DEMON SLAYER

Demon Slayer RPG Guide

World Overview

The story takes place in Taishō-era Japan, where the secret Demon Slayer Corps has waged a covert war against supernatural demons for centuries . Demons are former humans turned immortal by the progenitor Muzan Kibutsuji; they possess enhanced strength, regeneration, and unique powers called Blood Demon Arts. They can only be killed by exposing them to sunlight, decapitating them with special Nichirin swords, or using a poison derived from wisteria . Demon Slayers are normal humans trained in Breathing Styles – special swordsmanship techniques that channel elemental energy to grant superhuman speed, strength, and reflexes. Elite slayers, called the Hashira, achieve that rank by exceptional feats (e.g. slaying 50 demons or defeating a powerful demon) and wield a mastery of their breathing style . The Demon Slayer Corps is led by the Ubuyashiki Family, whose headquarters lies at the hidden Ubuyashiki Mansion. They fund and oversee operations, final selection exams, and Hashira meetings  .

Major Factions • Demon Slayer Corps: A centuries-old organization founded by the Ubuyashiki clan after Muzan’s first attack. Its members include ordinary Demon Slayers, specialized Hashira, their apprentices (Tsuguko), and support staff (Cultivators who train recruits, Kakushi who tend to wounded, etc.). The Corps exists in secrecy, funded by Ubuyashiki fortune and sustained by mystical foresight  . The Oyakata (Corps Leader, of the Ubuyashiki line) coordinates missions, the Final Selection exams, and Hashira councils . Hashira (“Pillars”) are the top swordsmen (one per Breathing Style) and report directly to the Leader . Accessories like Kasugai Crows serve as the Corps’ messenger birds . The Corps’ goal is to exterminate all demons and ultimately destroy Muzan. • Demons and Twelve Kizuki: Led by Muzan Kibutsuji – the first and most powerful demon – the demonic faction seeks to kill the Slayers and survive. Muzan created the Twelve Kizuki, an elite group of demons (Upper and Lower Ranks) bound to serve him . Notable Upper Ranks include Akaza (Upper 3) who killed Flame Hashira Rengoku , Doma (Upper 2) who murdered Insect Hashira Shinobu, and the moon-breathing Kokushibo (Upper 1), Yoriichi’s fallen brother. Demons use their Blood Demon Arts (see below) and supernatural abilities to oppose humanity. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate the Corps and find a way to overcome their sunlight weakness (hence their interest in Nezuko). • Swordsmiths and Allies: The Swordsmith Village is home to the Corps’ swordsmiths, skilled artisans forging and maintaining Nichirin blades . Its location is secret to protect it from demons. Other allied groups include the Butterfly Mansion (medical base where injured slayers recover) and Ninjas or spiritual allies like Tamayo’s village. These factions support Demon Slayers with gear, medicine, and intelligence.

Major Characters • Tanjiro Kamado (MC): A compassionate but determined young demon slayer. Breathing Style: Water Breathing (learnt from Urokodaki), later learns Hinokami Kagura (Sun Breathing) from his family ritual  . Attributes: High spirit and agility; average raw strength but exceptional endurance and will. Special Skills: Demon Slayer Mark (boosts power), Transparent World (heightened perception), and the family’s Hinokami Dance technique, a powerful solar-based sword style . Tanjiro also has a unique empathy (sensing opponents’ feelings) and medicine knowledge from his past life. • Nezuko Kamado (Human/Demon): Tanjiro’s younger sister, transformed into a demon. Status: Demon with humanity; does not consume blood or humans. Abilities: Blood Demon Art – “Combustible Blood” (she can ignite her blood to attack demons without harming herself). Unique among demons, Nezuko gains sunlight immunity over time . Attributes: Enhanced strength and regeneration; small body (fast, agile); demon physiology (no need to eat or drink). Special: Fierce protectiveness of Tanjiro; can shrink or change size, and is healing (her presence can calm or empower allies). • Zenitsu Agatsuma: A slayer who wields Thunder Breathing (his one active form, Thunderclap Arrow). He is cowardly but excells in battle when unconscious. Attributes: Great reaction speed and agility; physically weaker, but luck and intuition are high. Special Skills: Can unleash extremely rapid lightning strikes (Thunderclap) when in fear-induced trance. • Inosuke Hashibira: Wild orphan raised by boars, uses Beast Breathing, his own style. Attributes: Very high physical strength and animal-like senses; tough constitution. Special Skills: Erratic and unpredictable swordsmanship; tracking skills; innate beast instincts that let him fight beyond rational limits (e.g. climbing trees, sensing movements).

