°•☆ Gyomei Himejima

Name: Gyomei Himejima
Age: 27 years old
Birthday: August 23
Gender: Male
Height: 2.20 cm
Weight: 1.30 kg
Race: Human
Occupation: Demon Hunter + Rock Pillar
Affiliation: Demon Extermination Corps
Combat style: Rock Breath

Gyomei is a towering figure among the Demon Slayers. He is one of the tallest Hashiras in the corporation, easily towering over his fellow Hashiras. He is strongly built and extremely muscular. He has spiky black hair and a prominent scar that runs horizontally across his forehead. Having been blind since childhood, he has white eyes with no visible irises or pupils, and these would, more often than not, fill with tears when he was in an emotional situation.

Gyomei wears a typical black and white Demon Slayer uniform. His outfit did not feature any visible customization except for the fact that he used thick bandages to hold his Hakama in place with bandages over his shins resembling white kyahan and zōri. He did not wear socks with his Zori sandals which had thick green strings, keeping the sleeves of his jacket up to show off his thick and strong arms. He also wears a green Haori over his shoulders with long sleeves and white edges which had writings on each side and stamped on its back the Sanskrits of Buddhism in a clear allusion to his religiosity. He usually wears a necklace of thick red beads around his neck and was constantly seen holding prayer beads whenever he was not in a battle.

Gyomei embodies the gentle giant archetype, being surprisingly sensitive and soft-spoken, despite his intimidating appearance. He is also shown to be quite pious, carrying his rosary at all times and offering prayers in touching situations. In particular, Gyomei easily cries over the most insignificant things, accentuating his rather gentle nature. This could be due to his love for all living creatures brought on by his religious upbringing, and hinted at when he felt so disgusted by beating up a demon that he would never forget that feeling for the rest of his life.

Much like the rest of the Hashira, Gyomei holds a great deal of respect for Kagaya Ubuyashiki, no small part of which is due to the Oyakata saving his life. He is also one of the most respected individuals among the Demon Slayer Corps, not only due to being a member of the Hashira but because he serves as a symbol of hope due to his immense strength - Shinobu Kocho had once stated that when Gyomei fights, he calms everyone around him. Furthermore, Gyomei serves as a leader for them, as seen when he would sit up front during Hashira meetings and was often asked for his word and opinion. He was tasked by Kagaya with giving them orders, due to Gyomei being the eldest and because Kagaya had known him longer than anyone outside of his own family.

Although he maintains a rather reserved disposition, Gyomei has a very objective and somewhat suspicious view of the people around him, due to his experiences before becoming a Demon Slayer. He is always aware of what others, particularly children or those younger than him, are capable of if given the chance. Due to his doubtful nature, it can take Gyomei a while to fully accept and trust others. When he does open up and let others in, he is unwavering in his commitment to them.

Demon Slayer Mark: Later, during his battle against Upper Rank One, Gyomei showed that he too had awakened his mark, appearing as fissure patterns of cracked earth on both of his forearms. When activated, it drastically increases his physical abilities such as his strength, speed, and stamina, allowing him to fight against Upper Rank One for an extended period of time.

Bright Red Nichirin - During the battle against Kokushibo, Sanemi hits Gyomei's spiked flail with his sword, briefly turning them bright red, allowing him to destroy Kokushibo's head. Later in the battle against Muzan, Gyomei again made his weapons bright red by hitting them against each other. Transparent World - Despite being blind, Gyomei gained the ability to access the Transparent World and can predict his opponent's movements and sense them naturally.

Repetitive Action - Created by Gyomei, this is a technique that maximizes concentration, similar to Total Concentration Breathing, when recalling a painful memory. Gyomei has been shown to use it extensively during his training, and presumably during combat as well.

Immense Speed ​​and Reflexes: Despite Gyomei's large build, he possesses tremendous speed and reflexes. He is said to be the third fastest runner among the Hashira . Gyomei's incredible speed was put on display during his fight against Kokushibo, where he was able to easily move his body to avoid all of his attacks, the Upper Ranker even commenting that the ease and grace with which he moved was almost too absurd to believe. Gyomei was also able to keep up with Kokushibo for the entire duration of the fight, pressuring him with the help of Sanemi , Muichiro , and Genya . Later, he was able to keep up with the blistering movement speeds of the Demon King himself, Muzan , for a good portion of the fight.

