Summary
- Yoriichi Tsugikuni almost killed Muzan but failed due to kindness, allowing Muzan to escape.
- Yoriichi is considered the strongest Demon Slayer ever, but he would likely struggle against Demon King Tanjiro.
- The Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Movie 1 will be released in Japan on June 18, 2025, with international releases following.
The following article contains major spoilers for Demon Slayer.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni is a legendary character in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and the only one known to have had a real chance to kill Muzan. Though he failed, it wasn't due to any lack of ability or strength. In fact, Yoriichi shares several traits with Tanjiro Kamado, including immense kindness towards others, which sometimes prevents him from acting like a warrior.
However, even though Yoriichi was unmatched at his time, there is one character in Demon Slayer that he would struggle to defeat. This character is introduced in the final arc of the story, and it's one of the most terrifying characters of the series.
Demon Slayer: How Muzan Escaped Death From Yoriichi, Explained
Muzan Kibutsuji escapes death in his first encounter with Yoriichi Tsugikuni, but how did he do it?
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's Story in Demon Slayer
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was a legendary swordsman who lived in the Sengoku Era, 500 years before the story of Demon Slayer. Yoriichi is credited with inventing Breathing Styles; he created Sun Breathing and later adapted it to fit other swordsmen's fighting styles. He was able to perform all 12 forms of Sun Breathing.
He was born with the Demon Slayer Mark, making him the only character to have the mark from birth rather than unlocking it later. Yoriichi eventually ran away from his family house when he was still a kid. In fact, his family believed his mark would bring bad luck and always treated him worse than his twin brother, though he never complained about it. Yoriichi also had an innate ability with swords, defeating an instructor at the age of seven without prior training.
For years, he lived with an orphan girl named Uta, who eventually got pregnant with his child. One day, he went to summon a midwife but stopped to help an old man, arriving home after sunset. By then, Uta and their unborn child had been killed by a demon, prompting Yoriichi to become a Demon Slayer. Coincidentally, his brother also became a Demon Slayer, though Muzan later persuaded him to turn into a demon.
Could Yoriichi Have Defeated Muzan Kibutsuji?
Yoriichi almost killed Muzan once. He didn't, however, because instead of delivering the coup de grâce, he asked Muzan why he was doing what he did, giving Muzan the chance to escape. From that day on, Muzan spent the rest of Yoriichi's life hiding from him.
My dream was to live a quiet life with my family in a small house where we would sleep side by side. I would be close enough to see the beloved faces of my wife and child and close enough to reach out and take their hands.
— Yoriichi Tsugikuni
In fact, Muzan states in the final arc that Yoriichi is still the strongest Demon Slayer he's ever met and that Tanjiro's power is nothing compared to Yoriichi's. Curiously, though Tanjiro is not a descendant of Yoriichi, he has an ancestor who was friends with him. Sumiyoshi Kamado's family was once saved by Yoriichi, and he memorized the Sun Breathing technique after seeing it just once. The technique was passed down through generations as a dance performance known as Hinokami Kagura.
Yoriichi Unlikely to Defeat Demon King Tanjiro
The final arc of Demon Slayer introduces the most powerful demon in the story: Demon King Tanjiro. Realizing he has lost, Muzan used his final breath to transform Tanjiro into a demon and carry on his wish for immortality. Demon Tanjiro quickly developed resistance to sunlight, meaning that he was likely resistant to the Nichirin Blades.
Yoriichi was an unmatched warrior, born with an incredible ability to fight. He was not only skilled but also calm and composed, as expected from such a legendary swordsman. However, even he would likely have a hard time dealing with Demon King Tanjiro. Actually, Tanjiro was never fully transformed into a demon, as he resisted Muzan while the Demon Slayers administered an antidote to him. Had Tanjiro fully transformed, he would likely have become even stronger and gained new abilities at a fast pace. Furthermore, he also had great healing ability. Even though Yoriichi was legendary, he'd likely be no match for Demon King Tanjiro.
When Will Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Movie 1 Be Released?
The Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc movie trilogy will adapt the final arc of the story. According to an answer from Crunchyroll President Rahul Purini in an interview, it will likely cover both the Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown arcs. The first movie in the trilogy, titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle, will be released in Japan on June 18, 2025.
The movie will then hit international theaters starting in August, beginning with releases in several Asian countries. The film is scheduled to premiere in US and Canada theaters on September 12, 2025. Latin American and European releases will happen around the same time or a bit later. As for the other movies, there is nothing confirmed, but there have been rumors suggesting that the second movie will premiere in 2027 and the final one in 2029.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is available to watch on Crunchyroll subbed and dubbed in English and many other languages.
- Release Date
- April 6, 2019
- Network
- Adult Swim
Based on Koyoharu Gotouge's shonen manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is an action anime set in Japan during the early 20th century. Seeking revenge for the murder of his family while also looking to save his sister, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps as they try to eradicate Demons led by Muzan.
- Seasons
- 4
- Studio
- ufotable
- Japanese Title
- Kimetsu no Yaiba
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Koyoharu Gotoge
- Number of Episodes
- 63
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix
