And why we should fear him.
Manga spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- Akaza is one of the Twelve Kizuki.
- He was born human, named Hakuji, and his backstory is very tragic.
- Akaza is one of the most fan-favorite characters.
If you’re an anime-only, we have a feeling that you’re very curious to learn who that demon from the Mugen Train Arc of Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) is. The one who did the unthinkable and killed Rengoku, yes.
Who is Akaza?
Akaza is one of the Twelve Kizuki that holds the position of Upper Rank Three. These are the most powerful demons under the direct command of Muzan. Have no doubt, Akaza is a force to be reckoned with, so Rengoku losing to him was the most probable outcome.
Just like all the other demons in Demon Slayer, Akaza was born human. His former name was Hakuji. The boy lived with his father, whom he loved dearly. However, his father was terribly ill, and since they didn’t have enough money to afford the medicine, Hakuji started pickpocketing.
When his father found out, he chose to kill himself to prevent his son from becoming a criminal for his sake. As you may see, Akaza’s life was never easy, but get ready, since it’s about to get worse.
We won’t go deep into the rest of his story, but the most important, character-defining event happened when Hakuji lost his second “family.” He was so enraged by the death of his loved ones that he killed 67 people with his bare hands. While still being human, we can’t stress this enough.
This horrifying act was what attracted Muzan and made him want to turn Hakuji into a demon. And that is exactly what he did, and thus Hakuji became Akaza and a member of the Twelve Kizuki.
Demon powers
As you can understand, Akaza was already very strong even in his human form, but demon abilities enhanced his power and brought him to another level.
He’s not only a skilled combat fighter, Akaza also has incredible sensory abilities that allow him to sense the auras of demons and humans. On top of that, he can also sense the Fighting Spirit of his opponents just by looking at them.
Fighting Spirit is one’s will to fight as well as their murderous intent. The ability to sense it allows Akaza to understand how strong his opponent is and where their next attack is going to come from and how to counter it, which makes him extremely dangerous.
Fans really love him
When manga readers are asked what their favorite demon (or even character) in the series is, Akaza is the most common answer. His heartbreaking backstory and his immense power and skills make him a very likable character. He’s not like other demons, he’s not a sadist like Douma and doesn’t look as pathetic as Hantengu.
Although a lot of anime-onlys cannot forgive Akaza for killing Rengoku, manga readers beg them to give him a chance. His story is coming, and it’s one of the best in the series, so they’re confident that viewers will be forced to shed at least a couple of tears. And change their perception of Akaza.