Demon Slayer: How powerful is Obanai Iguro? Everything to know about the Snake Pillar

The beauty of the Demon Slayer anime series is that it doesn’t reveal characters’ abilities in the very beginning, and this includes Obanai Iguro's powers as well. Introduced in season 1 during the Hashira meeting, Obanai's abilities are still kept under wraps. However, in the upcoming seasons, Obanai will have a lot of screen time, giving viewers a great opportunity to learn more about this character.

Lately, those who haven’t read the manga are wondering about Obanai’s power in the Demon Slayer series and wish to understand where he ranks among his fellow Hashiras. Let’s take a look at Obanai Iguro as a character and analyze his abilities by observing certain feats in the manga.

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

---

Taking a look at Obanai Iguro - the Serpent Hashira of the

Demon Slayer series

Obanai Iguro as seen in season 1 of the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

Obanai Iguro is one of the strongest Hashiras in the Demon Slayer series, ranking below Gyomei Himejima (Stone Hashira) and Sanemi Shinazugawa (Wind Hashira). He wears a slightly different version of the Demon Slayer Corps uniform with a white and black-colored striped haori. He also has heterochromia, a condition in which a person has two different iris colors.

Obanai is incredibly strict and harsh with people around him, and the only exceptions are Mitsuri Kanroji (Love Hashira) and Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the organization. He has a romantic interest in Mitsuri, and his feelings are often on the surface despite his best efforts to hide them.

He has a rather sad backstory, much like most Hashiras. Obanai was born into a family of robbers who worshiped a serpent demon. They would sacrifice their offspring and offer it to the demon, but Obanai was special since he was the first boy to be born in 370 years. He was caged and fed rich food while the demon slithered around his cage.

Obanai Iguro caged as a child (Image via Shueisha/Koyoharu Gotouge)

The demon took a liking to him and even cut his mouth to match his appearance. Luckily, he was saved by the former Flame Hashira, Shinjuro Rengoku. His escape led to the deaths of his relatives, and his only surviving cousin blamed him for their deaths. Thus began his journey as a swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps.

Obanai is partially blind in the right eye. This is when Kubarumaru, his pet snake, predicts the movements of his enemies and relays this information to the Hashira. This allows him to move seamlessly and space himself perfectly when fighting demons, a spectacle fans witnessed during his fight against Muzan. Obanai was completely blind during this fight but managed to go against the Demon King with Kubarumaru’s help.

Obanai Iguro also managed to unlock his Demon Slayer Mark during his fight against Muzan. In this fight, he proceeded to turn his Nichirin blade bright red, allowing him to attack Muzan in a way that not only dealt damage but also slowed down his near-instantaneous regeneration. Furthermore, he also unlocked the Transparent World, allowing him to see Muzan’s 12 vital organs—seven hearts and five brains.

Obanai Iguro uses a Breathing Technique that he developed: - Serpent Breathing. This technique has a total of five forms, each utilizing the flexible and multidirectional aspects of a snake’s movement. His ability to combine power with complex movements that demand high flexibility allows him to take on demons with ease.

Obanai’s efforts in the manga cannot be understated since he saved Tanjiro from dying after Muzan's attacks. Not only did he save him, but he also managed to dodge Muzan’s attacks and counter them with his Breathing Technique, slowing down the Demon King's regeneration. His efforts allowed other demon hunters to focus their attacks on Muzan as well, which ultimately led to the latter's downfall.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2023 progresses.