Muzan Kibutsuji has spent centuries growing his strength and his army of demons. But was turning Nezuko always part of his plan? And if so, why?
Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado’s lives were forever changed when Muzan Kibutsuji, the King of Demons, slaughtered their family and left Nezuko to become a demon. As Demon Slayer plays out, it’s clear that Muzan’s goal is to become the strongest demon by overcoming his weakness to sunlight, one of the few weaknesses a demon has. What remains unclear for many fans, though, is Muzan’s motivations for turning Nezuko into a demon.
For everyone who encounters her, it’s clear Nezuko is no ordinary demon. But did Muzan have any way of knowing she would be such a deviation when he made the decision to turn her? Did his attack have anything to do with the Kamados’ ties to Yoriichi Tsukiguni, or was it pure happenstance that tragedy struck the Kamados and Nezuko would eventually become such a formidable opponent?
Fans who’ve been reading the Demon Slayer manga might think Nezuko becoming a demon is a result of the connection between the Kamados and Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Yoriichi was the originator of the Breathing Styles used by Demon Slayers and master of the Sun Breathing style. He nearly killed Muzan with the technique, leading the latter to spend years hunting down anyone who’d come in contact with the style to ensure it could never again be used against him.
The manga leads fans to believe there might be a familial connection to Yoriichi, only to show that he had just spent time with the Kamado ancestors during his travels. While the Kamados had no demon slayers in their family, through Tanjiro’s memories it’s shown how the Hinokami Kagura dance that his father passed down evolved from the basic tenets of the Sun Breathing style. However Muzan may have tracked them down, it seems possible that his fear of Yoriichi’s legacy would drive him to eventually kill the Kamados — but would not necessarily explain why Nezuko, or any Kamado, would be turned into a demon.
Becoming a demon is no accident and — outside of Lady Tamayo — only Muzan has the power capable of creating demons. Since each new demon born is a deliberate act on his part, what made Nezuko stand out as a candidate? So far, the Demon Slayer anime has made no allusions as to a reason, but the answer is ultimately revealed at the end of the manga’s “Swordsmith Village” arc and again in its final arc.
It might’ve appeared random that Nezuko would be turned into a demon as she’s nothing more than a child in a poor family in the mountains. While such a tragic circumstance could drive her to willingly accept the transformation — as has been shown by demons like Rui, Daki and Gyutaro — her becoming a demon is surprisingly coincidental. Muzan simply creates demons in the hopes that one will be created with the power that he seeks: immunity to the sun.