Why is Obanai's mouth covered in Demon Slayer?

Obani Iguro, the Serpent Pillar in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, is a stern and uncompassionate Hashira who despises those who don’t abide by the laws of the Demon Slayer Corps. Like all the other Demon Slayers, Obanai is a proficient swordsman, whose capabilities and strength undermine his small physique.

Obanai has always been seen with his pet snake Kaburamaru and the lower half of his face is covered with bandages almost all the time. Is there any definite reason as to why Obanai covers his mouth?

Trigger warning: Blood, cutting, death.

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Why does Obanai cover his mouth with bandages in Demon Slayer?

Like most of the characters in Demon Slayer, Obanai Iguro has a frightening and tragic backstory. He was born in a cult where its members worshiped a Snake Demon.

A few demons have a preference for devouring humans of a particular gender or age. Similarly, the Snake Demon likes to eat human infants. She ordered her fellow cult worshippers to keep bringing on the infants so that she could shower them with her mercy and grace.

One fated day, Obanai Iguro was born in one of the families that consisted of only women. It is said that it has been 370 years since a male child was born in the cult. Obanai was born with Heterochromia, where his left eye is turquoise in color and the right one is yellow.

The unique appearance of Obanai intimidated the Snake Demon, for which the latter spared the former’s life until he grew up to a certain age. However, she had the condition that his mouth should look like hers.

Obanai’s mouth was slit by his family from both sides to look similar to the demon, and they collected his blood in a bowl for offerings.

One night he tried to escape from the grasp of the Serpent Demon and his family to survive, but his efforts turned out to be futile as he was chased by the demon. Eventually, he was saved by Shinjuro Rengoku, who was the Flame Hashira at that time.

He keeps his face covered because it reminds him of the abuse and the torture of his family as well as the atrocities of the Serpent Demon. Enraged by Obanai’s escape, the demon devoured the former’s entire family of 50 members, leaving behind just one cousin.

Even though he was not at fault for the death of his family, he loathes himself for the crime he never committed.