Muzan and Tamayo's relationship in Demon Slayer shows the series' most untapped potential

Modified Jan 11, 2025 17:00 GMT

Tamayo and Muzan's dynamics is a point of interest among fans of the series (Image via Ufotable)

The Demon Slayer series is an IP gold mine because of the way some of the characters have been written. There is no direct sequel or a spin-off series, which is quite odd since there is so much that can be explored. Every Hashira could have a separate spin-off series of their own, or the creator could come up with a title that explored Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s life as a demon hunter.

These are some of the most popular topics of discussion when netizens are talking about a potential spin-off series. However, there is one element in the manga series that has not been explored all that much. It has a ton of potential because it primarily deals with the relationship dynamics of two very important characters - Tamayo and Kibutsuji Muzan.

Fans got a brief glimpse of their relationship in the manga series. Tamayo knew Muzan from the time Yoriichi was around. Since then, she had worked on creating a drug that would help demons turn back into their human state. Let’s take a look at their relationship dynamics and understand why it could be explored in the form of a spin-off series.

Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers from the Demon Slayer manga series.

Muzan and Tamayo’s relationship in Demon Slayer

has plenty of potential

Tamayo as seen in the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

Muzan was incredibly selfish and was incapable of showing affection to anyone who wasn’t useful to him. While this was the case, he could mask his emotions effectively, which can be seen in his interaction with Daki. He and Tamayo seemed to have had a deeper connection than what the manga let on.

Tamayo was a medicine expert, and therefore, stood out to Muzan. Therefore, he must have developed some form of liking towards her, which was why he didn’t dispose of her as he did with most of his Lower Moon demons.

Furthermore, there is a chance that he saw a version of himself in her. Muzan was afflicted with a disease which forced him to stay bedridden. His frustration from the lack of results is what ultimately turned him into a demon. Tamayo’s circumstances were quite similar as she too was afflicted with a disease that would have claimed her life soon. However, she wanted to live and that’s when she met Muzan.

Comment byu/FreshSupermarket1739 from discussion inKimetsuNoYaiba

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The Demon King had ulterior motives and wasn’t transparent about the process. He transformed her into a demon and she went on a rampage, killing plenty of innocent people including her husband and her child. Muzan’s sadistic tendencies can be observed here. He continued to ask Tamayo to perform research for him while she fell into an unending void of despair.

Tamayo was exploited on a regular basis because Muzan knew of her intellectual abilities. However, being the master manipulator, there is a chance that he manipulated her on numerous occasions by feeding her false flattery. Chapter 197 of the Demon Slayer manga showcased Muzan’s final moments. We could see Tamayo's disdain for him as she was hugging him from behind, and while she hugged him, she stated that the human race would do anything to kill him.

Final thoughts

Muzan as seen in the Demon Slayer anime series (Image via Ufotable)

There have been speculations regarding the potential romantic involvement of these two characters. If that’s the case, then it’s quite clear that Muzan only used that to exploit Tamayo further. There is a possibility that Tamayo could have fallen for Muzan’s trickery in the Demon Slayer series.

However, the fight against Yoriichi freed her from his reigns and she continued to work towards his demise. Their relationship dynamics would have been a treat to watch if the studio had more material to work with.

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

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Edited by Tiasha