Why Demon Slayer's demons range in appearance from human to grotesque may have been answered by Muzan at the end

As the name suggests, Demon Slayer is a series that has a plethora of demons that have made an appearance so far. There are a couple of interesting facts about them, one of which stands out. The appearances of demons aren’t always grotesque.

Some demons have a more human-like appearance, while others look extremely mutated and deformed. Koyoharu Gotouge is a master of character design, and this can be seen in his manga. Each character has a unique appearance, and this trend applies to demons as well.

There are no exceptions for antagonists and this improves the quality of world-building in the anime and manga series. Let’s understand why there is a wide range in the demons’ appearance, and to do so, and look for clues that could potentially explain the aforementioned observation.

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

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Demon Slayer: Exploring why demons have an irregularity in their appearance

Let us establish the fact that the demons’ appearance varies quite a bit. Akaza is a prime example of a demon who retains a human-like appearance. However, the same cannot be said about the Hand demon, who was a threat in the Final Selection and has an extremely distorted appearance. The same can be said for the Father Spider demon who was in Mount Natagumo. While other demons had a human-like appearance, the Father Spider demon had a grotesque appearance.

The one element that could explain this phenomenon is a demon’s potential and its current strength. Demons are very similar to vessels, in the sense that they can contain a certain amount of powers and Muzan’s blood. If the power they contain exceeds the individual’s potential, there is a possibility of distortion, which leads to a grotesque look.

For example, the Hand demon wasn't particularly a big threat when he was first captured by Urokodaki. However, he got stronger as he continued to kill and devour humans who were at the Final Selection. Not all candidates who appear are strong, thereby giving the demon a chance to improve his abilities. This is probably why he was distorted in the anime series.

On the other hand, we have Akaza, the Upper Moon 3 demon who had a human-like appearance. Before becoming a demon, he was an incredibly skilled martial arts practitioner and managed to kill dozens of people in a fit of rage. His potential was far higher than most demons that we have encountered in the series.

Kibutsuji Muzan's final form is one of the most grotesque beings one can find in the Demon Slayer series. In his dying moments, Muzan turned into a colossal infant-like being with sharp fangs. The sight was horrendous, to say the least. In his dying moments, we could see that there was an imbalance in the potential as well as the current power that he wielded.

His physical body was giving way due to the sun while he continued to retain his powers. This is a key explanation of why grotesque appearances exist in the animanga series. Therefore, the grotesque appearance can be seen when there is an imbalance between potential and current abilities, as well as in circumstances where the physical body gives way while retaining an excess amount of Muzan's blood, which in turn grants demonic powers.

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

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