diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Tests/Skinning/TestSceneKiaiHitExplosion.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Tests/Skinning/TestSceneKiaiHitExplosion.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b558709592
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Tests/Skinning/TestSceneKiaiHitExplosion.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+// Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
+// See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
+
+using NUnit.Framework;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.UI;
+
+namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Tests.Skinning
+{
+    [TestFixture]
+    public class TestSceneKiaiHitExplosion : TaikoSkinnableTestScene
+    {
+        [Test]
+        public void TestKiaiHits()
+        {
+            AddStep("rim hit", () => SetContents(() => getContentFor(createHit(HitType.Rim))));
+            AddStep("centre hit", () => SetContents(() => getContentFor(createHit(HitType.Centre))));
+        }
+
+        private Drawable getContentFor(DrawableTestHit hit)
+        {
+            return new Container
+            {
+                RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
+                Child = new KiaiHitExplosion(hit, hit.HitObject.Type)
+                {
+                    Anchor = Anchor.Centre,
+                    Origin = Anchor.Centre,
+                }
+            };
+        }
+
+        private DrawableTestHit createHit(HitType type) => new DrawableTestHit(new Hit { StartTime = Time.Current, Type = type });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/TaikoLegacySkinTransformer.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/TaikoLegacySkinTransformer.cs
index c88480d18f..96fb065e79 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/TaikoLegacySkinTransformer.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/Skinning/TaikoLegacySkinTransformer.cs
@@ -114,6 +114,14 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Skinning
 
                     return null;
 
+                case TaikoSkinComponents.TaikoExplosionKiai:
+                    // suppress the default kiai explosion if the skin brings its own sprites.
+                    // the drawable needs to expire as soon as possible to avoid accumulating empty drawables on the playfield.
+                    if (hasExplosion.Value)
+                        return Drawable.Empty().With(d => d.LifetimeEnd = double.MinValue);
+
+                    return null;
+
                 case TaikoSkinComponents.Scroller:
                     if (GetTexture("taiko-slider") != null)
                         return new LegacyTaikoScroller();
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/TaikoSkinComponents.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/TaikoSkinComponents.cs
index 132d8f8868..bf48898dd2 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/TaikoSkinComponents.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/TaikoSkinComponents.cs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko
         TaikoExplosionMiss,
         TaikoExplosionOk,
         TaikoExplosionGreat,
+        TaikoExplosionKiai,
         Scroller,
         Mascot,
     }
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/UI/DefaultKiaiHitExplosion.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/UI/DefaultKiaiHitExplosion.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ce8b016d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/UI/DefaultKiaiHitExplosion.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+// Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
+// See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
+
+using osuTK;
+using osu.Framework.Allocation;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics.Effects;
+using osu.Framework.Graphics.Shapes;
+using osu.Game.Graphics;
+using osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects;
+
+namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.UI
+{
+    public class DefaultKiaiHitExplosion : CircularContainer
+    {
+        public override bool RemoveWhenNotAlive => true;
+
+        private readonly HitType type;
+
+        public DefaultKiaiHitExplosion(HitType type)
+        {
+            this.type = type;
+
+            RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both;
+
+            Blending = BlendingParameters.Additive;
+
+            Masking = true;
+            Alpha = 0.25f;
+
+            Children = new[]
+            {
+                new Box
+                {
+                    RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
+                    Alpha = 0,
+                    AlwaysPresent = true
+                }
+            };
+        }
+
+        [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
+        private void load(OsuColour colours)
+        {
+            EdgeEffect = new EdgeEffectParameters
+            {
+                Type = EdgeEffectType.Glow,
+                Colour = type == HitType.Rim ? colours.BlueDarker : colours.PinkDarker,
+                Radius = 60,
+            };
+        }
+
+        protected override void LoadComplete()
+        {
+            base.LoadComplete();
+
+            this.ScaleTo(new Vector2(1, 3f), 500, Easing.OutQuint);
+            this.FadeOut(250);
+
+            Expire(true);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/UI/KiaiHitExplosion.cs b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/UI/KiaiHitExplosion.cs
index 067d390894..20900a9352 100644
--- a/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/UI/KiaiHitExplosion.cs
+++ b/osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko/UI/KiaiHitExplosion.cs
@@ -1,71 +1,47 @@
 // Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
 // See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
 
-using osuTK;
 using osu.Framework.Allocation;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Containers;
-using osu.Framework.Graphics.Effects;
-using osu.Framework.Graphics.Shapes;
-using osu.Game.Graphics;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Objects.Drawables;
 using osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.Objects;
+using osu.Game.Skinning;
+using osuTK;
 
 namespace osu.Game.Rulesets.Taiko.UI
 {
-    public class KiaiHitExplosion : CircularContainer
+    public class KiaiHitExplosion : Container
     {
         public override bool RemoveWhenNotAlive => true;
 
+        [Cached(typeof(DrawableHitObject))]
         public readonly DrawableHitObject JudgedObject;
-        private readonly HitType type;
 
-        public KiaiHitExplosion(DrawableHitObject judgedObject, HitType type)
+        private readonly HitType hitType;
+
+        private SkinnableDrawable skinnable;
+
+        public override double LifetimeStart => skinnable.Drawable.LifetimeStart;
+
+        public override double LifetimeEnd => skinnable.Drawable.LifetimeEnd;
+
+        public KiaiHitExplosion(DrawableHitObject judgedObject, HitType hitType)
         {
             JudgedObject = judgedObject;
-            this.type = type;
+            this.hitType = hitType;
 
             Anchor = Anchor.CentreLeft;
             Origin = Anchor.Centre;
 
             RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both;
             Size = new Vector2(TaikoHitObject.DEFAULT_SIZE, 1);
-
-            Blending = BlendingParameters.Additive;
-
-            Masking = true;
-            Alpha = 0.25f;
-
-            Children = new[]
-            {
-                new Box
-                {
-                    RelativeSizeAxes = Axes.Both,
-                    Alpha = 0,
-                    AlwaysPresent = true
-                }
-            };
         }
 
         [BackgroundDependencyLoader]
-        private void load(OsuColour colours)
+        private void load()
         {
-            EdgeEffect = new EdgeEffectParameters
-            {
-                Type = EdgeEffectType.Glow,
-                Colour = type == HitType.Rim ? colours.BlueDarker : colours.PinkDarker,
-                Radius = 60,
-            };
-        }
-
-        protected override void LoadComplete()
-        {
-            base.LoadComplete();
-
-            this.ScaleTo(new Vector2(1, 3f), 500, Easing.OutQuint);
-            this.FadeOut(250);
-
-            Expire(true);
+            Child = skinnable = new SkinnableDrawable(new TaikoSkinComponent(TaikoSkinComponents.TaikoExplosionKiai), _ => new DefaultKiaiHitExplosion(hitType));
         }
     }
 }