Hashira (Pillars): Elite Demon Slayers each mastering a unique breathing style. Some key Hashira profiles: • Kyojuro Rengoku (Flame Hashira): Master of Flame Breathing. Attributes: Extremely high strength and stamina; exuberant willpower. Special Skills: Delivers devastating fiery blade techniques that “burn” opponents . Known for indomitable spirit and outstanding defensive resolve (died protecting others). • Tengen Uzui (Sound Hashira): Uses Sound Breathing, incorporating explosive flamboyant strikes and two chained Nichirins. Attributes: Exceptional agility and hearing; favors flashy, large attacks. Special Skills: Creates shockwave pulses with blade swings and can detect enemies by sound. • Muichiro Tokito (Mist Hashira): Wields Mist Breathing. Attributes: Youthful, above-average sword skill and intuition. Special Skills: Obscures his movements like mist; strikes unpredictably with blurred blade arcs. • Mitsuri Kanroji (Love Hashira): Uses Love Breathing (derived from Flame). Attributes: Tremendous flexibility and raw strength; very fast. Special Skills: Graceful, whip-like sword strikes from multiple angles; can perform “flower-like” dancing forms. • Sanemi Shinazugawa (Wind Hashira): Wind Breathing master . Attributes: Extreme resilience and toughness; lightning-fast reflexes. Special Skills: Delivers fierce slashing wind attacks (rotating, whirlwind forms) . • Gyomei Himejima (Stone Hashira): Uses Stone Breathing . Attributes: Overwhelming physical strength and endurance; largest Hashira. Special Skills: Earth-shaking axe-and-chain sword techniques that are powerful but slower, using surroundings (stone, ground) to amplify impact . • Giyu Tomioka (Water Hashira): Water Breathing master . Attributes: Calm precision; balanced speed and power. Special Skills: Fluid, flowing attacks resembling waves; capable of versatile forms (some ultimate forms are lethal slashes) . • Shinobu Kocho (Insect Hashira): Creator of Insect Breathing. Attributes: Very small and fast; lacks physical strength to decapitate demons. Special Skills: Uses lethal poisons (from wisteria and insects) and swift stabs; many short, precise stabbing moves. • Obanai Iguro (Serpent Hashira): Serpent Breathing user. Attributes: High precision; serpent-like flexibility (sways while swordfighting). Special Skills: Constricting, unpredictable slashes at odd angles, sometimes poisonous as well.

Upper Rank Demons: The elite Twelve Kizuki demons serve as bosses. Profiles can include: • Akaza (Upper 3): Martial arts expert. Attributes: Extreme strength and regeneration. Special Skills: Lightning-fast punches, shockwave combat style; evolved blood art enhancing strength. (Killed Flame Hashira Rengoku .) • Doma (Upper 2): Icy, emotionless. Attributes: Cold demeanor; controls ice. Special Skills: Blood Demon Art creates extreme cold and ice weapons; regenerates from wounds swiftly. (Killed Shinobu Kocho.) • Kokushibo (Upper 1): Former human (Yoriichi’s twin brother) using Moon Breathing. Attributes: Devastating skill in swordsmanship, blending demon power with a branching breathing style. Special Skills: Projects crescent-blade slashes, multiple simultaneous slashes. • Daki & Gyutaro (Upper 6): Demon siblings. Daki can Blood Demon Art manipulate cloth (her obi) into deadly ribbons; Gyutaro secretes lethal toxins and fights with curved sickles. • Nakime (Upper 4): controls the Infinity Castle layout with her music; not usually encountered alone. • (Other Upper Moons similarly have unique styles and arts.) • Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon King): First demon, the ultimate boss. Abilities: Immortal regeneration, shapeshifting, immense strength, and power-stealing. Special Skills: Can produce and manipulate pill-shaped Blood Arts (turning humans into demons), create clones of himself, and alter his body in horrifying ways. Muzan is killed only after a final confrontation at dawn  .

