I used to believe Kokushibo was different from Muzan in Demon Slayer, until I realized his true goal

As the Demon Slayer series slowly builds to its climax, fans are being introduced to several new characters through a deeper exploration of their narratives. Among these characters, some of the more iconic characters are the Upper Rank one demon Kokushibo and the Demon King himself, Kibutsuji Muzan.

While Muzan and Kokushibo have been shown accompanying each other and maintaining a close relationship throughout the series, their motivations appear to differ from one another. However, upon closer analysis, it seems their motivations might not be as far off from one another as the fans thought.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions and contains spoilers from the Demon Slayer anime and manga.

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Muzan and Kokushibo's motivations might be more similar than the Demon Slayer fans think

The Demon Slayer series has been pretty clear with the motivation narrative for both Muzan and Kokushibo. While one was motivated by his desire to become the perfect being, the other was purely motivated by jealousy and envy. However, they seemed to be close, as Kokushibo is the Demon King Muzan's right-hand man when it comes to the Twelve Kizuki.

The Demon King, Kibutsuji Muzan, had only one goal in mind: to become the prefect being and achieve immunity from the one thing that destroys all demons- sunlight. In his quest to achieve that, Muzan spent thousands of years looking for the Blue Spider Lily, but failed. When he learned that Nezuko had achieved immunity, he shifted his focus towards her.

On the other hand, the Upper Rank One demon of the Twelve Kizuki, Kokushibo, formerly Michikatsu Tsugikuni, was the older brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni and a former Demon Slayer. While Michikatsu trained hard to achieve his status, his brother was a natural-born talent. Out of jealousy, Michikatsu joined Muzan and became a demon, with only one goal in mind: to defeat Yoriichi.

Muzan facing Yoriichi as seen in the Demon Slayer anime (Image via Ufotable)

While their motivations and goals seemed far different from one another, there was only one factor that was a common denominator between them: their self-esteem. Both Muzan and Kokushibo strive to become someone or something that resembles perfection.

While for Muzan it was immunity from sunlight, something every demon is susceptible to, for Kokushibo, it was about defeating his brother Yoriichi and proving his worth. Unlike Michikatsu, who painstickingly trained every day to become a great warrior, Yoriichi was calm and cheerful, which instigated the former's rage towards the latter.

Additionally, if explored properly, Yoriichi was also partially the reason Muzan was furious and motivated to achieve his goals. While Muzan thought he was the strongest and no one came close to him, Yoriichi was the one who struck him down, and the former escaped somehow. The incident proved to Muzan that he still had more gaps to fill before proclaiming himself perfect.

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Final thoughts

Kokushibo as seen in the anime (Image via Ufotable)

Both Muzan and Kokushibo have spent centuries together hunting down Sun Breathing users in the Demon Slayer narrative, which also shows Muzan's trust in his Upper Rank One demon. While the fans have always thought their motivation and goals were different, this article proves the one tie that binds both of them.

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