Is Gyomei Himejima the Strongest Member of the Demon Slayer Corps?

Is Gyomei Himejima the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps? Analyzing his abilities and feats in the manga.

Is Gyomei Himejima the Strongest Member of the Demon Slayer Corps?
Is Gyomei Himejima the Strongest Member of the Demon Slayer Corps? (Image via Ufotable)

The Demon Slayer animanga series has treated fans to some delightful action that is expected in a Shonen title. The manga had plenty of well-illustrated action sequences involving most characters from the series. Ufotable went on to elevate the impact of these fight scenes with some of the best animations that anime fans have witnessed. The Demon Slayer manga setting is such that fights are constant. The struggle for freedom is the biggest motif in the title. There is one man who had one of the biggest roles in freeing humanity from the terror of demons. He is Gyomei Himejima. Those who haven’t read the manga seem to have one question in particular — is Gyomei Himejima the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps?

No, Gyomei is not the strongest member to have ever existed in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps. However, the answer is a little more nuanced than that. Gyomei Himejima is the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps of his generation. However, there was one other demon hunter who was far superior to the Stone Hashira. In fact, he is credited with the creation of Breathing Techniques and nearly managed to defeat Muzan all by himself — Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Let’s take a closer look at both of these characters to understand why Gyomei Himejima is not the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps. 

Gyomei Himejima is the Strongest Member of the Demon Slayer Corps of His Generation

Gyomei as seen in the anime series
Gyomei as seen in the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

The Demon Slayer Corps has existed for centuries. The Ubuyashiki Clan set up the organization with the sole intention of killing Muzan. Therefore, Japan has seen multiple generations of various fighters who challenged Muzan and his lackeys. The current generation of demon hunters managed to finally kill him. Gyomei Himejima is the strongest demon hunter in the current generation. The Hashira and demon hunters look up to him. He is kind and has a stoic demeanor. Gyomei also fights blind, which goes to show just how powerful he is. 

However, there is an important distinction to be made. If we are taking a look at the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps to have ever existed, then it is Yoriichi Tsugikuni. However, the Stone Hashira isn’t exceptionally weak in comparison. Gyomei uses a unique weapon that comprises an axe and a morning star that is attached by a long chain. It takes a lot of practice to control the weapon. This weapon has projectiles whose trajectory is controlled by the swing of the chain. Therefore, it’s quite different from the usual blades that most demon hunters use in the series. Now that we have clarified Gyomei’s position in the Demon Slayer Corps, let’s take a closer look at his feats in the Demon Slayer series. 

Gyomei’s Feats in Demon Slayer That Shocked Everyone

Who is Gyomei Himejima in Demon Slayer?
A young Gyomei took care of orphaned children in a temple (Image via Ufotable)

Gyomei had one of the most impressive feats for someone who wasn’t wielding a Nichirin Blade. He was quite frail and he took care of children in a temple. However, a demon had managed to enter the premises. Therefore, his protective instincts kicked in and engaged the demon. He was frail and blind, which would mean certain death for an ordinary human being. However, Gyomei Himejima quite literally punched and beat up the demon for hours on end until the sunlight killed it. 

Gyomei Himejima played an instrumental role in killing Kokushibo. He faced the strongest Upper Moon demon in the series. Not only was he dodging attacks, but he also saved Sanemi from getting killed. It takes tremendous skill to fight the strongest Upper Moon demon, let alone save your teammate while you’re fighting. He and Sanemi defeated Kokushibo and almost instantly were pitted against Muzan. He dealt a considerable amount of damage to Muzan despite being exhausted from his previous fight. Despite the short screen time, he showed off his true power, which was monumental in defeating Muzan. 

Is Gyomei Alive in Demon Slayer?

Gyomei's final moments as seen in the manga
Gyomei’s final moments as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Gyomei Himejima succumbed to his injuries during his fight against Muzan. The Stone Hashira put everything on the line in order to help his comrades defeat the Demon King. While his efforts were sufficient, he wasn’t able to withstand Muzan’s attacks. The Demon King was far superior to every single demon hunter who was present on the battlefield. It took the combined efforts of every single demon hunter and Tamayo to defeat Muzan. Gyomei Himejima does not survive in the end. However, fans were pleased to see their favorite Hashira get the happy ending he deserved. He always felt guilty for not being able to protect those children. But, those children welcomed him with open arms in the afterlife. Gyomei passed away with a smile on his face. 

Gyomei Vs Yoriichi Tsugikuni

Yoriichi drove Muzan to a corner and nearly defeated him
Yoriichi drove Muzan to a corner and nearly defeated him (Image via Ufotable)

One is the current strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps, and the other is a legendary swordsman who paved the way for future generations to battle demons on an even footing. There is no comparison as Yoriichi Tsugikuni is far superior a fighter than Gyomei. The Stone Hashira has an impressive set of feats. But, Yoriichi nearly defeated Muzan all by himself. The only reason Muzan was alive was due to his ability to split his body into 1800 parts. Even then, Yoriichi managed to cut down 1500 pieces. The remaining pieces escaped and Muzan regenerated, eventually.

Yoriichi is also the only demon hunter with a Demon Slayer Mark who lived till the age of 80. He battled Kokushibo and died of natural causes. The Upper Moon 1 demon also had access to a Breathing Technique. Despite that, he couldn’t take on Yoriichi who was 80 years old at the time. Yoriichi is a prodigy who nobody could surpass despite centuries passing in time. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Gyomei Himejima is the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps of his generation. However, he is not the strongest member in the history of the organization’s existence. He was a part of the golden generation that managed to kill Muzan. But, Yoriichi was a legendary swordsman who nearly defeated Muzan all by himself. This is an important distinction to make since both these fighters are vastly different in their combat abilities. 



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