Breathing Techniques

All Breathing Styles originate from Sun Breathing, created by the legendary swordsman Yoriichi Tsugikuni . Other styles are variations adapted by his students . Each style is named after an element or concept and has unique forms: • Sun Breathing: The original style (taught to Tanjiro as Hinokami Kagura). Mimics the sun’s power – blazing, fluid attacks with no fixed pattern . It is the source of all other styles. • Water Breathing: Mimics flowing water . Techniques emphasize fluid motion and adaptability. (Tanjiro’s initial style; Giyu’s mastery.) • Flame Breathing: Mimics burning fire . Techniques are powerful single-strikes meant to “burn” the opponent. (Flame Hashira Rengoku’s style.) • Thunder Breathing: Mimics lightning . Techniques are extremely fast, lightning-quick thrusts and cuts . (Zenitsu’s style.) • Wind Breathing: Mimics strong wind and whirlwinds . Techniques involve slashing tornado-like strikes and fast rotational attacks . (Sanemi’s style.) • Stone Breathing: Mimics earth and stone . Techniques use heavy, crushing blows from low stances, leveraging the ground to generate power . (Gyomei’s style.) • Beast Breathing: Developed by Inosuke (inspired by feral instincts). Techniques are wild, with unpredictable stances and multi-directional strikes (no single citation available in sources, but noted in series). • Insect Breathing: Used by Shinobu. Swift, precise movements that deliver poison to demons; no mortal decapitations but numerous stings and darts (no heavy citations, but based on her fighting). • Love Breathing: Derived from flame. Elegant, serpent-like slashes with whiplike speed (Mitsuri’s style; source [30] shows Love in relationship chart). • Serpent Breathing: Sinister, winding slashes often lunging from unexpected angles (Obanai’s style). • Mist Breathing: Muichiro’s style; attacks follow no set pattern, creating confusion like mist (implied by Muichiro’s unpredictability). • Sound Breathing: (Tengen’s style) – Attacks like thunderous drums and blazing cymbals, very explosive in range (referenced by his name). • Flower Breathing: A stylistic form (used by Kanae Kocho/Kanao) with graceful movements, often focused on thrusting attacks like petals (e.g. Dance of the Dragonfly). • Moon Breathing: The demonic counterpart (Kokushibo); has many forms and creates crescent-shaped slashes. • Other Unique Forms: Some slayers exhibit personalized techniques (e.g. Total Concentration* forms, “Water Breathing: Constant Flux” shared technique).

Each breathing style has a set of numbered Forms (techniques). Slayers typically learn them sequentially. In RPG terms, each new form could unlock at higher levels. Notable examples: Water Breathing: First Form – Water Surface Slash; Thunder Breathing: Sixth Form – Rumble and Flash.

Blood Demon Arts (Demons’ Powers)

Blood Demon Arts (BDA) are the supernatural abilities demons develop as they grow stronger  . Each demon’s BDA is unique and often reflects their personality or past (e.g. Rui’s spider threads, Akaza’s martial arts aura). Demons gain BDAs by devouring humans . All BDAs use the demon’s blood as a medium – essentially “blood magic” . • Characteristics: BDAs can have varied effects – from creating weapons (blades of blood, webs of threads) to environmental control (ice, shadows, etc.). Tamayo’s Blood Bewitchment (from her own vampiric blood) is an example of BDA used for making medicine. Nezuko’s Combustible Blood lets her ignite blood for fiery attacks (without harming herself). • Notable Users: Each Upper Rank demon has a named BDA (e.g. Daki’s Strings of Hell, Gyutaro’s Flowing Blood Moon). Demon Slayer adversaries like Rui can share their BDA with others (e.g. his spider-blood with “family” demons) . • Weaknesses: BDAs dissipate with sunlight or Nichirin blades – when a demon’s flesh is cut by these, their blood-based attacks vanish . If a demon’s blood is drained (as with Genya’s tree technique), they lose the ability to use their art . Essentially, BDAs are powerful but tied to their demon’s survival.

