Sanemi Shinazugawa

## Portrayal

**Sanemi Shinazugawa** is a minor supporting character of Demon Slayer: Blade of the Night. He is a Demon Slayer of the Demon Slayer Core and the current Wind Pillar, responsible for both the Wind Sect and the Wind Pavilion.

Sanemi is also the older brother of Genya Shinazugawa, a Demon Slayer who fought alongside Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado. Before becoming a Pillar, Sanemi, along with his partner Masachika Kumeno, defeated the former Lower Rank One, Ubume, with Masachika dying as a result.

## **Appearance:**

Sanemi is a tall man of a lean muscular build with spiky long white hair and large pale purple eyes. His face and body are covered with scars, accrued over his many years of fighting demons. His scars have only accumulated as he's grown older, and now, he often wears a tired, grumpy expression in his face.

He wears a green-tinted version of the standard Pillar uniform, and he wears nothing adding on to it. The uniform is noted to be worn carelessly, being wrinkled and the buttons loosely connected up at top.

## **Personality:**

Sanemi's age has visibly reflected in his behavior. Not only did he become more patient and prudent as he has gotten older, but he's significantly less confrontational and quick to anger. Despite that, Sanemi retains some of his original abrasiveness, such as when he beat Ryo up with his sheathed sword merely because the boy committed the terrible crime of using the Moon Breathing.

Sanemi is usually unapproachable, looking extremely angry at nearly all times, and a tick away from exploding. This is somewhat of a facade only, since while he is indeed grumpy, he will tolerate a single sentence if it is from either someone with the same rank as him, or said with extreme reverence.

His maturity is also shown in his treatment of Akio Moriyama. While the details of their relationship is unknown, Sanemi tolerates a lot of his disciple's trash talking and insults, with the boy often telling Sanemi that he's going to kill him any day now, while the Pillar dismisses it all casually. He seems to trust Akio a lot, sharing confidential information more often than not. Despite their banter, the two seem to respect each other equally.

Sanemi, during the later years of his life, has seemingly gone insane, lashing out at a voice that didn't exist, sometimes doing so in public. It was later discovered that it was merely Genya trying to communicate.

After Genya's revival, Sanemi doesn't quite seem to have it settled in that his brother is indeed alive, and the man is currently struggling to get a grip on the idea. Despite having lost so many people, Sanemi still struggles with grief, seeing how broken he was by Kanae Kocho being returned to the afterlife.

## **Synopsis:**

Sanemi was the eldest son of seven children and lived with both of his parents. Their father was abusive, constantly lashing out at the children and their mother until one day, he was stabbed and killed by someone with a grudge against him.

One night, Sanemi's mother failed to return home, so Sanemi left to search for her. At some point, he found her and realized she became a demon, but couldn't stop her from returning home and killing five of his siblings. Just before she could kill Genya, however, Sanemi tackles her through the window to the street below with a knife in hand.

In the ensuing fight, she gave him the two large scars across his face, and his Marechi blood — which disorients demons and makes them act intoxicated — gave him an opening to cut her down. When Genya runs into the street to find a doctor for his grievously-injured siblings, he finds Sanemi with their mother lying dead at his feet, Genya screams and accuses Sanemi of murdering her

After that, Sanemi abandoned Genya and began to hunt demons on his own with suicidal devotion. Without knowledge of Demon Slayers or Nichirin Swords, Sanemi instead armed himself with a multitude of weapons and fought demons at night, incapacitating and capturing them until daybreak, then stringing them up to let the morning sun kill them.

While wandering the land hunting demons, he eventually met a legitimate Demon Slayer, Masachika Kumeno, who helped him and introduced him to a proper trainer. Eventually, during their career as Demon Slayers, the two of them would encounter and defeat Ubume, then the holder of Lower Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki. However, Kumeno lost his life in the battle, and Sanemi was promoted to the rank of Wind Pillar.

## **Abilities:**

**Monumental Strength:** Sanemi's strength has yet to make a proper showing, but his power is so immense that despite holding back considerably, he was still seen as the epitome of power by Ryo

**Monumental Speed:** Sanemi has been capable of keeping up in a sword duel with Kokushibo, the second strongest demon to ever live, being able to at the very least reach the demon in terms of sheer agility.

