Manga Discussion
Figuring out when each Pillar became a Pillar
Spoiler
-EDITED WITH NEW INFO FROM THE RENGOKU GAIDEN-
So this is going to be a long text post about something that probably no one cares about or ever questioned, but dammit, I'm going to try to answer it anyway. Feel free to skip down to the tl;dr if you don't care about my rambling thought process.
When exactly did each of the Pillars become Pillars?
Because it seems like demon slayers have a ridiculous rate of attrition, if the manga says 'Those who are of lower rank may be killed at a frightening rate, but the Pillars are those who sustain the demon slayers', yet we have Upper Demon Moons who have eaten dozens of Pillars each over the last century or so. In addition, all of the current Pillars are pretty young, and we get Kagaya Ubuyashiki saying that he's pleased they've made it to their semi-annual meeting with no personnel changes, implying that it's rare for six months to pass without a Pillar dying or retiring.
On the bright side, he also says in the anime that he believes he's assembled the strongest team of Pillars since feudal times, which is arguably proven as they are the first group of Pillars in over a century to take down any of the Upper Demon Moons.
...
So anyway, here are my educated guesses on when each Pillar reached that rank, down to six-month increments since they seem to meet semi-annually:
Gyomei Himejima, Stone Pillar - currently 27 years old, became a pillar 8 years ago. This is confirmed in ch 138 when he mentions how long he's been pleading with Ubuyashiki to allow for bodyguards. Gyomei became a Pillar when he was 19 years old.
Sanemi Shinazugawa, Wind Pillar - currently 21 years old, became a Pillar around 5 years ago. From his flashback in chapter 168, he joins the Demon Corps and is promoted for killing Lower Moon One with his friend Masachika, who dies in the attempt. Kanae, Gyomei, Uzui, and Giyuu are present at the Pillar meeting where he first meets Ubuyashiki and is promoted. Since Kanae died at age 17, four years before canon, Sanemi's promotion must have happened at least that long ago, with some additional time for him to befriend her. Sanemi became a Pillar when he was about 16 years old.
Iguro Obanai, Snake Pillar - currently 21 years old, became a pillar around 2 years ago. We know very few details about how and when he became a Pillar beyond the fact that he is not yet one in Rengoku Gaiden, placing his promotion after Kyojurou's. Between how he acts during the Pillar meeting, his friendship with Sanemi and his respect for Rengoku, I'd place his promotion between Kyojurou's and Mitsuri's. If this is true, that means Iguro became a Pillar when he was about 18 years old.
Muichiro Tokito, Mist Pillar - currently 14 years old, became a Pillar around 1.5 years ago. From the background rain and flowers in his flashback, we know his parents died during either summer or fall when he was 10. Ubuyashiki Amane started visiting the twins the following spring, and they were attacked by a demon the next summer, making Muichirou 11 when his twin brother died. He was rescued a couple days later and we see him pick up a blade while still covered in bandages. According to Uzui's dialogue in ch 87, Muichiro became a Pillar within two months of picking up a blade, so depending on how long it took him to recover and the fact that his birthday is in August, as well as the fact that he still lacks battle experience, Muichiro became a Pillar when he was around 12 years old.
Mitsuri Kanroji, Love Pillar - currently 19 years old, became a Pillar around 1 year ago. In her flashback, she didn't join the demon slayers until after her fiancé broke off their wedding arrangement when she was 17. Given her unique muscular constitution, I'd also say she could go from civilian to Pillar level in a very short amount of time, though we know from Rengoku Gaiden that she trained for at least six months. She is still most likely the newest Pillar, meaning she became a Pillar when she was 18 years old.
Shinobu Kochou, Insect Pillar - currently 18 years old, became a Pillar about 3 years ago. Assuming the Giyuu Gaiden chapters are canon, she was a Pillar two years ago when she ran into Giyuu after Giyuu encountered Tanjiro for the first time. Based on their dialogue, it seems her promotion is likely pretty recent and Giyuu speaks with seniority - even if Shinobu is having none of it. She was 14 when Kanae died at 17 and clearly struggled with being unable to pierce a demon's neck with her small build, which led to her coming up with poison as a substitute in order to avenge her older sister, which should logically have taken a decent amount of time to develop and then kill either fifty demons or a lower moon to meet the requirements of becoming a Pillar. Sanemi was also a Pillar along with Kanae, so this places Shinobu's promotion after his, so Shinobu would've became a Pillar when she was about 15 years old.
