Demon Slayer: Demons may have been inspired by real-life diseases

Shows like Demon Slayer are so popular that there are very few fanbases that are as passionate as this one. Therefore, a devoted fanbase like this takes great pride in crafting various fan theories. One fan theory in particular suggests that the Upper Moon demons could be inspired by diseases. This is an interesting take that has not been mentioned in the source material. Therefore, this is speculative in nature and we urge fans to consume this information with a grain of salt.

The weakest Upper Moon demons are Daki and Gyutaro. Netizens have reason to believe that this Demon Slayer character is based on Syphilis. Daki’s human name was Ume, and this has an interesting connection to the disease. The Japanese name for the disease is called Baidoku. The first Kanji of the word “Bai” can also be read as “Ume”. Furthermore, Daki was called Ume because that was the very disease that claimed her mother’s life.

Gyokko was another powerful Upper Moon demon in the animanga series. He was defeated by Muchiro in Demon Slayer, and fans have reason to believe that he is inspired by Amoebic Dysentery. People who suffer from this condition often have flask-shaped ulcers in their intestinal lining. One of Gyokko’s most prominent motifs was pots, which serve as a strong connection to the disease in question.

Up next, we have Hantengu, the Upper Moon 4 demon. He certainly had a unique appearance which can be connected to a contagious disease called Leprosy. It is a chronic infection, and its symptoms include lumps and skin discoloration. Hantengu’s true form exhibited these symptoms. However, his other forms can’t be connected to any particular disease. Therefore, we will consider Hantengu’s true form in the Demon Slayer for this connection.

The Upper Moon 3 demon, Akaza, is a fan favorite. His ideals and love for martial arts make him a cut above the rest. Furthermore, he was a victim of circumstances and lost everything he loved. Netizens have reasons to believe that this demon was modeled after Maculopapular Rash. He doesn’t exhibit symptoms of the disease like Hantengu.

However, there are a few interesting connections between the two entities. This condition is called Akamogasa in Japanese. The Upper Moon 3 demon’s name is quite literally embedded in the name of the condition. Furthermore, he sports a maroon-colored Haori which could be associated with the color of the rash itself.

Doma is considered to be inspired by Tuberculosis, while Kokushibo is said to be the Bubonic Plague. The Upper Moon 2 demon’s Blood Demon Art is very similar to the way Tuberculosis kills people. On the other hand, Kokushibo’s name is very close to the Black Plague in Japanese, which is called Kokushibyo.

The role of the Upper Moon demons in Demon Slayer

The Upper Moon demons are the strongest of the lot in the Demon Slayer series—intimidating and representing the best of what a demon is capable of doing. Muzan keeps them in check, and their role is to help him achieve immortality. Furthermore, they have done a thorough job of keeping the Demon Slayer Corps at bay. They are so powerful that they have stopped nine generations of demon hunters. Such is their potency and killing abilities in the animanga series.

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Furthermore, they serve as excellent barriers for the demon hunters to surpass before they can face off against Muzan. The Demon King is exceptionally powerful, which means the demon hunters must do everything that they can to defeat the Upper Moon demons before they can even think of defeating Muzan.

In conclusion, this is an interesting connection between demons and diseases in the Demon Slayer series. However, this is speculative in nature since the source material hasn’t specifically mentioned the connection. That said, the two entities seem to be related and therefore, diseases could have served as a source of inspiration for Koyoharu Gotouge.

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