Demon Slayer fans ruin Nezuko's best scene by removing her agency

Modified Dec 16, 2024 05:52 GMT

Demon Slayer fans ruin Nezuko's best scene by removing her agency (Image via Studio Ufotable)

Demon Slayer and its characters have been some of the most popular and memorable within manga since 2019 when the anime series debuted. Although there have been many impactful moments throughout the series' multiple seasons, none have come close to Nezuko's fight against Dabi.

This fight was the first actual combat scenario that depicted Nezuko's abilities properly while also exploring the true brutality she could unleash upon demons. The main discussion around this fight revolves around how Nezuko was in a "berserk" state without any semblance of control.

Although that is true to some degree, it serves to diminish the value of the moment by overlooking the possibility of Nezuko actually hating demons, unlike Tanjiro.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer series and reflects the author's opinions.

Demon Slayer: Nezuko's fight against Daki might just be depicting her view towards demons

Nezuko in her fight against Daki as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Ufotable)

Nezuko is one of the most popular characters in the series since her introduction in season 1 of the anime. While much about her actual feelings is not explored in the series, her demeanor after being cured of Muzan's blood exemplifies her calm and kind nature. Nezuko's fight against Daki, which happened in the Entertainment District arc adapted in season 2, depicted Nezuko in her bloodlusted state.

While fans argue that this Nezuko is simply a version that had succumbed to demon blood and was acting purely on demon instincts, that might not be completely true. Nezuko was the only survivor of the Kamado family massacre orchestrated by Muzan. This made her one of the few characters to witness Muzan's carnage and brutality towards her family. The massacre was followed by Muzan turning Nezuko into a demon, further stripping away her humanity.

Muzan as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Ufotable)

While it is not confirmed, Nezuko's encounter with Muzan likely served as her first encounter with a demon. Given what that encounter led to, it is entirely possible that Nezuko developed a deep hatred for demons. While Tanjiro is essentially an entity functioning on compassion and understanding, Nezuko's view of demons might not be so forgiving.

Nezuko's relentless violence against Daki might reflect deeper thoughts brought to the surface by her transformation, which otherwise stays suppressed by her conscious thoughts.

Nezuko's entire worldview, her ability to walk freely, and her personhood were stripped away by the first demon she encountered. While it is well known that demons are essentially walking disasters, any encounter with them usually results in at least one person developing an intense hatred for them.

Daki as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Ufotable)

Nezuko essentially has no reason to sympathize with demons or their circumstances. This makes it even more plausible that her violence against Daki reflected her actual intentions. Tanjiro calming the berserk Nezuko might have been an attempt to stop her from becoming akin to an actual bloodlusted demon.

Although it is clear that berserk Nezuko was functioning on instincts instead of conscious thoughts, her behavior when facing Daki might have been the only display of her true feelings towards demons. These demons, after all, took away her humanity and family.

Final Thoughts

Demon Slayer season 4, which adapted the Hashira Training arc, recently concluded with the announcement of the Infinity Castle arc. The Infinity Castle arc will reportedly be adapted into a movie trilogy. The exact release dates of the movies are still unknown, with a significant part of the fanbase having mixed reactions to the news. The manga itself has concluded with a total of 205 chapters, all of which are available for reading on Shueisha's MANGA Plus platform.