Demon Slayer is an anime defined by suffering and hardship. Suffering is an important narrative tool, as hardship and woe has the power to make characters more sympathetic. When living in comfort, characters tend to act predictably, but when they suffer, anime characters may surprise fans as they show their best or worst selves in response.
Both the heroes and villains of Demon Slayer have been through a lot of hardships. Unearthing their suffering has a way of revealing the character’s true nature whether for good or ill. Most often, the heroes become kinder people in an effort to overcome their suffering and prevent the same from happening to others. Villains, on the other hand, tend to take out their suffering on others. Suffering is the key factor in many of Demon Slayer‘s most noteworthy characters, and it had a profound impact on them all.
10 Nezuko Witnesses Her Family's Cruel Slaughter
Nezuko Could Have Become A Bitter Demon, But She Became a Hero Instead
The two oldest Kamado siblings suffered serious personal losses when their four younger brothers and sisters were killed by Muzan Kibutsuji, but Nezuko was the one who suffered more. She was the one who had to watch the slaughter take place, which no doubt scarred her mind a great deal. Then, Nezuko became a demon herself, which was an immense burden to her.
Nezuko can make use of her demon powers in battle, but at no point did Nezuko feel grateful for gaining this kind of power. She must avoid the sun, is feared by some humans, and above all, never wished for this kind of existence. Fortunately, Nezuko has people like her brother Tanjiro and Mitsuri Kanroji to support and love her, but her daily life is still a rough one in many ways.
9 Gyomei Lost the Children He Cared About and Was Almost Executed
Gyomei's Past Made Him Steadfast As the Stone Hashira
Several of the Hashira suffered greatly in their backstories, which includes the hulking Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himajima. It’s no coincidence he is usually seen shedding tears in the present day, since Gyomei experienced serious trauma that would make anyone cry. A few years ago, Gyomei ran his own little orphanage, a place built on mutual support and trust, until a child was pressured into betraying them all.
First, Gyomei suffered the loss of most of his wards at the hands of that demon, and he was even forced to become a brute himself as he fought that demon until the morning sun rose. Then, Gyomei was blamed for it all and was nearly executed until Kagaya found him. Now, Gyomei is far from a wanted criminal, but there are still lingering trust issues that make it hard for him to connect with other people.
8 Giyu is Struggling With Survivor's Guilt and Impostor Syndrome
Tomioka Believed Sabito Should Have Survived Instead of Him
Giyu Tomioka the Water Hashira is one of many members of the Demon Slayer Corps who endured great losses thanks to demonkind. What sets Giyu apart is how he has not just grief, but also survivor’s guilt and imposter syndrome because his good friend Sabito died when Giyu «should» have died during Final Selection. Giyu lost a friend, then lost all confidence in himself, regardless of his genuine skills, since he technically didn’t meet the requirements to pass the test, yet he was allowed to pass anyway.
Giyu has grappled with these feelings ever since the events of his backstory’s flashback, to the point he would rather have Tanjiro replace him as the Water Hashira. Giyu both underestimated himself and flattered Tanjiro with that idea, but ideally, Muzan will be defeated before then. Should that happen, the Demon Slayer Corps could be disbanded, and Tanjiro won’t have to be any kind of Hashira.
7 Shinobu Burns With Rage At the Loss of Her Sister
Doma Earned Himself a Powerful Enemy When He Killed Kanae
Shinobu Kocho the Insect Hashira used to be quite close to her older sister Kanae, who was the Flower Hashira in her day. Tragically, the Upper Moon 2 Doma killed Kanae in battle, and that had a profound impact on Shinobu. The effect goes beyond grief, because Shinobu also suffers from constant anger. Shinobu might make use of her rage as a tool in battle, but constant anger is a drain in the psyche.
Shinobu won’t find peace for herself or Kanae’s memory until Doma is slain, and that is a tall order for any Hashira, making Demon Slayer fans worry that Shinobu will never find peace. Fans might say Shinobu’s entire personality was warped because of all this, even if she acts like a polite and easygoing person on the outside. At least Shinobu has Kanao to train and support, a constructive way to honor Kanae’s memory.
6 Kagaya is Burdened With a Cursed Illness
The Ubuyashiki Men Were Born to Suffer
The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps is a kind fellow named Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who always take pride in his Hashira and is happy to spend time with both them and his own family. However, the rest of Kagaya’s life is overwhelming hardship, with Kagaya being constantly ill and knowing that he will die young. In fact, that is the fate of all the men in the Ubuyashiki family.
