Gyotaro and Ume would have shared the same fate as Tanjiro and Nezuko in Demon Slayer under one major condition

The Demon Slayer series has introduced a wide range of antagonists during the series. While some of them are inherently evil, some were victims of circumstances. This pattern is often found in this medium since the writers want to create villains that viewers and readers can sympathize with.

The Upper Moon 6 demons, Gyutaro and Daki were extremely powerful and even managed to nearly kill the Sound Hashira along with the other demon hunters present there. While viewers hated them initially, their perception of the demons changed drastically when their backstories were explored.

Under one condition, however, Gyutaro and Ume (Daki’s name when she was a human) could have been able to lead very similar lives that Tanjiro and his sister lead in the animanga series. Here’s how the trajectory of their lives could have changed with just one alteration.

Disclaimer: The article contains spoilers.

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Demon Slayer: Understanding how Gyutaro and Ume could have lived the same lives that Tanjiro and Nezuko did

Gyutaro was someone who was hated ever since he was born. He didn’t receive enough love from his own mother and people often found reasons to hit him and call him names. He was born in Yoshiwara District where appearance was everything.

Good looks were the most important asset anyone could have and Gyutaro was born ugly and had to resort to eating rats and insects to survive. However, his fate changed when Ume was born. Now he had an extremely beautiful sister who became one of the most well-known Oirans in the district.

Gyutaro, despite his frail frame, was incredibly strong and acted as a debt collector. Defaulters would often get beaten up by him until the money was given. While he was a vile character for hurting people, he was subjected to hatred from a young age. The reason why Gyutaro and Ume became demons was to avenge the people who tried to murder Ume.

One of the customers who behaved inappropriately was stabbed in the eye by Ume. Since the customer was a Samurai, he burned her to a crisp when Gyutaro was not around. It was at this stage of the anime series when Gyutaro was blinded by rage, killed the Samurai, and decided to take a demon’s help. Doma, the Upper Moon 2 demon offered them immortality and all the sibling pair needed to do was consume Muzan’s blood.

This could have changed if a Hashira was in the town. Assuming Hashira intervened during the altercation between Ume and her customer, things could have been resolved amicably. Furthermore, Gyutaro’s strength and combat prowess would have certainly caught the Hashira’s eyes. Further deliberation with the likes of Kagaya Ubuyashiki could have led to Gyutaro joining the Demon Slayer Corps and fighting alongside the Hashira which offered them a peaceful life.

Ume could have quit as an Oiran and accompanied her brother as a support teammate in missions that didn’t require much combat. Gyutaro could have received this opportunity to turn his life around, much like how Tanjiro Kamado was able to do so after his encounter with Giyu Tomioka.

Stay tuned for more Demon Slayer anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

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Related Links:

• 4 reasons Demon Slayer Infinity Castle arc should be a film trilogy (& 4 reasons it may be a mistake)
• Demon Slayer's story would've been much shorter if only it was set two decades later