Why didn't Muzan kill Tanjiro when they first met in Demon Slayer? Explored

With the Demon Slayer anime nearing its climax, fans of the series await in anticipation of the final showdown. While two of the most iconic characters from the series, Kibutsuji Muzan and Tanjiro Kamado, are set to square off, some fans have pointed out that the story could've ended upon their first meeting.

Revealed during the pilot season of the popular anime series, Tanjiro and Muzan made contact way before the story even picked up. While it was evident that Muzan could've easily killed Tanjiro, who was still a novice demon slayer at the time of their meeting, he chose not to. Here is an explanation that might be the reason for one of Muzan's pivotal decisions in the series.

Disclaimer: This article contains speculative theory from the Demon Slayer anime/manga.

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Tanjiro and Muzan's first meeting in the Demon Slayer series explored

Tanjiro and Muzan's first meeting in Asakusa from Demon Slayer (Image via Ufotable)

In episode 7 of the anime, titled Muzan Kibutsuji, Tanjiro, right after his fight against the Swamp Demon, was immediately approached by his Kasugai crow. The crow revealed that a demonic activity was rumored to be happening in Asakusa, Tokyo, and Tanjiro was tasked to investigate it by the Demon Slayer Corps.

When Tanjiro and Nezuko arrive in a modern city, Tanjiro is amazed by how developed it is. After exploring, they stop at a noodle shop to eat. As Nezuko falls asleep, Tanjiro smiles at her, but suddenly senses a familiar demon scent. He rushes into the crowd, following it, and spots a tall man in a fedora. As he gets closer, the man turns around—it's Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon King. Just as Tanjiro prepares to draw his sword, he sees Muzan with a little girl calling him "father," and a woman, his wife, joins them.

This startled Tanjiro as he exclaimed that Muzan was living there, pretending to be a human, alongside a human wife and daughter. Meanwhile, Muzan slashes a passerby to turn him into a demon, essentially distracting Tanjiro and escaping the scene.

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Muzan's reason for not killing Tanjiro at their first meeting in Asakusa (speculative)

In the next episode of Demon Slayer, titled The Smell of Enchanting Blood, Muzan was shown mentioning the Hanfuda-like earrings and going into a flashback of his encounter with Yoriichi Tsugikuni. It is common knowledge that during their confrontation, Yoriichi almost killed Muzan, who somehow managed to survive.

Tanjiro's likeness to Yoriichi in terms of wearing the Hanafuda earrings brought back Muzan's traumatic memories, which may have affected his judgment on whether to kill Tanjiro or not. While Muzan always prides himself on his strength, the Yoriichi incident in his life was a dark phase for him, which resurfaced upon Tanjiro's arrival wearing the earrings.

Another speculative theory can be the involvement of the Selfless State, an ability that only Sun Breathing users can wield. Selfless State allows the user to quiet down their fighting spirit, essentially masking their powers. Since it was common knowledge to Muzan, given his previous encounter with Yoriichi, the former likely didn't want to engage Tanjiro, as he couldn't measure Tanjiro's true strength.

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Final thoughts

While the primary encounter between Muzan and Tanjiro in Asakusa didn't escalate, the pair gradually became the Demon Slayer series' sworn enemies. Ever since, Tanjiro has been hunting Muzan to exact his revenge for the death of his family, while Muzan has been busy developing his powers.

The pair is finally set to meet in the Infinity Castle arc, and a winner declared between the two by the end of the Sunrise Countdown arc. Fans await in anticipation as the final battle takes place in the upcoming season of the Demon Slayer anime.

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