Rengoku Demon Slayer Guide - Manga Insider (2024)

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Emad Shah

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If you’re even slightly familiar with the concept of anime, then you’ve probably heard the name Kyojuro Rengoku. This amazing and heroic character hails from the world of Demon Slayer. Ever since his appearance in the movie Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, the anime world has fallen head over heels for his personality.

His sense of justice, his unwavering resolve, and the unshakeable will that Rengoku displays even when facing death instantly made him a top-tier character among the entire community.

Koyoharu Gotuge, the creator of Demon Slayer, is an amazing mangaka who has gifted the anime world with a splendid series. The plot, the character development, the visuals, and every aspect of this series deliver a high-class experience that keeps you wanting more.

And if the manga wasn’t enough, Studio Ufotable came barging in with their godly animation, flexing over the entire 2D animation community with their jaw-dropping visuals and setting a new standard for Japanese animation. The animators at Ufotable sure do like to flex.

This article aims to walk you through the journey of Rengoku, his rise to Hashira status, and how he came to be the man that he was. With the help of this Guide, you’ll get to know him on a much deeper level, getting familiar with every aspect of his life. So set your hearts ablaze, and let’s dive into the Guide of Kyoujuro Rengoku.

Bottom Line Up Front

Kyojuro Rengoku was the Flame Hashira. He was 20 years old when he died after fighting the upper moon rank 3: Akaza. He was born to the former Flame Hashira, Shinjiro, and he always dreamt of becoming one himself. His mother, Ruka, was his greatest supporter in this, teaching him to be a good man and protect one’s weaker than him.

Due to his father’s negligence in training him, Rengoku self-learned all the breathing techniques from a 3 volume guidebook and successfully managed to join the Demon Slayer Corp. He was a mentor to Mitsuri, the current Love Pillar, and defeated many demons in his tenure as a Hashira.

In the movie Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, he passed away after a very fearsome and ruthless battle against the upper moon rank 3: Akaza. Though not present in the series anymore, the Flame that Rengoku set ablaze in the hearts of Tanjiro and the gang still burns bright, pushing them forward in their mission to end Muzan.

Rengoku: A Worthy Tale

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Kyujuro Rengoku was a 20-year-old member of the Demon Slayer Corp. In a world where demons run rampant, hiding in the darkness of the night, Rengoku was one of the pillars that stood between those demons and protected the innocent humans against the cruel fate of coming across one.

He was ranked amongst the nine most powerful demon slayers in that Era, fighting to defeat the Demon moons and their leader, Muzan Kibutsuji.

Hailing from a family of Flame Hashira’s, Rengoku always dreamt of becoming one himself. When his father refused to train him and his brother, Rengoku took matters into his own hands and trained through a 3 volume guide book in his library.

Against all odds, he succeeded in joining the Demon Slayer Corps and soon rose to the rank of Hashira. Now, allow me to walk you through the amazing and heroic life story of Rengoku, starting from his childhood.

Early Life

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Kyojuro was born to the Rengoku family. Son to Ruka and Shinjuro, he was destined to take his father’s place as the next Flame Hashira. So from a very young age, Shinjuro began both his and his little brother, Senjuro’s training in the Flame Pillar way.

Shinjuro was in hopes that one of his two sons would have inherited the first Demon Slayer’s Sun Breathing Style. But when that wasn’t the case, he slowly drifted away from both his sons, thinking of them as weak and unworthy of the Hashira status.

Rengoku’s mother, Ruka, never stopped believing in his sons despite a big setback. She suffered from a fatal disease and didn’t have much time left. So in her last days, she had a heart-felt conversation with her son. She taught him the morals that one should live by.

“It is the duty of those born with strength to help those not”_ Ruka.

She then proceeded to hug him and said,

“Having such a strong, gentle child was a true blessing.”

After Ruka’s passing, Shinjuro became even more distant from them. He became a drunk and spent his days wasting himself.

Rengoku refused to forfeit his dreams and decided to take matters into his own hands. He found a 3 volume guide on Flame breathing in his library, and using that; he continued to hone his skills. After years of training, he was finally ready to enter the Demon Slayer Corp and go to the top.

