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During the seemingly endless war between humanity and demons, a number of Demon Slayer's heroes lose their lives, often in unexpected, gruesome ways. These deaths may be some of anime's most difficult to watch, but ironically, the saddest death in Demon Slayer, in my opinion, belongs to a villain instead.
The Upper Rank Three, Akaza, is Demon Slayer's most complicated villain, with a backstory almost too depressing to stomach, and his final moments sadly offered him no redemption. Because of Akaza's miserable life, as well as the way he died, he is the most tragic villain in the entire series, with the saddest death.
The Upper Rank Three, Akaza’s, Death is Demon Slayer’s Most Heartbreaking
Unable To Live With Painful Memories of His Past, Akaza Ended His Own Life
Akaza was one of the longest surviving demons, making it all the way to the Infinity Castle manga arc hundreds of years after he was first transformed into a demon by Muzan. Despite his immense physical strength, the hundreds of human lives he claimed, his high rank in the Twelve Kizuki, and his arrogant, abrasive demeanor, all of Akaza's accomplishments only masked his deep inner pain due to the traumas of his past life as a human. In his final moments, he was forced to confront the irreversible harm he caused others, leaving him with an emotional burden he felt unable to bear.
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Akaza's last fight in Demon Slayer was against Tanjiro Kamado and the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, but his opponents did not cause his death; he ended his own life out of guilt. When Akaza became a demon, the painful recollections of his past were wiped from his mind, but this final battle jogged his memory and every horrific mistake came rushing back. Crushed under the weight of his own sorrow, Akaza took his own life before Tanjiro or Giyu could deal the finishing blow, because the demon wanted to pay for every atrocity he committed during his life.
Akaza’s Backstory is Riddled with Pain and Manipulation From Muzan
He Lost Everyone He Ever Loved In Horrific Ways, Including His Father, His Mentor, and His Lover
Akaza is definitely not blameless, and he made a conscious choice to slaughter hundreds of humans. However, he is an excellent example of the complexity of even Demon Slayer's villains, because despite his wickedness, Akaza was not always simply a cold-blooded killer. Born Hakuji, he grew up poor and struggled to obtain necessities he and his sick father needed to survive, so he resorted to theft and other criminal activities to make ends meet. Troubled by his son's illegal behavior, Hakuji's father hung himself, leaving his son alone to experience the devastation of his first of many losses.
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Alone again and heartbroken, Hakuji wandered around causing trouble, and eventually was noticed by a man named Keizo who owned a dojo. Keizo, noticing Hakuji's talent for fighting and difficult circumstances, chose to take the boy into his home. Hakuji cared for Koyuki, Keizo's sick daughter, and developed strong bonds with both the girl and her father. He helped protect the dojo and care for his newfound family for many years, until tragedy struck again. Right before Hakuji and Koyuki planned to get married, members of a rival dojo poisoned both Keizo and Koyuki, and they both passed away.
His Death is an Excellent Example of How Complicated Demon Slayer’s Villains Are
Although the Harm He Caused Is Inexcusable, Akaza Suffered Immense, Soul Crushing Loss Himself
Overcome by rage and sadness, Hakuji wreaked complete havoc on the rival dojo, murdering all sixty-seven members as revenge for what they did to Keizo and Koyuki. Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor of all demons, was inspired by Hakuji's power and wanted to use it for his own twisted schemes, so he approached the man, and offered to transform him into a demon, which, having lost everything he ever loved, Hakuji agreed to. After this tragic past, Hakuji became known as Akaza, and roamed the world killing humans under Muzan's instruction, rising in the ranks of the evil organization rapidly.
In my opinion, Akaza's backstory is the most tragic in Demon Slayer, because from his youngest childhood days, Akaza knew nothing but sorrow. Anytime he grew attached to someone, like his father, Keizo, or Koyuki, they were snatched away from him by circumstances out of his control. Although he went on to harm innocent humans, which is undoubtedly wrong, his past misfortune causes me to pity him to some extent, because the losses he suffered were undeserved, and Muzan took advantage of him in his darkest, most vulnerable state and cleverly manipulated him for his own personal gain.
Muzan Took Advantage of Akaza During His Darkest Moments
Although the Demon Is Not Blameless for His Actions, Muzan Further Pushed Him To Pursue Evil
Akaza never received an opportunity to turn his life around, and that is the most upsetting part of all. Had someone other than the villainous Muzan encountered Akaza, his character arc could have taken a markedly different path, because in some respects, Akaza is a little honorable, for a demon at least. For example, he has strict rules for himself, such as never harming women. It is a bit ironic that a demon would concern themselves with morality, but positive aspects of Akaza's character like this one make it seem like perhaps some streak of goodness still exists within Akaza, buried beneath his unfortunate fate as a demon.
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Akaza's death was the hardest for me to watch occur, because he spent his entire existence suffering, and never knew peace, even at the very end. As he died and his memories returned, Akaza was forced to relive the most heartbreaking scenes of his life, as if he was experiencing all the losses of his loved ones for the first time again. Although he caused great, inexcusable pain to others, Akaza was in tremendous pain himself, and Muzan only led him further down the dark path that led to his demise, making his death Demon Slayer's most tear-jerking.
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Demon Slayer
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a wildly popular anime and manga franchise created by Koyoharu Gotouge. Set in Taishō-era Japan, it follows Tanjiro Kamado as he battles demons and seeks a cure for his sister, Nezuko, who was turned into one. The franchise includes a manga, anime TV series, films, video games, and spin-offs. Known for its stunning animation and gripping storyline, Demon Slayer is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.
Created by Koyoharu Gotouge
First Episode Air Date April 6, 2019
Cast Natsuki Hanae , Akari Kitō , Hiro Shimono , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka , Kengo Kawanishi , Kana Hanazawa , Toshihiko Seki , Saori Hayami , Tomokazu Sugita
Character(s) Tanjiro Kamado , Nezuko Kamado , Zenitsu Agatsuma , Inosuke Hashibira , Kyojuro Rengoku , Giyu Tomioka , Mitsuri Kanroji , Tengen Uzui , Muzan Kibutsuji , Shinobu Kocho
English (US) ·