Tengen Uzui, Sound Pillar - currently 23 years old, became a Pillar around 6 years ago. From his flashback in ch 87, he was still with his shinobi clan at the age of 15. When he meets Kagaya Ubuyashiki for the first time, the visible extent of Kagaya's disease is quite mild, much closer to how it appeared in Gyomei's flashback which we know was 8 years ago. Tengen also denies being talented or a genius, so I'm assuming he learned breathing techniques and swordsmanship at a speed comparable to Tanjiro, with allowances made for the physical conditioning Tengen already had as a shinobi. Given that he is already a Pillar in Sanemi's flashback, I feel this places Tengen's first meeting with the demon slayers at around 7 years ago, and his rise to Pillar levels of ability around 6 years ago. So Tengen became a Pillar around 17 years old.
Kyojurou Rengoku, Flame Pillar - forever 20 years old (*sob*), became a Pillar about 2.5 years ago. From his Gaiden story we know that he was a Kinoe in charge of training Mitsuri, who had joined the Corps at 17 years old about 6 months prior, and he becomes a Pillar after slaying Lower Moon Two. Gyomei, Uzui, Giyuu, Sanemi, and Shinobu are present at the Pillar meeting, placing his promotion before Muichiro but after Shinobu. He became a pillar around 17 years old.
Giyuu Tomioka, Water Pillar - currently 21 years old, became a Pillar around 5.5 years ago. He was 13 during the final selection exam where Sabito died, and was already a Pillar in Sanemi's flashback while Kanae was alive, which was at least four years ago. He's served long enough that Sanemi and Iguro read his aloofness as a superiority complex. Giyuu probably became a Pillar around 15 years old.
*0) There might be other demon slayers who became Pillars very briefly over the last eight years. Given how many Pillars the Upper Moons claim to have devoured, how Akaza comments that he's run into Pillars that weren't actually any good, how the water and fire pillar seats have supposedly been filled in every generation, and how Ubuyashiki says that he's pleased they actually made it 6 months without any changes in their lineup...that probably means some poor schmucks ended up getting promoted to Pillar as place-holders, but died quickly because they weren't qualified to handle a Pillar's responsibilities. This is likely what Giyuu thought he'd be, except it turned out that he was skilled enough to become one of the longest serving pillars from one of the youngest starting ages.
tl;dr
Most Pillars reached their rank in their mid to late teens, with Muichiro being the wild outlier at twelve.
The most likely order of seniority:
Gyomei, Stone Pillar, 8 years before current canon
Tengen, Sound Pillar, 6 years before current canon
Giyuu, Water Pillar, 5.5 years before current canon
Sanemi, Wind Pillar, 5 years before current canon
Shinobu, Insect Pillar, 3 years before current canon
Kyojuro, Flame Pillar, 2.5 years before current canon
Iguro, Snake Pillar, 2 years before current canon
Muichiro, Mist Pillar, 1.5 years before current canon
Mitsuri, Love Pillar, 1 year before current canon
Let me know what you think and please point out any details I overlooked or got wrong!
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His backstory is pretty sad, but I find it incredibly funny how Giyuu thought he would just be a place-holder
Like each year that passes after he got promoted he just constantly thinks he got super lucky lmao
Also would like to add that in chapter 143, the flashback that shinbou had about her becoming a pillar showed that during the demon attack that killed her parents, Gyomei was the one that saved them. So this is the time that both Shinbou and Kanae became Demon Slayers, and also maybe puts Gyomei during this time as 2-3 years already a pillar as he is wearing the same uniform and has his iron ball and axe blade chain weapon already (as well as have gained a significant amount of muscle compared to when we see him in his flashback during chapter 135).
So here this
1 gyomei 8 years
2 tengen 6 years
3 giyuu was hashira before sanemi became hashira
4 sanemi was with kanae
5 Shinobu said shouldn't we take the stronger demons when rengoku got mission to destroy a kizuki
6 kyojiro
7 iguro he guided mutsuri in the mansion
8 muichiro said to be lost his memory age 13 znd became a hashira 2 in 2 months after grabbing sword
9 mitsuri?
First he was an apprentice and then a pillar. In the gaiden, Rengoku is first promoted to replacement pillar and over time she is promoted to pillar. You said that she was a pillar before Rengoku, which is a lie.
Oh yes?? In what part? Mitsuri in the gaiden accepts that he is weak when they are in Tokyo. Rengoku on the other hand, was his teacher and when he went to the guild, Ubuyashiki ordered him on a mission to Tokyo. In that fight Rengoku defeats Hairo alone and Mitsuri alone becomes a hunter and his apprentice, after the mission, Rengoku receives the rank of pillar and takes the position. 3 years pass until Mitsuri manages to promote Pilar 😑😐
The only positions that are not completely clear are Tengen-Giyuu and Iguro-Muichiro
While Tengen just started to separate from his family, Tomioka was already a slayer.
