A Demon Slayer is a person who simply hunts down and kills demons for the government. Each family of slayers has a special ability that gives them the power to destroy demons.
It is unknown how Demon Slayers work in other countries besides Japan.
Japan's 12 Demon-Slayer Families[]
Japan has amassed a wide base of demon slayers having twelve families working to rid Japan of its "Ayakashi" demons since the Edo period. However, less than half of the original families are even active.
Tsuchimikado Family[]
- Rank: 1st
- Current Head: Aiji Tsuchimikado
- Status: Active
- Ability: Cosmology-Abe Style
- Description: An esoteric cosmology family trained in the Abe style and renowned as the strongest demon-slayer family. Unlike the Jingujis, they're shrouded in mystery to hid their activities.
Kamizakura Family[]
- Rank: 2nd
- Current Head: N/A
- Status: Inactive
- Ability: Shinto Charms & Curses
Superhuman Abilities - Description: This family uses ancient Shinto charms and curses. After the Great War, they saw their superhuman abilities as a threat and sealed them away. After that, they faded into obscurity.
Kagamimori Family[]
- Rank: 3rd
- Current Head: Kasuri Kagamimori
- Status: Active
- Ability: Sealing magic
- Description: This family makes use of ancient Shinto mirror-guard procedures and magic sealing. They are the only family who does not "exterminate" their adversaries so much as "seal" them away. Only a shrine maiden with "Beast Eyes" can head the family.
Kogetsukyou Family[]
- Rank: 4th
- Current Head: N/A
- Status: Extinct
- Ability: Curses
- Description: Sprung from the ancient forbidden arts, this family specialized in mortal curses and treatments. They're one of the two families that were part of the German Ahnenerbe society.
Houjou Family[]
- Rank: 5th
- Current Head: N/A
- Status: Inactive, Possibly Extinct
- Ability: Electromagnet magic
- Description: This family could manipulate electromagnetic waves, but since the concept of electricity was a fairly recent one, they instead called themselves "Thunder Masters". At the start of the showa period, a mysterious explosion decimated both their estate and all the members of the family. However, there is speculation that they brought about their own demise through research and development gone wrong.
Amakawa Family[]
- Rank: 6th
- Current Head: Yuto Amakawa
- Status: Inactive/Defected
- Ability: Light Ferry
- Description: They possess the Light Ferry, which can augment an object's given power as well as seal away magic powers. Though they rank sixth, they were looked down upon by the other families for their association with ayakashi like the Bakeneko. Though they lost the other families' trust and respect because of the association, their reputation was mended after the War when they came to be seen as model examples of the coexistence between ayakashi and humans. The family power is inherited through the males. Due to the Amakawa's belief in coexistence, the family has been seen as a safe haven for ayakashi. Working under the Amakawa's give them protection from the other families so the Amakawas have a vast amount of ayakashi partners. The Amakawa returned to the Demon-Slayer association but when their ayakashi partners were mistreated, Yuto chose to leave the organization just as soon as he rejoined.
Karasu Family[]
- Rank: 7th
- Current Head: N/A
- Status: Inactive, Possibly Extinct
- Ability: Magic Swordsmanship
- Description: This family only battled demons through swordsmanship. At the height of the Edo period, they challenged the demons with the temporarily revived "Nine-Tails", but it backfired on them, and they perished.
Jibashiri Family[]
- Rank: 8th
- Current Head: N/A
- Status: Inactive, Nearly Extinct
- Ability: Earth magic
- Description: This family harbored the energy of the earth within their bodies and boasted supernatural strength. It is said that they would accept any commission so long as it had an award waiting for them at the end. They joined the battle as lower-ranked officers and died on the mainland. They are an extinct line, though there is speculation that a tiny offshoot of the family survives. The Jibashiri were known for being called "barbarians" and berserk. Ranka Mikari is the only known person that has strong enough blood ties to the Jibashiri to awaken as a demon-slayer.
Homura Family[]
- Rank: 9th
- Current Head: N/A
- Status: Extinct
- Ability: Fire magic
- Description: This family could freely manipulate fire at will. They were the other family affiliated with the German Ahnenerbe society during the Great War. The two affiliated houses both died during the battle and became extinct.
Hiiragi Family[]
- Rank: 10th
- Current Head: N/A
- Status: Inactive/Retired
- Ability: Wind magic
- Description: The family that controlled wind and excelled in martial arts. At the start of the upheaval between the warring starts, they were to close the gates to Hell with the help of the other families, though they ended up losing the head of their family to the darkness. After that, they quietly retired without producing any powerful offspring.
Yakouin Family[]
- Rank: 11th
- Current Head: Hitsugi Yakouin
- Status: Active
- Ability: Psychic Powers
- Description: This family can see into the future and process information very quickly however, it can cause sensory overload from loss of brain cells, resulting in death, so they keep their demon-slayer duties to a minimum.
Jinguji Family[]
- Rank: 12th
- Current Head: Kuesu Jinguji
- Status: Active
- Ability: Black Magic
- Description: On unfriendly terms with the other Demon Slayer families, as the Jinguji family was looked down upon by them and the ayakashi as the lowest-class for using Western magic. The Amakawa Family was the only Demon Slayers who didn't look down to them. Because they were one of the higher-ranking families, the Jinguji tried to make allies with them through marriage.
References[]
