7 Demon Slayer Characters With the Most Tragic Backstories, Ranked

Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is certainly not as dark as Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) or Chainsaw Man, as it has more crazy characters and comical elements. However, the characters in Demon Slayer are no less miserable and live in harsh conditions every day.

Moreover, almost all of the characters in this title have complicated and even tragic fates. Here are 7 characters with the saddest backstories.

7. Tengen Uzui

All Hashiras have complicated fates, and many have lost their families due to demons. However, Tengen stands out from the rest — his sad backstory involves the misdeeds of his relatives. Tengen comes from a family of shinobi.

He did not grow up with love; he was taught to survive and kill from an early age. Tengen's father and brother killed many family members in their struggle for power. To cut ties with such cruel people, he left his family and joined the Hashiras.

6. Muichiro Tokito

Muichiro's story is more canonical — his twin brother was killed by a demon right in front of him. Muichiro was originally an optimistic and happy child. Despite the fact that his family lived in poverty, he retained his childlike naivety and wanted to help people.

However, after a demon attack and the death of his brother, Muichiro became withdrawn and cold.

5. Shinobu Kocho

Shinobu's fate is very similar to Muichiro's. She also lost her sister and changed her personality after the demon attack. Outwardly, Shinobu is not as cold as the Mist Hashira, but it is a mask the girl wears to hide her pain.

After the demon destroyed her family, she is on fire for revenge. Physically, Shinobu isn't as strong, and her powers may not be enough to fulfill the plan — it makes her story more meaningful and sad.

3-4. Daki and Gyutaro

Not only do the good characters in Demon Slayer have a sad fate, but also the demons. You may even start to empathize with many of them, particularly when you learn their backstory. One such case is the fate of Daki and Gyutaro.

Daki and Gyutaro are a brother and sister who grew up in a poor family with no one to take care of them. They had to survive from an early age — Daki was beautiful, so work was not much of a problem. Gyutaro did his best to protect the only person close to him.

One day, however, Daki got into trouble and was killed by a samurai, and Gyutaro did nothing to stop it. Their already unhappy lives were turned upside down and they became demons.

1-2. Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado

Tanjiro and Nezuko are the main characters of Demon Slayer, so it's no surprise that their fate is the saddest.

Tanjiro not only experiences the death of his mother and siblings, but also witnesses Nezuko's transformation into a demon. The girl loses her memories and they only come back with time, so her main tragedy is the loss of her humanity.