Could Rengoku's presence in Demon Slayer's Infinity Castle Arc have prevented the most tragic Hashira death? Explored

Modified Sep 24, 2024 20:30 GMT

Would Rengoku's presence stop the death of an important Hashira (Image via Ufotable)

Demon Slayer’s Infinity Castle arc is one of the most exciting sections of the story since it packs a ton of action and plot progression. It's the biggest story arc in the series, and there are some important character deaths at the hands of powerful demons. Death is inevitable, especially when the series has powerful demons like Kokushibo, Doma, and Kibutsuji Muzan.

The defeat of the Upper Moon 2 demon by Inosuke, Kanao, and Shinobu Kocho came with a massive price, with one of them sacrificing their life to weaken the demon. The demon's defeat raised an interesting question - could death have been avoided if the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, had been involved?

Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers from the manga chapters.

Demon Slayer: Understanding whether or not Rengoku’s presence would have avoided Shinobu’s death

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Could Kyojuro Rengoku’s presence have helped Shinobu stay alive in their fight against Doma? No, Rengoku’s presence would have extended the fight, but Shinobu’s death was essential in defeating the Upper Moon 2 demon. Kyojuro Rengoku would have been one of the strongest Hashira if he was alive. He was on par with Giyu Tomioka, and the only ones who seemed stronger than him were Sanemi, Obanai, and Gyomei Himejima.

Furthermore, exposure to Kamado Tanjiro awakening his Demon Slayer Mark would have granted him access to the Mark since he has the talent and determination to do so. If this was the case, he would have been incredibly valuable in the fight against Doma. However, it is important to understand that the Upper Moon 2 demon was powerful, and Shinobu’s death was the only reason that allowed Inosuke and Kanao to finish the job.

In the manga, Shinobu had researched and realized that Doma would consume her. He was obsessed with consuming beautiful women, and this information was relayed to her by her elder sister in her dying moments. Shinobu spent an entire year consuming Wisteria poison, so it circulated within her body. She also had the poison at the tip of her fingernails.

Shinobu explains the amount of poison circulating in her body (Image via Shueisha)

Her sword allows her to deliver only 50 milligrams at any given point. However, her body had about 37 kilograms of poison, which was more than 70 times the lethal dose. Rengoku’s abilities could have damaged the Upper Moon 2 demon to a certain extent.

However, it wouldn’t have been enough to prevent Shinobu’s death since the Insect Hashira’s combat abilities weren’t on par with the remaining Pillars. She understood her abilities and realized that her death was inevitable.

She also banked on the fact that he would consume her, which played a massive role in substantially weakening him. Rengoku’s presence might not have prevented Shinobu’s death, but it would have eased the load on Inosuke and Kanao. Rengoku could have delivered the final blow after Shinobu’s sacrifice weakened the Upper Moon 2 demon.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

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Edited by Shreya Das