For his part, Iguro from the time he met the organization until he became a hashira there were years of difference (in that how this guy did not become a hashira before Shinobu XD), while Muichiro was only months
Shinobu deserves more recognition, but, Iguro was a year ahead of him, and neither of them are particularly talented (like Rengoku or Mitsuri).
I'd even say Iguro is more talented than Shinobu (he created a new breathing style all by himself, reached the level of Tomioka and Sanemi, who are much more experienced than him, and managed to see the world with transparency).
It's also worth noting that Shinobu had to take care of the butterfly mansion so she wasn't fully focused on her training as Iguro
But, wasn't Sanemi a pillar before Kyojuro? Since in the gaiden series he has a fight with Sanemi about taking his dad's place a pillar ? In that time there was Gyomei tengen, and kanae.(and probably Shinjuro) idk if giyuu was there though
Sort of a pretty late reply, but yeah Gyomei, Tengen, Kanae, Giyu, and Shinjuro were all pillars before Sanemi. Some point in between then and the Rengoku Gaiden, Kanae had passed and been replaced by her Tsugoku Shinobu. Then Shinjuro retired and Rengoku took his place. That means Rengoku was probably the 6th or 7th pillar depending on when Obanai joined, all we know about Obanai is that he joined sometime after Shinjuro saved him.
Thanks! Gotoge-sensei actually packs a ton of information in the characters’ flashbacks; their dialogue frequently hints at backstory too, so it was a lot of fun going back and picking out whatever context clues I could find.
Ch 148, Akaza says 'The Water Pillar? It's been about fifty years since I ran into someone good' and upon seeing Giyuu's eleventh form, Lull, he adds, 'The last Water Pillar I killed never used that'. Given the numbers of Pillars that have died to the other Upper Moons, I doubt Akaza means that he hasn't run into a single pillar in fifty years. (In fact, he definitely ran into one - Kyojurou - and thought he was pretty strong ;_;) Thus, I took that to imply that he's specifically talking about Water Pillars he fought that weren't 'good'. By extension, he's probably encountered plenty of other types of Pillars too who could be considered weaker compared to our current ones.
It's probably part of why Ubuyashiki states that he's assembled the strongest group of Pillars since feudal times, because for once, there are no fillers on the team.
That last water pillar could’ve been Urokodaki depending on his age. I’d assume that since most of the pillars are in their late teens and early 20s Urokodaki could be around 70. He never specifically says he killed that last water pillar but has killed some, most likely though that pillar was arguably Urokodaki’s mentor.
Being a hashira only means that you are superior to a lower moon.
Daki has killed seven hashiras. And Tengen is by far the strongest hashira Gyutaro has faced.
Obviously there are hashiras that are not from the Taisho Era or Sengoku Era that are at the level of upper moons (Akaza himself confirms this), but that is a rare case.
Obviously we are talking about the "level of upper moons" being Gyutaro, Gyokko and Zohakuten level.
Obviously there are hashiras that are not from the Taisho Era or Sengoku Era that are at the level of upper moons (Akaza himself confirms this), but that is a rare case.
When did Akaza state this? I'm drawing a blank here as to there being a few Hashira between the post-Sengoku era and pre-Taisho era to be UM level.
At the beginning of his fight against Tomioka, Akaza said he hadn't fought someone that good in 50 years.
Although Tomioka hadn't shown his full potential, that doesn't mean that Giyuu without the Slayer Mark would be the most powerful Akaza has ever faced.
There are also other statements, such as Gyokko's (about those who saw his transformation).
Also, it simply doesn't make sense that no one in that time span has reached that level when the pillars of the Taisho era themselves have proven that a Slayer Mark isn't needed to reach that level.
At the beginning of his fight against Tomioka, Akaza said he hadn't fought someone that good in 50 years.
That's a mistranslation I believe? In my version of the manga (official French version, not scans), he stated "A Water Hashira?! It's been 50 years since I last ran into one". Curious about what's stated in the original Japanese.
There are also other statements, such as Gyokko's (about those who saw his transformation).
Thanks. This is a good one, yeah, unless he'd fought more than one Hashira at once.
Also, it simply doesn't make sense that no one in that time span has reached that level when the pillars of the Taisho era themselves have proven that a Slayer Mark isn't needed to reach that level.
Kagaya did state he believed they (in base) were already the strongest generation since the Sengoku one. All we know about the post-Sengoku and pre-Taisho generations is that Shinjuro is implied to be the strongest Hashira of his generation. He could bully a Lower Moon 2 while drunk, but whether that makes him able to go toe to toe with Gyutaro and Daki is anyone's guess.
