Cory DeVante Williams, known online as CoryxKenshin, was born on November 9, 1992, in Detroit, Michigan. He is an American YouTuber, actor, and writer who built one of gaming YouTube’s most loyal audiences through comedic horror game playthroughs.
In 2021, YouTube ranked him the fourth top creator in the United States by subscriber growth.
He appeared in the 2023 Blumhouse film Five Nights at Freddy’s as a cab driver and reprised that role in the 2025 sequel.
In December 2024, he launched Monsters We Make, an original manga series that sold 200,000 copies in its first week.
Who is CoryxKenshin?
CoryxKenshin is the online name of American YouTuber and actor Cory DeVante Williams. He built his channel starting in 2009 and grew it into one of the most-subscribed gaming channels in the United States, with over 24 million subscribers as of 2026.
His fans call themselves “the Samurai,” a nickname Cory gave them early in his career. He ends nearly every video with the phrase “S-S-S-Samurai slice,” a signature outro that became a trademark of his content style.
Williams built his reputation on horror game playthroughs delivered with humor and clean language. He never curses in his videos, a choice that distinguishes him from most gaming YouTubers and has made his content accessible to younger audiences.
Beyond YouTube, Cory is a practicing Christian who adds Bible verses to the end of most of his videos. His faith has been a consistent part of his public identity throughout his career.
Scott Cawthon, the creator of the Five Nights at Freddy’s game franchise, personally offered Cory his role in the 2023 film adaptation.
Early Life of CoryxKenshin
Cory DeVante Williams grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where his father Anthony K. Williams Jr. worked at the Ford Motors Company. His mother’s name is Stephanie. He has two younger siblings: a sister named Aleya and a brother named Anthony.
His brother Anthony later built his own YouTube channel under the name Certified AK. The two brothers share a close bond, and Anthony has appeared in some of Cory’s videos over the years.
Williams was born with ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic disorder he inherited from his father. He announced his diagnosis publicly in April 2017. The condition left him with only 24 teeth instead of the typical 32, and with significantly reduced hair growth on his arms and legs.
During school, he experienced bullying because of the condition’s effects on his appearance.
In August 2010, Williams began attending Michigan State University to study Media Arts after not being accepted to his first choice, the University of Michigan.
He transferred to the University of Michigan in 2012 and pursued a degree in Computer Science with a focus on game development.
In April 2015, near the end of his junior year, Cory left university to focus full time on YouTube. His channel had grown enough to make that a realistic path forward.
He gave himself until May 2016 to make the channel financially viable, then committed fully to the platform.
CoryxKenshin Age
CoryxKenshin is 33 years old as of 2026, born on November 9, 1992. His zodiac sign is Scorpio.
He started his YouTube channel at age 16 in April 2009 and grew it to over 24 million subscribers over the following 17 years.
CoryxKenshin Ethnicity and Nationality
CoryxKenshin holds American nationality. He is Black American, born and raised in Detroit, Michigan.
His faith and family background in the Midwest have both shaped the values and tone of his content throughout his career.
CoryxKenshin Height and Weight
CoryxKenshin stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, which is approximately 1.73 meters. His weight is around 58 kg, or 130 lbs.
His lean build is consistent with his overall appearance in videos and public photos, though he is rarely seen in athletic or formal settings.
CoryxKenshin Career
CoryxKenshin joined YouTube on April 26, 2009 and uploaded his first video the following month at the age of 16. His career spans comedy sketches, horror game playthroughs, short film reactions, acting, and now manga publishing.
Early Career and Horror Gaming Breakthrough (2009-2016)
Cory’s earliest content focused on comedy sketches and casual gaming. He played early titles like the 1994 sports game Super Punch-Out, posting clips with friends and family in a style common to YouTube’s early days.
In October 2013, he played his first horror game on the channel, a title called White Finger. That single video attracted 1,000 new subscribers overnight. This response showed Cory the audience potential for horror gaming content.
He launched his Five Nights at Freddy’s series in 2014. The timing was perfect: the game had just become a massive cultural phenomenon online, and Cory’s comedic, high-energy reactions made his playthroughs stand out among dozens of other creators covering the same game.
In 2015, he posted his Bloodborne playthrough, which pushed his subscriber count higher still. That same year, he received the Silver Play Button award for crossing 100,000 subscribers. He earned the Gold Play Button for one million subscribers in 2016.
Williams earned his Silver Play Button in 2015. By 2016, he had crossed one million subscribers on the platform.
