In his role as an upper Three demon, Akaza is one of the most dangerous villains of Demon Slayer. However, is he really an evil person?
Demon Slayer is a shonen that is action-oriented, that lets humans fight powerful demons to ensure their survival. Because there are specific methods to successfully battle demons, ordinary people cannot properly fight against them. The Demon Slayer Corps has been secretly working for centuries to eradicate all demons from the earth. They are a step above the other dangers that are featured in the show, there’s a group of demons that even the most powerful of Demon Slayers Hashira are unable to defeat by themselves. One of them is Akaza the Upper Three Demon of twelve Kizuki.
Akaza is among the most hated characters from Demon Slayer for being the terrifyingly powerful force that killed Hashira, the fan-favorite character of Rengoku. But, Akaza is a surprisingly deep character with a tragic backstory that is his own.
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Akaza’s Personality and Values
Akaza is a demon who is stubborn who is a fervent fighter and hates the weak. The demon is so determined that he will go to any extent to beat strong demon fighters and slayers. He became enamored of Rengoku during the Infinity Train Arc and begged him to become a demon to continue their dueling for the rest of eternity. Akaza was a close friend of Rengoku and often would ask them for their names. He would even introduce himself to them whenever the two were battling worthy opponents. He keeps track of the name of every opponent he’s faced throughout his life as an undead.
He is not a member however he doesn’t get along with his peers. They are considered rivals and are extremely hostile to Doma the Second-Rank demon. Akaza is considered to be one of the most powerful demons. But, he has certain beliefs that do not alter, no matter the circumstances. There is a reason why demons in Demon Slayergain have more strength when eating females compared to eating males, but, despite this, Akaza has never devoured any women, or caused harm to women in any way. Doma once stated that Akaza could be more powerful when he had the option of eating women. Akaza’s inclination to not bow to any means necessary for power is derived from the obvious remains of his humanity.
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In-depth Analysis of the Duel of Akaza and Rengoku
The strength of the power of an Upper Moon Demon is far beyond what any human can ever imagine. Akaza was the very first Upper Moon to be officially introduced in Demon Slayer, faced off against the Hashira. He was a tyrant to Tanjiro who had already been downed. Rengoku intervenes to save him. If asked why he’d target somebody who’s already been defeated, Akaza states that he hates weak people and Tanjiro will just get in the way of their conversations. Akaza was determined to make Rengoku to be an undemon in order to enable them to battle for many more years so they could both grow stronger. Akaza was truly amazed by Rengoku’s strength and admiration for his abilities.
Despite that, he knew that Rengoku would not be able to beat him in the human form. Akaza is able to recover within a matter of seconds, while Rengoku will eventually be overwhelmed by the injuries he sustained. Both were fair in their battle. Akaza did not disrespect Rengoku and he did not resort to the submissive approach.
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Tragic Backstory of Akaza
As a human being, Akaza was called Hakuji. He grew up in the slums with his sick father who he deeply loved. Hakuji was in financial difficulty purchasing medicine so he stole from the people in the town. He was always caught. The magistrate would punish Hakuji by beating him and making him tattooed with criminals. After returning home from his third beating and being informed of the suicide of his father. His father wrote a letter to Hakuji in which he declared that he wanted Hakuji to live a healthy and happy life. He also mentioned that he didn’t want any medicine that was obtained through illegal activity.
At some point, Hakuji is banished from Edo and begins to pick up useless fights with strangers. Hakuji encounters Keizo, a local dojo owner who takes him under his wing to teach him the art of martial arts. Hakuji began to improve his skills after two years in the dojo. He ultimately became a bridesmaid and was married to Keizo’s daughter Koyuki. Sadly, his blissful days did not last long, as one of the rival dojos affected the drinking water at his home. Keizo and Koyuki passed away shortly after drinking the poisoned drink while Hakuji was absent. When he heard the news, Hakuji fought with all the sixty-seven other members of the dojo that was fighting with bare hands crushing their bodies. Muzan discovers this incident and proposes to transform Hakuji into a demon.
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The Real Nature of Akaza’s death reveals his true Nature
Akaza’s second and final fight in Demon Slayer was against Tanjiro and Giyu. Another time, the strength of Hashira greatly impresses Akaza. Giyu asks Rengoku to make him a demon. Giyu doesn’t think twice about it. With the combined force of Giyu and Tanjiro fighting Akaza was a huge challenge. Giyu and Tanjiro were both severely injured, but Akaza stood in a strong position. While the fight raged on, Akaza witnessed Giyu protecting Tanjiro who collapsed from his injuries.
Giyu suffered serious injuries He was severely injured, but Giyu was determined to save Tanjiro regardless of the possibility that he would be killed. Akaza is able to recall a few details of his life as a person and his friendship with Keizo. Akaza is about to launch a devastating attack against Giyu when the spirit of his wife interrupts him and pleads for him to not do it. He started remembering his life as a human, which proved too much for him. In this moment, Tanjiro wakes up and notices Giyu at risk. While Tanjiro intervened to save Giyu, Akaza questions his actions and regrets the lessons Keizo gave him. He was elated at the end and used his final strength to give up his own life.
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It’s been revealed that Akaza wasn’t really an antagonist with a bad character. Akaza is an extremely well-written antagonist with a tragic background that adds an element of depth to his character. Even after forgetting his memories as a human being, his feelings of compassion and regret were still present.
His nature as a human drove him to fight for his cause and to become stronger. Also, Akaza’s unwavering affection for his wife has contributed to the fact that he did not harm or consume women. These traits, even if subtle are evidence that Akaza was an antagonist who was deeply compassionate and morally ambiguous as opposed to being traditionally bad.