Rengoku as a Demon could create the darkest timeline in Demon Slayer

Modified Jul 12, 2024 23:00 GMT

How Rengoku as a demon could have changed the entire story (Image via Ufotable)

The Demon Slayer series has many characters that are crucial to world-building. With such titles, fans reading the complete manga series often revisit older chapters and discuss the effects of altered events.

For example, the death of a character or a shift in sides can have a cascading effect on the overarching story. Such discussions are quite common among members of the anime community, and Demon Slayer is no exception.

Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, died fighting Akaza in the Mugen Train arc. Despite his short time in the series, fans miss him dearly owing to his strong values and likable personality. If Rengoku hadn’t died and had accepted Akaza’s offer to become a demon, it would have had a ripple effect, and here’s how the overall story would have altered.

Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers from the manga chapters.

Demon Slayer: The effect of Rengoku becoming a demon on the overarching story

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Kyojuro Rengoku encountered Akaza during the incident involving the Mugen Train. At that time, Inosuke, Tanjiro, and Zenitsu accompanied the Hashira. However, their fight against the Lower Moon demon exhausted them. Furthermore, the protagonist and his crew were in no position to take on an Upper Moon demon simply because of the sheer difference in their combat abilities.

The Flame Hashira was someone with an extremely strong sense of justice. Akaza, obsessed with martial arts and fighting, acknowledged Rengoku’s efforts in the series. Upon acknowledging him, Akaza offered Rengoku the opportunity to become a demon. He provided him with this offer to see Rengoku’s true potential as a fighter. There is a clear difference between the abilities of a human being and a demon, which is the reason behind the offer.

If Rengoku accepted it, there is no doubt that he would be at least an Upper Moon 5 demon. Furthermore, he’d become an Upper Moon demon who could wield a sword, utilize Breathing abilities, and execute moves that put him on the level of Hashira. If this were the case, Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Nezuko Kamado, and Inosuke Hashibira would have died that fateful day.

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If Tanjiro died that day, no other demon hunter would have unlocked the Demon Slayer Mark. One key characteristic of the Mark is that it has a resonant effect. This means demon hunters who come in contact with the person who unlocked the Mark have the potential to do so should they attain the physical requirements demanded by the Mark. This played a key role in defeating Upper Moon demons and Kibutsuji Muzan.

Without the Demon Slayer Mark, the demon hunters would not have fared well against the Upper Moon demons. Uzui and every remaining Hashira would have died. This is because it took the combined efforts of Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and all the Hashira to defeat Muzan.

By the end of the series, Giyu Tomioka and Sanemi Shinazugawa were the only remaining Hashira. Tanjiro’s loss alone would have tipped the scales since he was the only Sun Breathing user. Rengoku’s decision had the potential to alter the overarching story completely.

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

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Edited by Toshali Kritika