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Who is Gyomei Himejima in Demon Slayer? Taking a closer look at the strongest Hashira in the current generation of demon hunters.
The Hashira in the Demon Slayer series are the most powerful demon hunters to live. They take great pride in their abilities because only a handful of people have the honor of this title. The Hashira are so powerful that most of them can take on weaker Upper Moon demons all by themselves. There is one Hashira who has gained widespread recognition as the series progressed. This Hashira is none other than Gyomei Himejima.
Those who aren’t up to date with the anime series might not know who he is. This is because he hasn’t received much screen time in the anime series. That being said, he has been introduced as the most powerful Hashira in the animanga series. Gyomei Himejima is the Stone Hashira. This is a Breathing Technique that was derived from the original Breath of the Sun.
It is also interesting to note that he is the only blind Hashira in the series. Despite losing his eyesight, he is able to fight and is considered the strongest among his peers. He commands a level of respect not only from other demon hunters but from every Hashira as well. Let’s take a closer look at this character to understand why he is popular among fans who have read the manga chapters.
Gyomei Himejima’s Backstory in Demon Slayer
Gyomei had an incredibly sad backstory. However, it showed just how strong he could be, despite his frail appearance. He worked in a temple where he took care of orphaned children. One fateful night, one of the children had left the premises and encountered a demon. To save his life, the child decided to put off the Wisteria incense and show where other children resided in the temple.
Gyomei and the remaining children were under attack. He appeared frail and he was blind. Therefore, the children didn’t trust him to fend off the demon. They scattered and all, but one child died.
The only remaining child watched Gyomei quite literally beat the demon with his fists for hours on end until the sun came up. The child was traumatized by the events and called Gyomei a monster. People assumed that he was responsible for the children’s deaths. Therefore, they decided to hang him.
Despite being blind, he fought a demon for hours only to be accused of the deaths of the very children he tried to save. Luckily, Kagaya Ubuyashiki saved him from that mess. He urged Gyomei to join the Demon Slayer Corps and use gifted powers for the right cause. Thus began his journey to safeguard all of humanity.
Gyomei’s Abilities in Demon Slayer
Gyomei uses the Stone Breathing technique in the Demon Slayer series. As mentioned earlier, this technique was derived from the Breath of the Sun. As per the details in the manga, one of Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s students developed this technique when attempting to learn Sun Breathing. The student in question was not as strong as Yoriichi and therefore, modified the techniques to suit their strengths and weaknesses.
Gyomei uses a special weapon. The weapon in question is an axe that is connected to a massive flail with a long chain. This Nichirin weapon gives him plenty of range in his fights. However, learning how to control it takes plenty of time as the trajectory of the flail and axes are constantly changing with Gyomei’s moves.
Gyomei has pushed the limits of what the human body can do from a physical standpoint. There are very few who can match his brute strength and his endurance is a cut above the rest. He can tank plenty of powerful attacks launched from the likes of Kokushibon and Muzan himself. This goes to show just how powerful he is.
Gyomei’s Most Notable Feats in Demon Slayer
As mentioned earlier, Gyomei didn’t receive much screen time in the series. However, he showed his potential in the Infinity Castle arc. During this section of the story, Gyomei is forced to take on Kokushibo, the Upper Moon 1 demon. Not only was he fighting the demon, but he also simultaneously saved Sanemi Shinazugawa from fatal attacks. This takes a great deal of skill to not only keep up with someone as powerful as Kokushibo but also save his comrades.
Gyomei unlocked the Demon Slayer Mark, which gave him abilities like the Transparent World. Despite having fought Kokushibo, he immediately rushed towards Muzan to assist his fellow demon hunters. Not only did he go toe to toe with Muzan, but he also landed a few hits.
It takes ridiculously high levels of physical abilities to fight Kokushibo and Muzan back-to-back. This is why he is regarded as the strongest Hashira in the series. Moreover, Kokushibo appreciated his physique and stated that he hadn’t seen someone like him in centuries.
Gyomei’s Role in Demon Slayer
Despite being one of the strongest human beings, Gyomei was a side character in the Demon Slayer series. His relevance is seen only in the second half of the story. Not only is he a combatant, but he also mentored Genya Shinazugawa. The latter wasn’t able to perform Total Concentration Breathing.
Therefore, Gyomei had to find another way to make Genya strong and agile on the battlefield. He was a Hashira, a ruthless killer, a gentle mentor, and one of the kindest human beings one could ever encounter in their lifetime. That being said, he wasn’t involved in the progression of the plot until the Infinity Castle arc.
Conclusion
Gyomei is one of the strongest demon hunters that the Corps ever had. This is quite impressive, but its scale grows exponentially when we factor in his blindness. He is exceptionally kind yet incredibly powerful. This beautiful juxtaposition makes him a fan favorite. He is also one of those characters that fans unanimously love in the Demon Slayer series.
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