The Hashira are known for their flashy sense of style, but Shinobu outdoes them all with her gorgeous butterfly wing haori and subtle two-toned hair. Both her hair clip and sword hilt also incorporate butterfly imagery, and even her movements in battle resemble the insect in flight. The other Hashira have more complicated outfits, and yet Shinobu’s standard demon slayer uniform with its distinctive feminine accents stands out as a classy and memorable design.

No matter what the occasion, Shinobu’s face is constantly set in a serene smile that completely obscures whatever emotion she may be feeling at the moment. Her voice also never strays from an even, lilting tone, making her threats in battle all the more terrifying. The only time this mask cracks is when Tanjiro mentions that she seems angry for some reason. It turns out that Shinobu’s deceased older sister naturally hid her emotions behind a smile, and Shinobu emulates this attitude to be more like her and repress the pain of her death.

Shinobu developed her “insect breathing” fighting style to compensate for her low physical strength—instead of beheading demons, she uses an arsenal of specially developed poisons to kill them in dozens of horrifying ways. The tip of her blade functions as a poison dart, delivering toxic chemicals directly into demons’ bodies and sending them into a spiral of excruciating pain that only she can end by finishing them off. One thing is for sure; don’t get on this girl’s bad side!

On top of being a poisonous arbiter of death, Shinobu is also an accomplished healer who runs her own rehab center that nurses injured demon slayers back to full health. Her apprentices (all of whom wear their own variations of her butterfly hair clips) specialize in herbal medicines, training regimens, and breathing techniques that help Tanjiro and company recover after the spider demon arc. She runs a tight ship, not letting the weary swordsmen laze around or refuse foul-tasting medication, but it’s all for their own good.

Shinobu’s older sister Kanae was also a demon slayer, albeit one who searched for a way to live peacefully with the pitiful demons instead of killing them without a second thought. Unfortunately, her idealistic dream was cut short when she was defeated by a powerful demon and died in Shinobu’s arms. Now, Shinobu tries to carry on Kanae’s dream, even though she still carries hatred in her heart for the monsters that killed her beloved sister.