Giyu Tomioka

General Description

Name: Giyu Tomioka
Nickname: Pilar Air (Mizu Bashira)
Age: 19 (beginning of story), 21 (after timeskip)
Gender: Men
Affiliates: Korps Pemburu Iblis (Demon Slayer Corps)
Ranking: Hashira (Pillar)
Breathing Techniques: Pernapasan Air (Mizu no Kokyu)
Voice Cast:

• Japan: Takahiro Sakurai
• English: Johnny Yong Bosch
  Premiere Appearances:
• Manga: Chapter 1
• Anime: Episode 1

Giyu Tomioka is one of the Hashira, an elite member of the Demon Hunter Corps who has extraordinary skills in the fight against demons. As a water pillar, he mastered the technique of Water Breathing very well and was known for his calm, stoic and responsible manner. Giyu is a complex character, with a tragic past and a deep sense of guilt, which affects his personality and actions.

Physical Appearance

Giyu Tomioka has a distinctive and recognizable appearance:

• Face and expression: Giyu has a handsome face with an expression that often looks cold, serious, and difficult to read. His eyes were dark blue, reflecting calmness like water, yet also implying a hidden sadness.
• Hair: Her hair is long black, tied into a low ponytail with bangs that slightly cover her forehead.
• Clothing:
  • Giyu wears the standard Demon Hunter uniform in black with gold buttons.
  • It wears haori (traditional Japanese coat) which is divided into two patterns: the right side is plain green, while the left side has a red and yellow checkered pattern. This Haori has an emotional meaning, as half of it is a relic from her older brother, Tsutako Tomioka, and the other half from her best friend, Sabito.
• Accessories: Giyu always carries a blue Nichirin sword, which reflects the water element of his breathing technique.
• Posture: Giyu has a slender but athletic body, with a height of about 176 cm, which favors agile and precise movements in combat.

His appearance reflects his calm and serious nature, while harboring emotional wounds from his past.

Personality

Giyu Tomioka is a quiet, introspective and cold-looking character on the surface, but has a heart full of empathy and a sense of responsibility. Here are the main aspects of his personality:

• Stoic and taciturn: Giyu rarely speaks unless necessary and tends to maintain emotional distance from others. This attitude makes him look cold or unfriendly, but in fact he just has trouble expressing his feelings.
• Guilt and self-doubt: Giyu feels unworthy to be Hashira because of his past. He believes that he only survived the Demon Hunter selection exam because of the sacrifice of Sabito, his best friend. This guilt makes him doubt his own abilities, although he is very competent.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills: As Hashira, Giyu is very dedicated to his task of protecting humans from demons. He also shows his softer side by protecting Tanjiro and Nezuko at the beginning of the story, even though it violates the Corps rules.
• Hidden Empathy: Despite seeming indifferent, Giyu has deep empathy. He understands the suffering of others, especially since he himself has lost loved ones. For example, he lets Nezuko live because he sees a strong bond between Tanjiro and his sister, which reminds him of his relationship with his older brother, Tsutako.
• Dry Humor: In certain moments, Giyu shows dry and awkward humor, especially in interactions with Shinobu Kocho, who often teases her for her rigid nature.

Giyu's personality is a combination of seriousness, pathos, and intense dedication, making him a well-liked character due to his emotional depth.

Background

Giyu Tomioka has a tragic past that shaped his personality and motivation:

• Loss Of Family: Giyu lost her older sister, Tsutako Tomioka, who was sacrificed to protect her from demon attacks. Tsutako was a very important figure to Giyu, and her death left a deep emotional wound.
• Friendship with Sabito: After losing Tsutako, Giyu is trained by Sakonji Urokodaki, a former Water pillar, along with Sabito, another disciple who becomes his close friend. However, during the Demon Hunter selection exam, Sabito was killed fighting a powerful demon to protect Giyu and the other participants. Giyu felt that he did not deserve to pass the test and carried this guilt throughout his life.
• Hashira: Despite doubting himself, Giyu became a pillar of water due to his great skill in water breathing techniques. He is trained by Urokodaki, who is also Tanjiro's mentor, so Giyu has a special bond with Tanjiro as a fellow Water-Breathing user.

His past makes Giyu a reclusive figure, but also encourages him to become a dedicated Demon Hunter in honor of Tsutako and Sabito's sacrifice.

Abilities and techniques

As a water pillar, Giyu is one of the strongest Demon Hunters in the Corps. It dominates Water Breathing, a technique that mimics the movement and dexterity of water, allowing for quick, flowing, and deadly attacks. Here are its main capabilities:

