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Warning: The following contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer manga. Demon Slayer is now streaming onCrunchyroll.
InDemon Slayer, about five hundred years before Tanjiro’s adventure, in the Sengoku Era,the demon known as Kokushibowas still a human Demon Slayer by the name of Michikatsu Tsugikuni. He was the older twin brother of the legendary Demon Slayer Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Yoriichi himself has shown that he can single-handedly kill Muzan in an encounter between the two. The only reason the latter survived is that he split himself into thousands of tiny pieces to escape.
Yoriichi is now knownas the most powerful Demon Slayer in history. And the second strongest? None other than Michikatsu himself. Michikatsu never got the chance to test his skill against Muzan because he quickly turned to his side once he realized that becoming a demon was a path that could lead to his dreams of growing stronger than Yoriichi and surviving the Demon Slayer Mark. But would the second-strongest have stood a chance if he decided to fight Muzan instead of joining him?
Michikatsu VS Muzan?
Just How Strong Was Kokushibo as a Human?
First, it’ll be useful to know who Kokushibocouldn’tbeat, bothas a human and as a demon. As a human, Michikatsu could never beat his younger twin brother, Yoriichi. Even as a child, Yoriichi immediately surpassed Michikatsu in terms of swordsmanship the second he held a blade in his hand. The gap between them probably only widened after that, because even after he became a demon, Kokushibo couldn’t defeat an elderly Yoriichi who was about to die of old age. As a demon, Kokushibo also lost to a group of Demon Slayers inthe Infinity Castle Arc, with several of them being Hashiras. It should be noted though, that no one in that group could have beaten Kokushibo in a one-on-one match.
Now, what abilities did Michikatsu have before his conversion into a demon?
“It took a while for me to understand his words. Yoriichi could see through a living creature’s body. Just like with his mark, he was born with special vision as well.” - Michikatsu noticing Yoriichi’s Transparent World ability for the first time
What hedidn’thave, is theSelfless State, which is an abilitythat allows the user to erase their Fighting Spirit. Yoriichi used Selfless State to fool Muzan into thinking he was a helpless human, but Michikatsu will have no such advantage.
Could Michikatsu Have Beaten Muzan?
When it all comes down to it, there is no chance Michikatsu cankillMuzan since even Yoriichi failed to keep him from escaping. Now, if you’re asking whether or not Michikatsu couldforce Muzan to retreatas Yoriichi did, the answer becomes a little trickier. However, a few signs point to it being unlikely.
Both Michikatsu and Muzan are weaker than Yoriichi, but at the very least, a young and healthy Yoriichi actually felt threatened by Muzan. InDemon Slayerchapter 187, “Innocent Person”, Yoriichi acknowledged that a single hit from Muzan could have brought him close to death, and that, for the first time in his life, he felt scared. On the other hand,Yoriichi could beat Kokushiboeven when he was already old and dying, showing no sign of fear at all.
Another thing, Muzan managed to escape from Yoriichi on his own accord. On the other hand, Kokushibo was sure thathe was going to dieduring his fight with Yoriichi, and already accepted his fate. Kokushibo only survived through pure luck, with Yoriichi succumbing to old age then and there. Evidently, Michikatsu’s gap in power to Yoriichi is wider than with Muzan and Yoriichi.
Could Kokushibo as a Demon Beat Muzan?
He’s Stronger, but Is It Enough?
Ironically, now thathe’s stronger as Kokushibo, the answer becomes a clear no, and it’s not even a matter of strength or skill this time. No demon, no matter how much they train or how useful their Blood Demon Art is, can defeat Muzan, because he holds their lives in his hand.Muzan is the progenitor of all demons, and with that title comes the ability to kill any demon he wants by literally justthinkingit.
If Yoriichi, who is already stronger than Muzan as a human, were to turn into a demon, yes, his physical strength, speed, and durability would all drastically increase, but it would make him incapable of defeating Muzan. Turning into a demon is like selling your body and soul to Muzan, you belong to him now, and he can do whatever he wants with you, whether you want him to or not.
Demon Slayer is now available to stream onCrunchyrollandNetflix. The release date for the next season of Demon Slayer, the Infinity Castle Arc, has not been announced yet.
