Fascinating supporting characters like Nezuko Kamado in Koyoharu Gotoge’s Demon Slayer are the backbone of the main character’s quest. As a secondary main character, Nezuko enriches the plot of the Japanese manga series published from February 2016 to May 2020 on Weekly Shonen Jump. Made up of 23 volumes and 205 chapters, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has sold at least 150 million copies to become one of the best-selling mangas in history. The enormous popularity of the manga series inspired a big-screen adaptation— Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train. The 2020 film is the highest-grossing movie of the year. It made over $507 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of just $15.7 million.
Before the movie adaptation, the manga had been adapted for the small-screen audience in an anime series that premiered in April 2019. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba completed its third season in June 2023 and has received approval for another season. When season 4 premiers in spring 2024, it will continue to follow Tanjiro and his friends on their demon-slaying adventure. The series revolves around Tanjiro, a teenage boy out to avenge the death of his family. Without Nezuko, Tanjiro lacks the meaningful primary motivation and moral compass that makes him an endearing protagonist.
Nezuko Kamado Is Tanjiro’s Younger Sister
Nezuko Kamado is the second most important character in Demon Slayer. She is the younger sister of the protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, and a unique demon caught up in a struggle between retaining her humanity and becoming a full-blown demon. Following the Demon King’s attack that claimed their entire family, Tanjiro embarks on a mission to avenge his family. But with Nezuko in the mix, he’s also determined to find a cure that prevents his sister from becoming a complete demon. This makes Nezuko a pivotal character that informs Tanjiro’s actions, impacting the narrative at large.
Tatsuhiko Katayama, an editor of the manga, shared a similar sentiment about Nezuko Kamado’s significance to the Demon Slayer story. In an interview with Manga Plus, Katayama expressed that Nezuko makes Tanjiro a unique main character. “He has Nezuko, so he’s coming from this position where he can’t just say all demons are absolute evil,” stated the editor. “He’s in the gray zone,” Katayama continued; “His sister Nezuko is an incredibly key player in that, and it’s because of her that the events in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba are going in such an original direction,” he added.
How Old Is Nezuko Kamado, The Chosen Demon?
Nezuko Kamado’s age adds to her charm as “The Chosen Demon,” which brings depth to the Demon Slayer story. The character was 12 years old at the onset of the anime. This means she was a year younger than her brother Tanjiro when Muzan Kibutsuji attacked her family and turned her into a demon. Now, demons don’t age, and she’s stuck between being a human and a demon. This explains why Nezuko has retained her pre-teen looks thus far in the anime. In the manga, she becomes more mature when she goes into her full demon mode.
While Tanjiro trained with Sakonji Urokodaki for about two years within the first three episodes of the anime, Nezuko Kamado slept. In season 1, episode 3, Tanjiro was at the final stage of his training for joining the Demon Slayer Corps. He was 15 years old at that point, which implies Nezuko was 14, even though she’s cognitively and physically 12. The Chosen Demon is a Capricorn born on December 28. The manga’s official X page celebrated her birthday in a 2019 post that, in part, reads: “Today is the birthday of Nezuko Kamado, Tanjiro’s proud younger sister who is a demon but belongs to the Demon Slayer Corps!”
Meet The Actors Behind Tanjiro In Demon Slayer
Nezuko Kamado hasn’t uttered any word since the Demon Slayer anime premiered in April 2019, but she does grunt, growl, and groan. Akari Kito is the voice behind the Demon Slayer character. The Japanese voice actress and singer with dozens of credits to her name also voiced Tsukasa Yuzaki in Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You (2020) and Kate Shadow in Shadows House (2021 – 2022). For the English version of the anime, Abby Trott is the voice of The Chosen Demon. The American voice actress is also known for her roles in scores of popular animes and video games like Carmen Sandiego (2019 – 2021), Shaman King (2021), and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice.
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