The Twelve Kizuki are the direct subordinates of Kibutsuji Muzan, who appear in the hugely popular Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba series, and are the most powerful of all demons. Among the demons, becoming one of the Twelve Kizuki is the greatest honor in history, and in order to join the ranks, they devour humans and increase their power. However, the Twelve Kizuki that the demons admire are actually nothing more than pawns in Muzan's hands, and throughout the story, their rankings change or they are executed depending on Muzan's mood. In this article, we will introduce the Twelve Kizuki that have appeared up until the Mugen Train Arc.
What are the Twelve Kizuki, anyway?
What are the Twelve Kizuki? ①
The Twelve Kizuki is the collective name for an organization created by Muzan to destroy the Demon Slayer Corps without revealing his true identity. As the name suggests, it is composed of twelve demons. The Twelve Kizuki are divided into the Upper Six and Lower Six. Even within the Twelve Kizuki, the difference between the Upper and Lower Ranks is like heaven and earth. While the Lower Ranks have undergone numerous changes in their lineup and rank, the Upper Ranks have remained unchanged for over a hundred years. For this reason, the Lower Rank demons are despised and hated by the Upper Rank demons. However, even the Lower Rank demons are highly skilled, and ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members are no match for them.
What are the Twelve Kizuki? Part 2
The Twelve Kizuki are entirely meritocratic, and anyone can become a Twelve Kizuki simply by being strong. Promotions, demotions, and expulsions are all decided by Muzan's will, and if a demon is deemed to lack the talent, or if a demon with even greater power appears, they can easily be demoted or expelled, or in the worst case scenario, executed by Muzan himself. In the story, Kyogai, who was a Lower Rank Six, was stripped of his rank because he could no longer eat humans.
Overview of the Lower Moon Demons
Poor Lower Moon Demons ①
Lower Moon demons are the six least powerful of the Twelve Kizuki, and have a number indicating their rank engraved on just one of their eyes. Their abilities are far inferior to those of the Upper Moons. In the Demon Slayer Corps, defeating a member of the Twelve Kizuki is a prerequisite for promotion to a Pillar. Therefore, they are often hunted by those with the potential to become a Pillar, or by the Pillars themselves. This causes frequent fluctuations in the hierarchy and frequent changes in membership. Furthermore, all the demons who have defeated Pillars to date have been Upper Rank demons; the Lower Rank demons have never defeated a Pillar. This, combined with other factors, has led to them being looked down upon by the Upper Rank demons and Muzan.
The Poor Lower Rank Demons ②
Muzan's failure to achieve significant military success compared to the Upper Rank demons, coupled with the death of Muzan's favorite Lower Rank Five, Rui, at the hands of Tanjiro and Giyu, has led him to give up on the Lower Rank demons. He summons the Lower Ranks to Mugen Castle and begins a one-sided execution, a mere meeting in name only. As a result of this meeting, Muzan kills the Lower Ranks 2, 3, 4, and 6, excluding Enmu, the Lower Rank One. The remaining Enmu is defeated by Tanjiro in the Mugen Train arc, wiping out the entire Lower Rank.
Lower Rank One - Enmu
This demon has unusual blue eyes for a demon and wears clothing resembling a tailcoat. While the other lower-ranking demons were killed by Muzan, Enmu was the only one to escape execution. After being given some of Muzan's blood and adapting to it, Enmu boarded the Mugen Train to fight Tanjiro and the others. He was a very formidable demon in terms of ability, and if any of Rengoku Kyojuro, Kamado Tanjiro, Agatsuma Zenitsu, Hashibira Inosuke, or Kamado Nezuko had been missing, it is highly likely that Tanjiro and the others would have been defeated, and Enmu also estimated that they would have been able to win if they had been individually defeated.
Blood Demon Art "Dream Manipulation"
This is a nasty Blood Demon Art that puts the target to sleep, then Enmu attacks their mind by making them dream at will. The dreaming target is unable to move, and once Enmu defeats this Blood Demon Art, his victory is virtually assured. He can also interfere with the dream, sending human assassins to destroy the target's mind before devouring them. The only way to defeat this art is to die in the dream.
"The Whisper of Forced Unconsciousness Hypnosis"
This is a technique that allows Enmu to instantly put anyone who hears it to sleep by speaking from his left hand, which is attached to a mouth. Since it is activated through sound, there is almost no way to defend against it. In the story, he uses this technique when confronting Tanjiro on the Mugen Train. However, the spell was broken when Tanjiro committed suicide in his dream the moment he was affected by the spell.
