aloof disposition; this led him to become impassive and, at times, obtuse, tending to think only for himself and operating solely on logic, not letting emotion guide him, making him appear completely apathetic and unconcerned. Tanjiro Kamado sensed that Muichiro was not being so apathetic on purpose as he did not emanate any animosity. Part of his stoic demeanor was conditioned due to the loss of his memories.

In the past, before becoming a member of the Demon Extermination Corps, he lived with his twin brother at the age of eleven. Back then, he had a much more compassionate and optimistic personality, the polar opposite of his fourteen-year-old self. He displayed a greater level of kindness and understanding, believing that he should aim to do good to others if he wanted them to do good to him. After his brother was killed at the hands of a Demon, he lost his memories and held a deeply repressed, ever-present rage within him that inevitably drove his future. Following this memory loss, he began to exhibit his twin brother's indifferent attitude.

Despite being indifferent most of the time, he demonstrated seriousness when necessary and was completely dedicated to his position as a Mist Pillar. The only person he never showed indifference to was Kagaya Ubuyashiki, likely due to his immense respect for his master. While facing demons, his decision-making was completely rational; while he sought the path that would lead him to save as many lives as possible, he showed no problem making decisions that would result in some dying to save more. His attitude began to change after interacting with Tanjiro.

Kyojuro was a young man of barely 20 years of age, with cream-colored skin, bright yellow hair with red streaks, forked black eyebrows, and golden eyes.

His attire consisted of the regular Demon Slayer uniform along with a cape that has the white-yellow gradient pattern and red flame-like crests at the tips.

Her hakama is tied at the ankles with a pair of flame-shaped cloths, zori shoes with red ties and black socks. Her Nichirin sword has a flame-shaped Tsuba and the blade of her katana is crimson red.

Of all the pillars, Kyojuro was the most enthusiastic of all, being by far the most aware of his mission, however, he could afford to be eccentric.

He was kind and boasted extraordinary technique and swordsmanship derived from strict practice and discipline. He was an honorable warrior who adhered to his code of morals and principles that were instilled in him by his mother at a young age, the most important thing to him being that those who were born strong have a duty to protect the weak.

Tengen was a very tall, burly man, of a voluminous and muscular build with slightly tanned skin. His hair was white and of uneven length, the longest strands reaching his shoulders and styled with three shorter, noticeable strands that arched to fall like bangs between his eyes and on either side of his face. He had very thin, fuchsia-colored eyes that seemed to slant inward, each with a long eyelash that flowed to the other side of his face.

During his days in the Demon Slayer Corps, Tengen wore a customized version of the standard Demon Slayer uniform, which was characterized by being black dyed in a turquoise tone along with a burgundy fabric wrap around his calves where the hakama pants were fastened and white sandals. He also wore two thick, gold rings around the upper part of his arms and what appeared to be a pair of blue fingerless gloves, secured around his middle finger with a white band and his wrists with another set of thinner gold rings, this time two on each side. In addition to this, Tengen sported a white wrap covering his hair, leaving only a thin ponytail visible that fell behind his head between his layers, which was adorned with a large pale gray headband decorated with six light pink gemstones, three large and arranged in a line, and three small and arranged in a triangle at the far left. A chain of smaller pale blue gemstones hung from each side of this headdress, framing his face, and he also wore what appeared to be red eye makeup around his left eye, consisting of alternating large and small dots running inward from his eye.

Tengen was a very eccentric person, always wanting to complete his actions in an "extravagant" way, and getting excited when some situation or person fulfilled those characteristics. He considered himself a superior being, calling himself "God" multiple times, which complemented his arrogance and egocentrism. [6] He could be inconsiderate and insensitive, as seen when he tried to take Aoi Kanzaki against her will to carry out the mission in the entertainment district, but he also had a caring side that he only showed mainly towards those most precious to him, especially his three wives, Makio, Suma and Hinatsuru. He also showed a somewhat kinder side towards Tanjiro after his mission, and began to accept him more and more as the series progressed.

Despite being a shinobi who traditionally valued completing the mission above all else, Tengen rejected that ideology after seeing its effect on his family. He believed that his subordinates, whether his wives or the Demon Slayers under his command, should value their lives and the lives of innocent people above their missions or his own.

He is a man of average height, with a fair complexion and grey eyes. He has a sharp look and no eyebrows, his hair is a warm grey which he keeps short. His bangs are parted parallel to his forehead in two thick locks, one in the centre and the other on the left side of his head. One of Sanemi's most prominent features is his remarkable physique and the numerous scars that run across his face, chest and arms which he does not hide and keeps as a reminder of how hard his job is and of which he is proud.

Regarding his attire, it consists of the Demon Slayer uniform, being in his case a customized version of his uniform which is black dyed green, having the upper part of it unbuttoned, exposing his torso and his multiple scars. He also has a white jacket, as well as keeps his sword Nichirin on his belt. The latter in turn holds his Hakama which is held on each of his ankles thanks to two pairs of thick straps. Later between the arcs of the Functional Recovery Training Arc and the Pillar Training Arc, Sanemi cut his hair leaving only the center bangs.