First Mission

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After successfully passing the trial and entering the Corp came Rengoku’s first mission. It was regarding a Flute Demon running wild near a village and had killed nine novice demon slayers and even more innocents. By the time Rengoku arrived at the scene, countless dead bodies had laid before him. Seeing the cruelty of a Demon firsthand, Rengoku was filled with rage and anger towards the Demon race.

He charged at the Demon with great agility, but the Demon easily dodged his blade with a backflip. As the two chatted for a while, the Demon revealed that he would soon be promoted to a lower moon. But this did little to intimate Rengoku.

And then the Demon began blowing into his flute. Rengoku immediately covered his ears, as hearing the flutes displeasing sound could disrupt one’s entire nervous system, rendering them paralyzed.

Rengoku stood there thinking of his next move with both his hands covering his ears. But the Demon wasn’t planning on waiting, as from his flute emerged a number of shadow demon wolves that immediately charged at Rengoku.

With the shadow wolves approaching, Rengoku kept thinking of a way to escape this peril until suddenly, he removed his hands from his ears and delivered an ending slash to the shadow wolves. Shocked by this turn of events, the Flute Demon now questioned Rengoku’s tactics, and then is when he saw Rengoku’s bleeding ears.

His flute didn’t work on Rengoku because he had ruptured both his eardrums with a strike from his palms, rendering him temporarily deaf. With the Demon now begging for his life, Rengoku remembered the dead bodies of his comrades and, with a rage-filled heart, delivered the ending slash.

His Rise To Hashira Status

A special edition One-shot named Rengoku: Gaiden tells the story of how Rengoku finally became the Flame Hashira. During this period, Rengoku had taken an apprentice, Kanroji, the current Love Pillar. Rengoku was summoned to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, where some other Hashira were also present. Kagaya told of a lower moon demon’s emergence in his designated area and ordered him to take care of it.

The other Hashira’s were skeptical of this decision, as sending a non-Hashira member to fend off against a lower moon was no less than suicide. Nonetheless, Rengoku accepted the orders and headed to the nearby town with Mitsuri and a dozen other demon slayers alongside him.

When Rengoku first came face to face with Hairo, the lower moon rank 2, the Demon mistook him for Shinjuro. Remembering how Shinjuro, in a moment of anger and weakness, tortured and tormented Hairo, he cannot keep himself together and, to calm down, shoots himself in the mouth.

He soon regenerates and reveals that he has planted many bombs all across the town, timed to blow up the entire town. With Mitsuri and the others pursuing the bombs, Rengoku got ready to kill the Demon he faced.

Hairo asked Rengoku if he still remembered him, to which he questioned Hairo as to who he was. Not really a mistake on Hairo’s part since Rengoku looked a lot like his father. Nonetheless, the battle between Rengoku and Hairo raged on.

Even after being shot and wounded countless times, Rengoku kept on getting up, showing absolutely sign of weakness or pain. Even a lower moon was ultimately bested by the sheer will and power of Rengoku. And thus, after defeating the Demon and saving the town, Rengoku was awarded the position of Flame Hashira.

Mugen Train

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Now, let’s come to the main event. The movie Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. After his confrontation with Tanjiro and Nezuko at the corp headquarter, Rengoku soon heads out on a new mission to defeat a demon that was hunting train passengers.

After his departure, Tanjiro and the gang soon followed and met him on the train while he was enjoying his bento food.

As they conversed, all three of the boys took a deep liking to Rengoku, even calling him big bro. Ready to face the Demon, as they waited for it to show up, a conductor approached and asked for their tickets. Little did they know that the conductor was under Enmu’s control, and stamping their tickets placed them in a deep sleep.

With them out of commission, young kids, addicted to Enmu’s sleep demon art, entered their sleep in order to destroy their cores and end them in their sleep.

The young girl that infiltrated Rengoku’s dream managed to find his red core, but before she could manage to stab it, Rengoku’s body instinctively moved and grabbed the girl by her neck. Mind you that Rengoku is still in his sleep; his years of training and honed instincts kicked in.

