Muzan is Demon Slayer's weakest-written villain, and the anime's endgame will prove it

With the news that Demon Slayer Season 4 is coming out on May 12, fans are really curious to know what this season has to offer. This has brought more attention to Muzan Kibutsuji, the main villain in the story and known as the kingpin of evil.

But is Muzan a compelling villain? He appears to lag behind other characters like Akaza and Kokushibo, whose stories are shrouded in shades of grey, making them more intriguing.

Even Daki and Gyuutaro present more complex motives and emotional depth. Muzan's brand of evil feels too selfish, making it hard for the audience to really engage or find him interesting. It's a noticeable gap in the fabric of Demon Slayer's storytelling.

The story fails to make Muzan an interesting bad guy because it doesn't show him as a real person with reasons that viewers can feel connected to. His whole story is that he does not want to die. This lack of depth and connection makes Muzan seem less threatening than the other bad guys, whose life stories make viewers care and pay more attention.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this content are strictly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all anime fans. Reader discretion is advised.

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Demon Slayer: Muzan unlike his counterparts lacks a compelling backstory

Missing the shades of grey found in Akaza (Image via Ufotable Studio)

While characters like Akaza and Kokushibo come with histories that add layers to their motivations, making their evil deeds somewhat understandable, if not excusable, Muzan is merely presented as power-hungry and egocentric. His fear of death drives him, but without context or a nuanced explanation, this fear seems superficial. This surface-level villainy cannot stand up against the rich tapestry of personal tragedies that define other demons in the series.

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Absence of relatability

Another issue with Muzan's character is his inaccessibility. The best villains are those whom audiences love to hate and sometimes, reluctantly, even empathize with. However, Muzan's actions and motivations are purely self-serving.

There's no gray area to explore, no tragic flaw to make him relatable, just a black-and-white depiction of evil that's ultimately less engaging. In contrast, the backstories of Akaza, Kokushibo, Daki, and Gyuutaro provide a window into their souls, making their confrontations with the slayers more emotionally charged and significant.

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Muzan Kibutsuji misses emotional depth as a villain

The most memorable villains are those who provoke an internal conflict in the audience, making them question the nature of evil and the possibility of redemption. Muzan, being single-mindedly evil, does not offer this complexity. His interactions with the protagonists lack the depth seen in battles with other demons, where the lines between right and wrong blur, and viewers are left to grapple with their feelings about the antagonist's fate.

Kokushibo from Demon Slayer (Image via Ufotable Studio)

As Demon Slayer steers towards its climax, the expectation is that the endgame will magnify these shortcomings. A compelling story needs a villain with depth, complexity, and a touch of humanity — qualities that Muzan sorely lacks. This stark contrast between him and his more nuanced subordinates only highlights his weaknesses as a character.

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Without a significant pivot in the narrative, Muzan is poised to be remembered not as the formidable foe he was meant to be, but as Demon Slayer's weakest link. The ending of the anime has a chance to either debunk these criticisms or reinforce them, depending on how it chooses to develop Muzan's character.

Based on what we've seen so far, it seems likely that Muzan's legacy will be as a cautionary tale in villain writing — a stark reminder that even in a world of demons and slayers, the most dangerous enemy can often be a lack of depth.

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