1. Nichirin Sword: Giyu's sword is blue, reflecting the water element. This sword was extremely sharp and was used to decapitate demons with great precision.
2. Water Breathing Technique: Giyu mastered 11 forms of Water Breathing, including one he created himself:
   • First Form: Water Surface Slash - Powerful Basic Attacks to decapitate demons.
   • Second Form: Water Wheel - Giyu jumps and spins to create circular attacks like a water wheel.
   • Third Form: Flowing Dance - Movements that resemble a dance, with attacks that flow like water to attack from different angles.
   • Fourth Form: Striking Tide - Repeated attacks that resemble huge waves.
   • Fifth Form: Blessed Rain After the Drought - A technique that gives a demon a painless death, showing the loving side of Giyu.
   • Sixth Form: Whirlpool - Rotating attack that creates a whirlpool to attack enemies at close range.
   • Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust - Very fast and accurate puncture attacks, resembling drops of water penetrating the surface.
   • Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin - A powerful attack resembling a waterfall, used to destroy enemies from above.
   • Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow - A technique that allows Giyu to move nimbly in tight spaces, like a stream of water flowing on an uneven surface.
   • Tenth Form: Constant Flux - Continuous attacks that get stronger over time, resembling a stream of water accelerated by a water dragon.
   • Eleventh Form: Dead Calm (Nagi) - The original technique of Giyu, in which it creates absolute calm, negating all enemy attacks within a certain radius. This technique is very powerful and demonstrates Giyu's mastery of the water element.
3. Physical Strength: Giyu has above-average strength, speed, and endurance, even for Hashira standards. He is able to fight against high-level demons, such as Rui (lower Moon Demon) and Akaza (Upper Moon Demon).
4. Intuition and strategy: Giyu is a smart fighter, able to analyze situations quickly and take the right decisions, such as when he chose not to kill Nezuko after seeing the brother-sister bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko.

Relationships with other characters

Giyu has an interesting relationship with various characters in Kimetsu no Yaiba:

• Tanjiro Kamado: Giyu is the first person to meet Tanjiro and Nezuko after Tanjiro's family is attacked by demons. He originally intended to kill Nezuko, but changed his mind after seeing Tanjiro's determination to protect his sister. Giyu becomes an indirect mentor to Tanjiro, directing them to Sakonji Urokodaki. He also respects Tanjiro for their similarity of values.
• Nezuko Kamado: Giyu shows mercy by letting Nezuko live, even though it violates the Corps rules. He risks his reputation to protect Nezuko, showing that he believes in Nezuko's humanity.
• Shinobu Kocho: Giyu is often teased by Shinobu due to his rigid and reserved nature. Although they often have disagreements in conversation, they respect each other as fellow Hashira. Shinobu often tries to make Giyu more expressive, which results in moments of light comedy.
• Sakonji Urokodaki: As his former mentor, Urokodaki had a great influence on Giyu. Giyu respects Urokodaki and shares a bond with him as a water breathing user.
• Sabito: A friend of Giyu who has died. Sabito is a figure who greatly influences Giyu, and his death becomes the source of Giyu's guilt. The Haori that Giyu wears is partly Sabito's.
• Sanemi Shinazugawa: Giyu is often at odds with Sanemi, the pillar of wind, due to personality differences. The aggressive and impulsive Sanemi contrasts with Giyu's calm nature, but they still work together as Hashira.
• Kagaya Ubuyashiki: Giyu has great respect for Kagaya, the leader of the Demon Hunter Corps, and is loyal to the Corps ' mission to eradicate demons.

Role in the story

Giyu Tomioka has an important role in Kimetsu no Yaiba, both as a support and in a big fight:

• The Beginning Of The Story: Giyu is the first character from The Demon Hunter Corps to appear, meeting Tanjiro and Nezuko. His decision not to kill Nezuko became the starting point of Tanjiro's journey as a Demon Hunter.
• Arc Natagumo Mountain: Giyu demonstrates her power as Hashira by defeating Rui, The Demon of the lower Moon, with ease using the Dead Calm technique. He also saves Tanjiro and Nezuko from Sanemi and other Hashira who want to punish them.
• Arc Infinity Castle: Giyu plays a major role in the fight against high-level demons, including Akaza, the top three Moon Demon. In this fight, Giyu shows her emotional development, especially when she unlocks the demon slayer Mark, which increases her strength significantly.
• Fight Against Muzan: Giyu was one of the Hashira who survived until the final fight against Muzan Kibutsuji, showing his endurance and dedication. He teams up with Tanjiro and the other Hashira to defeat The Demon King.

Giyu also has moments of character development, especially as she begins to accept herself as Hashira and overcomes guilt over Sabito and Tsutako's deaths.

Interesting Facts

• Popularity: Giyu is one of the most popular characters in Kimetsu no Yaiba, often ranked highly in fan polls in Japan.
• Inspired By Haori: The halved Haori Giyu is a symbol of Tsutako and Sabito's sacrifice, which he always carries with him as a reminder.
• Humor dalam Spin-off: Inside Kimetsu Gakuen (comedy spin-off), Giyu is portrayed as a serious yet awkward teacher, often the subject of Shinobu's jokes.
• Demon Hunter Signs: Giyu evokes the mark of a Demon Hunter during a fight against Akaza, which increases his strength but also shortens his lifespan.
• Connection with Tanjiro: Giyu and Tanjiro have a special bond as both are trained by Urokodaki and use water breathing (although Tanjiro later switched to sun breathing).

Character Analysis

Giyu Tomioka is the embodiment of water: calm on the surface, but with a strong emotional depth underneath. His character is interesting in that he balances stoic nature with emotional vulnerability. Her guilt and self-doubt make her relatable, while her dedication as Hashira shows her inner strength. His interactions with Tanjiro and Nezuko highlight his human side, while his fights demonstrate his prowess as a warrior.

Giyu also represents the theme of sacrifice and redemption in Kimetsu no Yaiba. He carries the weight of the past, but through his relationship with Tanjiro and the Corps ' mission, he slowly learns to accept himself and find a new purpose. His character is one of the emotional pillars of the story, making him an unforgettable fan favorite.