Demon Slayer: Did Nezuko Ever Eat a Human?

Nezuko Kamado is one of the most important characters from the Demon Slayer manga. Tanjiro’s little sister, Nezuko was the only survivor of Muzan’s brutal attack on the Kamado family (Tanjiro was not present, so he also survived). In turn, she was transformed into a demon. Being special, Nezuko retained a large portion of her initial humanity and never attacked humans, or did she? In this article, we are going to reveal whether Nezuko Kamado ever ate a human or human flesh/blood.

Although she was, as a Demon, tempted to consume human blood and flesh, Nezuko was able to fight off her urges and never consumed any human blood or flesh over the years. This was, in part, improved thanks to the bamboo muzzle she was given, but even without it, Nezuko was aware that such a thing would be wrong and managed to fight her demonic urges to do so.

The rest of this article will focus on Nezuko Kamado and her dual nature, that of a human and that of a Demon. You’re going to find out why Nezuko has the urge to eat human blood and flesh, but also why and how she could fight off these urges and never consume a human. Nezuko Kamado is a uniquely special character in the Demon Slayer manga, so she deserves a standalone article.

Why does Nezuko have the urge to eat a human?

As we all know very well, Nezuko turns into a demon at the very beginning of the story, and her transformation is the chief plot element of the Demon Slayer manga and anime. Now, Tanjiro overcomes the tragedy that had struck him and decided to keep Nezuko safe until he finds a way to revert her back to normal. Does he do it? He does, with substantial help from Tamayo, who had agreed to help him early in the story. In this section, we are going to revise the details surrounding Nezuko’s transformation into a demon and the consequences of that event.

Nezuko was the eldest daughter of the Kamado family, which was made up of her parents, Kie, Tanjuro, and her brothers Tanjiro, her older brother, and her younger brothers, Rokuta, Shigeru, Takeo, and Hanako. They all lived on the mountain during the Taisho era. After the father died for reasons still unknown, Tanjiro assumed the responsibility of supporting his family by selling charcoal and firewood in nearby towns, while Nezuko’s role was to watch over her mother and younger siblings. However, that family life full of happiness turned into a snowy night, a night that would change Tanjiro’s and Nezuko’s life forever.

That evening, a terrible creature named Muzan Kibutsuji broke into the home where Nezuko’s family resided and massacred the mother and children without displaying the slightest mercy. Nezuko tried her utmost to keep her family safe by avoiding getting seriously hurt during the attack and being rendered unconscious.

At the same time, Tanjiro was sleeping at a neighbor’s house near the entrance to the woods where the Kamado family lived. Namely, as he was returning home, it had already gotten dark, and his neighbor offered him a place to stay so that he does not walk around the forest alone at night because Demons are roaming the forest. Although reluctant because he wanted to reach his family as soon as possible, Tanjiro accepted and slept in the neighbor’s house until morning.

When morning broke, Tanjiro returned to his house only to find the scene of a brutal massacre there. His mother and his youngest siblings were brutally slaughtered, while his sister, Nezuko, was also heavily injured but alive. But, Nezuko was also a bit different. Before Tanjiro could realize what was going on, a Demon Slayer called Giyu Tomioka arrived and told Tanjiro that he had to kill his sister since she had been turned into a demon. Nezuko had attacked Tanjiro, but Tanjito successfully rejected her attack and convinced Giyu to spare her life, promising that he would take care of her.

Giyu then helped them, and Tanjiro’s and Nezuko’s adventures began. Since Nezuko was turned into a demon, she gained some additional demon powers, but also the behavioral traits of a demon, which means that she became attracted to human blood and flesh and would, as Giyu stated, turn to attack humans, just like all other demons. Tanjiro convinced Giyu that he would stop Nezuko if she ever tried to do that. Along with Sakonji, they helped her preserve her humanity and overcome her demonic urges; this was partly achieved with the help of the muzzle she was provided with.

Does Nezuko ever eat a human?

Still, Demon Slayer was a very long story, and Nezuko went through a lot of ordeals, so it is only natural to wonder whether she actually gave into her demonic urges and ever consumed human blood or flesh, but luckily for her, she never did; the manga is over, so we can confirm this information as canon.

Namely, as it turned out, Nezuko still remained very caring and protective of people she considered family members. However, this is mainly due to Sakonji Urokodaki’s influence on her while she was asleep for two years. Sakonji conditioned Nezuko to never harm human beings, but rather to protect them from the Demons.

Nezuko still exhibits some human feelings, as evidenced by the fact that she sheds tears of sadness and smiles of joy. She is nonetheless significantly more composed and gentle than most Demons while having a more remote appearance than her human counterpart. Nezuko seems to have grown fairly brazen since becoming a Demon and doesn’t seem to be scared of battles. She frequently looks out for her brother and allies.

She also has tremendous willpower, as evidenced by the fact that she has never eaten human flesh or blood or even been seriously injured or exposed to human blood. She demonstrates this by turning down Sanemi Shinazugawa’s offer after he entices her outside so she can consume his blood. Even after she ceases to be a Demon, she retains her powerful willpower. This is demonstrated when she voluntarily leaps in front of Inosuke to shield him from her brother, a Demon attempting to kill people nearby. Nezuko did not hesitate even though she could have been slain.

So yes, Nezuko did eventually give into her demonic powers, but she never became a full demon. She helped Tanjiro, and the Demon Slayers fight the other demons. Still, she never attacked a human because she retained enough humanity to fight her demonic urges, and Tanjiro was there to calm her down. Nezuko will, of course, return back to her human form later on in the story, and with that moment, all of her demon-related issues come to a close, and Nezuko is rid of all her demonic urges. She eventually became the only known demon who never ate human blood or flesh, which proves just how special and strong she was as a character.