Why was Kyogai kicked out of the Twelve Kizuki in Demon Slayer? Explained

The humans in Demon Slayer are usually the center of attention, but the characters who deserve the same attention are the demons. While there are a few famous examples, like Akaza, Muzan, and Kokushibo, the majority don’t get the spotlight.

Many demons were victims of this obscurity, especially the ones from season 1. These demons were the first ones encountered by Tanjiro and Nezuko, and they served as a soft introduction to demons in the series. A huge reason for these demons not making a mark in Demon Slayer was how one-dimensional they were.

These characters were one-dimensional, and it was Gotouge’s way of making viewers stand by humans. He later inverted this as Demon Slayer progressed by introducing Kyogai. He was a former member of the Muzan Twelve Kizuki, and was also the first three-dimensional demon in Demon Slayer.

Kyogai was one of the saddest characters in Demon Slayer, and this was reflected in his life as both human and demon. He struggled to be an accomplished musician as a human, and as a demon, there was a limit to his powers. Eventually, he lost his place in the Twelve Kizuki, as Muzan deemed him useless. Here is more of why Kyogai was kicked out of the Twelve Kizuki.

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Kyogai's inability to grow stronger, explained

Kyogai reached his limit in consuming humans (Image via Ufotable)

One of Demon Slayer’s most asked questions is: “Why was Kyogai kicked out of the Twelve Kizuki?” To understand Kyogai being kicked out of the Twelve Kizuki, one must revisit Kyogai’s inability to grow stronger.

Demons grow in strength whenever they consume other humans, and Kyogai was no different. He consumed a lot of humans, and he became powerful. However, he reached his limit and wasn’t able to consume as many humans as he should.

Due to this, Muzan found no use for him, as members of the Twelve Kizuki must be able to grow stronger continuously. For the rest of his existence, Kyogai tried to rejoin the Twelve Kizuki, but to no success.

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What Kyogai's exile says about Demon Slayer's Twelve Kizuki, explored

Kyogai's marked eye, showing his ties to the Twelve Kizuki (Image via Ufotable)

Kyogai’s removal from the Twelve Kizuki was another master stroke from the series’s creator. The world of demons and humans worked with different rules. While humans relied on compassion and kindness, demons lived in a world where strength was absolute.

Even that strength was subject to Muzan’s whims, as he could just kill whoever put him in a bad mood. Muzan’s blood was also key to demons gaining strength, and some demons were not able to withstand a higher amount of Muzan’s blood.

This made the Twelve Kizuki a group where everyone had to be on their toes. It was a parasitic relationship that had power as its perk, but demons had to constantly find ways to please Muzan.

Muzan was also a man-child with a penchant for taking very impulsive actions. No one was at the receiving end of this more than the demons. With lower-ranked demons, their risk of death is tenfold. Muzan eventually killed all the lower moons of the Twelve Kizuki due to their failures and his increased frustration at the success of the Demon Slayer Corps.

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Final thoughts

Kyogai was such a memorable character in Demon Slayer, and for a demon that wasn’t as strong as other demons fans would later encounter, it's mystifying that he was unforgettable. Kyogai is unforgettable because he represents the human condition.

He embodied what it meant to fail as a creative. Kyogai was a musician whose music was scoffed at. Even when he became a demon, he never forgot his musical roots, as his demon arts relied on drums. Tanjiro was the only one who appreciated his music.

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