This article contains major spoilers for the ending of the Demon Slayer's manga. Proceed with caution if you haven't finished the series yet.
Summary
Akaza is a complex demon with tragic backstory and subtle honor code. His transformation into a demon was borne out of despair, not malice or greed. Akaza's redemption, acceptance of humanity, and eventual death make him relatable to fans.
Akaza is definitely one of the most complex and incredible characters in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. Although different from other demons in the series, he's got his own reasons and struggles for himself, and he's even more tragic and relatable to people, fans included. As a demon, he doesn't share the same properties of the demon that he would kill for his everyday needs, but it's not so simple being a demon for him. The character of this play has depth, honor, and sadness at its core.
His character and fighting style clearly tell a story more than the fact that he was just a strong demon to fear. Instead, it is a story of loss and rage and the scraps of humanity left in a man who has been through enough that he has nothing to live for. Akaza's story leaves fans with powerful thoughts about grief, regret, and love -- that can outlast time and memories.
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Who Is Akaza?
Third of The Twelve Kizuki Upper Rank
Akaza is the Upper Rank Three of the Twelve Kizuki, one of the most powerful subordinates of Muzan Kibutsuji. Because of his great strength, unflinching loyalty to Muzan, and his own unending desire to fight stronger opponents, Akaza is feared by both demon slayers and demons alike. His first appearance is unforgettable as he confronts one of the most beloved Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, in the Mugen train arc.
Although Akaza is one of the upper ranks, his strength and combat prowess are impressive, but his guises seem to tell a deeper story behind the violence. This fight adds to Akaza as a formidable antagonist and also shows a side to him that is very subtle. Despite being a demon, he has a strange honor code that honors Rengoku's strength and gives him the chance to become a demon. This is an indication of Akaza's messed-up relationship with strength and morals, which has been established to lead to his tragic backstory.
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Role of Akaza As An Upper Rank Demon
A Demon With A Code
As an Upper Rank, Akaza's role is clear: He was there to serve Muzan and to eliminate any of his subjects that would threaten his reign. That's not to say that Akaza is any less evil than other demons, but he doesn't just act out of malicious things. The reason his focus was on fighting the strongest is because, from his human life, he knew how strong people could be, so he benched with what he knew.
His approach to battle remains the same, even when he is turned into a demon; this is a sense of honor that lasts to the present day. Unlike other demons who were kind of pushed or attracted into their transformation, Akaza technically fell into becoming a demon by way of a very depressing moment. Akaza accepted, though it was less of a desire and more of a hopelessness when Muzan offered him to escape from his pain. His reluctant loyalty furthers this tragedy by giving him no choice other than to fight, and he does not want to.
Let me tell you why you can't enter the realm of the highest. Because you're a human. Because you're going to grow old. Because you're going to die. Become a demon, Kyojuro. Do that, and you can go on training for a hundred, two hundred years. You can become stronger.
The Story Behind Akaza That's Heartbreaking
The Birth of Akaza
Akaza was originally a young man named Hakuji. Poor, with a sickly father whom he was deeply caring for, Hakuji did all that was possible to afford his medicine, including theft and violence. The punishment he faced was relentless. Even when he struggled so much for him, his father took his own life, believing himself to be a burden upon his son. This depressing incident left Hakuji aimless and in despair. One day, his life changed when he encountered Keizo, a martial artist who took him in and gave him direction. Keizo trained him and entrusted him with the protection of his daughter, Koyuki, who was also gravely ill. Hakuji finally felt a sense of comfort and belonging with this new family.
However, this family was torn from him once more when Keizo and Koyuki were poisoned by a rival dojo. This enraged Hakuji into a blind rage, and in a fit of uncontrollable anger, he killed all 67 members of the rival dojo with his bare hands, proving his strength to be unparalleled even in human form. After this massacre, Muzan Kibutsuji came across Hakuji, and, seeing how he killed all these people, he initially thought Akaza was a demon and was shocked to find a human doing all this, and that's why he gave him the option of escaping his pain by transforming into a demon. Shattered, hopeless, Hakuji yielded to this and thus became Akaza.
Although he gained formidable powers, he lost memories of his human life in the process. However, old values and emotions remained trapped in his soul. The reason Akaza, with no understanding as to why himself, never kills or consumes women, is based on a principle stemming from his love for Koyuki. This makes Akaza not like other demons, at least, under normal circumstances, as it is to this subconscious connection to his humanity that he is set apart, no matter how monstrous he used to be.
Akaza's Redemption and Death
Why Fans Relate to Akaza
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Akaza starts to get his memories back in his final battle against Tanjiro and Giyu. His memories of love and wisdom come back to him as he is back in his past. Their voices tell him to stop fighting, to let go of hurting himself and others. Guilt and sorrow washed away, with Akaza making the most inevitable decision to eventually kill himself and refusing Muzan's control and his pain. It's so incredibly powerful because Akaza chose his very own death when he could very well have killed both Giyu and Tanjiro, something not even Muzan was able to do. Unlike other demons living so desperately just to survive, Akaza accepted his humanity in his final moments. It didn't only break Muzan's hold on him but also paid tribute to those whom he once loved.
Having been at the core of this front and backstory, it is a bittersweet conclusion that seals his fate as one of the darkest and most relatable figures in Demon Slayer. His story really hits home for fans because it's really similar to our own real-life struggles: grief, regret, trying to find a purpose. These themes can be related to many people: his desire to protect, his inability to run away from his past, and his redemption. Akaza's humanity, despite his monstrous actions, shines through, making him a beacon of resilience and love that never ceases to burn. But where other demons transformed either out of malice or greed, Akaza's transformation was borne out of despair. He's one of the most relatable figures in the series, and perhaps the most so, since almost everyone could relate to him at some point on his journey.
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Demon Slayer
8.6/10
Action
Adventure
Based on Koyoharu Gotouge's shonen manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is an action anime set in Japan during the early 20th century. Seeking revenge for the murder of his family while also looking to save his sister, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps as they try to eradicate Demons led by Muzan.
Release Date April 6, 2019
Main Genre Animation
Seasons 4
Studio ufotable
Japanese Title Kimetsu no Yaiba
Based On Manga
Creator Koyoharu Gotoge
Number of Episodes 63
Network Adult Swim
Streaming Service(s) Crunchyroll , Hulu , Netflix
MyAnimeList Score 8.26 (Hashira Training Arc)
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