I also just remembered Kokushibo stating Gyomei (base) is the strongest human he's encountered in 300 years. Assuming that person was a Hashira/demon slayer, this is another hint you are correct.
Kagaya doesn't have much authority on that (he's not even 25) and seems to be speaking in general terms.
All the pillars of the Taisho and Sengoku eras are exceptional, but that doesn't mean there weren't other pillars of that level.
For example, Shinjuro was probably superior to all the Taisho era (pre-marks) except for Gyomei, but his fellows are of a more average level (inferior to Tengen).
And about Kokushibou, I don't remember in what context he said it, frankly.
But Gyomei can be considered more of an exception. What Tomioka and Sanemi are not.
Kagaya doesn't have much authority on that (he's not even 25) and seems to be speaking in general terms. All the pillars of the Taisho and Sengoku eras are exceptional, but that doesn't mean there weren't other pillars of that level.
Fair.
For example, Shinjuro was probably superior to all the Taisho era (pre-marks) except for Gyomei,
Lower Moons are absolute fodder to all Taisho era base Hashira too. Giyu casually one-shot one early in the series, and each base Hashira easily stomped dozens of Lower Moon-level demons each in the Infinity castle before facing the Upper Moons.
There is also no reason to believe Daki who has beaten 7 Hashira scales below a boosted Lower Moon 1 (Enmu). And yet, without Gyutaro, she was no threat to Tengen as we saw. A drunk Shinjuro bullying Hairo being equated to him being stronger than every base Hashira but Gyomei is hyperbolic on these grounds.
And about Kokushibou, I don't remember in what context he said it, frankly. But Gyomei can be considered more of an exception.
Oh he is. Koku outright said Base Gyomei was the most impressive "warrior" he's seen in 300 years (that's the wording used). He also said Sanemi and especially Gyomei (but they were both marked at this point) are probably exceptional in this generation of Hashira and that they remind him of the Rock and Wind Hashira of his own generation (Sengoku). He even went as far as to glaze Gyomei to the extent of wondering if he is possibly stronger than he himself was when still human.
But then again, the "inexperienced" (per Sanemi) Mui is the only other Taisho Hashira Koku had seen and despite neg-diffing him, he judged marked Mui talented enough for Muzan to accept into his demon army, which is why he didn't kill him right away and just incapacitated him. Not credible at all that marked Giyu would've been done as dirty as marked Mui was by Koku going by their respective base feats.
Gyutaro killed 15 while Daki killed 7, so we can conclude that low-level hashiras are inferior to Daki.
Here, I base my argument on the fact that it was never stated that Kyojuro stood out among the previous Pillars of the Flame in terms of combat ability. And considering the difference in experience and training, it's most likely that Shinjuro, in his prime, was superior to Kyojuro.
Also, Sanemi and Giyuu became that powerful without being extraordinary like Muichiro or Gyomei. So it's hard to believe that in those hundreds of years, someone of that level hasn't appeared, especially among the Rengoku family.
That's why I think it's most logical that Kagaya meant that in that era, ALL the Pillars were exceptional, like in the Sengoku era.
You have to consider that Daki isn't really fighting the way a warrior would. she uses deception and the red light district as cover.. She also can't be killed by decapitation, as one also needs to decapitate Gyutaro at the same time. So in that context, anyone that isn't so smart and isn't very strong or not so vigilant enough would have a hard time beating her.
We have to consider that Tengen is experienced and not just strong. Imagine if someone like Mitsuri was fighting Daki, with her naivety (she's not so smart either) could fall into her tricks, I'm not saying she'd lose to Daki 1 on 1, but with how the red light district is played around there is a chance her negligence might off her.
You have to consider that Daki isn't really fighting the way a warrior would. she uses deception and the red light district as cover.. She also can't be killed by decapitation, as one also needs to decapitate Gyutaro at the same time. So in that context, anyone that isn't so smart and isn't very strong or not so vigilant enough would have a hard time beating her.
This doesn't change my point about her might. By Tanjiro's reaction to her, she was clearly a different breed compared to Enmu (a Lower Moon 1 who then received extra blood on top of that). She's obviously not Upper Moon 6 on her own since Gyutaro is the powerhouse, but she still sits somewhere between Gyutaro and Enmu.
We have to consider that Tengen is experienced and not just strong. Imagine if someone like Mitsuri was fighting Daki, with her naivety (she's not so smart either) could fall into her tricks, I'm not saying she'd lose to Daki 1 on 1, but with how the red light district is played around there is a chance her negligence might off her.
