CoryxKenshin

Cory DeVante Williams was born in Detroit, Michigan, and has lived in Farmington Hills and South Lyon, Michigan. He grew up in a family with a younger brother, Anthony, who also produces online content, and a sister named Aleya. He is an outspoken Christian, frequently incorporating scripture verses into the closing segments of his videos.

Williams was born with ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic condition inherited from his father that resulted in him having 24 teeth instead of 36, along with reduced body hair growth on his arms, legs, and chest. In later years, he was also diagnosed with neck arthritis. Throughout his career, Williams has spoken openly with his audience about navigating bouts of burnout, anxiety, and depression, which led to multiple extended breaks from online content creation.

Williams created his YouTube channel on April 26, 2009, initially uploading comedy sketches and vlogs. While enrolled at Michigan State University in media arts, he transferred to the University of Michigan in 2012 to study computer science. In April 2015, near the conclusion of his junior year, he chose to step away from his university studies for one year to pursue YouTube full-time, establishing a self-imposed deadline to turn the channel into a sustainable career.

His channel expanded rapidly as he transitioned to gameplay commentary, beginning with horror titles such as White Finger, Bloodborne, and Five Nights at Freddy's. He also developed recurring segments, including the "Spooky Scary Sunday" series where he reviews horror short films submitted by viewers. Known for comedic reactions, slapstick catchphrases, and signature alter egos like "The Ankle Breaker" and "Chef Kenshin," Williams was ranked the fourth top creator in the United States by subscriber growth in 2021. That same year, his playthrough of the rhythm game Friday Night Funkin' became the fifth most-viewed video in the United States.

On August 24, 2022, Williams published a video titled "YouTube: Racism and Favoritism," addressing issues with content moderation and inconsistent rule enforcement. The dispute began when his playthrough of the horror game The Mortuary Assistant received an age restriction that reduced its monetization and visibility. After his initial appeal was denied, Williams noted that larger channels, including creator Markiplier, had uploaded gameplay of the exact same title without penalty.

When Williams shared this comparison with his partner program representative, the platform abruptly removed his age restriction before subsequently applying restrictions to all playthroughs of the game across YouTube. Williams voiced concerns that automated moderation and administrative favoritism disadvantaged certain creators. The video drew widespread public support from high-profile online figures such as Jacksepticeye, Ludwig, Cr1TiKaL, and Philip DeFranco, eventually reaching the number one trending spot on YouTube.

Expanding beyond online video, Williams appeared in the Disney XD television series Player Select between 2019 and 2020. In 2023, he made his feature film debut portraying a taxi driver in Blumhouse Productions' film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy's.

In December 2024, following a 17-month hiatus from regular uploads, Williams returned to announce Monsters We Make, an original manga series written by him and released through New Edyn Press and IDW Publishing. That same month, his YouTube channel crossed 20 million subscribers.