Was Kanae a Hashira in Demon Slayer? Explained

Hashira from the Demon Slayer series holds one of the most pivotal roles in the anime. From defending humans from demonic attacks to inspiring other demon slayers, the Hashira stand as beacons in society. While almost every Hashira has cemented their presence in the anime for being iconic, one former character might have been forgotten with time.

The character in question here is Kanae Kocho, who made a very small but intriguing cameo in the series, leaving several fans to ask the question, "Was Kanae a Hashira?" Yes, Kanae Kocho was the former Flower Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps, before getting killed by the Upper Rank demon Doma.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Demon Slayer anime/manga.

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Kanae's path to becoming a Hashira, explained

Kanae Kocho first appears in episode 24 of the anime, during the Rehabilitation Training arc. She is seen in a flashback as Shinobu talks to Tanjiro and explains how Kanae was killed.

Kanae and her sister Shinobu were born into a wealthy, happy family with loving parents. But their lives changed when a demon attacked their home and killed their parents while trying to protect the sisters.

Around that point, Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, arrived and killed the demon, saving both Kanae and Shinobu. Upon witnessing this tragedy, both Kocho sisters vowed to become demon slayers for the Demon Slayer Corps and prevent something so horrible from happening to others. Eventually, both became demon slayers and even developed their own Breathing Forms.

While not elaborately disclosed in either the manga or anime, at some point in the story, Kanae Kocho became the Flower Hashira. She was seen attending the meeting right after Sanemi became the Wind Hashira. However, a few years later, Kanae ran into the Upper Rank demon, Doma, and was fatally injured. Despite Doma not devouring her, she eventually died from the injuries she sustained.

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Kanae's powers and abilities in Demon Slayer

Flower Breathing as shown in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

While that answered, was Kanae a Hashira? Her holding the position of a Flower Hashira also elaborated a lot about her powers and strength. To become a Hashira, a demon slayer has to either defeat one of the Twelve Kizuki members or slay at least 50 demons, either of which Kanae had to accomplish.

Even her fending off the Upper Rank Two demon Doma showed her strength in battle. Apart from being a master in swordsmanship, Kanae could use five forms of her Flower Breathing, which were strong enough to hold against the Upper Rank demon, further emphasizing her strengths and abilities.

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Final thoughts

Kanae Kocho's death, as shown in the anime (Image via Ufotable)

While this article answered, was Kanae a Hashira? Her character was very different from the other Hashira in the series. Unlike the others, Kanae had a firm belief that peaceful coexistence can be achieved between humans and demons, even to her last breath.

With the series moving forward to the Infinity Castle arc and nearing its climax, this article serves as a refresher to Kanae Kocho, a former Hashira, forgotten by several fans due to her minor appearance in the series. However, the strength of the Flower Breathing Form can still be expected to be seen as Kanao also uses it.

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