Spooky Scary Sunday, Friday Night Funkin, and 2021 Peak
Beyond gameplay, Cory created a recurring series called Spooky Scary Sunday. In each episode, he reacted to horror short films submitted by fans or pulled from online platforms. The series became a consistent viewer favorite and ran alongside his horror game content.
In 2022, Cory played Elden Ring on his channel, continuing his pattern of covering major horror and action releases. His Friday Night Funkin playthrough had already become one of his biggest single videos. That playthrough became the fifth most-viewed video in the entire United States in 2021.
He received the YouTube Diamond Play Button for reaching 10 million subscribers in June 2021. That same year, YouTube ranked him the fourth top creator in the United States by subscriber growth, a milestone that confirmed his position among the platform’s most prominent voices.
Five Nights at Freddy’s Film, Manga Launch, and Recent Work
On October 27, 2023, CoryxKenshin made his acting debut in the Blumhouse Productions film Five Nights at Freddy’s, directed by Emma Tammi and distributed by Universal Pictures. He played the role of the cab driver, a small part that quickly became a viral moment online. Scott Cawthon had personally offered him the role because of Cory’s years of FNAF content on YouTube.
After releasing his reaction video to the FNAF movie trailer on June 27, 2023, Cory went on his longest hiatus yet, lasting 17 months. He returned to YouTube on December 13, 2024. In that comeback video, he announced that he had spent the hiatus creating an original manga series.
Monsters We Make launched on December 16, 2024. Published by New Edyn Press and IDW Publishing, the series is a sci-fi action manga set in the year 2114. The story follows Jabari Booker, a music prodigy who enters New Edyn Academy and gets pulled into a dark conspiracy involving mutant creatures and a tech company.
The first volume sold 200,000 copies in its first week, making it one of the fastest-selling independently published manga series in American history.
Volume 2 of Monsters We Make received a promotional trailer in September 2025. Cory also reprised his cab driver role in Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, directed again by Emma Tammi and released December 5, 2025. The sequel grossed $239.6 million worldwide.
He promised his audience at the end of 2024 to upload 100 videos in 2025. After a brief two-month hiatus in late 2025, he returned to the channel in March 2026.
CoryxKenshin Awards and Recognition
CoryxKenshin received the Silver Play Button from YouTube for crossing 100,000 subscribers in 2015. He received the Gold Play Button for one million subscribers in 2016. In 2021, he received the Diamond Play Button for reaching 10 million subscribers.
YouTube ranked him the fourth top creator in the United States in 2021 by subscriber growth. His Friday Night Funkin playthrough ranked as the fifth most-viewed video in the United States that same year. His Monsters We Make manga sold 200,000 copies within its first week of publication in December 2024.
He appeared at gaming festivals including Comic-Con International and PAX East, where he met fellow YouTubers such as Jacksepticeye, Muyskerm, and others in the gaming content community.
CoryxKenshin Net Worth
CoryxKenshin’s estimated net worth is $4 million as of 2026. His primary income source is YouTube ad revenue from his channel, which has accumulated nearly 10 billion lifetime views.
Brand sponsorships, merchandise sales through his collaboration with Represent, and acting fees from the Five Nights at Freddy’s films all add to his income.
Royalties from his Monsters We Make manga, published by IDW Publishing, represent a newer revenue stream following the series’ record-breaking launch in December 2024.
CoryxKenshin Girlfriend
CoryxKenshin has not shared any details about her relationship as yet. Currently, he is focusing on his bright career to achieve enormous success in his life.
CoryxKenshin Social Media
Cory maintains active accounts on several major platforms. On YouTube, his channel at CoryxKenshin has over 24 million subscribers.
He posts to Instagram and Twitter/X, where he shares updates on his projects, manga announcements, and occasional personal reflections.
Monsters We Make has its own dedicated Instagram and X presence at @monsterswemake, which he uses to promote the series separately from his personal accounts.
The Bottom Line
CoryxKenshin’s Monsters We Make manga sold 200,000 copies in its first week after launching in December 2024, making it one of the fastest-selling independently published manga series in U.S. history. He also appeared as the cab driver in both the 2023 and 2025 Five Nights at Freddy’s films produced by Blumhouse.
Cory grew up in Detroit, Michigan, with ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic condition he inherited from his father and disclosed publicly in 2017. His choice to never curse on camera and to include Bible verses in his videos has made his content distinctive across over 17 years on YouTube.
As of 2026, he is actively uploading to YouTube following his return from a 17-month hiatus, continuing the Monsters We Make manga with Volume 2, and building on his acting credits from the FNAF film franchise.
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