Why Muichiro Tokito is the golden child of Demon Slayer, explained

Muichiro Tokito from the Demon Slayer series has shown his grit and mettle during his fight against the Upper Moon 5 demon in season 3 episode 9. A seemingly cold and distant demon hunter turned out to be one of the most kind and caring individuals that we have come across. Muichiro, like most demon hunters and Hashiras, had a sad backstory.

However, there’s a reason why Hashiras tend to have an incredibly traumatizing past. A strong emotional reaction elicited from this trauma led to an immovable conviction, and all of them were united by one thing: their will to destroy demons.

Muichiro was no different since he literally watched his brother die at the hands of a demon. His mother died of an illness, and his father met with an accident in an attempt to retrieve herbs that would heal his wife. Despite these hardships, Muichiro is fondly called the golden child of Demon Slayer.

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

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Understanding why Muichiro could be referred to as the golden child of Demon Slayer

To start things off, Muichiro Tokito was a child among fully-grown adults, fighting incredibly tough demons. He was just 12 years old when he joined the Demon Slayer Corps and became a full-fledged Hashira in a span of just two months. He is widely recognized as the most talented demon hunter in the series. This is why Tengen thought of both Gyomei and Muichiro when Gyutaro called him a talented swordsman.

The portion of the fanbase that hadn’t read the manga didn’t have a good impression of Mist Hashira at first. He was cold, distant, and completely lacked empathy. It felt like his responses were crafted without considering other people’s feelings.

However, his tragic past certainly played a role. The only living family member that Muichiro knew was his brother, and he called Muichhiro extremely incompetent. In reality, the "Mu" in Muichiro stood for infinite, while his brother stated that "Mu" Muichiro stood for incompetence.

In the last stages of his life, Yuichiro prayed for his brother's safety and called him the "chosen one." He was right that there weren't many people like Muichiro who could exert infinite strength for the ones he loved and cherished. Muichiro accepted his past and went on to grow as an individual.

This was seen during the Infinity Castle arc of the Demon Slayer series. Someone who was cold and distant put his life on the line for the ones he cared about. His death during the fight against the Upper Moon 1 demon didn’t go in vain.

For Sanemi Shinazugawa, Genya, and Gyomei to live, he laid down his life and dealt a critical blow to Kokushibo. When he reunited with Yuichiro in the afterlife, Muichiro felt no sense of regret regarding his short lifespan. He was able to live a fulfilling life because he was surrounded by people he loved and fought for them as well.

Time and again, the Demon Slayer’s leitmotif has been shown in the series, and the message is that life is to be treasured and loved ones give our lives meaning and happiness.

Muichiro, as a character, embodied that message quite well in the series. His growth as a character, paired with the message that this character stands for, makes him the golden child of the Demon Slayer.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2023 progresses.