Hantengu - Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer)
Hantengu (半天狗 Hantengu) is one of the Twelve Demon Moons, and held the position of Upper Moon Four before he was killed and replaced by Nakime in the Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer) series. Hantengu's main body has the form of an old man who seems to be in a constant state of fear. He is always seen shivering or hunched over trying to hide from something. He has two horns protruding from his head and between the horns is a large lump bigger than the size of a fist. He has slanted eyes and eyebrows that further highlight his droopy eyes making him look frightened. He has many lines of his face which make him look like a wrinkled old man, his hairline, starting from the back of his head enforcing this demeanor. Hantengu wears a kimono, half plain black and the other half with a complex flower pattern. The designs are flipped when it goes past his striped obi.
"This is quite terrifying. Gyokko has forgotten how to count during our long absence."
—Hantengu to Akaza and Gyokko, Demon Slayer Chapter 98
Profile
- Race: Demon
- Age: 100+years (mentally)
- Race: Demon
- Manga Debut: Chapter 98
- Status: Deceased
History
When Hantengu was a human he committed many crimes. He stole from people and murdered them but claimed that he was innocent and that he didn't commit any crimes. He pretended to be blind and blamed his hands and that he, himself was uninvolved showing that he was mentally unstable even as a human. He was eventually captured for his crimes and sentenced to death despite him stating that he was innocent. His objections were silenced when he was threatened to cut off his hands that were the culprits of his crimes. While imprisoned he was approached by Muzan Kibutsuji who offered to help him and turned him into a Demon. After becoming a demon, he kills the official who had imprisoned him. While the official was about to die he told Hantengu that he will be punished for his sins in the future no matter what. Later, he is seen at the blacksmiths village with Gyokko to investigate. He fights the Demon Slayers present and continues to claim he is innocent despite the fact he killed many humans to gain the position of Upper Moon Four. He almost manages to escape from the Demon Slayers but is caught and killed by Tanjiro Kamado but before he fully dies he reports to Muzan Kibutsuji about Nezuko's immunity to sunlight.
Personality
Hantengu has many different personalities due to his Blood Demon Arts. His main form has a very fearful personality, always hiding and acting scared of his surroundings. Due to paranoia he believes the whole world is out to get him and thinks of himself as innocent. The rest of his personalities are based on the Japanese Four Primal Emotions (喜怒哀楽).
- Sekido (積怒 Anger) - The personification of Hantengu's anger. This form is in a constant state of animosity.
- Karaku (可楽 Joy) - The most relaxed and laid back of Hantengu's clones.
- Aizetsu (哀絶 Sorrow) - This form is always dejected and negative and he constantly described everything as being depressing.
- Urogi (空喜 Pleasure) - The most joyful personality and thinks of the battle against the Demon Slayers as a game.
- Zohaukten (憎珀天 Hate) - This personality was easy to enrage and was incredibly spiteful and hateful towards his enemies, deeming them as ‘evil’ for attacking his ‘innocent’ self.
- Urami (恨み Resentment) - The most hypocritical and delusional personality and is the embodiment of Hantengu's resentment due to him being punished for crimes that he stated he didn’t commit.
Skills and Abilities
- Enhanced Stealth: Hantengu is very skilled in hiding his presence as a Demon. He was able to sneak into the blacksmith village without being detected and even made it inside a house. Although Tanjiro Kamado and Muichiro Tokito both noticed there was someone nearby they didn't recognise it as a Demon despite Tanjiro Kamado’s enhanced sense of smell.
- Blood Demon Art (血鬼術 Kekkijutsu): Demons of the Four Primal Emotions (喜怒哀楽の鬼): Hantengu can split into several different forms, each with their own personalities and powers. Each form is based on one of the four primal emotions joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure identified by a kanji on their tongue.
- Hantengu (怯 Fear): Hantengu’s main form. It is a smaller version of the original body and is his core. This body has incredible durability, making it hard to penetrate his flesh.
- Sekido (積怒 Anger): This form makes a shakujo he conjures lightning and thunder attacks which are powerful enough to completely paralyze demon slayers.
- Karaku (可楽 Joy): This form creates a Tengu fan which he uses to create powerful gushes of wind capable of easily leveling an entire building and blowing people far far away.
- Aizetsu (哀絶 Sorrow): This form can make a long spear that can then extend and shrink at will making powerful simultaneous thrust attacks
- Urogi (空喜 Pleasure) : This form is shaped like a harpy Demon with wings and bird talons, it can produce powerful sonic screams from his mouth.
- Zohakuten (憎珀天 Hatred) : The most powerful form of Hantengu. It is formed by Sekido after forcibly absorbing all the other clones: Karaku, Aizetsu and Urogi. This clone can create a five headed wooden dragons to attack his opponents. The wooden dragon heads are able to produce the attacks and powers of the other forms.
- Karmic Wood of Avici : Zohakuten unleashes his Wooden Dragons towards his opponents, making them rapidly grow bigger and making their heads multiply as they rush towards his opponent. In Buddhism, Avīci or Avici is the lowest level of the Naraka or "hell" realm.
- Urami (恨み Resentment): A larger, more physically powerful version of his ‘core’ Hantengu (怯 Fear) with its main purpose being a living armor used to hide Hantengu's true body inside its heart.