"Forced Sleep - Eyes"
This technique forces anyone who makes eye contact with Enmu to sleep. He used it on Tanjiro and Inosuke, who were aiming for his own neck, by creating countless eyes engraved with the word "dream" on a pillar of flesh. Even if the spell was broken, he would immediately reapply it, engaging in a war of attrition against Tanjiro. Tanjiro, who had grown accustomed to dying multiple times, was tricked into thinking it was a dream, leading to his suicide in reality. However, it didn't work on Inosuke, and Enmu was defeated by his ingenuity.
Lower Moon Two: Rokuro
Appearing to be a middle-aged man dressed in work clothes, this demon features a beard and cracks across his face. The decision to dismember the Lower Moons is made, and as his colleagues are executed one after another, Rokuro pleads with Muzan that he can still be of use. Asked how exactly he can be of use and if there's any time left, Rokuro is at a loss for words and asks to receive some of Muzan's blood. However, this appears to have struck a chord with Muzan, who quickly executes him. Unlike the other Lower Ranks, his execution scene was not depicted, and his Blood Demon Art remains unknown.
Lower Rank Three: Byoba
This demon is characterized by three scars on his face in the shape of a cross and his sclera. He is unaware that Muzan has taken on the form of a woman, and only becomes aware of his presence when he hears his voice. After the brutal and unjust deaths of the Sixth Rank Kamanue and Fourth Rank Reiyoko, he attempts to flee the scene, but is brutally captured and thrown to the floor, where his body rots away. His Blood Demon Arts are unknown.
Lower Rank Four: Reiyoko
Distinguished by her red kimono and two horns, she is the only female demon among the Lower Ranks. She plans to flee if she encounters a Pillar, and is reprimanded for this by Muzan, who can read demons' thoughts. She desperately tries to explain herself, but Muzan responds, "Are you denying what he's saying?" Without a response, she is crushed and devoured by Muzan's tentacles, with a look of despair on her face. Her Blood Demon Art is also unknown.
Lower Moon Five: Rui
This demon is characterized by her white hair and kimono decorated with a spider web design. She is the first of the Twelve Kizuki to appear in the story, and they form a group they call their family, operating from Mount Natagumo. Stronger than any demon that had appeared so far, Rui caused Tanjiro great suffering. Rui remained in the Lower Rank Five because she wasn't interested in the bloody battles that altered the ranks, but she possessed the same strength as Lower Ranks One and Two.
Blood Demon Art "Thread"
This Blood Demon Art allows the user to freely control the threads that emerge from the hands. Though the threads are thin, they boast a sharp edge capable of slicing through targets and strength comparable to steel, making them a weapon of both offense and defense. They easily cut through Tanjiro's Nichirin sword without any skill.
"Kokushirou" (Kimetsu no Yaiba)
This technique surrounds the opponent with spider web-like threads and slashes them to pieces.
"Kimetsunoyaiba Ayamekago"
This technique traps the opponent in a basket of threads, gradually narrowing the threads to deliver a sure-fire finishing blow.
Kimetsu no Yaiba Rui
This technique attacks and shatters the target with the hardest threads, swirling like a tornado, blocking Tanjiro's Water Breathing technique, the secret of the Water Breathing technique, "Seisho Ryuten." However, it was easily cut down by Hinokami Kagura Enbu and Giyuu's Eleventh Form, "Nagi."
Lower Rank Six: Kamanue
This demon, characterized by a white shirt, a haori with a swirl pattern, and a pattern on his face, is the weakest of the Twelve Kizuki. Summoned by Muzan and criticized for the Lower Ranks' lack of performance, Kamanue secretly harbors dissatisfaction. Muzan, reading his inner thoughts, annoyed him, leading to him being hung upside down and killed as a warning to others, becoming the first victim. His Blood Demon Art is also unknown.
Kyōgai, Former Lower Rank Six
Kyōgai is a demon who makes the Drum Mansion his base. He is characterized by his sturdy build and the drums that grow all over his body. He was originally a Lower Rank Six, but Muzan, unable to bear the sight of him being unable to consume so much flesh, stripped him of his position. Aiming to regain his place among the Twelve Kizuki, he comes up with a plan to seek out and devour humans with rare blood types, which can gain power in small amounts. He battles Tanjiro, who is still recovering from his injury with Yabiwa, and is defeated.
Kyōgai's Blood Spirit Technique: "Drum"
By striking the drum embedded in his body, Kyogai possesses a variety of abilities, including the ability to launch slashing attacks, rotate the room, and even teleport through space. He possesses a powerful technique called "Sokuhoku Drum Beating," in which he strikes the drum alternately at high speed, causing the room to spin rapidly and slashing attacks to fly back and forth. However, Tanjiro was able to predict his move and slashed him in the neck.
