Rengoku is the main protagonist of the Japanese manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, simply known as Demon Slayer by the English-speaking audience.
While he may not be your typical hero, with his humor and loud personality, you can’t help but love him.
In this article, we’ll be talking about why Rengoku works so well as a protagonist as well as how he compares to other classic shonen heroes. Let’s get started.
Who Is Rengoku Demon Slayer?
Kyojuro Rengoku is the protagonist of Demon Slayer. His first appearance was in Issue 2, and he plays a pivotal role in Kimetsu no Yaiba. He is also one of the eight legendary demon slayers who must slay demons to purge humanity’s greatest threat.
Kyojuro was an orphan who came from poverty and survived on his own as a pickpocket. He had little to eat and experienced many hardships. It wasn’t until he found himself inside the mansion of Tsubaki Shinra that he became close friends with her servants Kaien Iseki and Satoru Iseki.
They taught him how to fight with his weapon Shadowless, which allows him to not leave any traces behind when fighting.
How Does He Fight?
He uses a naginata, which is a kind of long pole weapon. It’s not explicitly stated how it’s used. Still, it’s hinted that he slashes his opponents with it while they’re attacking him and after they fall onto the ground.
In combat, he mainly relies on dodges and close-ranged attacks to avoid damage and make quick kills, such as when he smashes his enemy in the face with his blade, stabs them in the eye, or slits their throat with two quick swings.
When at bay, he has been shown using his blade as a defensive measure by parrying blows from enemies wielding swords and axes. He also appears to have some mastery over taijutsu (a Japanese martial art focusing on drawing the sword), as he can sheathe his blade very quickly. Rengoku fights without any armor and only wears bandages around his neck and arms for protection.
Unlike other fighters who rely mostly on strength, he has speed on his side and usually doesn’t need more than one swing to kill an opponent. His fighting style is unpredictable and sudden, thus making him difficult to defeat, even if you know what he’s going to do next.
One major difference between Rengoku and those of his species is that he isn’t able to regenerate lost limbs yet still survives wounds much better than humans. For example, he will heal faster than most people would from taking multiple deep cuts across the chest and abdomen.
Rengoku lives by a code of honor that he follows during battle. This means he doesn’t attack from behind and would rather be killed than kill an enemy while they’re down.
Why Is He So Popular?
The protagonist in the popular manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is Kyojuro Rengoku. Rengoku’s power as a demon slayer stems from his father, Kyujiro Rengoku. The latter discovered how to end the demonic uprising that had plagued their world for so long. After discovering this technique, he sealed it within himself and passed on this knowledge to his son.
He has yet to unlock the full potential of his powers and become the hero they need him to be. To do so, he must confront the eight demons that destroyed his village. These eight demons are masters of different techniques, so if Rengoku wants to defeat them all, he must first learn them.
People love him so much because he is always polite, calm, collected, good-natured, and knows when to stand up for himself. All in all, he’s one of the best anime characters out there.
How To Read Demon Slayer?
Demon slayer manga is a gripping and dark story that will disturb some readers. However, it’s well worth the read – especially if you’re interested in manga genres like horror, mystery, and thriller.
As a fantasy horror manga, the story revolves around Kyojuro Rengoku and his quest to destroy demons who terrorize humans. Aside from various weapons, Rengoku possesses a demon-slaying technique that allows him to control other demons to slay stronger ones. There are three parts to this technique that he must use in tandem with one another.
First, he projects a mask with holes for eyes on it. Second, he inserts his index finger into the mouth hole and pushes outwards with his thumb while twisting it so that the mouth opens wider. Third, he blows air through the mouth hole so that it comes out of the eye holes as if they were nostrils while maintaining contact between fingers and thumb.
What Do People Think About The Demon Slayer Manga?
People think that he is an important part of the story and need him to be on the cover. If there is not a human protagonist in this story, then they would only get one perspective and would not know what kind of decisions they are making. But if there is a human protagonist, it would give them both perspectives and show how hard humans have to fight demons.
Humans can’t just rely on their weapons all the time. They always have to fight with their minds because they are weaker than demons, so they can’t use brute force. Demons are more cunning than humans, which makes it difficult for us to defeat them. And Rengoku is an ordinary person who has had to learn everything by himself.
He didn’t come from a family of demon slayers or anything like that. He was born into normal life but was able to go through many trials and challenges before becoming the hero we see today.
Final Thoughts
Kyojuro Rengoku is a character who has this apathetic facade but is actually very calculating and intelligent. He seems carefree on the outside and doesn’t seem to have much connection with the other protagonists. It can be hard to understand his actions and motivations at first glance.
Still, in reality, he is carefully choosing his next move for the future. He also has an interesting backstory that was revealed gradually throughout the manga. I recommend it if you are looking for a quick read with lots of twists and turns.
