Draft:Kyōjurō Rengoku

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Kyojuro Rengoku (煉れん獄ごく 杏きょう寿じゅ郎ろう, Rengoku Kyōjurō?) was a major supporting character of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and a major character in the Mugen Train Arc. He was a Demon Slayer of the Demon Slayer Corps and the late Flame Hashira (炎えん柱ばしら, En Bashira?). Kyojuro was a young adult of tall stature and lean-muscular build. He had long bright yellow hair with red streaks akin to flames along with two shoulder-length bangs and two chin-length bangs on the side of his head, black forked eyebrows, and golden eyes that faded to red with white pupils. He was known to be charismatic and had an air of great optimism, having an enthusiastic smile plastered on his face nearly all the time.

Kyojuro wore a paler brown version of the regular Demon Slayer uniform, which consisted of a brown gakuran jacket, a white belt around his waist, and tattsuke-hakama pants. Over this, he wore a haori with a white-yellow gradient pattern and red flame-like ridges at the end that his father Shinjuro had once worn and more than likely his father had worn when they were the Flame Hashira respectively. Finally, he wore a red kyahan with yellow flames erupting from the bottom up, with pale brown tabi socks, and a pair of white zōri with red straps.

When he first joined the Demon Slayer Corps, he only wore the regular Demon Slayer uniform but as he rose the ranks, Kyojuro started wearing a completely white haori before donning his signature flame-patterned one. Kyojuro was greatly enthusiastic in regard to his duties as a Hashira and often came across as cheerfully eccentric. He was amiable, pure of heart, and boasted extraordinary technique and swordsmanship stemming from strict practice and discipline. He was an honorable warrior who adhered to his code of morals and principles that was instilled into him by his mother at a young age; the most significant being his belief that those who were born strong have a duty to protect the weak.

Kyojuro also loved his family immensely, displaying great respect and worry towards his father, Shinjuro Rengoku, despite him growing slowly more aggressive and apathetic towards Kyojuro. He was incredibly encouraging and optimistic towards his little brother, Senjuro Rengoku, believing in him and wishing him the best no matter what. This was further accentuated during his death when his final words for his father and his little brother were "Take care of your body" and "follow your dreams no matter what". Kyojuro also believed that if someone lacks immense skill, their hard work towards their dreams and desire to help people doesn't count for anything.

Beneath his enthusiastic demeanor, Kyojuro was very logical and tactically intelligent, acting quickly and precisely in battle, especially when the lives of others were on the line. Kyojuro was also great in seeing talent in others, even in Nezuko Kamado, a demon whom he wanted to kill beforehand, after seeing her risk her life to fight and protect others. Though he was extremely optimistic, Kyojuro did sometimes have a sense of foreboding that those he believed in might die, especially his friends whom he cared deeply for. He, like most Demon Slayers, absolutely detested demons, usually because of their heinous deeds or because of their clashing moral values. Despite this, Kyojuro recognized and accepted Nezuko as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps after seeing her risk her life to protect innocents, showing that Kyojuro was capable of not letting his hatred for demons cloud his judgment.

As a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kyojuro was a very powerful and skilled combatant.[3] Before he took his father's place, Kyojuro was already shown to be an amazing fighter. He successfully avenged the death of the 9 Demon Slayers that died to the Flute Demon by himself and later managed to singlehandedly defeat Lower Rank Two, Hairo, who even appraised his swordsmanship before he died. Moreover, his father, Shinjuro Rengoku, stated that, after he stopped teaching his son, Kyojuro trained himself to become a Hashira by learning from the guidebook of the Flame Breathing style, a book which only had three volumes.[4]As another testament to his abilities, Akaza, the Upper-Rank Three and one of the strongest known demons acknowledged and praised Kyojuro's strength.[5] He even went as far as to offer to turn him into a demon so he could surpass his human limits and become stronger, something he only offered to swordsmen whose abilities he believed were refined to their utmost peak.[6] Akaza also complimented his fighting spirit and stated that it was getting close to the "Realm of the Highest," which implied that he was incredibly close to obtaining the Transparent World (透すき通とおる世せ界かい, Sukitōru Sekai?) and the Selfless State (無む我がの境きょう地ち, Muga no Kyōchi?).Indomitable Will: Kyojuro had an undaunted spirit and indomitable willpower, which even impressed the likes of Upper-Rank Three, Akaza. Ever since he was a child, he has had a strong will and passion for himself due to his promise to his late mother.[7] Even when the Upper Rank overwhelmed him with powerful attacks, giving Kyojuro insidious wounds, he remained steadfast and resolute.[8] After Kyojuro lost an eye and had internal wounds caused by Akaza, he persisted, vehemently expressing his unwavering will and determination, saying that he would protect the lives of the other innocent people no matter what.[9] Finally, when Akaza's fist pierced his solar plexus, it triggered a memory reminding Kyojuro of his mother again, giving him the final push to cut the Upper Rank's neck.[10] In the end, though his efforts were in vain, his incredible determination had a profound effect on Tanjiro, giving him the incentive to push on no matter the turmoil he faced.[11]

Keen Intellect: As a swordsman who came from a lineage of Flame Hashira, Kyojuro had access to generations of combat knowledge and tactics as well as training from previous Flame Hashira, like his father, Shinjuro Rengoku.[4] Kyojuro could also master the entire Flame Breathing style just from reading 3 volumes of a book on it. During the battle against Akaza, he displayed keen judgment like after being attacked by Akaza's Destructive Death: Air Type, he realized that he must fight at close range because he wanted to increase the chances of cutting off his head.[12] Even when the usually deductive and sagacious Tanjiro Kamado was at a loss for how to kill Enmu, Kyojuro instinctively knew that no matter what form a demon takes, it will always have a weak spot.[13]

He also possesses great knowledge in the use of Total Concentration Breathing (全ぜん集しゅう中ちゅうの呼こ吸きゅう, Zen Shūchū no Kokyū?), knowing how to plug minor wounds and hemorrhaging and saved Tanjiro from dying of blood loss.[14] As another testament to his tactical intellect, Kyojuro could instantly read his allies' sign language at indicating the Flute Demon's abilities despite being unable to fully control their movements and execute a countermeasure before the demon's Blood Demon Art befell him.

Immense Speed & Reflexes: As a Hashira, Kyojuro possessed tremendous speed and reflexes, so much so that even gifted Demon Slayers like Tanjiro and Inosuke Hashibira were unable to register his clash with Akaza, with the latter stating that he was on a different dimension. Kyojuro could even cause tremors to the ground and nearly launch a train off its tracks by running at such high speeds.[15] Moreover, Kyojuro could easily move at speeds much faster than the eye can see, decapitating demons before they can even react. His reflexes were so fast that he managed to cut Akaza's arm moments before the Upper Rank was going to hit Tanjiro. Kyojuro also managed to keep up with Akaza's high-speed techniques and incredibly swift movements, which he remarks is faster than the blink of an eye,[16] sometimes even managing to out-speed him. This surprised and impressed Akaza himself, who openly expressed his amazement over Kyojuro's skill.Immense Stamina and endurance: Kyojuro displayed superhuman stamina and endurance during his battles throughout the series. In his battle with the Flute Demon, Kyojuro ruptured his eardrums, yet didn't flinch in the slightest, ignoring the pain and continuing to fight and win. In his battle with Hairo, he suffered dozens of severe wounds and injuries from gunshots and explosions coming from the former Lower Rank Two but continued to stall enough time for all the bombs he planted to be disarmed without showing any signs of pain or fatigue, which shocked Hairo into questioning whether the person he met in the past was the same person he was fighting now. Furthermore, in his battle against Enmu when he fused with an entire train, he was able to keep him at bay in 5 different train carts without tiring.[18]

Lastly, he managed to keep up with Akaza, one of the strongest demons in existence despite physically and mentally exerting himself beyond his limit and sustaining multiple irreparable and fatal wounds, like a smashed eye, shattered ribs, and damaged internal organs.[19] Most impressively, he managed to keep Akaza at bay despite having his vital spot, his Solar Plexus, pierced by the Upper Rank's arm and bleeding out.[20] Despite all of his fatal wounds and injuries, he never once flinched or showed signs of pain or agony.

Extrasensory Perception: Kyojuro had incredibly honed senses, such as when he was able to sense and perceive Akaza's immense presence and demon aura.[22] Kyojuro was also capable of sensing demonic presences faster and more accurately than Tanjiro Kamado, who harbors an acute sense of smell when he detected two demons right after another on a train before anyone else noticed.[23] This ability also allowed him to precisely gauge the regenerative abilities and weaknesses of most demons, like Enmu.[13] Kyojuro was also able to perceive Tanjiro's injuries and torn blood vessels accurately, which allowed him to teach him how to plug up that wound and prevent him from dying of blood loss.[13] Furthermore, he was able to detect malice in Enmu's spells and prevented himself from getting incapacitated. Master Swordsman: As a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kyojuro was one of the most powerful and skilled swordsmen in the entire organization.[24] Additionally, Kyojuro is part of the Rengoku family which has an impressive lineage of powerful swordsmen and Flame Hashira, giving Kyojuro an edge in developing and polishing his swordsmanship. His extraordinary swordsmanship skill has been displayed on multiple occasions across the series.

In his battle against the former Lower Rank Two, Hairo, Kyojuro was able to out-wield the demon's bushido sword style, which Hairo appraised as he was decapitated. Kyojuro's precise blade work could also slow down Enmu in his fused form, which allowed him to explain his plan to Tanjiro and Inosuke. His mastery of the blade is best showcased during his battle with Akaza, in which he was more than capable of fighting on equal ground with the Upper Rank who had killed countless Demon Slayers and even Hashira over the last century, even to the point that Akaza constantly praised Kyojuro's swordsmanship.

