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Yahaba (矢 (や) 琶 (は) 羽 (ば) , Yahaba^?), also known as the Arrow Demon (矢 (や) 鬼 (おに) , Ya oni^?), was a Demon who aspired to join Muzan Kibutsuji's Twelve Kizuki.

Appearance

Yabaha was a young man of an average build with pale, gray-tinted skin and very short black hair. He had red, cat-like eyes that he normally kept shut, as well as another pair of pale-ringed orange eyes on the palms of his hands, a red upward-pointing arrow marked on each of the irises and the sclera a of glowing dark green color.

Yabaha wore a plain olive-green yukata with a brown sash and a dark gray haori, decorated by a strip of green that ran down his arms from his shoulders to his wrists. He also sported white socks and a pair of brown, black-laced sandals, along with a necklace of large blue pearls.

Personality

Yahaba was a loyal Demon who served only to please his leader, Muzan Kibutsuji. Like Susamaru, he desired Muzan's approval and the chance to become one of the Twelve Kizuki.^[1] While he had a sadistic personality,^[2] Yahaba prefered to do things in a clean and mature manner; he disliked Susamaru's immature attitude and hated getting himself dirtied.^[3]

Even in death, Yahaba regretted being unable to win Muzan's approval and desired only to vindictively slay Tanjiro Kamado for rubbing his face in the ground.^[4]

Synopsis

Asakusa Arc

Outraged by the appearance of a Demon Slayer wearing hanafuda-like earrings in Asakusa, Muzan summons two of his followers, Yahaba and Susamaru to hunt him down.^[1] The two walk the quiet streets during the night and pick up the Demon Slayer's trail. Yahaba uses his Blood Demon Art to track his movements and finds that there are two more people traveling with him.

Excited, Susamaru asks how the two should kill them all to which Yahaba replies that they should slaughter them as cruelly as possible for their lord, Muzan.^[5] He leads Susamaru to their enemies' hiding spot and she destroys a cloaking seal over the house using her deadly temari balls. Yahaba asks her how she plans to kill them and the Temari Demon agrees they have to kill them all vindictively.

Susamaru destroys the house piece by piece using her temari. While she's enjoying handball, Yahaba notices the Demon Slayer is accompanied by three Demons. He tells Susamaru she's too immature and to stop splattering dirt on his kimono. She simply tells him to get back and to calm down, having exploited their enemies inside the house.

Yahaba takes a supporting role in the assault, hiding up in the trees away from the action. He uses the Koketsu Arrows to guide Susamari's temari, tearing up the house and even managing to take off the head of the young Demon boy, Yushiro.^[6] Yushiro eventually recovers and informs Tanjiro that Yahaba is using arrows to guide the balls unnaturally.^[7]

Tanjiro sends Nezuko Kamado into the trees to stop Yahaba. She finds him and delivers a powerful kick, but he blocks it and sends her flying away with a Koketsu Arrow after telling her to stop stirring up dust.^[8][9] Yahaba leaves the trees and Muzan's followers stand off with their four opponents.

Tanjiro takes on Yahaba alone while the others fight Susamaru. He smells an opening thread on the Arrow Demon but it snaps as soon as Yahaba activates his ability. He sends Tanjiro flying around, making him crash into the ground and multiple trees.^[10] Yahaba recognizes one of the others as Lady Tamayo the Fugitive and swears to bring Muzan her head as well. Susamaru asks if they can bring Muzan four heads but Yahaba says they only need two.^[11]

Yahaba forces Tanjiro on the defensive with his arrows and wraps one around his arm. Tanjiro flips in the direction of the arrow to avoid losing his arm. Yahaba believes he has control of the battle and calls the Demon Slayer a monkey for his acrobatics. Annoyed, Yahaba unleashes more vector arrows that Tanjiro finally counters by enveloping them in his Water Breathing techniques and using the momentum to direct his attack.

The Arrow Demon tries to force Tanjiro away by activating his arrows, but only manages to make his sword extremely heavy. Even so, Tanjiro manages to slash the blade and decapitates Yahaba with Later Water Wheel.^[12]

Slowly disappearing, Yahaba laments his inability to win Kibutsuji's approval. He curses Tanjiro for rubbing his face in the ground and decides to take him out with him. Yahaba's body places Koketsu Arrows on Tanjiro from all directions as a parting gift. Tanjiro manages to avoid being crushed by unleashing consecutive swordsmanship techniques one after the other. Yahaba disintegrates before being able to kill the him, but manages to take him out of the rest of the fight.^[13]

Abilities and Powers

Yahaba's signature fighting style utilized his Blood Demon Art: Koketsu Arrow from long range. It was particularly efficient when used in conjunction with Susamaru's Temari. Together, they were able to flush Tamayo the Fugitive out of hiding and destroy their hideout.

• Flesh Manipulation: Like all demons, Yahaba can manipulate his own flesh for various purposes. In his case, he uses it to create 2 eyes on his palm with arrows for irises, possibly at the cost of his two regular eyes on his face.

Blood Demon Art (血 (けっ) 鬼 (き) 術 (じゅつ) , Kekkijutsu^?):

• Koketsu Arrow (紅 (こう) 潔 (けつ) の矢 (や) , Kōketsu no ya^?): Yahaba's Blood Demon Art granted him two morphed eyes with arrows for irises, one on each of his palms. Yahaba relied on these eyes to guide his senses and could use them to track footprints.^[5] The eyes could also conjure vector arrows when they blink, forcing the desired target in whatever direction the arrow was pointing.^[14]
  • Vector Manipulation: Yahaba can manipulate matter and interactions through their related vectors using his Koketsu Arrows.

Battles

Trivia

• Yahaba was ranked in 37th place as of the first character popularity poll, with 14 votes.
• Yahaba shares his Japanese and English voice actors with the protagonist of the video game Persona 5.
• Yahaba's appearance may refer to the Japanese yokai known as Tenome or "hand eyes" (手の目, te no me^?).

References