One Demon Slayer character was truly born to be a demon (& it's not Muzan)

Demon Slayer fans often believe that the one character author Koyoharu Gotouge perfected as a demon is Muzan Kibutsuji, mainly due to the cruelty he showed to the people around him. However, there is someone even more fitting for that role who stands out prominently in the series: the second Upper Moon, Douma.

Douma has shown extreme cruelty throughout Demon Slayer and has been confirmed to lack the ability to feel, as evidenced in his interactions with Shinobu Kocho. Furthermore, Gotouge emphasizes this through brief glimpses of Douma's past, showcasing how he was always evil and sadistic, establishing him as a monster long before he became a demon.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime and reflects the writer's opinions.

---

Explaining why Douma was an even greater monster than Muzan in Demon Slayer

Douma as seen in the anime (Image via Ufotable).

Many fans likely view Muzan Kibutsuji as someone born to be a demon due to his mistreatment of others and selfish nature. However, Douma gets the upper hand in that department since he has always had a knack for taking innocent lives. He even ran a cult that lured victims, including Kotoha, the mother of Inosuke Hashibara, although this occurred while he was already a demon.

Additionally, Douma is nearly incapable of feeling emotions and only experiences a sense of excitement when he murders, as shown during the initial stage of his battle with Shinobu Kocho in the Infinity Castle arc. While Muzan is selfish and abusive, most of his actions were focused on getting something that could benefit him, whereas Douma acts purely for his enjoyment and is open about it.

It is significant that even formidable demons like Akaza and Kokushibo retained a degree of humanity after their transformations, unlike Douma. He was already a monster in human form, and author Koyoharu Gotouge effectively captured his insanity.

---

What this character represents for the story

Douma is arguably Gotouge's most evil villain (Image via Ufotable).

There are several small details that highlight the joy Douma experiences when taking lives, such as his preference for eating only women. Moreover, the taunts he delivers to Shinobu during their fight, which involve her deceased sister, Kanae, reveal how morally lost he is as a character and how that proves his sheer evil nature, which far surpasses that of Akaza and Kokushibo.

It is also quite telling that, once Kanao and Inosuke defeated him, Douma felt emotions for the first time, as he envisioned Shinobu inviting her to join him in hell. This moment underscores Douma's fundamentally evil nature, as he can only feel genuine emotions in the presence of death.

---

Final thoughts

Douma is the best example in Demon Slayer of a character who was truly a demon before becoming one, and his many sins can attest to this. Furthermore, this aspect of his character adds to the shock factor, which is why a significant portion of the fandom hates him, thus proving how Gotouge made him truly despicable.

---

Related articles:

• Demon Slayer fan's bold claim starts debate on "best animated explosion of all time"
• Tanjiro's inability to change this Demon Slayer character is one of Gotouge's best choices
• Jigoro's final act is one of Demon Slayer's most misunderstood plot points
• Tanjiro is not Demon Slayer's chosen one, and it only makes the story better