Is Akaza truly evil in Demon Slayer? Explored

Demon Slayer has given fans an expansive roster of characters, each bestowed with unique quirks and abilities that made them quite loveable. Be it the Hashira and the Demon Slayer Corps. or Muzan Kibutsuji and his army of Demons, all these characters presented themselves as distinct and intriguing. Among them stands Akaza, who makes his debut during the Mugen Train incident.

He was the one to kill Rengoku and later fought retuned during the Infinity Castle Arc to face Tanjiro and Giyu. For Akaza, his appearance and origin story begged one question - is he truly evil in Demon Slayer? To put it plainly, Akaza wasn't inherently evil in the series, but circumstances compelled him to undergo a drastic change.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Kimetsu No Yaiba: Demon Slayer series.

Demon Slayer: Akaza wasn't a truly evil character

As mentioned, Akaza wasn't an evil character to begin with Demon Slayer. A lot of what he eventually became had to do with his circumstances. For starters, before he was a demon, Akaza was born as Hakuji in the slums of Edo. Due to his father's illness, Hakuji spent his childhood as a pickpocket, doing his best to support his father's medicines.

After getting caught thrice, his father hung himself when he heard of his son's third arrest, leaving Hakuji alone in the world. Banished from Edo for his crimes and his aggression, he eventually met his future master in Keizo and found himself handed the responsibility to care for Keizo's daughter, Koyuki. One day, there was an incident involving the nearby Kenjutsu dojo, who were after Keizo's land.

Hakuji and Keizo swiftly dealt with the issue and in the process, the former earned the respect of the Kenjutsu dojo's members, who apologized for the incident. Later, when Keizo offered Koyuki's hand in marriage to Hakuji, the heir of the same dojo was against it. He tried to fight Hakuji, but lost and instead poisoned the well from which Keizo and Koyuki drank, eventually killing them.

An enraged Hakuji wreaked havoc at the rival Kenjutsu dojo, brutally killing everyone there. This incident caught Muzan's attention, who offered to make Hakuji into one of the Twelve Moon Demons.

With nothing left for him and his will to live shattered, Hakuji accepted Muzan's offer and became Akaza. His memories were wiped, but his love for Koyuki lingered, as he never ate/harmed women. Thus Akaza, formerly Hakuji, is the embodiment of a recurring Demon Slayer theme - most of the demons aren't born evil, but turn to the dark side due to overwhelming tragedy and loss.

Hakuji wasn't inherently malicious, but his transition to darkness was a culmination of misfortunes that snatched away everything he valued. A tough early life was to be rewarded with peace when he found his way to Koyuki and was about to wed her. But even that was stolen away from him, shattering his will to live and tipping him over the edge. Hence, there was room for Muzan to play his hand.

But even after becoming Akaza, his human side yet peeked out from the depths, disallowing him from harming women. Akaza's tale echoes a theme that seems to match a lot of demons - tragedy and circumstance shape them, not choice entirely. Others like Daki, Rui and Gyutaro are akin to Akaza, mirrors that showcase heavily tortured and grieving souls laying beneath grotesque exteriors.

Akaza wasn't evil, but a victim of severe loss and misfortune. He was incredibly gifted at martial arts and could have become a great martial artist. But fate was cruel and compelled him to accept the dark side.

Final Thoughts

Demon Slayer presents a recurring theme through Akaza's story, which is that demons often turn out to be victims of circumstance and not inherent evil (barring a few). Prior to Akaza, Hakuji had a tough beginning to life and losing his father was a blow to his psyche. But a cruel betrayal which saw him lose both his master and his fiancee pushed him over the edge.

His subsequent actions unfortunately caught Muzan's eye and thus Akaza was born. However, even as a demon, bits of Hakuji's humanity remained, evident in his refusal to harm women and when he regained some of his memories during his final moments in the Infinity Castle Arc. Malice didn't fuel Akaza, but fate is what broke him. He could have been great, yet destiny had darker plans.

A nod to other demons, Akaza's story is a symbol of how distorted a soul can become due to immense grief and tragedy.

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About the author

Casey has been an anime writer at Sportskeeda since almost a year. Being drawn into the world of animanga after watching the Dragon Ball series almost a decade ago, Casey's interest in the genre, along with his love of crafting plot theories influenced his writerly endeavors. Presently pursuing a Master's degree in International Business, Casey worked for Uneake and FootballExpress for 1.3 years before joining Sportskeeda.

Casey's writings reflect his commitment to producing the most reliable content, evidenced by his flair for in-depth reporting. He places a high value on meticulous research and complete factual accuracy.

Although it was legendary Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus that influenced his love of animanga, Casey soon branched out and explored other titles. The unique ways in which mangakas express ideas, as well as their far-reaching effects, have inspired Casey in his creative pursuits.

When not busy writing, Casey enjoys working out, listening to music, strumming the guitar, and playing football.

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Edited by Casey Mendez