Major Story Arcs • Final Selection (Season 1/Ch.1–7): Tanjiro’s family is slaughtered by a demon; Nezuko becomes a demon . Tanjiro joins the Corps under Sakonji Urokodaki, learns Water Breathing, and faces trials on Mt. Fujikasane. Nezuko exhibits unusual behavior (protecting humans), leading to her being spared by Giyu Tomioka. • Asakusa & Demon Encounters (Ch.8–11): Tanjiro and Nezuko encounter Muzan in Asakusa; they also meet Tamayo and Yushiro, former demon allies who seek a cure. Tamayo agrees to research a Nezuko cure requiring Kizuki blood . • Mount Natagumo (Ch.12–26): With Zenitsu and Inosuke, Tanjiro hunts Lower Rank demons. They battle the Spider Family on Natagumo Mountain; Shinobu Kocho and Giyu arrive to assist. Tanjiro develops his “water wheel” and “beast” forms. • Mugen Train (Film/Ch.54–69): Tanjiro’s team boards a demon-possessed train on a recovery mission. Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku joins. They defeat Enmu (Lower Rank 1), but Rengoku sacrifices himself battling Upper Rank 3 demon Akaza . Tanjiro later masters Hinokami Kagura during this fight. • Entertainment District (Season 2/Ch.70–97): Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke accompany Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui to Yoshiwara to rescue his kidnapped wives . They discover the demons Daki and Gyutaro (Upper 6) controlling the district’s courtesans. After a fierce multi-stage battle, the Hashira kills the siblings, with Nezuko revealing a new explosive blood power (only Tamayo’s medicine protected her). • Swordsmith Village (Season 3/Ch.98–127): Tanjiro’s sword is broken, so he travels to the hidden Swordsmith Village. There he meets Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji . The village is attacked by Upper Rank demons Gyokko and Hantengu. After brutal fights (where Muichiro and Mitsuri are presumed lost), Tanjiro, Nezuko, Genya, Mitsuri, and Muichiro defeat the demonic pair. Tanjiro learns Hinokami Kagura is Sun Breathing , and Nezuko gains immunity to sunlight . • Hashira Training: (Ch.128–134) Survivors recover at Butterfly Mansion. The Hashira gather to prepare for the final battle; Tanjiro trains under the Hashira at Mount Sagiri. • Infinity Castle (Final Battle Part I, Ch.135–203): Muzan lures the Demon Slayers to his stronghold. The Hashira and allies enter Infinity Castle, battling the remaining Upper Moons. Shinobu Kocho faces Doma; Tanjiro and Giyu fight Akaza (Tanjiro’s Transparent World helps; Akaza is slain through self-sacrifice). Others battle Hantengu, Gyokko, and finally Kokushibo (the Hashira strike a huge blow by pooling efforts). These battles eliminate all Upper Rank demons (Kokushibo’s defeat in chapter 203). The survivors rush to confront Muzan  . • Sunrise Countdown (Final Battle Part II, Ch.204–Final): In a desperate dawn battle, Muzan unleashes full power. Kagaya Ubuyashiki sacrifices himself to weaken Muzan. Tanjiro personally fights Muzan but is poisoned and transformed into a demon . In his demon state he fights Nezuko, only to be saved as Nezuko recalls a vision of Yoriichi. Believing in Tanjiro’s humanity, she uses her blood (the Awakened Hinokami Technique) to restore him. Tanjiro then slays the weakened Muzan. With Muzan’s death all demons perish, ending the war  . Afterwards, the Corps disbands; survivors return to normal life.

RPG Mechanics (Inspired Concepts)

(No official Demon Slayer RPG exists; the following are suggested mechanics inspired by the series.) • Character Progression: Characters advance in “demon slayer rank” by defeating demons. Early on, slayers may start as Lower Rank (Novice) and level up to Hashira. Each level could unlock new Breathing Forms or skills. For example, Tanjiro gains Hinokami Kagura at a higher level after key story events . • Attributes: Typical RPG stats (e.g., Strength, Agility, Willpower, Stamina) could model a Slayer’s abilities. Breathing Styles modify or augment stats: Water Breathing might add Dexterity for fluid moves, while Stone Breathing might boost Strength. Tanjiro’s Compassion/Resolve (a special stat) could influence certain checks or allow special Empathy skills. Nichirin proficiency could be a stat reflecting how well one wields a sword (determines damage). • Breathing Forms & Skills: Each character selects a Breathing Style; as they level up, they learn new “forms” (skills) corresponding to that style. These are special attacks (e.g. Thunder Breathing: Sixth Form – Rumble and Flash is a powerful attack unlocked at high level). Mastery or marks could unlock ultimate forms. Demon Slayers can also learn supportive talents (e.g. Transparent World as a passive perception bonus, Demon Slayer Mark as a one-time power boost). • Battle System: Turn-based or action-based encounters should emphasize strategy. A Slayer can use a sequence of forms (combos) and positioning (e.g. flanking to maximize “waterwheel” power). Terrain and timing matter: e.g., coordinated multi-slayer attacks (“Striking Tide” equivalent) could deal bonus damage . Demons have their own moves (BDAs) and can regenerate unless forced into sunlight or broken (Nichirin hits). • Leveling & Upgrades: Progress could follow story arcs: after clearing an arc, slayers gain substantial XP and gear (new sword with special color). Swordsmiths as NPCs could offer weapon upgrades in exchange for rare materials or lessons (reflecting Haganezuka’s role). Kasugai Crow Quests: Side quests could involve hunting specific demons or training sessions (e.g. Zenitsu’s lightning trial). • Special Mechanics: • Sunlight/Time Cycle: In major boss battles (like Muzan), introduce a countdown (sunrise timer) mechanic. If players do not defeat the boss by sunrise, they suffer dire consequences. • Marks & Limit Breaks: Achieving a Breathing Mark (through story or high-level) can grant a temporary “limit break” surge in combat. • Wisteria Medicine: Use item crafting (after Tamayo’s research) to create wisteria bombs or blood-suppressant vials that weaken demons.

These mechanics should encourage teamwork (multiple slayers supporting Hashira) and mirror the narrative progression of Demon Slayer. They are illustrative examples of how one might adapt the anime’s themes into an RPG system (there are no official rules to cite for these concepts).