The Big Picture
Demon Slayer (or Kimetsu no Yaiba, in the Japanese original) is one of the most popular anime and manga franchises right now. It follows Tanjiro Kamado, an insecure boy who pledges vengeance on demons after his entire family is killed by one. He does this by joining the Demon Slayer Corps, a group of sword-wielding individuals who fight demons as the creatures attack innocent people after sundown. Getting rid of a demon is no easy feat. The anime has incredibly skilled evil spirits who find creative ways of launching deadly attacks to make us desperate – from the traditional body snatching to limb-deteriorating bouncing balls. In the Demon Slayer universe, one of the few ways to kill a demon is by exposing them to sunlight. This is the reason why the swords used by demon slayers go through lengthy sun exposure during their manufacturing. But how are they made, anyway?
A family is attacked by demons and only two members survive – Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko, who is turning into a demon slowly. Tanjiro sets out to become a demon slayer to avenge his family and cure his sister.
Release Date January 21, 2021
Cast Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Rating TV-MA
Seasons 3
What Is a Nichirin Blade in ‘Demon Slayer’?
A Nichirin blade is the steel specially made for the swords that Demon Slayer Corps members use to kill demons. According to the Demon Slayer manga (which would be the “bible” of the anime series), the blade is made out of Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand and Scarlet Crimson Ore, which are collected from the mountains. But the materials aren’t collected from just any mountain. They are picked from mountains that stand above the clouds, meaning they are bathed in sunlight all year long, without interference from the rain or having sunlight blocked. The sword is made from a material that has absorbed sun, the one thing that can kill demons. Another distinct characteristic of the Nichirin blade is that they change colors once their owners pick them up for the first time. Each color represents a different element or inspiration, as well as the personalities and the type of power that each demon slayer holds, and you can find the difference between all of them below:
Black Nichirin Blade
The most mysterious sword color from Demon Slayer is the one Kanjiro wields. The black blade represents the Sun and is surrounded by prejudice and misconceptions, as historically every demon slayer who held it lived a short life. This could mean that Tanjiro is destined to break the pattern and set a new legend for black Nichirin blades in the Demon Slayer universe. Also, black is frequently perceived as the absorption of all colors, which might mean that Tanjiro is set to navigate through sword colors and Breathing — which is a demon slayer technique that allows them to hone in the power that they hold within themselves to the sword.
Gray Nichirin Blade
The wielder of the gray Nichirin blade is the one who breaks the pattern and shows that the Nichirin doesn’t necessarily have to be used as a sword. Gyomei Himejima has the gray blade that represents the Stone and, instead of having a sword, he uses an ax attached to a chain. Curiously, Gyomei’s personality is the opposite of what the Stone represents: he’s calm and compassionate, and is constantly crying — even though he’s one of the strongest demon slayers.
Indigo-gray Nichirin Blade
The indigo-gray sword represents Beasts, and, appropriately, its holder in the anime wears a giant hog head as a helmet in order to hide his face. Inosuke Hasibira also uses two swords at the same time, and both of them have the potential to not only kill a demon but make a messy job out of it: the swords are built with jagged edges which resemble a predator’s teeth.
Red Nichirin Blade
Red often means intensity, and in Demon Slayer this is no different. The red sword represents Flame and Kyojuro Rengoku’s excentric and expansive personality translates that. The fire Breathing allows for some incredible visuals, including the Dance of the Fire God, which became one of the anime’s most famous scenes yet (beware of spoilers for Season 1 in the link).
Amber Nichirin Blade
The amber blade represents Sound, and it is wielded by Tengen Uzui. The Sound Breathing uses noise to confuse adversaries, and the ones who use it have an extremely developed sense of hearing. Tengen also uses the blades with different weapons: his amber Nichirin blade is used in a set of kusarigama, which is a cleaver-like hand weapon.
Yellow Nichirin Blade
The yellow blades draw from Thunder, and in the manga and anime this ends up represented by Zenitsu Agatsuma, a boy who is scared of his own shadow, but, when put under extreme desperation, unleashes a sharp and fast personality who may cause mayhem through his sword blade.
Blue Nichirin Blade
One of the most prominent swords seen in Season 1, the blue sword represents Water and its owner, Giyu Tomioka uses it in fluid movements that make him a skilled and formidable killer. The movements used for Giyu’s water Breathing resemble the ocean: a calm body of water that can be deadly under specific circumstances.
Pink Nichirin Blade
The pink blade represents Love, which may seem kind of abstract when put together with the other blades, but it has an explanation: the Love Breathing has a peculiar nature, and it was developed by the pink Nichirin blade wielder herself, Mitsuri Kanroki. She was inspired by the Flame Breathing after being trained by Kyojuro Rengoku. Her sword is also extremely peculiar; it’s thin and resembles a whip, and she’s the only one who can wield it properly.
White Nichirin Blade
The white in Demon Slayer sword colors represents the mist, which is embodied by Muichiro Tokito in the manga and anime series. The mist Breathing is frequently associated with a calm and distant personality, and Muichiro never lets emotions get in the way of his judgment. This sword color has techniques derived from wind Breathing.
Lavender Nichirin blade
This blade represents the Serpent, the reason why Obanai Iguro’s sword resembles the body of a snake. The Serpent Breathing is derived from Water Breathing and the techniques resemble the movements of the animal it represents.
Light Pink Nichirin Blade
Derived from Water Breathing, the light pink Nachirin blade represents the Flower, and it is used by Kanao Tsuyuri and Kanae Koucho, the sister demon slayers who developed their own shared Breathing.
Green Nichirin Blade
The Breathing that inspired many other techniques is represented by the green sword color. Wind is the element of the green Nichirin blade and Sanemi Shinazugawa is the one who wields it in Demon Slayer. His twisted personality made for a dangerous welcome when Tanjiro was transported to a very special place by the end of Season 1.
Purple Nichirin Blade
The purple blade represents the Moon, which is the exact opposite of the sword that Tanjiro uses. Not by chance, this is the sword that one of the main antagonists of the series so far, Kokushibo, wields. The Moon Breathing is an improved version of the Sun Breathing, which was enhanced by the use of some obscure techniques.
Demon Slayer is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
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