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Demon Slayer is one of the most popular anime in recent times. Fans love the animation, the characters, the plot, and the action, to name a few. While romance is scarce in the lives of the protagonists, most of whom are either a member of the Demon Slayer Corps or a demon, or in Nezuko’s case, both.
Amidst the bloodbath and death typically associated with a Shonen-battle anime, there are a few wholesome relationships that come as a breath of fresh air. However, there are also a few fan-made ships that seem terrifyingly wrong.
[Heavy spoilers for Demon Slayer manga]
3 comfort ships in Demon Slayer and 3 that make everyone uncomfortable
3 wholesome pairings
Demon Slayer has quite a few canon pairings that have become endearing to fans, and even more ships supported by fans that give off a warm and welcoming aura.
1) Giyuu and Shinobu
Tomioka Giyuu, the Water Hashira of the Demon Slayer corps, and Kocho Shinobu, the Insect Hashira, have quickly become popular with fans following their interactions in Natagumo mountain, and their subsequent meetings since then.
They share mutual respect and understanding as comrades, and Shinobu often teases Giyuu regarding his lack of friends.
The fandom really started to get into this ship when Giyuu was seen visibly reacting to Shinobu’s death in the manga, which is a lot for a stoic person like him. This is essentially a non-canon and tragic pairing, and they do not end up together in the reincarnated world post time-skip.
2) Zenitsu and Nezuko
The pairing of Zenitsu and Nezuko is arguably the most popular canon ship in Demon Slayer. Zenitsu is naturally an affectionate person and easily drawn to beautiful women. He falls in love with Nezuko at first sight, but what validated this ship to fans was Zenitsu’s act of protecting Nezuko’s box before knowing her.
This ship remains one-sided throughout the manga, and even after Nezuko becomes a human, she hardly seems to return Zenitsu’s affection in the romantic sense. However, they are revealed to have later gotten married and started a family.
3) Obanai and Mitsuri
Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira, and Kanroji Mitsuri, the Love Hashira, share the most impactful romance in the series. Their love is a key driving point for both of their characters.
Mitsuri is the strongest woman Obanai knew, and he had hoped to confess his love to her in a world where they were normal people living normal lives.
In a way, his dream came true after the time-skip. Mitsuri and Obanai died in each other’s arms during the final fight against Muzan, affirming their love for each other. Post time-skip, their reincarnated versions are shown being married and running a restaurant together.
3 ships that will scar you for life
While the above ships are either canon or fan-favorites, there are quite a few ships that have garnered popularity but either don’t make any sense, or are horribly cringey and borderline creepy.
1) Shinobu and Douma
Douma, Upper Moon Rank Two, was responsible for the death of Kocho Kanae, the late Flower Hashira and Shinobu’s elder sister. During the Infinity Castle Arc, Shinobu fought Douma with the help of Tsuyuri Kanao and Hashibira Inosuke. Shinobu had made and nurtured a poison made of Wisteria flowers inside her body for the sole purpose of killing Douma.
Somehow, the fandom thought that this pair had the capacity of a romantic relationship. The animosity between the two is thought to be a part of their dynamic. Considering that Shinobu has given her life to defeat Douma, not only does this pairing make no sense, but also goes against the canon as a whole.
2) Nezuko and Sanemi
Anime watchers first learned about Sanemi when he repeatedly stabbed through Nezuko’s box in order to draw out her need to drink blood. The Wind Hashira believed that Nezuko was not capable of restraining herself and upholding the virtues of the Demon Slayer Corps since she was a demon.
Much later, after the final battle, Sanemi started to warm up to Nezuko and thought of her as a younger sibling, especially since she reminded him of his younger brother, Genya.
However, just like Zenitsu got irrationally jealous over their interaction, some of the fans viewed Sanemi and Nezuko in a romantic light after the new dynamic between the two came to light. This is uncomfortable considering that Nezuko truly represents Genya for Sanemi.
3) Muzan and Nezuko
Kibutsuji Muzan is the prime antagonist of Demon Slayer and he is the one who turned Nezuko into a demon. Nezuko’s ancestry held the promise that a demon of this blood might be able to withstand the Sun, something Muzan had always been after. While Nezuko and Muzan never directly fight in the manga, many fans have wanted to see the young girl face off against one who slaughtered her family.
Others, however, seem to have considered this as an opportunity to romantically ship them. Leaving aside all of the animosity and moral dilemma of pairing Nezuko off with the one who robbed her of her freedom, the age gap between them is jarring and uncomfortable. Of course, most Demon Slayer fans consider any pairing with Muzan to be the worst, and they aren’t far off.
Note: This article is not in any particular order and reflects the writer's personal views.