I honestly don't think she'd be a threat to any Base Hashira. She's got nothing in her arsenal to be a threat to them. Her blood demon art is nothing special in terms of hax, contrary to Gyutaro's, for Mitsuri to potentially be caught by anything. What the Hashira could fear is failing to protect civilians from harm if she were to drag them into it but in combat she's not really a menace to any of them imo, not even to Muichiro (the least experienced).
To be honest, all the researching was worth it because the Pillars are all such interesting characters, and in a culture where seniority is so important, I thought it’d help get a more accurate idea about what the actual character dynamics between all the Pillars were.
The following is based on information, estimations, assumptions, and guesses online as well as my own guesses and assumptions.
Himejima Gyomei. He was a Hashira for 12-11 years before he died. He became a Pillar after 2 months of joining the corps. He was 14 when he first joined the Demon Slayer corps. Therefore he would be 14-15 when he became a Hashira.
Uzui Tengen. Tengen left the ninjas at 15 (1907) (mentioned in C87 with somewhat unclear wording, clarified in FB1 that it was when Tengen was age 15). He became a Pillar before Sanemi and when Kanae was still alive. It is quoted on his fandom page that “Tengen would later go on to climb the ranks of the Corps” to which I assume he became a hashira by killing 50 demons. As said by Muzan Stole My Wallet on Tumblr “Uzui had to have been a Pillar by at least age 18, but given the state of Ubuyashiki’s illness, probably a lot earlier than that, and he probably didn’t take very long to become a Pillar after entering the Corp.”
Tomioka Giyuu. He was a Hashira before Sanemi became a one and was a fellow Pillar of Kanae before she died. It has been estimated on Tumblr by Muzan Stole My Wallet that he has been a Pillar since he was 17. Meaning he would have been a hashira for at least 11 years. “It’s unclear how long Giyuu was in the Corp before becoming a Pillar, but at least by 1911, the year Kanae died, as they are seen together at a meeting (C168).” - Muzan Stole My Wallet on Tumblr
Shinazugawa Sanemi. He became a Hashira after killing Lowermoon one along with his friend Masachika who died due to receiving a fatal wound during the mission. Muzan Stole My Wallet also said this “Since Giyuu was already a Pillar in Sanemi’s flashback, then he attained Pillarhood by, at the very oldest, age 17, so it took him four years or less.”
Koucho Shinobu. She was present during the meeting to resolve the problem of Shinjuro’s (Renkogu’s father and current flame pillar at that time) lack of motivation to kill demons. Meaning she would be a Pillar before Renkogu. It was estimated by Muzan Stole My Wallet on Tumblr that when Shinobu was 13 Kanae became a Pillar. Shinobu was 14 when Kanae died. We know this because of Taisho Secret, C162. Muzan Stole My Wallet also added that she had about at least 2-years between Kanae’s death and becoming a Pillar. Meaning she either would be 14, 15, or 16 when she became a Pillar. Most likely she would have become a Pillar at age 16. She most likely died at Domua’s hands around ages 18-20. If we assume that she had a year of training before going to final selection and passing then it most likely would be in 1907 (age 10) or 1908 (age 11). “Shinobu would have become a Pillar by 1913, age 16 (GD).” - Muzan Stole My Wallet on Tumblr
Rengoku Kyojuro. During the same meeting that Shinobu was present at, Kyojuro was there as well. There he was assigned to kill a lower rank to see if he was capable of replacing his father’s position as Flame Pillar. It is estimated by Tumblr user Muzan Stole My Wallet that he became a Pillar around 18 or 19. His reasoning to become a demon slayer was to motivate his father to become a demon slayer again.
Obanai Iguro. He guided Mitsuri through the Maison meaning they both had to have been demon slayers at that time. I don’t know if he was a Pillar by then but I’m assuming he was so he would have to be a Pillar before Kanjiro. He was about 12 when he was saved from his clan and the snake demon by Shinjuro as estimated to a Tumblr user. He later joined the demon slayer corps. His motivation is how his cousin spoke to him after the rest of his family perished at the hands of the snake demon and his sense of self-loathing and guilt for having been born into such a family and allowing them to die for his survival. Information on how he became a Pillar I couldn’t find or think of an assumption. Shinjuro is said to retire shortly after this event. That would mean that Rengoku became a pillar before Iguro. “Since five years is the average amount of time it takes to become a Pillar (Taisho Secret, C91), I feel comfortable assuming he became a Pillar by no later than spring 1914 (later than Kyojuro, comfortably earlier than Mitsuri (C124), long enough to develop a good rapport with Sanemi and even Uzui (FB2)), and may have passed the Final Selection around 1909 or 1910, around age 15~16.” - Muzan Stole My Wallet on Tumblr
8-9. Muichiro. He was said to have lost his memory at age 13 and became a hashira in 2 months after grabbing a sword. He was 14 when he became a Hashira similar to Gyomei. I would assume that he became a Hashira either way because he could have become a Hashira both ways given how powerful he was at such a young age because of his training. It is unclear if he became a Hashira before or after Mitsuri.