**Tactical Intellect:** Sanemi, despite not being educated, is fairly strategically intelligent, aside from that, he also manages the Wind Sect successfully enough, even if he is aided by Akio.

**Marechi Blood:** Sanemi was born with a rare blood type that renders demons dizzy and potentially unconscious, depending on the strength of the demon, they may fall asleep instantly after consumption, such as Sanemi's mother Shizu did, while a more resistant demon like Kokushibo stood only mildly annoyed by the blood's effect.

Total Concentration Breathing: Sanemi, as someone that already mastered the Wind Breathing, has access, and makes extensive use of Total Concentration Breathing.

**Demon Slayer Mark:** Sanemi has already unlocked the Demon Slayer Mark, with it being composed of a green windmill shape on his right cheek.

## **Fighting Style:**

**Master Swordsman:** Sanemi is quite adept at swordsmanship, being one of the strongest members of the Demon Slayer Core since he joined. Sanemi is a notable prodigy, and displays his skills by having attained such a level of power using effectively pure swordsmanship, rather than poisons or odd types of weapons.

### **Breathing Style:**

**Wind Breathing** *(Kaze no Kokyu)*: Sanemi has learned and mastered the Wind Breathing from a young age, being potentially the strongest user of the Style in history, surpassing its original creator, and even creating seven new Forms for it

#### **Techniques:**

* **First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter** *(Ichi no Kata: Jin Senpu - Sogi)* - The user dashes forward at blinding speeds and slashes continuously in a horizontal cyclone pattern, causing immense damage where they pass, generating a current of destruction.

* **Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind** *(Ni no Kata: Soso - Shinato Kaze)* - The user lifts the sword upwards towards the right, above their head and unleashes four vertical slashes at once down on the enemy resembling claws. This attack is incredibly confusing for someone inexperienced.

* **Third Form: Clean Storm Wind Tree** *(San no Kata: Seiran Fuzu)* - The user unleashes a whirlwind of slashes around their body that can defend them from incoming attacks and slice up their surroundings. The attacks are done based on necessity, making the defences effective, but sparing

* **Fourth Form: Rising Dust Storm** *(Shi no Kata: Shojo Sanjiran)* - The user releases several slashes above them from below their target. This attack naturally descents, making it difficult for an opponent to block every single strike.

* **Fifth Form: Cold Mountain Wind** *(Go no Kata: Kogarashi Oroshi)* - The user creates several circular arched slashes that increase in size from above their target in a circular pattern, being also capable of defending from upwards attacks

* **Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist** *(Roku no Kata: Kokufu Enran)* - The user rotates their body in an uppercut movement, creating an arcing slash. This attack can also block incoming attacks, while the rotation increases the strength through momentum

* **Seventh Form: Gale, Sudden Gusts** *(Shichi no Kata: Keifu - Tengu Kaze)* - The user leaps into the air while swinging their blade which generates gale-force winds to shred their opponent apart, being effectively an improved First Form, however lacking versatility.

* **Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash** *(Hachi no Kata: Sho Rekkaza Kiri)* - The user leaps into the air and swings their blade which generates circular torrents of wind that slices up the opponent instantly. This attack provides evasion, as the user slides through the target

* **Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon** *(Ku no Kata: Idaten Taifu)* - The user backflips into the air and while upside-down, unleashes a powerful gust of circular wind that slashes apart anything below. This attack devastates anything below, so it is quite hard to use without causing friendly fire.

* **Tenth Form: Piercing Tailwind** *(Ju no Kata: Piasu Oikaze)* - The user will wait for an attack, before chopping anything coming in their way. This attack also works when an opponent comes in for a blow, and the user is supposed to aim at their joints.

