Kanae Kocho
Kanji
胡蝶 カナエ
Rōmaji
Kochō Kanae
Characteristics
Race
Human
Gender
Female
Age
17
Affiliation
Affiliation
Demon Slayer Corps
Occupation
Demon Slayer
Flower Hashira
Combat Style
Flower Breathing
Debuts
Anime Debut
Episode 24
Manga Debut
Chapter 50 (Mentioned)
Bonus Manga (Full Appearance)
Portrayal
Japanese VA
Ai Kayano
English VA
Bridget Hoffman
"Once you decide to defeat a demon, defeat it. Once you decide to win, win. Win, whatever the cost. You made that promise with Kanao and me, didn't you?"
-Kanae Kocho to Shinobo Kochu in Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho
Kanae Kocho (胡蝶 カナエ Kochō Kanae) was a Demon Slayer and the late Flower Hashira (花柱Hana Bashira). She was slain several years prior to the present story. She is also the biological older sister of Shinobu Kocho and the adoptive older sister of Kanao Tsuyuri.
Appearance
Kanae was a girl of a slender build, much like her younger sister, who was rather tall for her age and had notably red lips in contrast to her pale complexion. She had long, straight, black hair that reached just below her waist, worn down with two shorter clumps over her shoulders, and arched, ear-length bangs on either side of her face. Her eyes were a pale violet and slanted towards the sides of her face, bright and bug-like, with many notable white sparkles reflecting light off of them.
Kanae wore a purple-tinted version of the standard Demon Slayer uniform, as well as a piece of black fabric around her calves and zōri with pale straps. She also sported a pair of green and pink butterfly hairpins that she wore adorned on either side of her head - one of which was later used by her adoptive younger sister, Kanao Tsuyuri, as a memento. She also wore the white butterfly-patterned haori that fades to mint green then pink toward the cuff and hem, which Shinobu Kocho now wears in the present.
Personality
Kanae is shown to be a good-natured girl with an easygoing personality; in Shinobu and Kanao's flashbacks, she is almost always seen with a gentle smile on her face. When Sanemi Shinazugawa lashed out against their leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, she displayed concern for Kagaya and gently informed Sanemi how Kagaya truly cares for the Demon Slayers under his charge. Kanae also had a dream of someday being able to live peacefully alongside demons despite all the suffering and death they have inflicted on humans, which later inspired Shinobu to do the same. However, Kanae had a much stricter side, as shown when Shinobu was on the verge of defeat during her battle with Doma. Kanae's spirit ordered her to stand up and face her opponent, brushing away the excuses forming in her mind that she was too delicate to take on demons. Kanae was also keenly observant, seeing through Doma's acting and lies, and deducing that he was in fact emotionless and empty. According to Kanao, Kanae felt sorry for him due to his emptiness, even though he mortally wounded her.
History
The Kocho sisters lived a peaceful, privileged life with their wealthy and loving parents, who continuously doted on and cared for them. Growing up wanting for nothing, the two sisters were content with their simple life together. However, this all came crashing down when a demon attacked their home. Their parents tried to protect the two but were slaughtered before their daughters' eyes. They would have been next, but they were saved by the timely arrival of Gyomei Himejima, who killed the demon immediately before it could kill either of them. After these traumatic events, the two sisters made a promise to both join the Demon Slayer Corps to stop the demons from inflicting the same horror and pain they experienced on others. Both of them soon became successful Demon Slayers after completing their training and developing their own Breathing Styles.
At some point down the line, Kanae became the Flower Hashira. She was present at Sanemi's first Hashira meeting, looking at him in alarm when he rudely confronts their leader. When Kagaya mentions Masachika Kumeno by name, Kanae informs the surprised Sanemi that Kagaya made a point to memorize the names and backgrounds of each Demon Slayer who died in combat.
One day, while traveling through a village, Kanae took notice of a little girl being dragged along by a leash by a man. Even though the girl was nameless, dirty, and didn't speak, Kanae approached her and attempted to convince the man who purchased her to let her go. When he demanded money in compensation, Shinobu flung money in the air, grabbed the rope he released, and ran off with the girl. They then took her to the Butterfly Mansion, adopted her, and named her Kanao. When the girl proved unresponsive without orders, Kanae gave her a coin to flip to help her make decisions until she could make decisions on her own.
Some years later, Kanae ran into the Upper Rank 2 of the Twelve Kizuki, Doma. She was fatally wounded during the encounter, but he was forced to flee from the rising sun before he could devour her. As she lay dying in Shinobu's arms, she tries to convince her sister to leave the Demon Slayer Corps to live a normal life, but her sister is dead set on avenging her. With the last of her strength, Kanae described Doma to Shinobu before succumbing to her wounds.
Abilities
Overall Abilities: During her time as a Demon Slayer, Kanae was a Flower Breathing user that was skilled enough to hold the position of the Flower Hashira, a position only reserved for Demon Slayers who have slain one of the Twelve Kizuki or have successfully battled and slain at least 50 demons, further implying her immense skill and natural born talents. Unlike her younger sister, Shinobu, who lacks the strength to cut off a demon's head due to her small body and thus compensated by using a uniquely-designed Nichirin Sword to mix her poisons and created a sword style focusing on stabbing and inflicting multiple wounds in her targets to fatally poison them, Kanae wielded an ordinary-looking blade. A further testament to Kanae's strength is that she was able to battle Upper Rank Two, Doma, until sunrise, showing that although she was incapable of defeating him and was fatally injured in the end, she was at least able to battle him to a standstill.
Fighting Style
Master Swordsman: As a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Shinobu is one of the most powerful and skilled swordswoman in the entire organization. Her fighting style is incredibly unique, but as effective as traditional swordsmanship styles. Shinobu's swordplay specializes in sword thrusting and piercing techniques in order to inject poison into demons. Her sword thrusts are so fast and powerful that they can pierce boulders and out-speed Water Breathing's Drop Ripple Thrust form, the fastest thrusting technique in that Breathing Style. However, the structure of her sword makes it ineffective for blocking attacks, so she makes up for it with her swift thrusts and stabs. Her swordsmanship prowess allowed her to go against Upper Rank Two, Doma, who has lived and fought for over a century, further showcasing her brilliant sword wielding skill.
Swordsmanship
Flower Breathing (花の呼吸 Hana no kokyū): A Breathing Style Kanae mastered well enough to go toe to toe with Upper Rank Two, Doma.