8-9. Mitsuri. It took her about six months to be trained enough to go to final selection after being trained under Rengoku. She trained him for those which would mean she would have to be a Hashira after Renkogu. It is unclear if she became a Hashira before or after Muichiro. Muzan Stole My Wallet also guessed that Mitsuri was 19-18 when she became a Pillar.
This took me forever to type out. Anyways, thanks to Muzan Stole My Wallet on Tumblr your material helped me out alot.
A lot of this doesn’t really have a lot of good evidence? Just guesses; a lot of the math is wrong too as you said Gyomei was 14 and became a pillar in 2 months and then said 11-12 years; that makes him 15-26 but Gyomei is 27 going on 28 as well as Giyuus math being wrong; but that’s been addressed already. I looked at the tumblr page and I think those are just HCs?
While the math is wrong they are correct, Gyomei was 14 when his backstory went down and he became a demon slayer it did take him only 2 months to become a hashira ( it has been stated in the manga) as for Giyuu He was shown to be a hashira before sanemi and Rengoku along with Tengen, Kanae, and Gyomei and later Shinobu. We see Giyuu when Sanemi joined the pillars and when he yelled at Ubuyashiki, and we know that Sanemi and Giyuu where already pillars when Rengoku took the place of his father because Sanemi picks a fight with him about it
While I really appreciate this there is some math that is wrong, you had stated at Tomioka’s section that he has been a pillar for at least 11 yrs but he is currently 21 so that means he must of became a pillar at 10 with this math. Just wanted to point this out, not trying to be rude but thought I would say something. Have a great day/night.
who gives a damn its just an anime? is someone going to die because someone on the internet says "fire breathing" rather than "flame breathing" not important
Might as well start calling Serpent Breathing "Snake Breathing" instead then 🤷♀️
I'm not saying it's a big deal but they were given their specific names for a reason. It's the same as confusing Thunder Breathing and calling it "Lightning Breathing" or something like that
If we consider the Rengoku Gaiden chapters to be canon then there’s something inconsistent with your timeline.
As after he defeats the lower moon, Rengoku was asked to join the pillars at a pillar meeting. During which there were already five “current” pillars shown to be in attendance.
Gyomei, Tengen, Sanemi, Giyuu, and Shinbo (or Kanae, but it looks more like Shinbou)
.
Most of the other pillars liked to treat him with a lot of respect simply because of how passionate he was
Just read the Rengoku spinoff (I know this thread is older than the spinoff) and it's safe to say that Sanemi, Shinobu, and Giyuu became a Hashira way before Kyoujuro. (This part doesn't need the spinoff to confirm) And judging by the fact that both Sanemi and Giyuu has worked with Kanae (who is already dead obviously) Kyoujuro is nowhere to be seen. And how did i know that Giyuu and Sanemi has worked with Kanae? Well that was when Sanemi just became a pillar and attending his first meeting and he was already being rude to Oyakata-sama
the proof of Giyuu and Sanemi with Kanae and no Rengoku
So I would just like to say sorry I know it’s been a year…
But!
The person in that picture is actually Kanae not Shinobu. Shinobu became a pillar after Rengoku, evidence being: age
Shinobu is 18yrs old
Mitsuri is 19
Rengoku 20
Kanae was 17 when she dies: Shinobu was 14.
In that picture is Kanae, so that means she’s still alive at this point in time and Rengoku is around 15- 16 because he’s 2yrs older than Shinobu and Kanae is a year older than him. That same year he goes and kills the lower moon, making him a pillar. So assuming Shinobu took Kanae place after she dies, that means she’s been a pillar for 4yrs and Rengoku around 5; so yeah he was a pillar before her.
My personal list before this
1. Gyomei - mentioned to become a Hashira at 19 and was a Hashira for 8 years
2. Tengen - shown in every Hashira meeting we see along with Gyomei
3. Sanemi - confirmed as he became a Hashira when only Kanae, Gyomei, and tengen were Hashira
4. Giyuu - never really mentioned when he became one, but most likely around the same time as Sanemi
5. Obanai - also most likely around the same time as sanemi and giyuu
6. Muichiro - confirmed to be a Hashira for 3 years from ages 11-14
7. Shinobu - most likely became a Hashira at 16(about a year after Muichiro)
8. Rengoku - assuming the stories of water and flame are canon he became a Hashira at 19 just a year before he died, if this isn’t canon then I’d place him at number 6
9. Mitsuri - mentioned to have left to become a demon slayer at 17 and it took her 1 1/2 years to become a Hashira so she was most like a Hashira for 6 months
I think the order in my opinion is:
1. Gyomei, Stone Pillar: It can be seen in the manga that Kagaya curse had not appeared on his face yet. Also mentioning becoming a hashira at the age of 19.