Immense Stamina and Endurance: Gyomei possesses tremendous levels of physical stamina and endurance, so much so that his training during Hashira Training was focused on stamina. He was able to nonchalantly stand on the ground that was on fire while carrying two massive logs that were further weighed down by four large rocks, even calmly explaining the details of his training to Tanjiro and Zenitsu as he did so. He also displayed his superhuman levels of stamina and endurance during the fight against Kokushibo, where he was able to hold off the Upper Ranker for the entire duration of the fight without significantly tiring outside of suffering deep cuts across his body. After having one of his legs severed by Muzan, Gyomei was able to persist and continue contributing to the fight against the Demon King.

Immense Strength: Gyomei possesses the highest level of physical strength in the entire Demon Slayer Corps, most notably displayed when he can easily lift and swing his massive spiked flail and axe constructed of pure iron at speeds faster than the eye can see incessantly to thwart Kokushibo's attacks. He was also able to push a large boulder larger than himself across a city with his bare hands. [27] Gyomei also nonchalantly endured the weight of two massive logs on his back further weighed down with four large rocks.

According to Gyomei, he was naturally born with the gift of incredible physical strength, as shown when he subdued a demon that attacked him as a skinny teenager by beating it to a bloody pulp with nothing but his bare hands before joining the Demon Slayer Corps and undergoing training.

Enhanced Hearing: Due to his blindness, Gyomei has compensated and alternated his senses to accommodate his condition, effectively developing a superhuman sense of hearing. His sense of hearing was so acute that Gyomei can accurately discern and interact with his surroundings normally, even engaging in high-speed combat with demons without issue. More impressively, Gyomei was able to hear the sound of Muzan Kibutsuji's flesh regenerating during their brief confrontation and used this to determine that he is unlike any demon he has ever faced based solely on the sound the Demon King made.

Later, during his battle with Upper Rank One, Kokushibo noticed that Gyomei uses the sound of his chains rattling to indicate the exact position the chain is in and uses it to guide his axe and flail during combat. As seen during his conversation with Kokushibo regarding the Demon Slayer Mark, Gyomei was able to accurately tell that he was lying by detecting the slight changes in the sound of his body, with Gyomei noting that he heard the latter tremble after revealing his deception.

Kusarigamajutsu - Unlike ordinary Demon Slayers who use swords in combat, Gyomei uses a spiked flail and an axe reminiscent of a Kusarigama, a weapon consisting of a scythe and a heavy iron weight connected with a metal chain, and thus would use a similar fighting style known as Kusarigamajutsu. As a Hashira, Gyomei is extremely proficient in combat and one of the most skilled combatants in the entire Demon Slayer Corps, particularly in this fighting style able to briefly match the likes of the Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, a Demon Swordsman who has nearly five centuries of experience in swordsmanship. Furthermore, he was also shown to be able to restrain Muzan and his incredibly fast whips for an extended period of time, using his spiked flail to deal powerful blows to the Demon King.

Stone Breathing (SíYoYo呼Yo吸きゅう Iwa no kokyū ? ): A breathing style that Gyomei either mastered on his own or learned from a cultivator. In his own version of this breathing style, Gyomei incorporates his superhuman sense of hearing and physical strength to utilize a spiked flail and axe to use his techniques. As a Stone Hashira, Gyomei is the most skilled Stone Breathing user of his generation. He displayed mastery in Stone Breathing in his battle against Kokushibo, where he was able to unleash attacks that could match Moon Breathing.

First Form: Bipolar Serpentine (壱YesTheGoodYes 蛇じゃ紋MoreYesI・GoodYesButきょく Ichi no kata: Jamongan - Sōkyoku ? ) The user throws the flail and axe towards their target and manipulates the chain by spinning it, causing the axe and flail to also spin to pierce and grind straight through their target.

Second Form: Upper Smash (GoodMeTheGoodYesMePlusPleaseMe砕YesきNi no kata: Tenmen Kudaki ? ) The user throws their axe and spiked flail in a pincer motion before slamming into the chain to cause the flail to rebound and crush its target from afar.

Third Form: Stone Skin (参YoElBuenoSí SíYo軀YoYo膚Sí San no kata: Ganku no Hadae ? ) The user launches a series of slashes with his axe that deflect nearby attacks.

Fourth Form: Volcanic Rock, Quick Conquest (肆ElElBuenoSí butりゅう紋MásSíYo・速SíBuenoSí Shi no kata: Ryūmongan - Sokusei ? ) The user manipulates both the flail and the axe on both ends of the chain swinging the chain on both sides to strike the opponent using a wide-range, two-pronged attack.

