Demon Slayer‘s Hashira Training arc continues to expound on the force’s strongest warriors. Previously, I discussed Sanemi Shinazugawa, the ever-angry Wind Hashira. With recent episodes showcasing the Stone Hashira’s peculiar training method, it’s only proper to put Gyomei Himejima into the spotlight next.
Before proceeding, however, do take note that I will be including details from the latest episodes of Season 4, as well as developments from the manga. If you are not up to date with the series, you are likely to be spoiled. On that note, I will also do my best to separate manga details to avoid spoiling anime-only fans.
Who is Gyomei Himejima?
Gyomei Himejima is the current Stone Hashira and is said to be the strongest among the Hashira. He is the biggest Hashira in terms of size and height, easily towering over the others. But despite his hulking appearance, Gyomei bears a kind-hearted soul.
He frequently chants “Namu Amida Butsu” and is very sensitive. His eyes are often shown flowing with tears, and the reason for that can be as trivial as seeing litter on the ground. Gyomei, however, isn’t a shallow character. Due to his religious upbringing, Gyomei respects all life, including demons. And this is harshly shown in his backstory.
Gyomei Himejima’s Tragic Backstory
Gyomei’s gentleheartedness becomes more impressive after learning of his background story. Gyomei was born blind and lost his family due to unknown reasons. However, his dire beginning hardly stopped him from being a kind soul. In fact, he took in nine orphans in the rundown temple he was residing in during his teenage years.
At the time, Gyomei’s physique was a far cry from his muscular frame. He was thin and frail, trying to make ends meet for himself and his adopted children. Gyomei easily bonded with the children given their similar life situations, and they treated one another as family. With only Gyomei earning for them, they lived a life of poverty, yet Gyomei found those days happy and fulfilled.
However, it was not without hardship. The rundown temple they lived in was situated in an area known for demon attacks. As such, Gyomei strictly enforced strict rules upon the children and burned Wisteria incense to ward off the man-eating creatures during the night. One unfortunate night, however, one of the children disobeyed the rules and ventured beyond the temple’s borders; the child ran into a demon and made a deal with the vile creature to save his life. He promised to let the demon eat Gyomei and the other children in exchange for letting him live. And that’s what he did.
The child led the demon back to the temple and put out the Wisteria incense. The demon then started attacking the children. Even at such a dire moment, Gyomei put himself at the forefront of danger. He instructed the children to stay behind him. However, only one child followed. The others fled, resulting in their demise. The tragedy still didn’t end. Gyomei discovered his physical talent and managed to continuously punch the demon until daybreak, saving the youngest child Sayo.
But being only four at the time, Sayo referred to Gyomei as a monster and pinned the murder on him. This almost resulted in Gyomei’s execution had Ubuyashiki not intervened. Even so, Gyomei found it inside to understand and forgive the children, albeit starting to develop distrust of other people.
How strong is the Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima?
There is a reason why the Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima is dubbed as the strongest Hashira. For one, he is physically gifted. His lack of sight has caused his hearing to develop to a superhuman degree. As revealed in his backstory, he is strong enough to beat a demon until daybreak despite still having a frail body.
His physique has swollen incredibly ever since he became a demon slayer, further increasing his physical abilities. But to fully understand how mighty Gyomei is, delving into manga territory is needed. If you are an anime-only fan, you may want to stop here.
Unlike the other demon slayers, Gyomei’s weapon of choice isn’t a Nichirin sword. Instead, he uses an axe chained to a spiked flail. Despite the weapon’s weight, Gyomei wields it with ease given his immense physical strength.
As a Hashira, Gyomei is a master of a Breathing Style — Stone Breathing. Gyomei incorporates his enhanced hearing capabilities into his Breathing Style, allowing him to deliver a barrage of devastating attacks. In addition to Stone Breathing, Gyomei is also a master of a technique he refers to as Repetitive Action. It’s a technique similar to Total Concentration Breathing, but it repeatedly recalls a painful past. By doing so, it allows the body to perform at tip-top shape at all times.
Utilizing everything and upon awakening his mark, Gyomei becomes strong enough to match Upper Moon One Kokushibo and even temporarily hold his ground against Muzan Kibutsuji himself.
