Demon Slayer: Why did Muichiro get a Demon Slayer mark? Explained

The Demon Slayer series character, Muichiro Tokito, is considered as the most talented swordsman among his peers. Despite his gentle and frail appearance, he is incredibly nimble and strong, earning him the title of a Hashira. Only the strongest set of swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps are given this title.

In the Swordsmith Village arc, we could see Muichiro develop a strange set of marks on his face and hands. This mark had a different pattern but it was quite similar to the one Tanjiro first developed in the Entertainment District arc. This is the Demon Slayer Mark, that boosts the physical abilities of a demon hunter. But why did Muichiro get a Demon Slayer Mark in the anime and manga series?

This article will help readers understand more about Mar, its properties, importance, and the requirements for a demon hunter to acquire this in battle.

Disclaimer: This article contains minor spoilers from the manga chapters which shows the full potential of the Demon Slayer Mark.

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Properties of a Demon Slayer Mark and how Muichiro got it in the anime and manga series

Before understanding how Muichiro got his Mark, it is important to understand what the Mark itself is. It is a mysterious mark that appears on a demon hunter in extremely specific conditions. In terms of appearance, it is similar to a birthmark, and each demon hunter’s Demon Slayer Mark is unique.

Tanjiro’s Mark has a different pattern in comparison to Muichiro Tokito. It grants users certain abilities and the ability to turn the Nichirin blade red, which is crucial in defeating some of the stronger Upper Moon demons.

Visual representation of the Transparent World as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha/Koyoharu Gotouge)

Aside from heightened senses and improved physical abilities, it grants a few users Transparent World. Unlocking this is when a demon hunter reaches their pinnacle. It allows the user to perceive the flow of blood, the twitching of muscle fibers, and the movement of their joints among other things. This allows them to reduce their reaction time drastically and even predict the movement of their enemies.

So why did Muichiro get the Demon Slayer Mark in the Swordsmith Village arc of the anime and manga series? Muichiro got the Mark because he satisfied an important condition that needs to be fulfilled to unlock the Mark. Muichiro Tokito not only experienced but survived a near-death situation.

Gyokko nearly managed to kill him by trapping him in his Water Prison Pot. Additionally, Muichiro also managed to raise his body temperature to nearly 102 degrees Fahrenheit and raised his heartbeat to over 200 beats per minute. Furthermore, his will to save Kotetsu and defeat the demon also contributed to the reason why he unlocked the Mark.

By satisfying all these conditions, the demon hunter managed to access the Mark. This gave him an incredible boost in physical abilities which resulted in his victory over the Upper Moon 5 demon, Gyokko. However, Muichiro did not unlock the full potential of the Mark since he did not have access to the Transparent World ability.

With such an ability, one must pay a rather hefty price for it. All bearers of the Mark can only live up to the age of 25. It was stated by Kokushibo, the Upper Moon 1 demon, that a user’s lifespan reduces rather drastically in exchange for a huge surge of power.

There are only two exceptions in the series - Yoriichi and Kokushibo. There is no reason given for Yoriichi being an exception, but Kokushibo managed to outlive the aforementioned age by becoming a demon.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2023 progresses.