Overview of the Upper Rank Demons
The Upper Rank Demons: Shrouded in Mystery, Yet Devastatingly Powerful
The Upper Rank demons are highly skilled and possess abilities that are incomparable to other demons, including the Lower Ranks. Their ranks have remained unchanged for over a hundred years in battles with the Demon Slayer Corps. Even the Demon Slayer Corps' strongest Pillars have difficulty defeating the Upper Rank demons alone, and have killed them countless times. Since all who have faced the Upper Ranks are dead, almost no information remains about them. Currently, the only Upper Rank demon known is Akaza, Upper Rank Three.
Akaza, Upper Rank Three
A combative demon who fights with bare hands and prefers to fight head-on. Having devoted his time as a demon to training, he has gained immense fighting power, which he has used to kill several Hashira. He truly desires to fight strong opponents, and when he recognizes Kyojuro as a strong man, he invites him to become a demon and shows respect even during battle. However, he has a deep abhorrence for the weak, and silently tried to kill Tanjiro, who was unable to move. His reason for this was the selfish belief that he would interfere with the story.
Blood Demon Art "Destruction Kill"
This is a simple Blood Demon Art that enhances Akaza's physical abilities and unleashes attacks using his bare hands. Compared to other Blood Demon Arts, it is straightforward and simple, but conversely, this single technique is all he needs. This means that Akaza has eliminated any opponent with just his own body, eliminating the need for tricks or tactics.
"Compass"
This technique forms the foundation of a "Compass Formation" technique, creating a snowflake-like formation at the user's feet upon the signal to "Deploy the Technique." Akaza uses this to sense the opponent's power (fighting spirit) and read their movements, strategizing his offense and defense. Akaza determines the strength of his opponents based on their fighting spirit, and when he faced Kyojuro, he praised his opponent's fighting spirit, describing it as close to the highest realm.
"Ki-shiki"
This technique involves slamming a fist into the void, creating a shockwave that attacks opponents at a distance. There's almost no time lag, and it's an invisible technique. For this reason, an average corps member would be defeated with just this technique, unable to avoid or get close. Kyojuro blocked this technique with his Fourth Form: Surge of Flame, and quickly closed the distance to Akaza.
"Ranshiki"
This technique involves rapid, repeated, powerful punches from both arms. Even if the enemy gets close, this technique can be used to kill, making it impossible for average corps members to withstand. It involved a head-on clash with Kyojuro's Fifth Form: Enko.
"Metsushiki"
This technique clashes head-on with Kyojuro's secret Flame Breathing technique, Ninth Form: Rengoku, defeating him and inflicting a fatal blow on Kyojuro. True to its name, Metsushiki annihilates everything with incredible speed and destructive power.
Akaza's Success ①
Akaza first appeared in the Mugen Train Arc, appearing before Tanjiro and Kyojuro after they defeated Enmu. Judging Tanjiro, who was injured and unable to move, to be weak, he silently attacks, but is stopped by Kyojuro's Second Form: Rising Flame Heaven. The battle with Kyojuro is a back-and-forth affair, but the difference between Kyojuro, who is increasingly wounded and exhausted, and Akaza, whose wounds have yet to heal, is too great to overcome, and Kyojuro is cornered.
Akaza's Success ②
Still refusing to give in, Kyojuro prepares his secret technique, the Ninth Form, and gathers his fighting spirit. While praising Kyojuro, Akaza defeats him with the Hakai-Satsu-Metsushiki, piercing Kyojuro's solar plexus with his fist, delivering a fatal blow. He's amazed at Kyojuro's mental strength, still determined to slash his neck despite sustaining a fatal wound, and at the same time, he's overcome with a sense of urgency as dawn approaches. Despite being insulted by Tanjiro, who tears off both his own arms and flees the scene, Akaza's victory comes to an end.
Summary
So, what did you think? This article introduces the Twelve Kizuki that appeared in the story. All of the Lower Ranks have appeared, leaving only the Upper Ranks. Even against the Lower Ranks, Tanjiro and his friends were struggling without the Pillars. Now, with the Upper Ranks that even the Pillars cannot defeat, Tanjiro and his friends are faced with an even greater crossroads. They continue to train and grow, using Kyojuro's death as motivation, but it will be interesting to see how well their forged blades will hold up against the Upper Ranks. Also, former Lower Rank demons not introduced this time appear in the spin-off manga and novels, so please take a look if you're interested. Thank you for reading this far.
