The mystery behind Demon Slayer’s primary antagonist, Muzan Kibutsuji’s powers and history is one of the many reasons the anime captivated several enthusiasts worldwide. The series follows Tanjiro Kamado’s journey as he becomes a demon slayer after his family’s brutal murder. Alongside his fellow demon slayers, like Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira, Tanjiro embarks on a quest to cure his sister, Nezuko, while battling powerful demons along the way.
Throughout the series, Tanjiro and his friends face numerous obstacles, but none more challenging than Muzan and his elite group of demons called the Twelve Kizuki. These twelve demons are mighty and serve as Muzan's most trusted lapdogs, but some of them and others defy Muzan and choose to be in his bad graces. Here are ten such demons from the vibrant world of Demon Slayer.
10 Kamanue
Kamanue belonged to the group of the Twelve Kizuki, holding the position of Lower Rank Six before Muzan killed him. He criticized Muzan for how he treated the lower ranks and expressed doubt over their importance and relevance.
Even though he only did this in his mind, Muzan could hear his thoughts. Kamaue’s disrespect and audacity to challenge Muzan’s authority earned him Muzan’s anger. Though he did not take any action to resist or disobey Muzan's orders, this moment of passive resistance led to his demise.
9 Wakuraba
As the Demon King, Muzan demands complete obedience and loyalty from his subordinates, and any sign of rebellion or disobedience is seen as a sign of disrespect towards him. During the Rehabilitation Training Arc, Wakuraba, the Lower Rank Three at the time, showed disrespect towards Muzan.
While Muzan challenged the lower-rank group of the Twelve Kizuki, Wakuraba was terrified and desperate to survive. He attempted to flee and survive Muzan's rage. And Muzan understood this attempt to save himself as a form of disobedience and disrespect, and he ultimately killed Wakuraba.
8 Rokuro
Rokuro, who held the Lower Rank Two position, was also at the lower rank meeting with Muzan during the Rehabilitation Training Arc. Although his defiance came about because of his fear and great respect, Muzan saw the situation in black and white, with no grey areas between devotion and the lack of it.
When only two demons of the Lower Rank were left breathing, Rokuro requested more of Muzan’s blood to increase his abilities so he could ultimately serve Muzan better as a more useful demon. However, Muzan saw this as an insolent request and so he killed Rokuro in the end.
7 Mukago
The Lower Rank Four of the Twelve Kizuki, Mukago, was powerful but unwilling to face the threat of death against the Hashira. This cowardice cost Mukago her life. During the Rehabilitation Training Arc meeting, Muzan read her mind and revealed this to her, letting her know she was failing as a member of the Twelve Kizuki.
Though she tried to apologize and get back on Muzan’s good side, her appeal was dismissed by Muzan, and he eventually killed her by crushing her body with his arm.
6 Kyogai
Muzan expects his demons to keep getting stronger because their survival and ability to consume humans depend on it. Although demons are immune to standard weaponry, they can still die by decapitation with a Nichirin Sword. But as they mutate and grow stronger, they improve their physical abilities and develop their Blood Demon Arts.
So when Kyogai held the position of lower rank six but could no longer increase in strength by eating humans, his inability pushed Muzan to strip him of his title, sending him into his pursuit of humans with a special kind of blood.
5 Susamaru
Muzan is known for his extreme temper and cruelty, and this extends into his demon curse, placed on demons carrying his blood. The curse punishes any demon that says Muzan’s surname out loud, an act of rebellion against Muzan.
Susamaru, a loyal and subservient demon, was sent to kill Tanjiro Kamado. During the attack she and her companion had on Tanjiro, Susamaru got tricked into saying Muzan’s name even though she did it in his defense. Saying his name activated the demon curse and killed her.
4 Yushiro
Yushiro became a demon due to an almost fatal illness. He took Tamayo's offer to turn him into a demon and save his life. After this, he continued to serve as her assistant. Alongside Tamayo and demon slayers like Tanjiro, he works towards creating a world with a cure for demons.
Yushiro helps Tamayo by gathering information and materials for her research and accompanying her on her travels. Yushiro's actions put him at odds with Muzan and his loyal demons, including the Twelve Kizuki. Though a demon, Yushiro doesn’t live as one; he doesn't eat humans to survive and gain strength.
3 Tamayo
Tamayo is both a demon and a doctor, dedicated to her research on demons and humans and a cure that can turn demons back into humans. Muzan made her a demon against her will, pretending to save her from an illness.
After her transformation, Tamayo committed some despicable acts and regretted them afterward, though she could do nothing but remain under Muzan. But when the opportunity to escape came, she took it. She dedicated her life to fighting Muzan from a biological standpoint and even rewired her body to survive without eating humans.
2 Nezuko
Nezuko is a unique demon, known since her transformation to be immune from the characteristics and side effects expected of demons. She doesn’t eat humans and can walk in the sun unaffected by it. Also, she fights with her brother Tanjiro during his battles against other demons.
As Muzan is responsible for the death of her family, Nezuko hates him very much, and this hatred serves as fuel during her battles. Because of her unique abilities, she becomes sought after by Muzan, who hopes that by eating her, he will gain her immunity to the sun.
1 Tanjiro
As a human, Tanjiro is committed to following the path of a demon slayer to Muzan’s death. Because Muzan is responsible for his family’s murder, Tanjiro’s hatred for him knows no bounds. His determination led him to face Muzan, hoping to end him finally.
But when Muzan finally faced defeat, he moved to transfer himself into Tanjiro, turning him into a “demonified” version known as Demon Tanjiro. Although now a demon, Tanjiro struggled to keep himself unaffected. He defied Muzan by refusing to submit to his control fully.