The upcoming season of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba will delve deeper into the character of Tengen Uzui— the Sound Piller of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Known as the most flamboyant out of his brethren, Uzui attracts attention for his loud character design and eccentric personality (he once got excited imagining how dramatic it would be if Tanjiro’s blood vessels exploded). However, just like every other Demon Slayer character, there’s much more to him than meets the eye.
Today, let’s look into Tengen’s character and answer questions like, is he the strongest Hashira? Why does he have three wives? What are his strengths and breathing forms?
Who Is Tengen Uzui?
Tengen Uzui in Demon Slayer Season 2
Tengen Uzui is one of the nine pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps and a major supporting character in the Demon Slayer series. He’s popular among the audience as the Sound Hashira due to his explosive “breath of sound” technique and is one of the major characters in the Entertainment District arc.
Though he displays a forceful and borderline insane personality, Tengen nurtures a very caring and compassionate side. However, it’s reserved for the people he treasures the most (mainly his three wives: Suma, Hinatsuru and Makio).
What's Tengen Uzui's Past?
Tengen was born to a family of shinobis. His father put him and his siblings through harsh training and had them kill each other to weed out the weaker ones. By the time Tengen realized he’d killed his own blood, 7 of his siblings were dead, and only him and his little brother remained.
Their father taught them not to feel remorse, saying that it was okay for the stronger ones to step on innocent lives if it was for the sake of advancing in life. Tengen was appalled to learn that his brother agreed with his father and didn’t regret killing his siblings.
Unable to stand himself or his clan, Tengen severed his ties to his family and left to become a Demon Slayer.
How Strong Is Tengen Uzui? Is He The Strongest Hashira?
How Strong Is Tengen Uzui?
Tengen isn’t the strongest Hashira. Despite his skills with the swords, he’s generally considered a lower/medium tier Hashira. This is partially due to the fact that Tengen never awakened his Demon Slayer Mark, putting him behind most of the pillars.
This doesn’t undermine him, though, not in the ways that matter. Tengen’s skills may not rival Rengoku or Himejima — both of whom are capable of holding out against an Upper Three demon — but he’s still strong enough to have won against an Upper Six rank. It cost him an eye and a limb, yes, but he won.
If the fight had been against a demon from lower ranks (Upper Twelve instead of Six), Tengen could’ve won fairly easily.
Besides, Uzui does have certain advantages in a fight. His shinobi lineage meant that he’d spent hours in the training room from a very young age. This granted him a vigorous amount of endurance (he fought two Upper Six demons despite being poisoned to the extent that would’ve killed anyone else on the spot). Other advantages also included precision with his swords, as well as unrivalled speed.
There’s a reason they call him the best swordsman and the fastest Hashira of his generation, after all.
Tengen Uzui’s Abilities And Techniques:
Tengen Uzui Abilities And Techniques
Tengen’s Sound Breathing Style:
Tengen Uzui using Sound Breathing Style
Tengen uses his explosive Nichirin Cleavers to generate slashes over a wide area at the speed of sound. The speed makes it impossible for his opponent to react, and the explosions from the swords land instant death. This is a technique unique to Tengen, and so far, no one but the Sound Hashira has been able to use it.
Musical Score:
Tengen developed this technique to work in conjunction with his Sound Breathing. He translates the rhythm of his enemies attacks into mental sheet music and uses it to predict and counter his enemies’ moves.
Enhanced Hearing & Echolocation:
Uzui possesses a heightened sense of sound, allowing him to locate and determine the number of enemies from afar. During the Yuukaku-hen arc, Tengen used echolocation to analyze the sounds reflected off the captives’ bodies and managed to locate the exact position of the battle.
Immense Strength:
Tengen’s physical built grants him super strength. In fact, in terms of physicality, he’s considered the second strongest, with only Himejima surpassing him.
Stealth:
Thanks to his affiliation to sound and former shinobi training, Tengen can move from one place to another without disturbing the air. His stealth gives him a significant advantage against demons, who rely on their senses to sense enemy attacks. This was what allowed him to sneak up on Daki and slice her head off without her noticing.
Why Does Tengen Uzui Have Three Wives?
Tengen Uzui with his wives
Tengen was born in a clan that practised polygyny, and at the age of 15, he was required to take three wives chosen by his father. When Tengen left the clan, his wives followed him into his life as a Demon Slayer, and the four of them have worked together as a team ever since.
Tengen has made it clear, time and time again, that he prioritizes nothing over the safety of his wives— not his mission, or his role as a Demon Slayer, or even himself. He urges them to do the same, telling them that they must choose their lives first, then the lives of respectable humans, and lastly himself.
No matter how careless he may seem, Tengen loves his wives fiercely and has proven that he’d go to any lengths to protect them.
Comically, each one of his wives shares a similar personality to the leading trio. Suma is known to be overdramatic and extremely scared of danger, much like Zenitsu. Hinatsuru, like Tanjiro, is calm, patient, and a very kind person. Makio, with her bold and headstrong personality, is like Inosuke.
Does Tengen Uzui Have Children?
Tengen Uzui doing Zenitsu's makeup to disguise him as a girl
Tengen doesn’t have any children or an heir. However, after bonding with Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke, he considers them his adopted children. With his retirement, he can’t stick around them and take on the role of a father like he might’ve, but he’s still proud of them and vows to be there for them, should they need it.
Does Tengen Uzui Die?
Though he loses an arm and an eye, Tengen Uzui doesn’t die in the Yuukaku-hen arc. Instead, he chooses to retire from his role as Hashira and live peacefully with his wives. He still makes a couple of appearances in the later arcs, so it’s unlikely this will be the last time we see him.
