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Why Is Muzan Scared Of Yoriichi Tsugikini In Demon Slayer? Who Is He?

Imagine being so feared that you are ingrained in the blood of your arch-enemy. Sounds really cool, doesn’t it? Well, Yoriichi Tsugikuni did exactly just that!

While fighting Tanjiro on the roof, Upper Moon Six Daki gets a frightening image of a man, who seemed to have spoken similar words to her master, Muzan.

Even in the first season, we got a glimpse of Muzan being startled when he sees Tanjiro for the first time, later sending even an Upper Moon like Akaza to get rid of him.

But why? What was so frightening about this certain man that had Muzan shaking? How is this mysterious man related to Tanjiro? If you have had these questions and cannot contain your curiosity, make sure you read ahead!

Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers for Demon Slayer manga. Please read ahead at your own discretion.

Yoriichi with his sword

Who is Yoriichi Tsugikuni?

Yoriichi Tsugikuni is the progenitor of the Sun Breathing. It’s from his technique that all other breathing styles were birthed. That also makes him the strongest Demon Slayer Corps member.

With so much to unpack about this legend, let’s start from the beginning!

Yoriichi Tsugikuni is the younger of two twins, the elder one being Michikatsu. Yoriichi was actually born with a demon slayer mark on his forehead, giving him access to superhuman strength and accuracy right away. However, he was a quiet and demure child, who never spoke to the point where everyone assumed he was deaf.

This is when his mother crafted Hanafuda earrings for the young boy, hoping that the Sun Goddess, Ameratsu would bless his ears. These earrings became a big part of his identity and served excessive importance to the Kamado family later on.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni lost his wife and unborn child when a demon attacked them. Then, how did Tanjiro end up with his earrings? Keep reading to find out.

Why is Muzan Scared of Yoriichi Tsugikuni?

Before we delve into the relationship between Tanjiro and Yoriichi Tsugikuni, it is important to first understand his dynamic with Muzan.

As mentioned above, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was born with special powers. These are exactly why he not only managed to give birth to breathing styles, which became the rule of thumb for demon slayers but also why he was the only demon slayer to ever come close to finishing Muzan off.

Yes, you read that right.

Yoriichi’s demon slayer mark i.e a Scar similar to the one Tanjiro has on his head obviously gave him abilities that made him far more powerful than an average man. However, that was not enough.

Yoriichi was born with the ability of the “Transparent World”, allowing him x-ray vision. Those with this ability are able to see beyond the flesh and perceive a being’s blood circulation as well.

It also grants the ability to perceive things as if they were slowed down, which provides the user with greater accuracy.

If you think this was enough, then you were wrong! Lastly, Yoriichi also possessed the ability called the “Senseless State”; this allowed him to “erase” his presence from the fighting grounds.

It allows the user to reach such a level of concentration and such a mental state that not even harsh emotions such as anger can be sensed by anyone. Combined with the Transparent World, this makes for a deadly combination.

This allowed Yoriichi to singlehandedly slice almost all the hearts and brains of Muzan. This is the only way to kill him.

Therefore, it makes sense why Muzan was scared of Yoriichi.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni is the only person who has ever come close to finishing off Muzan.

This fact on its own can show just how powerful he is, and these abilities now can only be unlocked by severe practice; no one has been born with these abilities ever since.

Yoriichi instilled so much fear in Muzan that the demon lord ordered his servants to kill off any Sun Breathing users they could find. This is exactly why when Muzan saw the Hanafuda Earrings on Tanjiro, he knew he had to eliminate him.

This also gives rise to the question of why couldn’t Yoriichi Tsugikuni Kill Muzan.

Why Couldn’t Yoriichi Kill Muzan?

It is not like Yoriichi could not kill Muzan it is just that Muzan was more cunning than Yoriichi. When Muzan and Yoriichi met for the first time, Muzan had already kidnapped a lady.

In his arrogance, Muzan thought he could kill Yoriichi and tried to fight him fairly. However, when the Anime version of Micheal Jackson found out he cannot kill Yoriichi he turned the lady into a demon and threw her at Yoriichi.

Yoriichi being the righteous guy, rushed to save her granting enough time for Muzan to tuck his tail between his legs and run away.

The entire battle was so quick that all Muzan remembers is the fighting style, curse mark, and the Hanafuda earrings of the man who almost killed him.

Oh, and btw, the woman whom Yoriichi saved was Tamayo the demon who is trying to cure Nezuko. Manga readers will understand how crucial she’s to the storyline and the final battle.

Also, since Yoriichi Tsugikuni is the real owner of Hanafuda earrings, does this mean he’s Tanjiro’s ancestor? Sadly, no.

Is Yoriichi related to Tanjiro?

The short answer is: no. Yoriichi is not related to Tanjiro Kamado. However, they do share a special bond via Tanjiro’s ancestor!

Yoriichi had unfortunately lost his wife and unborn child to a demon, so he doesn’t have any living descendants of his own. However, Yoriichi was friends with Sumiyoshi, Tanjiro’s ancestor. Sumiyoshi hence learned the Breath of the Sun from Yoriichi to keep his legacy alive, and this, along with the Hanafuda earrings got passed down to the eldest son in the Kamado Family. This is how both the Sun Breathing and Hanafuda Earrings ended up with Tanjiro.

The Kamados were not demon slayers prior to Tanjiro. This is why they were able to live without being traced by Muzan’s demons since their Sun Breathing was not applied in swordsmanship.

Therefore, Yoriichi Tsukiguni is a character you should definitely keep your eyes on! The most powerful and captivating demon slayer to ever live, his story and his abilities laid the ground for the story in a symbolic and power-scale sense too. Are you excited to see more of Yoriichi in Demon Slayer?

Let us know in the comments below!

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