Finally, Nezuko used her blood demon art to burn the ropes that connected the kids to the Demon Slayers’ subconscious minds, allowing Rengoku to break free from Enmu’s spell.

Seeing that Enmu had fused with the entire train while he slept, Rengoku felt disgraced at himself, but still with a smile on his face, he drew his sword and leaped into action. He dashed towards Enmu’s extensions with blinding speed and cut them down to pieces.

With tanjiro and the gang back in the game, Rengoku devised a plan of action. To ensure that every innocent passenger left alive from this battle, Rengoku sent Tanjiro to take down Enmu while he decided to stay behind and cover five carts by himself.

And this is exactly what he did, not a single passenger was Injured during the span of the entire battle, and Tanjiro was successful in beheading Enmu.

Akaza Enters

With Enmu gone, the train derailed, and Tanjiro was thrown off. Rengoku checked on the injured Tanjiro, congratulating him for his bravery.

Just as it seemed like everything was ok now, something landed before Rengoku. As the smoke cleared away, Rengoku immediately knew who it was. A presence so demonic that he couldn’t have mistaken it. It was Akaza, the upper moon rank 3.

Right off the bat, Akaza launched himself towards Tanjiro, but just as his fist was inches away from ending Tanjiro, Rengoku swung his sword and split his hand in two.

Though it didn’t hurt Akaza, as he regenerated within seconds, he was quite impressed with Rengoku’s reflex speed and even offered to become a demon. Rengoku immediately refused, and both got ready for a most fearsome battle.

Both fighters dashed towards each other, and a battle erupted. They matched blow for blow, none willing to submit to the other. For every slash Rengoku delivered to Akaza, he returned with an even stronger blow to Rengoku.

This head-to-head battle continued for a while until the mortality factor began to show. Rengoku’s attacks though more powerful and deadly, the Immortal body of Akaza was quick to heal every bit of the damage.

And though the blows dealt by Akaza may be fewer, the damage done to Rengoku didn’t heal; it kept piling up. The longer the battle continued, more and more exhausted Rengoku got. But even though at a disadvantage, Rengoku’s spirit was far superior to that of Akaza’s.

Rengoku knew that only he stood between Akaza and the people he swore to protect, so even after taking such damage, even as his body was nearing its limit, Rengoku refused to surrender.

With only limited stamina left, it was time for his most powerful attack. Focusing all his fire into one final slash, Rengoku took up his sword and went in for theNinth Form: Rengoku. His fire took the form of a dragon as he charged toward Akaza; the flames of purgatory enveloped them as he delivered multiple consecutive slashes to his enemy.

As the flames flickered away, the sight both Tanjiro and Inosuke witnessed shook them to their cores. Akaza’s entire arm was piercing through Rengoku’s abdomen. Blood spilled from his mouth as he tried to hang onto his sword. All seemed lost now.

The mighty demon slayer was nearing his end. With his consciousness slowly fading away, Rengoku reminisced about his promise to his mother. He remembered her mother’s words,“having such a strong, gentle child was a true blessing.”A sudden rush of power surged through Rengoku as he gripped his sword and sent it halfway inside Akaza’s neck.

Now panicking, Akaza tried his utmost to jerk Rengoku off him, but he had clenched onto Akaza with everything he had. The sun was slowly coming up, so in a desperate attempt to survive, Akaza broke off his own two hands and ran for it inside the forest.

His Mother

In his last moments, as the sun rose from the night, as he sat there on his knees, his mother’s spirit appeared before him.

He looked at his mother one last time and asked,“did I keep my promise, mother”with a smile on her face, she replied,“Yes, you made me proud.”And thus, with his soul departing from his body, Rengoku smiled, one last time. (*sobs)

Rengoku: Appearance, Personality, Abilities, and Much More

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Appearance

Rengoku, at the time of his passing was 20 years of age, had a fair skin tone and somewhat of a muscular body. He had long, beautiful hair of yellow color with red ends. Some unique facial features Rengoku had were his dark pointy eyebrows and his captivating eyes that were golden that faded to red, with white pupils.

Moving to his Demon Slayer uniform, it was of simple brown color, a white collar, yellow buttons, and a white belt to hold his sword.