Fun Facts Kyojuro's surname means "purgatory" (煉れん獄ごく, rengoku?). His first name contains the Kan'yō-on'yomi reading of the kanji for "apricot" (杏きょう, kyō?), and the Go-on'yomi for both "longevity" (寿じゅ, ju?) and "son" (郎ろう, rō?). Kyojuro's rankings in the popularity polls are as follows: Kyojuro ranked 7th place in both the first and second popularity polls with 1,021 votes and 8,000 votes respectively.[30] Kyojuro loved to watch sumo wrestling. Kyojuro's favorite food was sweet potatoes. When eating them, he says "tasty/delicious" (旨うまい, umai?) each time he puts one in his mouth. His favorite side dish was salt-grilled bream. Kyojuro was never allowed to have a pet because his father hated animals.[31] Kyojuro's very distant ancestor, as stated by Kyojuro, ate a lot of tempuras causing their descendants' and their hair color to become quite abnormal. During his first mission, Kyojuro ruptured his eardrums to counter the Flute Demon's Blood Demon Art. It is unknown but highly unlikely that this permanently affected his hearing.[32] Kyojuro has two favorite sayings/mottos: "If you put in your all, you’ll stand your ground even in death." and "Nothing’s impossible if you put your mind to it." It has been revealed that Kyojuro does have a real-life model and that most of the characters are modeled after people in real life. They're typically normal people who the author happens to know. The Rengoku family has long since had a practice called "Kankagari" (觀かん篝かがり, kankagari?). For the duration of their pregnancies/gestation period, every seven days the wives will spend two hours gazing at a large flaming torch. This seems to be what causes the men in the family to have flame-colored hair. Kyojuro viewed the other Hashira as follows. "She brews poisons! Isn't that amazing? And she doesn't hesitate to fight despite her disadvantageous size! I respect that!" - Insect Hashira "He's more talented than I was at his age! He's young and works hard, which is admirable!" - Mist Hashira "He's got sharp senses! And his shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints are more flexible than even Kanroji's!" - Serpent Hashira "I wish I had his bulk! It's amazing how he can easily sling around that ungainly weapon! That takes some muscle!" - Stone Hashira "He speaks so softly that I can't hear him! But he works hard!" - Water Hashira "The way he handles a blade is beautiful! He's the first shinobi I ever saw! Talk about stunning! He's got many wives though!" - Sound Hashira "Her talent is amazing! And her techniques are creative! I consider her an endearing junior corps member!" - Love Hashira "He's the guy who took Wind Breathing to the next level! Very admirable!" - Wind Hashira Kyojuro's level of openness was ranked as 95%. Many of his peers are unable to keep up with Kyojuro since he is "too fast" (He would reach conclusions quickly, he's quick to change his mind, he eats quickly etc.). Despite this, he was sensitive to other people's emotions and was caring, making most of the Corps members like him. It was revealed in a Taisho Secret in Episode 28 that Kyojuro doesn't have a Tsuguko because of how hard his training is and they end up running away. Kyojuro is one of only four Hashira that use a normal Nichirin Katana. The other three are Giyu Tomioka, Muichiro Tokito, and Sanemi Shinazugawa. In Kimetsu Academy, Kyojuro is a history teacher. Because of his passion for teaching and his love of history, he began hurling his students and starting cavalry battles during class. He's loved by his students, and nobody in this academy has terrible grades in history.[33] Quotes (To a demon) "However, if you bare your fangs at innocent people, my bright red flame blade will burn you to the bone!"[34] (To Senjuro Rengoku) "And, Senjuro, you're different from me! You have a big brother! And he believes in his little brother! Whatever path you walk you'll be a great person! You have a burning passion in your heart! So let's do our best! Let's work hard in life! Even if we're lonely!"[35] (To himself) "To think that all of this happened while I was dozing... How could this be? I'm ashamed as a Hashira. If only I could crawl under a rock!"[16] (To Akaza) "Growing old and dying is what gives meaning and beauty to the fleeting span of a human life. It's precisely because we age and die that our lives have value and nobility. Strength is not a word that means much in regard to the flesh."[36] (To Akaza) "I will fulfill my duty! I won't allow anyone here to die!"[37] (To Tanjiro Kamado) "Go ahead and live with your head held high. No matter how devastated you may be by your own weakness or uselessness, set your heart ablaze. Grit your teeth and look straight ahead. Even if you stop and crouch down, time won't wait for you or snuggle you and grieve along with you. Don't feel bad that I'm going to die here. As a Hashira, of course I would shield my juniors."[38] "Life is a series of decisions. You never have unlimited options or unlimited time to think, but what you choose in that instant defines who you are. Warriors who strive to save other people's lives are precious. Their pure and single-minded dedication is separate from their natural talent. They don't risk their lives to earn praise. They simply feel that they must. What they choose in that moment, is a cry from the depths of their souls. Isn't that right... my friends?"[32]

References

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