Summary
- Tragic Brotherhood: Kokushibo and Yoriichi Tsugikuni, twins with contrasting fates, embody love, jealousy, and betrayal in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
- Diverging Paths: Yoriichi's brilliance and compassion contrasted with Kokushibo's envy and eventual transformation into a demon under Muzan's influence.
- Themes of Legacy: Their story highlights the consequences of choices—Yoriichi's legacy of hope versus Kokushibo's regret-filled pursuit of power.
Kokushibo and his brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, have a very tragic and complicated story that is all about them. They are brothers from the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba series, despite their paths, beliefs, and eventual fates being completely different. Their story is about betrayal, jealousy, and what happens because of their choices.
Early Life
Michikatsu and Yoriichi were born as twins in the Sengoku period era of chaos and turmoil. From birth, the lives of the brothers seemed destined to be vastly different. Their younger twin, Yoriichi, was marked at birth with a mysterious spot on his forehead, which in turn designated him as cursed by their father for not being worthy of inheritance, but their older brother Michikatsu was hailed as the “normal” twin, and this “normal” twin would go on to inherit their lineage as a samurai.
Even though he was a brother of a different status, Yoriichi never had malice towards his brother. Instead, he was soft and gentle with a soul who always put others before himself. Michikatsu, on the other hand, could not help but feel conflicted when Yoriichi suddenly showed prowess in swordsmanship that was far beyond the skills of even the most veteran samurai. This made Michikatsu feel more envious of his brother. His talent was so natural that he became the creator of the Sun Breathing technique, which would be the basis of all other Breathing Styles.
Story of Sun and Moon
Michikatsu’s jealousy had been growing in time as he could not help but feel that he would never equal his brother. He also turned out to be a good swordsman, but his skills were always eclipsed by Yoriichi’s brilliance. After the death fear and loss of strength were presented to him, Michikatsu, under Muzan Kibutsuji’s influence, decided to become a demon. To this end, he resigned his humanity and became Kokushibo, later rising to be the Upper Moon One of the Twelve Kizuki.
Yoriichi, however, was not deterred by his brother’s betrayal to remain a devoted Demon Slayer. Though his brother was a betrayer, he kept on fighting against demons and humanity. His technique of sun breathing became a source of hope for humanity and their final weapon to fight against the demons.
Strongest Demon Slayer and Demon
The brothers’ fates collided in their final battle century later. Yoriichi, despite his old age, confronted Kokushibo. Their battle was a heartbreaking testament to their bond and the tragedy of their choices. Yoriichi’s skills remained unparalleled, However, Yoriichi died standing before he could deliver the final blow, succumbing to old age.
Kokushibo was haunted by his brother’s overwhelming strength even in death. He was left with an unquenchable void. His transformation into a demon had granted him centuries of life, but it never brought him the fulfillment he sought. He lived in perpetual agony, torn between his admiration for Yoriichi and his jealousy.
The End
Kokushibo died in the Infinity Castle arc, leaving him to fight against the unison strength of the Demon Slayers Muichiro Tokito, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Genya Shinazugawa, and Gyomei Himejima. Being extremely strong, Kokushibo lost after an extremely long and exhausting fight. In his last breath, he gave more thought to his past and realized that, in the pursuit of power and immortality, he had lost everything: his humanity, family, and joy. He died with regrets and a longing to reunite the love bond that they had shared when Yoriichi was still alive.
Brothers by Blood; Enemies by Fate
The legend of Kokushibo and Yoriichi remains one of the best portrayals of human feelings in general: love, jealousy, and remorse. His never-failing adherence to the truth, for Kokushibo it led down into the pit of darkness of the power of envy.
The Demon Slayer Corps took Yoriichi’s legacy forward and Kokushibo’s fall turned out to be a cautionary tale of people who forsake their humanity to pursue power. The story tells us that it is not only the choices of our lives that decide how we will be remembered but also by whom.
