Demon Slayer: Characters Who Should Have Lived or Died

Demon Slayer Characters: 5 Who Should Have Survived and 5 Whose Deaths Would Fix Everything

Demon Slayer Characters and Their Fates

Demon Slayer characters are generally laid out quite clearly in terms of their motivations, techniques, and roles in the story. What you see is what you get, and that formula has proven quite successful over the years, especially with the stunning anime adaptation by Ufotable.

Still, there's no denying the ending of the series is controversial. A few Demon Slayer characters deserved a different fate, which could have improved the story to some extent. Of course, that's down to the viewer, but here are five Demon Slayer characters who should have survived and five who should have died.

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Note: This article contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer series. Also, every character on this list was chosen according to the author's own criteria, and none of it is meant to change all at once.

5 Demon Slayer Characters Who Should Have Survived

1. Genya Shinazugawa

Genya stands out for how rushed and underdeveloped his story is compared to most Demon Slayer characters. His relationship with his brother Sanemi and his quick path to becoming Tanjiro's friend happen far too fast for the audience to warm up to. Genya was shown to have the ability to temporarily become a demon, but that ability never went beyond having a strong stomach, and it's never explained well enough.

2. Obanai Iguro

In theory, the Hashira are the main source of strength for the Demon Slayer Corps. They also tend to be some of the most popular characters in the series. Even so, these Demon Slayer characters can be inconsistent in their roles and journeys within the story. The Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro, is a pitiful example of being underused in the series, never getting the chance to truly shine in the manga. Dying next to his beloved Mitsuri makes for a nice scene, but it would have been interesting if he had lived to grieve instead.

3. Mitsuri Kanroji

Mitsuri's popularity likely grew after her performance against the fourth Upper Moon in the anime's third season. Ufotable adapted her fight successfully and gave plenty of time to her breakout moment, which fans received very warmly. But it's disappointing to say, at least for anime-only viewers, that this is the character's only real peak in the series. Mitsuri does very little in the final story arc and gets an extremely disappointing ending. Since she's the only member who joined the Corps just wanting to find a place to belong, rather than out of trauma or a desire for revenge, it would have been interesting for her to live, mourn Obanai's loss, and perhaps find peace and happiness on her own.

4. Muichiro Tokito

Muichiro played a fairly prominent role in the series as one of the most naturally talented members of the Demon Slayer Corps. But it was sad that his story ended without him ever getting the chance to live his life as a child. Throughout the story, he could be seen as a child soldier given the clear context and his natural talent, and that was always a tragedy in itself. Even though his death at Kokushibo's hands was handled well enough, it would have been interesting to see what his life looked like after coming out of the story alive. Given his youth, he had the most potential of anyone, but he was lost far too soon.

5. Shinobu Kocho

Shinobu Kocho ranks high among Demon Slayer characters. What makes her interesting is that she carries deep hatred and rage toward demons while also being a very calm person. She met a tragic fate by dying in her fight against Doma, the demon who killed her sister Kanae. Since Shinobu lived for so long carrying her hatred of demons and desire for revenge, it would have been quite interesting for her to keep living without that goal after winning the fight. That would have raised interesting questions about what happens to someone who's been consumed by hatred for so long once they finally achieve their goal.

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5 Demon Slayer Characters Who Should Have Died

1. Sanemi Shinazugawa

Sanemi is without a doubt one of the most interesting Demon Slayer characters. He's first introduced as a borderline psychopath, and his design seems to hint at that, but writer Koyoharu Gotouge flips the script and shows us his terrible childhood. It reveals just how hard Sanemi's past was and why he hates demons like Nezuko so much. Even so, despite his abilities and solid backstory, an argument can be made that Sanemi is more interesting than Genya. His brother had a far more complicated past due to his inferiority complex, and it would have been far more interesting to explore his demon abilities. Because of that, swapping their fates might have been the better choice.

2. Zenitsu Agatsuma

Zenitsu has been one of the most divisive Demon Slayer characters for a number of reasons. Many people enjoy the incredible combat skills he shows off while asleep. But his constant screaming, his fear, and especially his attitude toward Nezuko often feel really grating and off-putting. While it's true that Zenitsu shows some growth during his fight with Kaigaku, the process of overcoming his sleep issues and learning other techniques all happened off-screen. Even so, it would have been interesting to see Zenitsu sacrifice himself in the final battle. That would have been a bit more satisfying than ending up with Nezuko in such a meaningless way.

3. Tanjiro Kamado

The truth is, Tanjiro turning into a demon at the end of the story might be one of the most wasted moments among Demon Slayer characters. That's because Gotouge didn't pull the trigger and kill off the hero in a way that could have given the story a bittersweet yet compelling ending. Tanjiro wanted to kill demons throughout the entire series and did so time and again. Because of that, ending the story with him becoming what he fought could have been a unique approach. But instead, the story chooses to play it safe by saving him at the last moment, which ends up feeling extremely forced.

4. Giyu Tomioka

Among Demon Slayer characters, Giyu Tomioka is probably the one who carries the most death flags in the series. That's true because he acts as the biggest catalyst in saving the lives of Tanjiro and Nezuko, and he guides the main character at certain points. On top of that, the fact that Tomioka always has a death wish, feeling like he should have died, is itself an explanation for why Gotouge never went down that route. Even so, he probably would have had one of the most touching deaths among Demon Slayer characters, especially if it had happened right before Tanjiro's fight with Akaza.

5. Nezuko Kamado

Among Demon Slayer characters, Nezuko Kamado's death would probably be the most interesting one, since she was the main driving force behind the series for much of its run. For Tanjiro, wanting her to turn back into a human was absolutely his biggest motivation. Because of that, having Muzan or one of the Upper Moons manage to kill her would have been a huge plot point and could have been a massive blow to Tanjiro's character. That could have added tension and stakes to the story, which is always welcome.

Final Thoughts

Depending on how you look at it, Demon Slayer characters could have had different fates, and the outcomes could have been better or worse. But there's no denying the success of the series as it stands today.

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