By the time the Kamados met him, Kagaya had heavy markings on his face from his illness, and when Muzan paid the Ubuyashikis a visit, Kagaya was bedridden and barely hanging on by a thread. He was only in his mid-20s at most, meaning he had to miss out on the vast majority of what his life could have offered. Kagaya was ready and willing to sacrifice himself in a vast explosion to strike at Muzan one last time, which also acted to end Kagaya’s own suffering..
5 Gyutaro Grew Up in Squalor and Neglect
Feeling Sympathy Toward Gyutaro Became Easy Once Fans Learned His Backstory
Plenty of the demons are defined as total monsters, but some of them do have heartbreaking backstories of pain and suffering, including the Upper Moon 6, Gyutaro. From the moment of his birth, Gyutaro only knew suffering and misery, being the unwanted son of an impoverished sex worker. Thus, Gyutaro had no semblance of familial love of support, and his mother was antagonistic to him.
Gyutaro wasn’t even given a name, so he gave himself a name based on the work he did, which shows how little his mother cared. What is more, everyone in that impoverished neighborhood thought Gyutaro was a repulsive creep, and that meant he often got into fights. Only by protecting his little sister Daki did Gyutaro ever feel any real happiness, but even that ended horribly at some point.
4 Daki Was Burned Alive and Almost Died
Hardship Drove Daki and Gyutaro to Embrace the Power Muzan Offered
Like her brother, Daki grew up in hardship and oppressive poverty ever since she was born. Unlike her brother, Daki was regarded as immensely attractive and even got decent treatment sometimes, but Daki still had a hard time staving off the woes of her lot in life. Daki even experienced envious abuse from her mother, who tried to cut her until Gyutaro violently intervened.
Daki’s life promised to gradually get better from there, but it all came crashing down when she picked a fight with a samurai and was set on fire. There’s no doubt Daki’s physical suffering was overwhelming as she burned, and it was a miracle she even survived the experience. Only by becoming a demon could Daki restore her health and make something of herself, a truly desperate move after she and Gyutaro crossed paths with Doma.
3 Lady Tamayo Killed Her Husband in a Demonic Rampage
Tamayo's Anger Toward Muzan Put Her On a Hero's Path
Most demons enjoy the violence and power of their new lot in life, feeling excited and empowered by their superhuman strength, but not lady Tamayo. She was only violent at first, going on a rampage when Muzan turned her into a demon a few centuries ago. To her immense sorrow, Tamayo killed her husband, and ever since then, she has nursed an intense grudge against Muzan for it.
Fortunately for all, Tamayo sought a constructive lifestyle as a demon, choosing a path of pacifism and medicine. By the time the Kamados met her in Asakusa in 1915, Tamayo was as gentle as could be, but she never forgot her rage. Demon Slayer fans saw that side of her in action when she attacked Muzan right after Kagaya’s dath, and Tamayo was no doubt deeply frustrated she couldn’t finish off Muzan then and there.
2 Genya Lost His Family, Even Though His Beloved Brother Survived
Genya and Sanemi Were Once Close, But Hardship Drove a Wedge Between Them
Genya Shinazugawa isn’t the only Demon Slayer character who lost someone to a demon, but he still suffered greatly when he lost his siblings to a demon’s wrath one night. Worse yet, that demon was Genya’s own mother, which practically doubled the trauma of the event. By the time dawn came, Genya and his older brother Sanemi were all that remained of the Shinazugawas.
Losing his brothers and sisters to his own demon mother was traumatic enough, but then Sanemi changed for the worse. Sanemi became bitter and intense, showing no sign of brotherly love and support for Genya. Genya is heartbroken by that, and as anime fans saw, Sanemi is liable to attack Genya out of frustration anytime Genya confronts him about it.
1 Muichiro Watched His Family Die One By One in the Mountains
Debut Episode: "Against Corps Rules"
Muichiro Tokito, the young Mist Hashira, once lived in a mountainside cottage his parents and twin brother Yuichiro, but over time, it all fell apart. Muichiro lost his mother and father on separate occasions, leaving the twin brothers to fend for themselves. Muichiro felt terrible that Yuichiro was so stern and emotionally distant, and then Yuichuro died, meaning Muichiro was truly alone.
Muichiro couldn’t even bury his brother, instead enduring the sight of his brother’s body for several days. Muichiro wasn’t even willing to let go of Yuichiro’s corpse’s hand, and he might have died if help hadn’t finally arrived. Now, Muichiro is doing well for himself and setting a good example for the other Hashira, but he had to endure unspeakable trauma and suffering to reach that point.
