Who is Yoriichi Tsugikuni in Demon Slayer?

Who is Yoriichi Tsugikuni in Demon Slayer? Take a look at the legendary swordsman who nearly defeated Muzan all by himself.

Who is Yoriichi Tsugikuni in Demon Slayer? (Image via Ufotable)

The Demon Slayer fanbase has been raving about this one character who is a legendary swordsman. There are stories about his heroic feats that have been passed down for generations. His contribution to the Demon Slayer Corps and the entire human race is invaluable. Those who have read the manga also know that he laid the foundation for the current generation of demon hunters’s success. The person in question is none other than Yoriichi Tsugikuni. 

Who is Yoriichi Tsugikuni in Demon Slayer? Yoriichi Tsugikuni is a demon hunter who invented Breathing Techniques that allowed humans to fight demons on a level playing field. He was the legendary swordsman born during the Sengoku period, striking fear into the depths of Muzan’s heart. 

The Demon King fears nobody except for one man, Yoriichi. He was the only human being who took on Kibutsuji Muzan single-handedly and nearly defeated him. Such is the power of the swordsman. Let’s take a closer look at his origins and his contributions to the organization during the course of the series. 

Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s Origins in Demon Slayer

Yoriichi founder sun breathing demon slayer
The legendary swordsman as seen in the Demon Slayer anime (Image via Ufotable)

Yoriichi and his twin brother Michikatsu were born in the Sengoku Period. However, their own father didn’t welcome their birth. They believed that the boys were a bad omen, especially after inspecting the odd birthmark on Yoriichi’s forehead. The father wanted to kill Yoriichi, but his mother stopped him from doing so. Instead, Yoriichi was sent to a temple to become a monk. The mark on the forehead gave Yoriichi enhanced physical abilities, even though his own father considered it a bad omen. Since he lived in a temple, the food and education he received were vastly different from what Michikatsu got. 

Yoriichi was confined to a room and rarely spoke, which is why his mother made him some Hanafuda earrings. Michikatsu grew up with the intention to become a well-respected samurai. This inspired Yoriichi, and he took up a sword. He shocked everyone by performing sword strikes in an efficient manner, resembling someone who had absolute mastery over swordsmanship. 

He fled to the mountains and met a young girl named Uta. They lived together since her family was killed by demons. Yoriichi fell in love with her and married her after 10 years. Soon, they were blessed with a child. However, tragedy struck; a demon had killed her and their child. This fueled Yoriichi to focus on his swordsmanship. He reunited with his brother, and soon he developed the Sun Breathing Technique—the greatest gift that the Demon Slayer Corps had received.

Yoriichi’s Greatest Contribution to the Demon Slayer Corps

Yoriichi created Breathing Techniques in the animanga series (Image via Ufotable)

Yoriichi needs to be credited for doing two main things: invent Breathing Techniques and reveal Muzan’s weaknesses. He created the Sun Breathing Technique, and every alternative that came after that was an offshoot of Yoriichi’s creation. This enhanced a human’s physical abilities, which bridged the gap between them and demons. This was very important since demons were far superior from a physical standpoint.

Secondly, his fight against Kibutsuji Muzan was extremely important. He nearly managed to kill Muzan in the fight. He was superior in combat abilities and forced Muzan to flee from the battlefield. During this process, he revealed one of Muzan’s abilities, which Tamayo observed at that time. She noticed that Muzan had the ability to split his body into nearly 1800 pieces. Yoriichi managed to cut down about 1500 pieces, barely missing the rest of his body. 

This is the only reason Muzan was able to escape, regenerate, and continue wreaking havoc. Tamayo crafted the drug in such a way that Muzan wasn’t able to split his body into multiple pieces. Yoriichi’s efforts had a profound effect, as they helped the Demon Slayer Corps kill the Demon King. 

Yoriichi’s Feats in Demon Slayer

The Demon King as seen in the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

As a child, Yoriichi fled into the mountains, and he ran for nearly 24 hours without experiencing exhaustion. The first time he picked up a sword, he was able to beat a grown adult who was a trained swordsman. This is a clear indication of pure talent. Demon Slayer Marks had a drawback: the user could only live up to the age of 25 years old. However, Yoriichi was born with it, and he lived till the age of 80. In fact, he fought Kokushibo in his dying moments.

Despite being 80 years old, he was able to overwhelm the strongest Upper Moon demon. His opponent admitted that the only reason he was alive was due to Yoriichi’s death caused by old age. He single-handedly took on Muzan and nearly defeated him. The Demon King wasn’t fast enough to defend his attacks despite having Blood Demon Art. Yoriichi was so fast that he cut 1500 pieces of Muzan’s body in an instant, allowing a measly 300 pieces to escape from his grasp.

Yoriichi’s Connection to the Upper Moon 1 Demon

Kokushibo from the front angle
Kokushibo from the front (Image via Ufotable)

Yoriichi Tsukiguni and Kokushibo were related. The latter was Yoriichi’s brother, who decided to become a demon after meeting Muzan. Envy and jealousy forced Michikatsu to turn into a demon, with the sole intention of defeating his brother. However, this didn’t really work in his favor because he was outclassed by Yoriichi in every single thing that he attempted. In the end, Kokushibo was killed by the combined efforts of Gyomei Himejima, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Muichiro Tokito, and Genya Shinazugawa.

Conclusion

Yoriichi Tsugikuni is the strongest character to have ever existed in the series. His feats weren’t matched by anyone else. It took the combined efforts of all the demon hunters to defeat Kibutsuji Muzan. Meanwhile, Yoriichi was able to take on Muzan all by himself and nearly succeeded in killing him. This is why he is considered the strongest swordsman to have ever lived. These are the feats of Yoriichi Tsukiguni, the progenitor of Breathing Techniques. 


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