Tamayo and Shinobu’s Game-Changing Partnership

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Summary

  • Tamayo and Shinobu’s collaboration created a drug that weakened Muzan significantly.
  • Shinobu’s deep hatred for demons did not deter her from working with Tamayo to develop the drug.
  • The efforts of Tamayo and Shinobu were crucial in the final battle against Muzan and highlighted the importance of cooperation.

In the process leading up to their transformation, Tamayo and Shinobu significantly contributed to overcoming their individual animosity towards demons. Tamayo, adopting a more impartial stance toward humans, has modified her body to accept donated blood, thus avoiding preying on humanity. However, her ultimate goal is to find a cure for demonization and, if feasible, put an end to Muzan’s reign.

In the anime “Demon Slayer,” as Kocho Shinobu emulates her elder sister’s path, she yearns for a world where humans and demons can live harmoniously. Yet, hidden within, she harbors resentment toward all demons. To achieve their joint goal of developing a drug to gradually weaken Muzan, what were the roles of Tamayo and Shinobu, and what sacrifices did they make to collaborate on this project?

Who is Tamayo?

Misguided by Muzan, Tamayo now seeks revenge and retribution

Arc Asakusa
Chapters 14 – 19
Episodes 7 – 10

Initially introduced in the Asakusa district, Lady Tamayo emerged as one of the two demons, including Nezuko and Yushiro, who exhibited no hostility towards humans. Similar to numerous demons transformed by Muzan, Tamayo’s life took a drastic turn after she contracted a fatal illness. Muzan proposed a remedy for her condition, which eventually led to Tamayo succumbing to her demonic nature and attacking her family, resulting in the tragic deaths of her husband and children.

Following a spell of madness where she unintentionally took the lives of her own family, Tamayo additionally caused harm to several others, leading her to plunge into deep sorrow over her destructive actions. It was later revealed in Chapter 138 that Muzan had deceived her, and if she had known the consequences of her actions, she would never have accepted his help. Being under Muzan’s influence, Tamayo continued alongside him until they met a Demon Slayer called Tsugikuni Yoriichi.

Following the intense battle where Yoriichi came close to decapitating Muzan, on the verge of death, Muzan dispersed 1,800 fragments of his body to evade Yoriichi’s attack. However, Yoriichi managed to cut over 1,500 of these pieces, leaving a small remaining piece that Muzan utilized for an escape. During this confrontation, Tamayo, who desires Muzan’s defeat, fell in despair as Muzan did not meet his end.

Following her shock at Muzan’s curse not being lethal, she immediately shared all the details about him with Yoriichi. Noticing Tamayo’s sorrow and determination to vanquish Muzan, Yoriichi permitted her to flee. For approximately two centuries, Tamayo chose to dedicate herself to medicine. Upon discovering this detail, Tanjiro ponders whether there exists a remedy to transform a demon back into a human. At that moment, Tamayo discloses that as of yet, there is no such cure. Yet, she vows to explore and devise a treatment approach, which will necessitate two things from Tanjiro.

  • Tamayo will first need to investigate Nezuko’s blood, as Nezuko has yet to consume any human flesh or blood.
  • Secondly, Tamayo will need Tanjiro to gather the blood of the demons, with Muzan’s blood coursing through their veins. The best demons to use for this are those within the Twelve Kizuki.

Though I may be a demon, I’m also a healer, a doctor by trade. What I truly desire is the elimination of that man, who goes by the name Kibutsuji.

Shinobu’s deep hatred towards demons

Having her family slain by demons, Shinobu sets aside her emotions for a more significant cause

At first glance, Shinobu appears incredibly polite and friendly, yet this facade masks her true feelings. Pretending to be cordial with both humans and supernatural beings, the Insect Hashira hides a deep-seated anger towards demons. This animosity stems from the tragic loss of her family and elder sister at their hands.

Though it’s tiring, she respects her elder sibling deeply and yearns to follow in her footsteps, much like Tanjiro does in Chapter 50. She openly expresses this sentiment. She has learned from experience that demons are crafty liars, fueled by an innate impulse to kill. This makes her wary of them. However, she chooses to understand and connect with demons instead, as that is the compassionate approach her sister, Kanae, would have taken.

Despite her distaste for collaborating with demons, Shinobu found herself working closely with Tamayo to concoct a potent poison, a move necessary to take down Douma, one of the Twelve Kizuki. Although Shinobu harbored intense animosity towards demons and frequently sought her sister’s comfort when her composure wavered, she recognized that the expertise of Tamayo and Yushiro was essential in creating a drug capable of defeating Muzan.

Shinobu and Tamayo’s critical contribution in the final arc

Through their efforts, a drug was created that effectively weakened Muzan

Shinobu and Tamayo played an essential and impactful part in overthrowing Muzan during the ultimate battle, demonstrating that defeating him completely necessitated support from both demons and humans. This underscores the need for collaboration in defeating powerful adversaries like Muzan. The reasons this is important are multiple: it highlights the importance of unity, illustrates the diverse strengths each side brings to the table, and emphasizes that even formidable foes can be overcome when working together effectively.

In Chapter 45, it’s evident that Shinobu, the Insect Hashira, possessed extensive knowledge about demon physiology and various pharmaceuticals, as she provided Tanjiro painkiller-infused water. Shinobu was the leader of the Butterfly Mansion, a place where numerous Demon Slayer Corps members recuperated following intense battles. Despite her fragile constitution, Shinobu was an exceptionally skilled swordswoman. Her preferred method of dealing with demons often involved using poison, particularly lethal wisteria poison.

Tamayo possesses extensive understanding about the structure of demons and vulnerabilities of Muzan. Working alongside Tanjiro, she’s been delving into the possibility of reversing demonification, eventually finding a solution towards the end of the Swordsmith Village storyline. By leveraging Shinobu’s expertise in poisons and Tamayo’s groundbreaking research on Muzan’s blood, they ultimately managed to produce a drug that gradually debilitated and destroyed Muzan.

Can you work with us to defeat Kibutsuji Muzan? Please come to the Ubuyashiki Estate.

Tamayo’s deep-seated hatred for Kibutsuji Muzan led her to choose a medical career, aiming to help those in distress. This determination was further fueled when she saw Tanjiro showing compassion towards a person turned demon by Muzan in Asakusa. Invited to the Ubuyashiki Estate by their messenger crow, Tamayo, Yushiro, Kocho Shinobu, and eventually Tanjiro worked together on a cure for demons, playing a crucial role in the battle against Muzan. Although they significantly delayed his progress with their work and sacrifices, it was ultimately the actions of other Demon Slayers, led by Tanjiro, that brought an end to Muzan’s rule.

Demon Slayer is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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2025-02-14 18:29