Demon Slayer explores a lot of family bonds, from Tanjiro and Nezuko, Genya and Sanemi, to Yoriichi and Michikatsu. One of the most frequently asked questions about these bonds is how the Upper Rank One and Tanjiro are related because they resemble each other.
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Are Upper Rank One and Tanjiro Related by Blood in Demon Slayer?
No, the Upper Rank One Kokushibo and Tanjiro are not related by blood in Demon Slayer.
In other words, they are not biologically related, so don’t mistake them for having a father-and-son relationship or an uncle-and-nephew connection. They don’t have any family ties at all.
While that would be an exciting plot twist in the series, the Upper Rank One Kokushibo and Tanjiro Kamado are in no way related to each other, contrary to initial beliefs that they share the same blood.
Interestingly, Tanjiro and the Upper Rank One look alike, which made fans raise theories about their so-called familial relationship. To this day, there’s no accurate explanation behind their resemblance.
Some thought that Kokushibo was Tanjiro’s father, who died early on in the series and had been turned into a demon thanks to Muzan, but it was proven wrong as the plot unfolded.
Tanjiro’s father, Tanjuro Kamado, died because of an illness and did not return to the series as a demon for good.
In addition, the Upper Rank One and Tanjiro also have similar demon slayer marks, which caused more theories about their relationship.
However, their demon slayer marks don’t have anything to do with their relationship, as each of them got it in different ways.
Now that you know Upper Rank One and Tanjiro are not related by blood, perhaps you’ll also wonder why both of them resemble Yoriichi Tsugikuni in Demon Slayer.
How Is Upper Rank One Related to Yoriichi Tsugikuni?
While Upper Rank One Kokushibo and Tanjiro are not biologically related, they both have a connection with Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the progenitor of breathing styles, particularly the Sun Breathing.
Kokushibo was formerly known as Michikatsu when he was still human, and he was known as Yoriichi’s twin brother.
Michikatsu was an excellent swordsman but he was not able to surpass his brother’s skills and abilities as a samurai, no matter what training he did.
Michikatsu felt inferior to Yoriichi even after he developed an opposing breathing technique called moon breathing.
Later, Michikatsu agreed to Muzan’s offer to become a demon, not only to surpass Yoriichi but also to outlive the curse of the demon slayer mark and evade death by the age of 25.
Since then, Michikatsu has been on the hunt for Sun Breathing users, determined to kill anyone foolish enough to use it.
Unbeknownst to him, the Kamado family kept the technique alive for generations by using the name Dance of the Fire God.
How Are Tanjiro and Yoriichi, Upper Rank One’s Twin Brother, Related in Demon Slayer?
Quick answer: Tanjiro and Yoriichi are not related in Demon Slayer. It just so happens that Tanjiro’s ancestors were good acquaintances of Yoriichi in the past.
Even though they look so much alike, they have different blood running through their veins.
At the time, Tanjiro’s ancestors had a good relationship with Yoriichi, to the extent that the talented swordsman was willing to show Sumiyoshi and Suyako the Sun Dance. Upon seeing it, Sumiyoshi memorized it.
Yoriichi even gave them his hanafuda earrings for safekeeping, which Tanjiro’s family passed from one generation to the next.
In turn, Sumiyoshi also passed on the Dance of the Fire God to the members of the Kamado family.
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