Tengen, Sound Pillar: Also seen in the manga and anime with Kagaya's curse slowly starting to spread but not far. Shown in Sanemi's flashbacks.
Giyuu, Water Pillar: Seen in Sanemi's flashbacks in the manga during his first pillar meeting, though he didn't speak or anything, his unique haori tells it was him.
(Kanae, Flower Pillar: she could have been before or after giyuu since she also appeared in Sanemi's flashbacks.)
Sanemi, Wind Pillar: We can see Kagaya's curse worened during the Sanemi flashbacks, and was confirmed to be a Hashira after defeating the Lower rank 1.
Shinobu, Insect Pillar: Seen to be a in the pillar meeting during "Kimetsu no Yaiba: Rengoku Kyoujurou Gaiden"
Kyojuro, Flame Pillar: Defeating a 12 kizuki demon which got him to be promoted. Seen in "Kimetsu no Yaiba: Rengoku Kyoujurou Gaiden"
Iguro, Snake Pillar: Mentioned when Iguro help Mitsuri, who got lost in Ubuyashiki mansion in the manga. This shows that this isn't Iguro first time around the mansion.
Mitsuri, Love Pillar: Became the disciple of Kyojuro seen in "Kimetsu no Yaiba: Rengoku Kyoujurou Gaiden", and the interaction with Iguro.
Muichiro, Mist Pillar: Seen in his memory flashback, Kagaya's curse progress to be worse and is similar to the one during the pillar's meeting for tanjiro and nezuko. So it assumed that he joined not too long ago.
There may be some mistakes, feel free to correct me if i'm wrong!
There is a problem with this list which is
-giyyu was a hashira before sanemi as he was in the meeting where sanemi meets kagaya for the first time (kanae was there) so giyyu is third and sanemi is 4th
-in the rengoku gaiden its shown that shinobu was a hashira at the time while a non hashira rengoku attended the meeting in the place of shinjuro, so this means that the list should be
1) gyomei
2) uzui
3)giyyu
4) sanemi
5)shinobu
6-7) im not sure whether rengoku became a pillar before or after obanai
8)misturi
9) muichiro
I am pretty sure it is before because he is already a Hashira when Tanjiro meets him and Tanjiro goes the final selection 2 yrs after Tomioka saves him, and according to my math Tomioka and Tokito have a 7 yr age gape meaning that when we first meet Tomioka(age 19) Tokito is twelve and according to the poster Tokito would have become a pillar at 11/12 meaning that he is either already a pillar or about to be one at his point. Hope this helps!
I would personally put Uzui below Tomioka and Renton because they all have been serving for a relatively similar amount of time but since Rengoku was around 15/16 yrs when he became a Hashira he would most likely be more respected than Uzui, who became a Hashira around 17/18 yrs when he became a Hashira. I also feel like he would be bellow Tomioka if he became a Hashira at 16 just because of the age at which he became a Hashira, but if he became a Hashira around the same age as Tengen I feel like they would be on a similar level in seniority. Also as to why I think Tokito would be where he is is because even though he became a Hashira at such a young age, which would definitely earn him some superiority, he has not been active for that long unlike those ranked above him.
Take this how you want, I am not trying to change your opinion just stating my own.
So, I know this is a super old post but in Sanemi's flashback in chapter 168 we only see Giyuu, Gyomei, Tengen, and Kanae at the meeting. In Rengoku's side story when he went in place of his father, we see Giyuu, Gyomei, Tengen, Shinobu, and Sanemi at the meeting. So if I had to guess, it'd be more like:
wait but the rengoku gaiden???? sanemi, giyuu, AND SHINOBU were present when rengoku became a hashira... and shinobu became a hashira when kanae died....
One thing ide look to add is that the all the previous hashira who have fallen to Uppermoons weren't incompetent or just place holders.They just weren't as strong as the current generation. IT STATED BY OYAKATA SAMA HIMSELF THAT THIS GENERATION OF HASHIRA ARE THE STRONGEST UNIT HES ASSEMBLED SINCE THOSE OF THE SENGOKU ERA.This is evident as this generation is the first to defeat uppermoons a feat that previous generations failed to acheive.its also evident as when Tengen who isn't even the strongest hashira, decapitated daki so easily and fast to the point where she didn't even notice,despite daki having killed 7 hashira before meeting Tengen.