Below his brown pants, he wore a pair of red Kyahan with yellow flames patterns and a pair of red strapped Zori with brown socks. On his shoulder, he wore the Rengoku family’s traditional Haori with fading yellow on a white cloth and bright red flames at the end.

Personality

Let’s start with his first impression. We first saw Rengoku when Giyu and Shinobu saved Tanjiro and the gang and brought them to the Demon Slayer Headquarters. There, Rengoku saw Nezuko’s demonic side and was instantly convinced that she was dangerous and must be eliminated.

This way of thinking had its reasons cause Rengoku had never before seen a demon who could love. All he had ever seen from the demons was ruthlessness, cruelty and hatred. After all that he had lost to the Demon’s, it’s only natural to have an impression such as that. Though he soon realized that Nezuko is different from the rest, that her love for Tanjiro was pure and devoid of any malice.

Aside from that, Rengoku was very eager and enthusiastic, always admiring the things around him, the people around him, and especially the food around him. The most prominent thing about Rengoku’s personality was his will, his sense of justice.

From a very young age, his mother instilled these morals in him, teaching him that“it is the duty of those born with strength to help those who are not.”These very morals and the love for his family made him the fine man that he was.

His battle prowess and quick thinking were no joke either. His years of training and fighting had made him into a force to be reckoned with.

Even in a nerve-racking situation, Rengoku kept calm and gave precise instructions to tanjiro and the others, allowing them to defeat the train demon while ensuring the safety of the passengers.

His Sword

Every Demon Slayer holds a Nichirin Katana. This Katana is made of a special material that adapts to its wielder’s spirit. In the case of Rengoku, his Nichirin Sword adapted to his fiery spirit and formed patterns according to that.

The most noticeable part of the sword is its flaming hilt with a red-yellow pattern and white handle. On the blade are engraved the words “Destroyer of Demons,” along with a red flaming pattern.

Strength: Fighting Style and Breathing Techniques

Rengoku is undoubtedly one of the most powerful Hashira. Honed to the maximum, Rengoku’s strength, speed, and technique were all acknowledged and respected by the other pillars. Despite his fleeting human life span, even the Demons, their greatest nemesis, couldn’t help but appreciate Rengoku’s will.

Fighting Style

Though he may look carefree and goofy at times, Rengoku’s battle prowess has been polished by years of relentless training. When it comes to sword fights, Rengoku’s basic plan of action is to go headfirst into the action, matching blow for blow against his opponent.

Cause that’s the more manly way, you know. Moreover, Kyojuro belongs to a family of Hashira’s, meaning that the Rengoku family has been producing Flame Hashira’s for generations. So It’s only natural for him to have a knack for such stuff.

Flame Breathing

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Flame breathing is one of the many breathing styles in the series. Closely related to Sun breathing, this breathing style is more adept at dealing heavy damage to its opponents. Rengoku, the latest Flame Hashira, too was quite adept at using this style.

The battle prowess he displayed in his fights against the two ranked Demons certainly caught their eye, and they praised him as well. Akaza even went as far as to offer Rengoku a position as a demon. Let’s go over his breathing techniques.

Breathing Techniques

  • Flame Breathing First Form: Unknowing Fire
  • Flame Breathing Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun
  • Flame Breathing Third Form: Blazing Universe
  • Flame Breathing Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation
  • Flame Breathing Fifth Form: Flame Tiger
  • Flame Breathing Sixth Form: (Unknown)
  • Flame Breathing Seventh Form: (Unknown)
  • Flame Breathing Eighth Form: (Uknown)
  • Flame Breathing Ninth Form: Rengoku

Quotes

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Despite his normal, carefree attitude, Rengoku is quite wise and keeps a cool head. No matter how dangerous the situation or fearsome the opponent, he always finds words to motivate his peers to go beyond their limits. Let’s go over a few of Rengoku’s most memorable quotes.

