Demon Slayer: What are the criteria to become a Pillar?

The Pillars, or Hashiras, are the nine most powerful and renowned members of the Demon Slayers. But the anime never fully explains how someone can achieve this position.

In the Demon Slayer Corps, Hashira’s status is the highest. And few of the elected officials obtain the title. Elite soldiers standing out for their formidable skills, they protect the weakest and do not hesitate to confront the most dangerous demons for the good of humanity.

Demon Slayer, however, never openly mentions the conditions for achieving this particular status. We therefore know neither when nor how the current Pillars reached their position. But there are many requirements to become a Hashira and take on all the responsibilities that come with the title.

Warning: this article contains (mild) spoilers from season 4 of Demon Slayer.

How can a Demon Slayer become a Hashira?

The candidate for the title of Pillar must be among the most powerful swordsmen in the Corps of Slayers, otherwise he will not have access to training. Two techniques are known to date for obtaining the coveted title, and both are extremely difficult.

tengen uzui pilier son demon slayer — crunchyroll

The first is to kill at least 50 demons, or a member of the Twelve Moons of Muzan. The second method requires the approval of a Pillar already in place, who will agree to take the Slayer under his wing, making him a tsuguko, or an assistant learning the trade at his side. The tsuguko will only be able to inherit the title upon the death of the Pillar. In any case, each of the two paths requires around five years of relentless training.

Obviously, there are exceptions: some prodigies may only need two or three years to reach the position of Hashiras. We can also mention two geniuses, Muichiro Tokito and Gyomei Himejima, who managed to access the positions of the Pillars of Mist and Rock only two months after becoming Slayers.

Season 4 of Demon Slayer will reveal more about the universe of the Slayers and especially the Pillars: see you in April 2024 to discover the rest of the anime!