Muichiro Tokito is sure to be one of the breakout characters in Demon Slayer’s upcoming Swordsmith Village arc. His Mist Breathing ability and the growth he exhibits as a character made him one of the most exciting hashira to follow in the manga, and now anime fans will finally get the chance to see him in action.
Though he comes off as selfish and cruel at first, the truth of Tokito’s life prior to becoming a hashira informs much of his personality. One of Muichiro Tokito’s best aspects as a character is how he changes as a result of his interaction with Tanjiro, and manga readers can’t wait to see that development in motion in Demon Slayer’s third season.
10 Tokito’s Initially Cold Demeanor
One of Tokito’s defining characteristics when he’s first introduced is his cold and selfish demeanor. Tokito has no tolerance for the weak, and he perceives pretty much everyone as weak in comparison to himself.
All Tokito wants is to become stronger so that he can slay demons, and anyone who doesn’t have the same skill as a demon slayer he perceives as having a lesser value. This aspect of his personality is well described as the arc goes on, and the root cause of his negative outlook is truly tragic.
9 Tokito’s Mist Breathing Technique
Tokito is an ancestor of Yoriichi, the user of the Sun Breathing Technique. However, Tokito has his own derivative that fits his personal style of fighting best: Mist Breathing.
Tokito’s Mist Breathing is definitely one of the coolest in the series as he is able to seemingly disappear into a mist in order to catch his opponents off guard. He does this by moving extremely quickly in a distinct pattern that throws off his enemy’s senses, making it appear as though Tokito were clouded in a mist.
8 Tokito’s Fight With Yoriichi Zero
Tokito’s fight against Yoriichi zero was only briefly shown in the manga, though the results were clear. While Tokito seems to have made quick work of the training robot, it must have nonetheless been an awesome battle.
Yoriichi Zero was made with six arms in an attempt to emulate the impossibly swift swordsmanship of the creator of the Sun Breathing Technique. Anime adaptations have a way of expanding upon fight scenes that went quickly in manga, so the possibility of seeing his fight in more detail isn’t outside the realm of possibility.
7 Tokito’s Respect For Tanjiro
Tanjiro’s effect on Tokito throughout the Swordsmith Village arc is huge. While he ignores Tanjiro and writes him off at first, Tokito is placed in dire situations which force him to face the truth of Tanjiro’s words.
Tokito is still young after all, and his initial attitude is naïve. However, by swallowing his pride and heeding Tanjiro’s advice, Tokito is able to take huge strides in a short period. As his ego breaks down, Tokito begins to realize how Tanjiro’s philosophy coincides with Tagaya’s, and this helps him to rediscover what it means to act in the interest of others over oneself.
6 Tokito’s Decision To Protect Kotetsu
Part of Tokito’s redemption is his decision to help the young Swordsmith apprentice, Kotetsu, when he’s being attacked by one of the Upper 5’s minions. He and Kotetsu had a complicated relationship stemming from their first meeting in which Tokito treated him coldly and damaged his family’s robot heirloom, Yoriichi Zero.
However, with Tanjrio and his master’s words playing through his head, Tokito makes a split-second decision to help Kotetsu despite him being of lesser “value” in comparison to one of the elder swordsmiths. This decision proves to be the right one in the end because it leads Tokito to find and rescue Haganezuka.
5 Tokito’s Admiration For His Master
A reoccurring theme for Tokito is the visions he receives of his Master, Kagaya. Alongside hallucinations of Tanjiro helping talk him into not giving up, Tokito also sees his Master who is constantly giving him advice as he struggles with moral decisions.
This shows how much he truly respects Kagaya as a mentor and father figure whose opinion is important to him. Tokito went through a lot as a child, but Kagaya’s guidance helped bring him out of a dark place in order to use his talent for a worthy cause.
4 Tokito’s Backstory
Like many of the characters in Demon Slayer, Tokito has a truly tragic past that informs why and how he became a hashira. Tokito lost both of his parents when he was young, and he was left to live with his twin brother. Unlike Tokito who was initially optimistic and hopeful, his brother was much more harsh and cynical about life.
Tokito’s brother’s perspective didn’t seem too far off considering he would eventually lose his own life to a demon. After Tokito took his revenge against the demon who killed his brother, he was taken in by the Demon Slayer Corps, though he also inherited his brother’s hopeless view of the world ever since.
3 Tokito’s Roasting Match With The Upper 5 Demon
Even though Demon Slayer has a lot of serious and dark themes, it also does humor fairly well. This aspect is displayed to great effect in Tokito’s rather unorthodox roasting session with the Upper 5.
This also shows how Tokito has regained his confidence as he is completely unfazed by anything the Upper 5 has to say and seems to have a clever retort for every point Gyokko makes. Given Gyokko’s extreme ego, Tokito’s comments tend to have a particularly strong impact.
2 Tokito’s Strength Against The Upper 5 Demon
As the descendant of Yoriichi, Tokito’s natural talent as a Demon Slayer is unmatched. This is clearly shown when he was able to defeat the Upper 5, Gyokko, single-handedly, even after taking considerable damage early on.
Even though Tokito is severally poisoned, he overpowers Gyokko using his Mist Breathing and makes his victory look relatively easy. It may have been at least partially thanks to adrenaline though; directly after their fight, Tokito collapses straight to the ground out of extreme fatigue.
1 Tokito’s Growth As A Person
Where Tokito ends up in comparison to how he begins in the Swordsmith Village arc shows an immense amount of growth in a relatively short period. As the youngest of the hashira, Tokito is definitely still growing as a person, despite his top-tier skills as a swordsman.
Tokito’s gradual change from a selfish, harsh, and cold person into one that risks his life solely to help others is one of the best underlying plot points in the Swordsmith Village. Tokito’s evolution is sure to make him one of the most interesting and relatable characters in the Demon Slayer series, let alone the upcoming season.
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