Why the only man Kokushibo truly feared was Yoriichi

summation

• As the top one of the Twelve Kizuki, Kokushibo is feared and his power is almost equal to that of Muzan.

• Fear of death caused him to abandon his humanity and become a devil.

• Despite gaining immortality and strength, Kokushibo's ultimate fear was the failure he faced in his fight against his brother.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer comic.

Among the twelve Kizuki Kokushibo, the top one is the most feared and terrifying. demon slayer. In terms of strength, he is almost equal to Muzan Kibutsuji, the strongest demon in history. he is demon slayer He joined the Legion with his twin brother and was an excellent swordsman before becoming a demon.

Kokushibo was challenged three times for the prize, but no one was able to defeat him. While still human, he used the Moon Breathing Technique, which was derived from his brother's Solar Breathing Technique.

Origin of Kokushibo from Demon Slayer

Why did he leave humanity?

Kokushibo's real name is Tsukigini Michikatsu. Michikatsu and his twin brother Yoriichi were born during the Sengoku period, when the birth of twins was considered unlucky. Because his twin brother, Yoriichi, had a strange mole on his forehead, their father declared that he would kill him, but their mother interfered. Yoriichi and Kokushibo both grew up very differently. This is because Yoriichi was confined to his room, separated from the rest of the house, while Michikatsu was training to become a samurai.

However, a childhood incident in which Yoriichi inflicted four fatal blows on a man caused Michikatsu to become extremely jealous of his younger brother's natural talent. He grew up to become a samurai and soon joined the Demon Slayer Corps, training alongside his older brother.

How did Kokushibo become a devil?

He married a woman while still a samurai and later had two children. One night, Michikatsu and his fellow samurai were attacked by a demon, killing them all. Fortunately, Michikatsu was able to survive when Yoriichi came to his rescue. After joining the demon slayer army, Yoriichi devised a powerful solar breathing technique and tried to teach it to everyone, but no one could match his potential. This is how other breathing techniques such as wind breathing and moon breathing emerged.

In the end, Michikatsu also acquired a demon slayer mark similar to his younger brother. But instead of boasting about his achievements, he became increasingly frustrated and did not want to die. This is because a person who inherits the Demon Slayer mark can only live until the age of 25. So when Muzan Kibutsuji offered him the opportunity to become a demon, he gladly accepted.

The path I have walked is nothing but an endless pursuit of power. No regrets – Kokushibo

Changing his name from Michikatsu to Kokushibo, he became one of the most powerful demons and the top one of the twelve Kizuki, with no one able to replace him.

Everyone trembled before him, and this is evident in the fact that even when the powerful Hashira Tokito Muichiro met Kokushibo for the first time, he froze in fear. And when he was first introduced during the meeting at Infinity Castle, all 12 Gate Kizuki were greatly afraid of him.

Do you think you can beat me? I am a being beyond human understanding – Kokushibo

In addition to his amazing swordsmanship, he can also use blood demon techniques that allow him to manipulate his blade into any desired shape. To be clear, encountering Kokushibo is nothing short of a nightmare. Despite how powerful he is, he's still afraid of some things the audience might have missed.

So what actually scared Kokushibo?

Sangwol No. 1 Kizuki also had a nightmare.

It's hard to believe that a demon as powerful as Kokushibo could be afraid of anything. Analyzing his personality, Kokushibo appears to be very afraid of death. The reason he left the Demon Slayer Corps and became a devil was to avoid the curse of the Demon Slayer Mark. Even though he knows that becoming a demon would mean losing not only his humanity but also his loved ones, he still sees it as a necessary step.

The only person I'm afraid of is… Him (Yoriichi) – Kokushibo

Now that he has achieved immortality, he is pouring all his effort into training, thoroughly practicing not only swordsmanship but also blood magic. Even though he eventually got what he wanted, he couldn't escape the emptiness in his heart. Moreover, the anxiety caused by his younger brother's talent remained strong even after the transformation.

He could never escape his twin brother's shadow, and his hatred only grew stronger. When Muzan Kibutsuji went to confront Yoriichi, he realized how powerful Yoriichi was and barely escaped with his life. So if Muzan couldn't beat Yoriichi, Kokushibo would have no chance against him.

The complicated relationship between Yoriichi and Kokushibo

So what Kokushibo feared was not only death, but also failure, and perhaps that was the main reason why he chose to abandon his humanity and gain the power to surpass his brother. After my transformation, my fear of death disappeared to some extent. Despite being beheaded in an instant, he succeeded in regenerating his head and became a formidable opponent to the Demon Slayer Army.

But even though he had such incredible power, he couldn't avoid the one thing he feared more than death: failure. The last time Kokushibo and Yoriichi met, Yoriichi was very old. Yoriichi is heartbroken to see his older brother, but he still does not hate him. The two engage in a sword fight, and Yoriichi delivers a powerful blow, cutting off Kokushibo's head.

This proved that he could easily kill Kokushibo despite his poor physical health. His quick strike to the neck was probably the most terrifying thing the demon had ever witnessed. He barely survived the attack and knew that the next attack would kill him for sure. However, at that very moment, Yoriichi died on the spot due to old age. Seeing this, Kokushibo felt the greatest sense of defeat in his life.

someday, Children born now will surpass us and rise to greater heights. – Yoriichi

Even after sacrificing his humanity in the pursuit of power, he was unable to defeat his younger brother even in his old age. Yoriichi left a legacy and inspiration to the next generation of demon slayer legions. That's why he's considered one of the most iconic characters in anime, despite there being very few references to him in both the anime and manga. demon slayer universe.