Demon Slayer's Zenitsu is new-gen's Sakura from Naruto, and a key connection proves it

Demon Slayer is one of the most successful Shonen of its generation and a lot of this success can be attributed to the series' characters. Demon Slayer’s characters are mostly smart, willful, playful, and witty, and in some cases—a combination of all four.

Even the relationship dynamics between characters is another memorable part of the entire series. This is encapsulated best with the main trio. Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu are the characters shown the most in Demon Slayer.

One of the reasons viewers never get bored when they are on-screen together is due to how they complement each other. Tanjiro displays the best of humanity in his actions, while Inosuke brings unpredictability. Zenitsu represents the nihilistic nature of man and might be one of the best characters in Shonen. Despite all his attributes, Zenitsu is disliked by fans of the series.

A lot of this hate is due to Zenitsu being prone to fear and how he is constantly preoccupied with chasing after women. His perceived weakness was also another problem, as fans hated how his base level couldn’t compete with Inosuke or Tanjiro. The way Zenitsu is hated by Demon Slayer fans bears similarities to the way Sakura from Naruto was hated.

Sakura and Zenitsu's hate is centered around weakness. The two characters are perceived to be dragging the rest of their team down, this is despite both of them playing major roles in their respective stories. Sakura is responsible for taking down Kaguya in the Allied Ninja war and Zenitsu takes down a member of the Twelve Kizuki in the Infinity Castle arc—all on his own.

Here are the similarities between Zenitsu and Sakura and the reasons fans hate them.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s opinions and may contain spoilers.

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What makes Zenitsu from Demon Slayer and Sakura from

Naruto so hated

Zenitsu is prone to fear and it is more pronounced in the anime of Demon Slayer (Image via Ufotable)

The disdain for Zenitsu and Sakura can be traced back to the anime. In both the manga, the two characters are much more subdued than how they are portrayed in the anime. The anime portrays Zenitsu as an over-the-top coward and womanizer, while Sakura is portrayed as a Tsundere who just lives for Sasuke’s attention.

What further unites these two characters is their proclivity for self-depreciation. Zenitsu’s fear of him dying and his constant yelling of that is nauseating for most fans and in the anime, it is worse. Sakura is also similar in this regard, as all she did during her first few arcs was moan about her powerlessness and fret about Sasuke.

Another thing that makes fans of the respective series hate the two characters is their perceived weakness. Despite Sakura and Zenitsu being well-written characters, the image of them being weaklings is forever etched in the minds of fans. Their base forms are also not top-notch at combat when compared to the rest of the characters shown in Demon Slayer. Same with Sakura in the Narutoverse.

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Final thoughts

When it comes to strength among the series’ main trio, Tanjiro is undoubtedly the strongest, however, the second strongest isn’t Inosuke, it is Zenitsu. Zenitsu at various points in the series takes down enemies on his own and his defeating the Upper Moon Six is proof of his ability. Inosuke’s lack of both human contact and a master is his undoing and the reason he doesn’t near Zenitsu.

Sakura also reaches Sannin level in Shippudden and even gains Tsunade’s signature skill, The One Hundred Healings Mark. She also helped sustain the Allied forces and defeat Kaguya.

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