The Horrific Kokushibo Sword: A Katana Made of Flesh

The nichirin swords of Demon Slayer dominated the cosplay scene for the years following the anime show’s release. These Demon Slayer swords mostly belong to the heroes of the show, such as Tanjiro Kamado and his hashira friends, Kyojuro Rengoku and Giyu Tomioka. However, a select and memorable few are owned by followers of the demon king.

One of these swords is Kokushibo’s flesh katana. Where other swords on the show are themed after breathing styles, Kokushibo’s flesh sword is not as it belongs to the fearsome Upper Moon known for its ability to absorb human and demon flesh.

Who Is Kokushibo?

Kokushibo is a human-turned-demon who was revealed in the manga to be the brother of the first Sun Breathing practitioner, Yoriichi Tsugikuni. When he was still human, Kokushibo was known as Michikatsu Tsugikuni, the heir of a powerful house. Because he wasn’t deformed with a birthmark and was the elder twin, their parents favored Michikatsu heavily and neglected Yoriichi until he proved to be a great swordsman capable of defeating Michikatsu’s own teacher.

Yoriichi’s skills with the samurai sword prompted his father to ignore Michikatsu, sending him down a dark path to join Muzan and becoming one of the Upper Rank demons. Muzan not only chose him for his personal strength, but also to torment Yoriichi with the image of the brother he could not save.

Michikatsu, now known as Kokushibo, becomes powerful enough to master all 16 forms of Moon breathing. 

Kokushibo Katana Powers From Kimetsu No Yaiba

Kokushibo is renowned for being a hashira killer hence he poses a serious threat to even powerful hashira like Shinobu Kocho and Sanemi Shinazugawa. The Kokushibo Sword forms part of why he is so powerful as it gives him a deadly tool that can quickly adapt to anyone’s fighting style and responses in a duel. 

1. It’s a Manifestation of Kokushibo’s Ability to Absorb Flesh

Kokushibo’s sword has the most unsettling appearance in the show as its hilt contains numerous eyes and the blade seems to pulsate with flesh. This is because it is made of real flesh and is capable of absorbing the flesh of others. When a victim is cut with the sword, they are likely to immediately lose their limbs and grow weaker from the process, as if it had absorbed their vitality as well.

2. The Sword Can Change Its Size and Shape

Because the sword is implied to be organic, it can be changed to suit Kokushibo’s needs at any given time. Its length and size can be altered so that enemies can’t escape the sword’s swings easily no matter how fast and far they dodge. This makes the blade extremely difficult to defend against.

3. The Sword Can Grow Blades On Itself

The Kokushibo sword can expand out of its own blade, branching into multiple blades that are attached to the main blade of the sword. This creates a terrifying, almost tree-like blade made of flesh that is designed to destroy and horrify its enemies.

Our Kokushibo Katana Replica Recommendation

The Kokushibo sword is able to change appearance which is why its replicas tend to vary between its “retracted” and “expanded” blade designs. Replicas made of bamboo and plastic are likelier to have that branching flesh blade appearance, but this quality carbon steel replica keeps things classic.

This sword replica features a blade, handle, crossguard, and saya decorated with eyes just as the original show from the anime and manga are. This makes for a rather unsettling look, despite the sword’s otherwise traditional appearance. The blade and scabbard are painted in pink and violet details, reminding onlookers of the color of uncooked flesh. 

• Material: Carbon Steel
• Length: 102 cm

Conclusion

Although not as popular as Zenitsu or Inosuke’s nichirin swords, the Kokushibo sword from Demon Slayer is no doubt the most visually distinct because of its horrifically themed design. Underneath its terrifying appearance, the sword hides nods to its owners human ties and remaining humanity, as seen when Kokushibo seems to take pity on his descendant Muichiro for cutting off his hand. 

Replicas of the Kokushibo sword tend to vary depending on the state of the sword that they try to copy, but our pick is one of the best ones in terms of value online.