Summary

Obanai's past trauma fueled his determination to become a powerful hashira, using his unique Serpent Breathing style in combat.
Despite his stoic exterior, Obanai's bond with Mitsuri Kanroji reveals his capacity for deep affection and vulnerability.
The Serpent Breathing style, created by Obanai, makes him a formidable warrior with unpredictable and deadly attacks in battle.

In the Demon Slayer series, the Hashira is the highest level in the Demon Slayer Corp. The Hashira are a group of elite warriors with unique breathing styles that enhance their combat prowess. While all the hashira are great swordsmen, Obanai Iguro stands distinct due to his mastery of the Serpent breathing style, which is his creation. Beneath the swordsman's stoic and often abrasive exterior lies a man deeply scarred by a past trauma. The tragedy in his past fueled his determination to attain the highest level in the corp and make himself a tool to fight against the evils of the demons in Demon Slayer.

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By Rei Penber

Obanai's Motivation

A Hashira That Meets More Than The Eye

Obanai was born into a greedy family who worshipped a powerful snake demon. Obanai was subjected to a lot of abuse to appease the snake demon. He spent the formative years of his life in isolation and fear. This harsh environment left deep emotional scars, which later shaped his present role as a hashira. To please the snake demon, Obanai's family mutilated him to make him look more like the snake demon's appearance. His weird face, which he covers with a bandage presently, is a result of the facial scar and act of cruelty.

Obanai found solace in the company of a white snake, Kaburamaru, which he presently wraps around himself as a hashira. The former flame hashira later saved him; however, the painful experience of his childhood shaped him into the stoic and determined individual he became. After Obanai escaped from captivity, he began to heal and grow stronger under the guidance of the Demon Slayer Corps. Obanai underwent rigorous training to become a Demon Slayer, honing his skills and developing his unique Serpent Breathing technique. His dedication to his training was fueled by a desire to protect others from the horrors he had endured and find a purpose in his life.

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By Ritwik Mitra

Obanai turned his past trauma into a medium to reclaim his identity and a source of strength. His mastery of Serpent Breathing allowed him to channel his pain and rage into a formidable fighting style, making him one of the most skilled and deadly hashira. Also, his dedication to his duty as a Demon Slayer was driven by a need to atone for his family's sins. He believed that he could find some measure of redemption and peace by eradicating demons and protecting the innocent. The trauma of his past made it difficult for Obanai to open up to others. He often maintained a stern and distant demeanor, keeping his emotions guarded. However, his bond with Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, revealed his capacity for deep affection and vulnerability, showing that beneath his hardened exterior lay a heart capable of love and loyalty. An instance of his soft heart was when he got jealous that Kanroji fed Tanjiro in the Hashira Training arc.

How Strong Is The Serpent Breathing Style?

Obanai's Strength And Mental Fortitude

The serpent breathing style is a derivative of the water breathing technique, and it is a distinctive and powerful combat style that mimics the movements and characteristics of a serpent. The serpent hashira, Obanai, created the serpent breathing style and mastered it to perfection. His fighting style makes him unpredictable because he moves almost like how a snake wiggles and slithers around. The serpent breathing style makes rapid and unpredictable attacks easy, and this Obanai strikes swiftly and accurately, targeting vital points of the enemies with deadly precision. The snake-like movements make it difficult for opponents to anticipate and counter his attacks, giving him a strategic advantage in combat. Also, Kaburamaru, the snake around Obanai's neck, is not just for aesthetic purposes or because it is a loyal companion. Kaburamaru is part of Obanai's deadly breathing style attacks because the snake can predict a target's attacks, thus relaying the information to Obanai, who proceeds accordingly. In the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, Obanai is blinded by the demon's progenitor, but this does not stop him from fighting. Through his snake, blind Obanai could carry on in his fight to hold Muzan down till sunrise.

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By Daniel Obaze

Moreover, prior to when the serpent hashira was completely blinded by Muzan, he used to be blind in his right eye, and this makes him a more commendable swordsman. Despite his small physique and one functioning eye, he attained the highest level in the Demon Slayer Corps. Perhaps his superiority level and past challenges make him have high expectations for other demon slayer members. When one of the hashiras, Tengen Uzui retired from the Demon Slayer Corps after his battle with two upper-rank demons, Obanai taunted him that he should continue fighting instead of retiring. Obanai's principle of "continue fighting even when death is nigh" was evident in the final battle against Muzan. In other words, beyond his excellent swordsmanship, Obanai's mental fortitude and resilience play a crucial role in his strength as a warrior. Obanai also has a high pain tolerance due to his dedication to the corp. During the battle against the demon king, Obanai was the first to regain consciousness after Muzan's attack, which heavily injured the remaining demon slayers. Obanai sustains severe injuries but continues to fight with determination. This endurance does not only portray his physical resilience but also his mental strength and commitment to his mission of eradicating all demons.