In just a few years, Kimetsu no Yaiba has become the biggest name in the anime industry. The film not only has quality images, but the simple and pleasant storytelling as well as the skillfully crafted cast of characters has attracted audiences around the world, reaping many successes. That said, one of the key factors in the success of a shonen anime is the villain. Kibutsuji Muzan in Kimetsu no Yaiba, the demon king of the Taisho era, is proof that the villain is even more prominent than the protagonist.
As the first demon and thus the forerunner of all demons, Kibutsuji possesses both strength and experience accumulated over long centuries. Thanks to his amazing and terrifying abilities, he became not only the leader of the Twelve Moon Demons – the 12 most powerful demons – but also the demon lord. As the demon lord, he earned the respect and fear of his subordinates, to the point that even saying the name Kibutsuji became taboo.
Among many terrifying skills, Kibutsuji Muzan is capable of placing a curse on any demon that soaks up his blood. If a demon dares to utter the name “Kibutsuji”, the curse will immediately be activated and kill them. This is exactly what happened to Susamaru during the battle with Nezuko and Tanjiro. Although she did not call out the demon lord’s name in mockery or malice, the curse was still activated, causing her to die.
Readers will find the episode familiar again, as it’s reminiscent of Harry Potter’s Voldemort, and rarely does anything evoke fear of a villain as much as the taboo name. Because of Kibutsuji’s blood curse, even the most formidable demons called him “that person” whenever they mentioned him, partly out of reverence for his immense power – partly out of fear of triggering the word. curse.
However, Kibutsuji’s blood curse can be scary, but it doesn’t always work. There are at least two demons in Kimetsu no Yaiba who have overcome the curse through willpower: Tamayo and Nezuko. It is true that Tamayo possesses incredible medical knowledge, being able to create an “anti-demon” potion for Nezuko to use, but before that it was unclear how she was able to overcome the curse Kibutsuji posed. Not only that, she also showed her strong will when refusing to eat human blood. Many viewers believe that this is the kind of mental strength that can defeat even Kibutsuji.
Although defeating Kibutsuji’s curse happened in Kimetsu no Yaiba, only two characters have managed to do so so far. This implies that this demon lord’s real weakness is bravery. When his enemies are fearless, they will find new, unique tactics to defeat his power. Because of that, Kibutsuji needed to put a curse attached to his name – both to keep the Demon Slayer and let the demons unite against him.