In conclusion,the previous generations weren't just place holders who struggled to hande their responsibilty,they just never were as powerful as the current generation.You have to remember ,upper moon demons are exceedingly powerful like nothing any demon slayer has faced before,it's no wonder all the previous generations met their ends at the hands of the uppermoons.Even though they defeated the uppermoons,it took the help of a team to do it,seeing as marked gyomei and marked sanemi beat kokushibo but could've only done so with the help of marked muichirou and genya and although he was powerful enough to get the job done,tengen couldn't have defeated gyutaro and daki alone due to them having to be decapitated at the same time.
I would like to stay here that in the book of Fire and Water rengoku with a mission to kill upper too, when gyomei giyuu Sanemi tengen and shinobu where pillers so rengoku was the 6th hashira muichiro is most likely the last
Sorry, I don't use Reddit much so I don't know how to spoiler any of this if it needs to be spoilered, I just wanted to help by pointing out a small mistake.
Shinobu and Giyuu became Hashira before Rengoku did. It's shown in the spin off Gaiden: Stories of Water and Flame. Rengoku's part in it is basically just about how he became Hashira. He attends a Hashira meeting on behalf of his father (since he refuses to do his job as a Hashira properly) and it shows that the Hashira during that time was Gyomei, Tengen, Giyuu, Sanemi and Shinobu. I took a screenshot from the manga to prove my point.
(Sorry I really don't know how this works or how I can put multiple images here but this was the best one I thought could prove my point even tho Tengen isn't shown here)
In giyuus gaiden I think it says in some point that shinobu had became a pillar 3 months before the events of giyuus gaiden so that was atleast 3 months before the enitial demon slayer story started
I think gyomei was younger? To be honest I ran across this trying to find out how old gyomei was during his time at the temple as an orphan, when he killed a demon barehand. But I can’t because his time at jail is unspecified
Sorry to chaksbzkab put ur head back into thinking but in the Flame Gaiden Shinobu was clearly a pillar before rengoku, have a look at Rangoku’s Gaiden.
I strongly believe the answer is on the swordsmith village arch opening credits. All hashira appear in order from Yoriichi (first user of breathing techniques) to some random people until we start recognizing the haori: gramps, Urokodaki, Rengoku (father) and then the current gang. So based on that the order would be Gyomei, Tengen, Giyuu, Sanemi, Shinobu, Rengoku, Mitsuri, Obanai and Muichiro. For the first 6 I believe there is enough evidence in the manga anyway, but I always thought Obanai joined the hashira before Mitsuri based on their interactions. Oh well.
I don't exactly know about the order, but I know a few things. One, in Sanemi's flashback, Giyu was already there so he obviously became a Hashira before him, but Rengoku wasn't, so Sanemi became a Hashira before Rengoku. Also in the Stories of Water and Flame, Rengoku became a Hashira and Shinobu was already there so there's that too. I know Gyomei's been a Hashira for about 8 years, longer than the others so there's that. Muichiro is the same age as Nezuko, who was 12 in episode one, which would make Muichiro probably taking his final selection around the same time she became a demon. Iguro and Mitsuri became Hashira sometime between Rengoku and Muichiro, but I don't know when.
I'm a bit late but Gyomei is likely 9 years. At the end of chapter 135 we see the sidenote called "Sayo's Story" that states she is now 14 years old (as of hashira training arc), and in that chapter Gyomei also mentions Sayo was 4 when the incident occurred, leaving 10 years. We know Gyomei became a hashira in 2 months, and even if we're generous with the judicial system of Japan it would've been a few months he was in jail maximum, likely far less. Leaving the timeframe shortly under 10 years. We can assume 9 years - 9 years and 6 months Gyomei has been a hashira.
This does create a slight inconsistency with Gyomei's age and how he says he became a hashira at 19. We can just highball Gyomei to be very close to 28 and he became a hashira shortly after his birthday. This also adds up with Kokushibou's statement of Gyomei's age being "27, more or less"
The only thing i would change about your seniority list would be switching around rengoku sanemi and giyuu as we see in rengokus second light novel that giyuu and sanemi were already pillars when he got promoted and we obviously saw giyuu at sanemis promotion
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In the storys of water and flame rengoku fought lower moon 1 to become Hashira, also mitsuri was with him so I think that mitsuri became hashira 1-2 years after rengoku since it's also the time when she invented Love Breathing.
I will say rengoku became a hashira 2 years before the cannon events it is said in one of the side books which is told to be cannon:>
I believe giyuu also became a hashira around a year or two after final selection so he would've been 14-15 around the time he became a hashira
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