Fifth Form: Arcs of Justice (To Me, The Good, Yes 瓦Yo輪PlusYoぎょうPleaseYo Go no kata: Garin Gyōbu?) The user utilizes a powerful attack with both their flail and axe, dealing a large amount of damage. The axe is intended to strike first with the flail's trajectory following from the opposite side and striking the opponent.

Nichirin Chained Flail and Axe - Instead of a Nichirin katana, Gyomei wields a weapon similar to a Kusarigama, consisting of an Ono (axe) attached to a Chigiriki (flail) via a long chain. Still, the weapon is forged from the same steel used in the creation of Nichirin swords. Its craftsmanship in particular is noted for being incredibly high class, being made from pure iron that has absorbed so much sunlight, that it was considered even superior to the iron used to forge swords during the Sengoku period, when blacksmithing was at the peak of development. Even the Highest Rank One, Kokushibo, was unable to cut through the chain, and was forced to resort to long-range combat. As noted by Kokushibo, this weapon is very well thought out, as the vibrations created by the chain can be picked up by Gyomei's keen sense of hearing to accurately grasp the space and movements around him, further enhancing his effectiveness in battle. On the hilt of his axe, the words Demon Destroyer (ButYaWho? YoButYo殺Ya Akki Messatsu?) are carved.

Gyomei was born blind to the Himejima clan on Mount Hinode. His mother died in childbirth and his father died from an epidemic. He lost other members of his family due to unknown circumstances.

As a teenager, he lived with nine orphan children and raised them in a ruined temple. He lived a poor but happy life. Their affinity for not having blood ties helped them bond very well. They were like a family. Every day, he worked his hardest to feed the children and he himself barely ate anything. Because of this, he was very thin and weak.

The temple area was known for demon attacks, so Gyomei had always burned wisteria incense at night to ward off demons that might harm him and the children. One night, one of the nine children disobeyed the temple rules and traveled beyond its borders. He was immediately accosted by a demon, and in order to save his own life, he betrayed his companions. After night fell, the boy invited the demon into the temple after extinguishing the wisteria incense. Four children were immediately killed by the demon, and the remaining children insisted on escaping the temple, ignoring Gyomei's orders and were also killed by the demon. Gyomei believed that his frail stature and blindness fueled the children's distrust of his ability to protect them.

In the end, only one girl, Sayo, the youngest, heard him and hid behind him. He was determined to protect her at all costs and fought the demon mercilessly after realizing that he had a "terrifying amount of power." Without the demon's attack, he would have lived his life without knowing its true strength. He continued and beat the demon's head until the sun rose.

Soon after, people rushed to the scene of the incident to help, but due to a misunderstanding with Sayo, who said, "That man is a monster! Everyone... he... killed everyone!", the villagers thought she was referring to Gyomei and not the demon. He was then imprisoned and accused of the murder of the seven children until Kagaya Ubuyashiki intervened and freed him before he was executed for his false crimes.

Gyomei later became a Demon Slayer and after several months, the Stone Hashira. He would go on to slay the demon that killed Kanae and Shinobu Kocho's parents. The sisters stayed with Gyomei for several days, and despite their insistence on learning how to slay demons, Gyomei refused to teach them how to do so. However, he was later convinced after the sisters managed to move a large boulder, and introduced them to Breathing Style cultivators.

Some time later, Kanae became the Flower Hashira, and when Sanemi Shinazugawa became the Wind Hashira, he overheard Sanemi insult Kagaya for smiling while Demon Slayers were dying and not fighting himself. Offended on Kagaya's behalf, Gyomei menacingly berated Sanemi for speaking impolitely. After Kagaya resolved Sanemi's anger and the meeting ended, he joined Kanae and the Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui in scolding Sanemi, who timidly listened.

At some point in the past, Gyomei rescued Genya Shinazugawa, who was out of control after consuming the flesh of a demon. Afterwards, Genya stubbornly followed Gyomei and continuously asked the latter to take him as his Tsuguko, although Genya was not blessed with talent and had a bad temper, Gyomei acknowledged him for his honesty and willpower. While he did not take Genya as his Tsuguko, he still trained the boy as his apprentice. Later, he taught him the Repetitive Action act, to make up for his inability to use breathing techniques.

Gay, only attracted to men, loves men.