Shinobu Kocho

Shinobu Kocho (胡こ蝶ちょうしのぶ, Kochō Shinobu?) is the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps and a supporting character from the Demon Slayer series. She is voiced by Saori Hayami in the Japanese version of the anime.

Appearance
Shinobu is regarded as a beautiful, petite young woman with a small frame. This leads people to underestimate her due to her frail appearance. She has black hair with purple highlighted tips tied back into a bun using a butterfly-shaped pin. She has large deep purple eyes with no visible pupils and maintains an innocent look on her face most of the time.

Shinobu dons the standard Demon Slayer uniform that consists of a dark purple straight-lined jacket, and hakama pants tucked into butterfly patterned fabric around her lower legs that match her haori.

Her signature white haori has a butterfly wing pattern that mimics the appearance of butterfly wings whenever she moves. The white of the haori fades into turquoise and then pink color on her sleeves as well as the base of the dress and her legs. Her sleeves are cuffed with a black and white dotted trim similar to an insect design. She completes her outfit by wearing white sandals with purple straps and a white belt that holds her sword sheath.

Personality
Shinobu Kocho always appears to be calm and friendly, almost to an unsettling degree. She often greets others by saying "woo-hoo" after suddenly showing up next to them, often startling others.

Shinobu wishes that humans and demons could become friends and will sometime offer to befriend her enemies. Despite her bubbly demeanor, Shinobu has a strong sense of justice and is more than willing to brutally punish demons for bringing harm to humanity. Shinobu is very straightforward and always retains her calm and aloof personality in every situation. Even when demons don't agree to be her friend, a smile remains on Shinobu's face as she appears to enjoy punishing them.

Mount Natagumo Arc
Several Demon Slayers are slain during a mission to eliminate the Spider Clan on Mt. Natagumo. A crow returns to the Demon Slayer Corps's master and relays the message about the casualties. After realizing a Twelve Kizuki may be on the mountain, the master calls Shinobu and Giyu of the Hashira to action.

Both the Hashiras accept their mission and Shinobu mentions that life would be easier if demons and humans could get along. Giyu argues that can never happen as long as demons continue to feast on humans for survival.

The two Hashiras arrive on Mt. Natagumo and encounter a gruesome scene where several demon slayers have been murdered. Shinobu points out there appear to be no survivors and all the Mizunoto sent to the mountain might be dead. Giyu replies that they should keep moving and they both continue running through the forest.

Shinobu says they should try to get along on their joint mission, but Giyu claims he's only there so slay demons. She calls Giyu's reply callous and they both agree to split up. Shinbou goes west while Giyu continues forward.

Zenitsu's sparrow, Chuntaro, finds Shinobu and brings her to help him. She finds the poisoned demon slayer on top of a house and suddenly appears before him to ask if he's okay. The Insect Hashira commends Zenitsu calls out to Gramps, slightly confusing Shinobu, and Zenitsue explains his Gramps showed up. Shinobu claims that a theory explains that people see images before their death because they're searching through their own lives for a way to live.

Shinobu says she's never experienced it herself and prepares an antidote. She commends Zenitsu for slowing down the poison with his breathing and administers the antidote.

Abilities
Hashira-Level Swordsman: As one of the Hashira, Shinobu is one of the Demon Slayer Corps strongest swordswomen. She is the only one of them who does not slay demons by beheading them, instead, she injects a deadly poison into her foes using her blade. Even so, Shinobu is a very capable blade wielder and is well versed in swordsmanship.


 * Enhanced Agility: Due to her fighting style, enemies tend to underestimate her strength. However, Shinobu was able to easily outclass the Sister demon of the Spider Clan using her nimble mobility. She moves so smoothly that it appears that she's floating similar to a butterfly, effortlessly weaving between enemy attacks.


 * Enhanced Strength: Despite her frail frame, Shinobu effortlessly broke apart a demon's tough cocoons with a single stab.


 * Medical Expert: Shinobu makes up for her lack of natural-born combat prowess in comparison to the other Hashiras with her expert skill and mastery in the pharmaceutical field. She is a medical expert and a talented chemist that can concoct poisons and antidotes alike to work against demons. Her antidote cured Zenitsu and others of spider demon venom and managed to fatally poison another member of that same Spider Clan.

Total Concentration Breathing
Insect Breathing (蟲呼吸, Mushi no Kokyū): Shinobu cultivated Insect Breathing in order to suit her fighting-style, basing its techniques on the movements of insects that sting or poison their targets. The style utilizes stabs and shallow cuts to inject fatal poison into the target. There are four dances in total, each named for a different insect.
 * Butterfly Dance (蝶ノ舞, Chō no Mai), Caprice (戯れ, Tawamure): A diving thrust attack that cuts the target with several shallow cuts. The infected receives visions of butterflies that draw blood. Each of their wounds is infected with poison made from wisteria blossoms, killing the demon quickly.

Equipment

 * Nichirin Swords (日輪刀, Nichirin Tō) : Shinobu's katana has a thin black blade that only has normal width at the tip and base of the blade. It has "EVIL DEMONS" engraved in Kanji and the sword is coated in poison. It has a butterfly-shaped tsuba with an orange outline around the silver filling that is designed with small flower patterns. It also has an orange tsuka pommel wrapped in green samegawa.