Muzan’s Escape: The Unbelievable Survival Tactic That Fooled Yoriichi in Demon Slayer!

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This article contains spoilers from Demon Slayer’s manga.

Summary

  • Muzan’s near-death encounter with Yoriichi shaped his actions against demon slayers.
  • Yoriichi’s fight with Muzan laid the foundation for the victory of the next generation of demon slayers.

500 years prior to the narrative of Demon Slayer, Muzan Kibutsuji narrowly evades a grisly demise at the hands of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the pioneer Sun Breather and creator of all breathing techniques. Although Yoriichi was unable to slay Muzan, the ancestor of all demons, he instilled in Muzan an overwhelming dread of Yoriichi and Sun Breathing, which significantly influenced the events depicted in Demon Slayer.

The close brush with death experienced by Muzan Kibutsuji significantly impacted his subsequent actions and choices against the demon slayers, most notably Tanjiro Kamado and his kin. This was an unprecedented event in the series, where the Demon King, Muzan, found himself outmatched by a single demon slayer.

Muzan’s Fateful Encounter With Yoriichi

Muzan Avoided Death Multiple Times

Prior to his fateful meeting with Yoriichi Tsugikuni, Muzan Kibutsuji had experienced multiple brushes with death even before he was born as a human. His heart stopped several times in his mother’s womb, and upon birth, he was declared dead, nearly being cremated. In addition to this, Muzan suffered from an incurable illness that potentially could have claimed his life at a tender age. Regrettably, death seemed to be a constant companion throughout Muzan’s human lifetime.

In my initial encounter with this individual, he appeared extremely frail. There was no hint of ambition, determination, malice, or murderous intent about him. However, it was later revealed that this seemingly harmless man was capable of beheading and viciously attacking me.

Following Muzan’s transformation into a demon, he proved an intimidating figure, defying his vulnerability to sunlight. For decades, Muzan’s overwhelming power made him seemingly invincible, deterring all challengers, including Michikatsu Tsugikuni who eventually became Kokushibo, the Upper One Moon. However, there lives a young man named Yoriichi, renowned as the strongest demon slayer ever, whose mission is to bring an end to Muzan and his destructive ambitions.

Muzan’s Showdown With Yoriichi

In a bamboo forest, Yoriichi and Muzan initially crossed paths following an instance when Muzan transformed Michikatsu into a demon. At that time, Muzan was accompanied by Tamayo, who personally witnessed their confrontation. On the other hand, Yoriichi experienced a shiver running down his spine upon laying eyes on Muzan, anticipating that even a minor wound from the demon could be lethal due to its terrifying speed and extended reach. To make matters worse, when Yoriichi peered into the Transparent World, he uncovered that Muzan had not one but seven hearts and five brains.

“What is the value of life to you?”—Yoriichi Tsugikuni to Muzan Kibutsuji

Yet, Muzan didn’t foresee that Yoriichi would master all aspects of Sun Breathing and fuse them into a single destructive blow, resulting in his decapitation and a body that wouldn’t heal. This conviction led Yoriichi to think his Radiant Crimson Nichirin Sword could finally vanquish Muzan. For the first time, the haughty Demon King teetered on the edge of death at the hands of a demon slayer.

Muzan’s Desperate Attempt to Escape Death

Before Yoriichi could fully defeat Muzan, the demon suddenly split into numerous small fragments, shocking Yoriichi. Out of the 1,800 pieces, Yoriichi severed over 1,500 from Muzan’s scattered body parts, allowing the rest to reform into a lump about the size of a human head. In his desperate bid to flee, Muzan even abandoned Tamayo. Although Muzan succeeded in escaping death, he couldn’t escape the emotional damage inflicted by his encounter with Yoriichi.

For a long time, Muzan evaded battles with Sun Breathers, meanwhile transforming humans into demons in an attempt to find a unique demon that could traverse daylight. In the series Demon Slayer, Yoriichi might not have succeeded in defeating Muzan, but their battle set the stage for future victories among the demon slayers of the next generation. Eventually, Yoriichi’s influence guaranteed that Muzan could never elude capture or evade justice forever.

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2025-03-11 04:06