Kinoe refers to the highest rank an ordinary member of the demon slayer corps can attain within the organization. Konoes are part of the extermination team, which are the combatants designated to exterminate demons as part of the frontliners.
The Kinoe Rank
Kinoes have the highest authority among Demon Slayers after the Hashiras. And since the Hashiras have the second highest authority, while the members of the Ubayashiki family members are the first, the Kinoe is third in command.
They are considered the right hand of the Hashiras and have the authority to give orders to anyone lower than the Konoe rank.
Everyone can become a Kinoe as long as they have the skill and the loyalty to fulfill their roles. Certain achievements need to be achieved to rank up into Kinoe. The Hashiras have several Kinoes under their wing, and each Kinoe handles several Demon Slayers.
Demon Slayer Ranking
There are nine ranks an exterminator Demon Slayer has to go through before reaching the Kinoe rank.
Mizunoto → Mizunoe → Kanoto → Kanoe → Tsuchinoto → Tsuchinoe → Hinoto → Hinoe → Kinoto → Kinoe
After a candidate for Demon Slayer completes training from the cultivator, the candidate is then subject to the final selection, wherein they will have to kill a demon and survive until the final day of selection. Only those who survive the final selection without severe injuries that will hinder their demon-slaying task are allowed to enter the Demon Slayer corps.
Once admitted to the Demon Slayer Corps, the demon slayer then attains the Mizunoto rank, which is the lowest rank among the combatants. Each demon slayer has to work his way up to the ranking. The longer you survive as a demon slayer, the more assignments he will complete, which can result in more achievements and experience.
At the time Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zinetsu were assigned to the red-light district in the Entertainment District Arc, the three were already in Kanoe rank. Even though they are still new at being a demon slayer, their achievements pushed them up to rank, having to deal with lower moon rank demons in their previous assignments.
Kanao, on the other hand, was ranked Tsuchinoto at the time Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zinets were Kanoe rank.
And although Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zinetsu, and Kanao have ranks in the Demon Slayer Corps, they also have a special title that makes them above among their ranks that even the highest rank, Kinoe, couldn’t achieve. Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zinetsu, and Kanao are officially disciples of Hashiras called Tsuguko.
As a Tsuguko, they have special privileges that ordinary rank-and-file demon slayer doesn’t have. Check out our other article, “Tsuguko Meaning Demon Slayer,” to find out more about the term Tsuguko in the Demon Slayer universe.
The Elite Rank
The most elite rank of the combatant member of the Demon Slayer corps is the Hashira, and they are a group of strongest Demon Slayers in the entire Demon Slayer fighting force. The Hashiras are considered the masters of breathing styles, and they are admired by all members of the Demon Slayer corps in spite of their quirks and peculiar personalities.
“Hashira” literally means pillars. They serve as the primary foundation that holds the organization together.
While the Hashiras are replaceable –especially when they are killed in battle or unable anymore to fulfill their duties—they are an important part of the Demon Slayer Corps, and it is imperative that they are immediately replaced should their number decline.
To find out more about the Hashiras, check out our article Hashira Meaning Demon Slayer, for an in-depth discussion.
An Exclusive Rank
There is also a special rank in the entire Demon Slayer corps that cannot be replaced just by any member of the organization. The position is passed on through the bloodline and is exclusive to the head of the Ubayashiki household.
The Ubayashiki clan is the family that started the crusade against demons. Their goal is not only to save humanity from being overrun by demons but also to save their bloodline from the curse incurred by having a demon in their family in the past.
According to a priest, the demon in their family is the reason why the Ubayashiki bloodline is cursed which prevents them from living long.
As an intervention to lessen the effect of the curse, the priests give them wives; as a result, the curse has only primarily affected the male members of the bloodline and extended the male members’ lives to up to 30 years old.
You can also check our article “Kibutsuji Meaning Demon Slayer” to find out more about the Ubayashiki clan and their relationship to Muzan Kibutsuji.
Contributor
Article by John Salinas.
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