During the battle against Kokushibo, Sanemi loses the index and middle fingers of his right hand.[4]

Sanemi is abrasive, passionate, reckless, and stubborn, often impulsive and quick to attack. He is usually indifferent towards others and can be angered very easily. The only person Sanemi ever showed reverence to was Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and this was only after realizing that the man was much more than his outward appearance suggested. Sanemi has also shown a hunger for battle, wishing to be able to meet the Demons that are part of the Twelve Demon Moons and proclaiming his eagerness in fighting Kokushibo, the Upper First Moon.

Sanemi's cold, rude, and disdainful behavior is a result of losing too many people he cared about in the past. Later, when he sees those people who have passed away, such as his mother, he can't help but give her a smile so he can see her again. When Genya joins the Demon Slayers on their quest, Sanemi repeatedly ignores him and lashes out at any chance of seeing him, but Tanjiro Kamado is able to tell him that Sanemi didn't really hate him; and in fact still felt the same brotherly love he had for him in childhood. However, this was never openly expressed as he tried to keep Genya away from him and the Slayers so he wouldn't be exposed to danger.

Due to all the losses he suffered in his childhood, Sanemi holds a deep hatred towards Devils and everything they represent, holding a strong belief that humans and Devils do not deserve to peacefully coexist. When he makes up his mind on this matter, it is extremely difficult for even his fellow Pillars to change his mind. In order to prove his point, he ignored Tanjiro's words regarding the fact that his sister Nezuko was incapable of feeding on humans and in order to prove his point, he risked his physicality by injuring Nezuko inside her wooden box[5] and even taunting her with his blood to invite her to attack him[6]. Even after she does not do so, and Kagaya uses this as proof that Nezuko will not attack humans, Sanemi does not truly accept the Kamado siblings.

Obanai is a man of medium height with cream-colored skin, black hair and heterochromia: his left eye is turquoise and his right eye is yellow. His hair is long, combed in such a way that it seems to be cut into flat extensions, with a bang divided in two in the middle of the forehead in two thick strands; another characteristic feature of the character is that his mouth is covered with bandages which hides his facial expressions. This is because during his childhood, Obanai was cut in his mouth from its corners to the height of his ears to make it look like that of a snake leaving him a horrendous wound that he hides under his bandages. [5] As for his clothing, Obanai wears the characteristic uniform of the Demon Hunters with Hakama pants held with a pair of white fabrics around the ankles, which complements a white Haori with wide and long sleeves which is embroidered with horizontal and vertical black stripes. Over his shoulders and coiled around his neck, he carries a white snake named Kaburamaru which is his pet and wears black socks and blue zori sandals.

During the fight against Muzan Kibutsuji, Obanai suffered a severe cut on his face in the form of three parallel lines that also left him blind. [6]

As a child, Obanai had waist-length hair tied behind his back with a white bandage and a normal-looking mouth. He wore a simple white kimono.

Obanai is a very harsh and strict individual who shows no concern for those who deviate from the Demon Slayer Corps' rules. His expectations for his fellow Demon Slayers are almost unrealistic, berating Tengen Uzui for sustaining severe injuries against the "weaker" Upper Moon and telling him to "fight to the death" when Tengen insists on withdrawing. Tengen's withdrawal also highlights Obanai's devotion to the future of the Demon Slayer Corps, often at the expense of others, such as when he ties up lower-ranking Demon Slayers and uses them as obstacles during Pillar training for relatively trivial reasons. He also views new recruits as weak and incapable of improvement, expressing surprise when Tengen informs him that Tanjiro Kamado survived the battle with Daki and Gyutaro.

Despite his ruthless personality, there are two people he cares deeply for: Kagaya Ubuyashiki and Mitsuri Kanroji. He is in love with Mitsuri, a fact most of his classmates have noticed, except for Tanjiro and Mitsuri herself. He often lets his feelings show by sharing meals with her and giving her gifts, such as the green socks she wears with her uniform. Obanai seems to let his overprotectiveness toward Mitsuri show at times, such as when he threatens Tanjiro for getting too close to her. It's implied that he's in love with Mitsuri because of her cheerful personality, which didn't allow any of the hellish training he endured to show on him. Talking to her also made him forget all the struggles and conflicts he had faced in his past and made him feel like an ordinary young man. Like all the Pillars, Obanai also has great respect for Kagaya.

It is also observed that Obanai possesses an immense sense of self-loathing due to the fact that he was born into a selfish and immoral clan that would ruthlessly sacrifice even newborn children to a demon for their own monetary gain. Obanai considers himself and his family so tainted that years after they were killed, he still felt as if his family were digging their nails into his skin to ensure he couldn't go anywhere. He even comes to believe that, in order to be worthy of Mitsuri, he would first have to die and cleanse himself of his corrupt blood before confessing his feelings to her. His upbringing also appears to be the cause of his gynophobia, as he was born into a family of only women who treated him as a tool. The trauma of his past is also evident in the bandages he wears on his face to cover the gruesome scars he received, which he never removes until the final battle.

Obanai possesses an incredible sense of determination, continuing the fight against Muzan even after being completely blinded and covered in wounds. His ability to protect Giyu and Tanjiro during the battle, as well as thanking Tanjiro for his help and then even taking a hit for him, demonstrates that Obanai was able to let go of his initial grudges and become more friendly toward the people he had previously been rude to.