Temple Demon - Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer)

The Temple Demon first debuted in Episode 2 of the anime series and he is voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa in Japanese, and Ben Diskin in the English dub version of the television show. One of the first demons to appear in Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer), Tanjiro and Nezuko come across him during their journey to Sagiri Mountain. The Demon had been attacking travelers taking shelter at a small temple towards the path to Sagiri Mountain. One of the villagers mentions that it is dangerous for them to travel at night, as people have gone missing in the area. The Temple Demon is a territorial Demon, warning Tanjiro to stay away from his feeding ground. However he smells different from the Demon that murdered his family, Tanjiro decides to kill him for the sake of protecting others. During this fight a man in a tengu mask appears. After subduing the Temple Demon on a tree with a hatchet, he decides whether to finish him off. However due to his gentle nature, Tanjiro is unable to make the finishing blow. The Temple demon burns at the first peak of sunrise due to his weakness to sunlight.

“This is my territory, If you touch my prey.. I will not forgive you.”
—The Temple Demon to Tanjiro, Episode 2

Appearance

The Temple Demon is a male demon that has pale, ash gray pigmented skin with two green stripes around both of his biceps and legs. Bloodshot in the eyes, and black pupils with no irises. He has spiky shoulder-length murky green hair with bangs parted at the center. Common to demons, he possesses fangs and sharp nails. The Temple Demon was seen wearing a sleeveless, blue tunic attire with a fancy black and white design around his exposed chest. Also wears multiple bracelets on his wrists and ankles.

Synopsis

Passing by the shrine, Tanjiro and Nezuko smell blood and run over to open the door. Thinking someone was injured, he calls inside to see if all is well. The Demon turns to the siblings shocked to find a Demon feeding on several dead men lying on the ground. As the demon stands up, he wonders if the two are human and has no hesitation in striking Tanjiro as soon as the last light flicks out. Pinning him to the floor, the Demon vows that he will snap the neck of Tanjiro.

Nezuko is overwhelmed by the sight of human blood, while trying to control herself. Eventually coming to her senses in a timely manner, Nezuko runs to support her brother by kicking the Temple Demon in the head with demonic strengthened muscles enough to behead him.

Tanjiro assumes the Demon died from the attack, but when the decapitated body reaches for him this is proved to be false. Nezuko pushes the body away quickly but the body gets up again, catches Nezuko and throws her back into the woods. In the meantime the head of the Temple Demon produces two arms from the side of the head and runs toward Tanjiro grasping and latching onto him. While grappling onto the hatchet, Tanjiro stuns the demon by headbutting him and throws the hatchet towards a tree. The hatchet with the Temple Demon’s hair still wrapped tightly around the handle, gets wedged in the trunk of the tree, immobilizing the Demon.

Meanwhile Nezuko is fighting the body of the Demon next to a large cliff. Soon after, Tanjiro reaches the two of them fighting and tackles the body off the cliff sacrificing himself in order to save Nezuko. Going to reach Tanjiro's haori and grabbing it in time, Tanjiro is spared from crashing to death. All head to the temple where a mysterious man in a Tengu mask who witnesses the fighting, greets them. Even in this circumstance Tanjiro sympathizes with the Demon and tries to devise the least painful strategy. Whether it's Tanjiro's goodness or because his determination is too weak, by morning he did not finish off the Demon corroding at the break of dawn.

Abilities

Demon Abilities - Being a demon, the temple demon displays basic ability of enhanced strength, speed, and regeneration. However comes at the cost of being very weak against sunlight and needing human blood to survive.
Strength - Pinning Tanjiro to the ground the Temple Demon is easily able to overwhelm him when it comes to pure brute strength. Tearing off limbs this Demon mainly uses brute force to solve conflicts.
Speed - The Temple Demon leaps at foes whenever he has the chance. Able to move from one location to the other faster than a normal human would.
Shapeshift - Has shown the ability to grow new limbs from different parts of his body, sprouting two arms out of his head after being decapitated. These arms are used as a means of transporting his head and also for offensive purposes.
Body Control - Able to control his decapitated body remotely. In order to fight against Tanjiro and Nezuko, he controls his body to attack while also fighting with only his head at the same time. Also to an extent also able to manipulate his hair when in battle, which was used to restrain Tanjiro’s hatchet. Although the body and head are not literally attached, hurting the body also affects the head after the body takes a huge fall from the top of a cliff.
Regeneration - After Tanjiro slashes open the temple Demon’s throat. The Demon is shown easily regenerating the flesh wound within seconds. He is also able to move his body around after being fully decapitated. However after the body “dies”, the Demon blacks out for a long period of time to recover.

Links

Demon Slayer Manga Volume 1
Official English Website
Official Japanese Website
Official Twitter