  • Set your hearts ablaze, and go beyond your limits.
  • I will fulfill my duty! I will not allow anyone here to die.
  • Let me make this clear, your opponent stands before you now.
  • If you bare your fangs at innocent people, my bright red flame blade will burn you to the bone.
  • Stand tall and be proud, no matter how weak or unworthy you feel, flare up your heart, grit your teeth and move forward.
  • Don’t feel bad that I’m about to die. As a Hashira, it’s only natural that I protect you all.
  • Mother, it was I who was blessed to be born to such a woman as you.

This final quote is a personal favorite of mine. Seeing Rengoku reminisce about the promise he made to his mother and the great lengths he went to keep that promise is truly beautiful.

Fun Facts (And Not So Fun Facts) About Rengoku

Rengoku is no doubt an exciting and inspiring warrior. Every move he makes, every word that he ushers, has a strong purpose. Let’s take a look at some of the very interesting facts regarding this character.

  • Rengoku is actually the mentor of Mitsuri Kanroji, the love pillar.
  • His father was the former Flame Hashira.
  • In the movie Demon Slayer Mugen Train, Rengoku held off five train carts all by himself.
  • He loved his mother and followed her morals till his final breath.
  • He singlehandedly defeated Hairo, the lower moon rank 2.
  • He learned Flame breathing from a 3 volume guidebook.
  • He was actually the first Hashira to be killed during the Tanjiro Era.
  • Rengoku belongs to a family that has produced Hashira’s in every generation, leading back to the days of Yoriichi Tsugukuni.

Rengoku Demon Slayer Guide: FAQs

Question: Does Rengoku Have A Love Interest?

Answer:No, he does not. No partner or love interest of Rengoku’s was revealed.

Though, this surely didn’t stop fans from creating one for him. Some crazy Rengoku fan created a female character named Kohana in hopes that she could complete Rengoku as his wife. Talk about devotion.

Question: If His Dad was So Negligent, Who Taught Rengoku The Breathing Techniques?

Answer: He learned all his flame breathing techniques from a 3 volume guide present in his library. Since his father was so negligent when training his two sons, Rengoku had no other option than to take matters into his own hands. He soon overtook his father’s place as the Flame Hashira.

Question: Is Rengoku The Strongest Hashira?

Answer:No, that would be Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Pillar. Though, that doesn’t mean he isn’t somewhere up there.

For instance, after his departure in the movie, when the crows were delivering the message of his death to the other Hashira, Uzui Tengen remarked, “even he was defeated.” This indicates that Rengoku was considered strong even among the Hashira.

He also mentored Mitsuri Kanroji, the love Hashira, which shows how adept he was in his techniques. I can’t be fully sure, but comparing him to the other Hashira’s, he is definitely in the top 3 (at least for me).

Question: What Were His Parents Like?

Answer:Rengoku’s mother, Ruka Rengoku, was very loving towards him. Because of her, Rengoku grew up into the fine man that he was. She instilled in him a sense of honor and taught him to protect one’s weaker than him. Thanks to her teachings and love, Rengoku refused to heed Akaza’s offer of becoming a demon.

However, his father, Shinjuro Rengoku, was very negligent towards both his kids. He originally wanted his sons to inherit the first Hashira’s Sun breathing. But his attitude towards them changed when they failed to Inherit the technique. He refused to train them, thinking they would never be strong enough to be Hashira.

This anger only came to grow after Ruka’s passing. He became a drunk and just sat around all day, doing nothing.

Personal Talk

Before I end this Guide, I just wanted to talk about my personal feelings toward Rengoku. During the period of the movie, I got attached to him. Seeing the balance between his light-hearted self and the focused warrior within, I found myself rooting for the guy within minutes.

I don’t know what it was, but I felt his inner desire to help others, appreciation of life, and blazing spirit. And that is precisely why it was truly heartbreaking to see him lose to such an unworthy foe as Akaza.

Despite him being superior in every aspect, the mighty Flame Hashira was bested by the Immortality of Akaza. He kept fighting till his human body could no longer contain his blazing spirit. Even Akaza himself had no choice but to acknowledge the will that was Rengoku.

In all that despair, the one bright side, the one solace that I found was that Rengoku died holding onto his morals. He died knowing that he kept the promise he made to his mother. He died knowing that his mother was proud of him. And that, my friend, is a win in my books!

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