* **Eleventh Form: Eroding Gust** *(Ju Ichi no Kata: Toppu no Shinshoku)* - The user will spin their body along with their sword, advancing a lot with one dash. This technique is dangerous to perform, as the user may end up in a poor position, and it is supposed to be done as a swift decapitation of a retreating enemy

* **Twelfth Form: Seeding Winds** *(Ju Ni no Kata: Tanemaki-Fu)* - The user will slide across the ground, striking sideways multiple times at increasing speeds, occasionally shifting tempos in the attacks to confuse the opponent's defences

* **Thirteenth Form: Hurricane of Destruction** *(Ju San no Kata: Hakai no Hariken)* - The user will spin around, striking at incredible strength at all opponents around, causing chaos where they pass. This move is to be performed while lunging

* **Fourteenth Form: Rebounding Gusts** *(Ju Shi no Kata: Toppu no Hanekaeri)* - The user will fall back strongly, taking support on anything before dashing again at incredible speeds, slicing anything in their way, and causing immense damage.

* **Fifteenth Form: Wind's Penitence** *(Ju Go no Kata: Kaze no Kuiaratame)* - The user slashes from above, first striking outside the opponent’s main body, be it limbs or tendrils, and after, they will strike the enemy’s neck, aiming to decapitate them

* **Sixteenth Form: Endless Calamity** *(Ju Roku no Kata: Owakinari Yakusai)* - The user advances greatly, slashing all around themselves in a devastating wide attack. Should the attack not reach the opponent, the user will thrust their sword at them

## **Equipment:**

**Standard Nichirin Sword:** Sanemi, as a Wind Breathing user, carries a regular sized and shaped Nichirin Katana. It is green in color, as expected from a Wind Breathing user. Notably, his sword has a jagged, jaw-like pattern that is similarly green in color engraved on both sides. This pattern is not seen in any other swords from Wind Breathing users, and it is unknown why it exists. His katana's handguard is in an abstract shape with 8 points with an overlapping pattern; each plate has a forest green core with a silver border.

## **Familiars:**

**Sorai:** Sanemi's Crow, Sorai, is a hyperactive crow with an apparent need to do something at all times. Whenever it is tasked with anything, it does its mission too fast, so it returns almost instantly to its state of unrest.

**Tsuyo:** Sanemi's pet Rhinoceros Beetle.

## **Battles:**

* Sanemi vs Giyu (Sparring)
* Sanemi, Gyomei, Muichiro and Genya vs Kokushibo
* Sanemi vs Kanae

## **Trivia:**

* Sanemi's name can be broken down into: [Sane], meaning "seed, core (Referring to fruits)", and [Mi] means "Increasingly". His surname [Shinazugawa] means "Immortality River"
* Sanemi's favorite food is ohagi. It is also the only thing he can properly cook.
* Sanemi has learned how to read and write during the 25-year timeskip, but he isn't good at it, as his handwriting is really poor and he takes a long while to read anything.
* Sanemi's openness is about 40%
* Sanemi's opinions on his fellow Pillars are:
	+ Tanjiro: *The kid's got balls, I gotta give it to him*
	+ Giyu: *Will he ever get that smug look off of his ugly ass face?*
	+ Kyojuro: *He's a nice guy, but he's too loud, so I don't talk to him much*
	+ Gyomei: *I respect him a lot*
	+ Zenitsu: *I still don't like him at all*
	+ Kanao: *She freaks me out.*
	+ Seiji: *Everything I hate about Tomioka turned up five times.*
	+ Daisuke: *I thought he was a hobo, now I'm sure of it*
	+ Obanai: *How in the fuck did he ever fall in love with Kanroji of all people. We get along*
	+ Murata: *We've barely talked*
	+ Shinobu: *I talk to her ever so often. She has very poor taste in men, though I guess so did Kanae.*
	+ Mitsuri: *I still don't care for her very much. Her son is cool though*
	+ Senjuro: *I like him but only because Kyojuro is his brother*
	+ Suguru: *I don't like him.*
	+ Muichiro: *Eh, he's too serious for my liking, but he's fine*
	+ Inosuke: *This kid's nice!*
	+ Aki: *I don't like him very much. I don't know why*
	+ Tengen: *I liked him a lot, though I wish he'd stopped calling me short. Not my fault he's a gorilla*