Come on, villains are fun!
Demon Slayer manga spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- Douma is one of the most hated Demon Slayer characters.
- He’s done horrible things and killed important characters.
- Douma was designed to be hated, and he’s a very well-written character.
Although Douma (or Doma) hasn’t had his opportunity to shine in the Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) anime yet, manga readers know a lot about this powerful demon. And sometimes it feels like they wish they didn’t. Douma gets a lot of hate in the fandom, and there’s definitely a good reason for that. However, it doesn’t make him a poor character, and we’re ready to explain why.
A true monster
Douma is a major antagonist in the series and an Upper Moon Two, which already says a lot about his powers and abilities. He seems super charismatic and carefree, but there’s a true psychopath hiding behind this clever facade. Douma is ruthless and he’s the type of character who actually enjoys murder and violence. Sounds like a nice dude, doesn’t he?
Demon Slayer portrays Douma as a character whom you were never meant to sympathize with. He’s apathetic and sadistic from the very beginning until the very end. He does horrendous things and finds joy in eating women alive. Fans will never forgive him for Kanae and Shinobu, and we can understand that.
Demon Slayer is famous for giving perspective and providing touching backstories even for the cruelest characters. Don’t try to deny feeling at least a little bit of sympathy for Daki and Gyutaro when you learned the truth about their upbringing. But Douma is nothing like that. Out of all the demons, he’s the only one who truly embodies what a demon should be like. No romanticizing, no redeeming. Just a true monster.
It was meant this way
Douma’s backstory doesn’t make him a better person, it just makes you hate him more. He turns out to be an emotionless monster, and moreover, he used to be like that even before he became a demon. The series handles his backstory in quite a unique way. There’s no redemption, only violence. And this is a brilliant decision, since not everyone has to have their redemption arc, some are just meant to be evil. And this is the case with Douma.
With that being said, all the hate Douma is receiving is fairly understandable. However, it makes him such a great character and a villain. He makes you feel, and this is one of the main signs of good writing. It’s unfortunate that he’s making fans feel disgust and hate, of course, but he’s a villain for a reason. Douma was written to be hated, and the author accomplished the mission.