Top 13 Most Tragic Past Stories in Demon Slayer

Obanai was born into a family that he himself considered to be nothing more than trash. His family earned a living through robbery, indulging in all that they stole. For 370 years, no male heir was born into the family. From the moment Obanai was born, he was locked away in a prison, where he spent 12 years of his life. Although he was cared for by his sisters, aunt, and mother, who treated him kindly and fed him daily, Obanai always felt disgusted by their fake affection.

Obanai was released from prison at the age of 12 and possessed unique, two-toned eyes. His family had mutilated his mouth to allow Oniga (a half-human, half-snake demon) to drink his blood. During his escape, Obanai stole a hairpin to break open a wooden door, and it was then that he encountered Kaburamaru, a lost white snake. On that night of escape, he was attacked by the demon Oniga, but was fortunately saved by Kyojuro Rengoku’s father, Shinjurou, the Flame Hashira.

After this event, Obanai was rejected by his cousin, who blamed him for the deaths of 50 family members. His cousin even wished for his death. Overcome with despair, Obanai decided to join the Demon Slayer Corps.

Before becoming a demon, Akaza was a boy named Hakuji. The Upper Rank Three demon Akaza had a difficult childhood, born and raised in a slum with his sickly father. To survive, he resorted to pickpocketing. After being caught, his father hanged himself, pushing Akaza’s life into a deeper abyss of struggle and despair.

However, hope appeared when Keizo rescued Hakuji, and he also met Keizo’s daughter, Koyuki. For a brief moment, it seemed like Hakuji’s life might turn toward happiness, but fate had other plans. While Hakuji was away, both Keizo and Koyuki were poisoned to death by a rival dojo.

Hakuji realized that his life had been filled with empty promises, leading to his anger and loss of the remaining humanity within him. Hakuji massacred the rival dojo and encountered Muzan while wandering, emotionally dead. Muzan turned Hakuji into the demon Akaza, and over time, Akaza forgot the pain of his human past. Akaza came to understand that his hatred stemmed from his failure to protect those he loved, always being absent when it mattered most.

Kanao was born in a very poor neighborhood, and she endured a terrifying childhood where most of her siblings were devoured by demons. Kanao herself faced extreme abuse and neglect, with her parents showing no care or love. As a child, Kanao didn't even have a name because her parents didn't care enough to give her one. Kanao lived in constant suffering, fear, loneliness, and hunger.

One day, Kanao's parents sold her to a mysterious man. He tied her up and took her away, but Kanao showed no reaction because she had become numb to the unfairness of life, and all her emotions had died. By chance, Kanae and Shinobu Kocho encountered the man who had bought Kanao and freed her from the terrifying fate that awaited her. From that moment on, the Kocho sisters, Kanae and Shinobu, adopted Kanao and patiently taught her to live a normal life. Kanao began training to become a Demon Slayer.

Kanae was killed by Upper Rank Two, Doma, leaving a huge shadow in the hearts of Shinobu and Kanao. Kanao wore a butterfly-shaped hair tie that once belonged to Kanae, and even her name resembled Kanae's. Furthermore, Kanao continues to use Kanae's method of coin tossing to make decisions.

When Giyuu was young, he lived with his older sister Tsutako after their parents passed away due to illness. Later, Giyuu's sister was killed by a demon while trying to protect him, even though she was about to get married the next day. Giyuu told everyone that his sister had been killed by a demon, but they thought he had lost his mind and sent him to live with a distant relative. On the way there, Giyuu ran away and nearly died in the mountains, but he was saved by a hunter who knew Urokodaki Sakonji.

Later, Giyuu became a pupil of Urokodaki Sakonji. When Giyuu was 13 years old, he met Sabito, a talented and kind person who always helped others. Giyuu and Sabito became very close due to their shared circumstances and age. During the Final Selection exam, Sabito saved everyone, but Giyuu, who was injured and about to pass out due to a demon's attack, was helped by Sabito, who directed him toward a cry for help. When Giyuu woke up, the exam was over, and only Sabito had lost his life. After that, Giyuu was filled with sorrow and constantly blamed himself for being weak. As a Hashira, he kept his distance from the other Hashira because he felt he wasn't worthy of their respect.

Inosuke was born into a family with an abusive father. His mother, Kotoha, fled with her newborn son. Eventually, both mother and child were taken in by the Paradise Faith cult, where they discovered that Doma, the leader, was eating the followers. Kotoha tried to flee with Inosuke again but was cornered by a cliff. With no other choice, she threw Inosuke into a river in hopes of his survival, while she herself was consumed by Doma. Inosuke was later found and raised by wild boars until he reached adulthood.

Inosuke once had an encounter with a man named Takaharu when he was still a child. Takaharu's grandfather gave Inosuke food and taught him how to speak. Without this intervention, Inosuke would have been left to communicate only in animal-like grunts, much like a wild boar.

Before the Final Selection, Inosuke had a run-in with a demon slayer on a mountain. The two tested each other's strength, and Inosuke emerged victorious. As a result, he took the opponent's weapon as a prize. This encounter introduced him to the world of demons and led to his decision to join the Demon Slayer Corps.

Tanjiro was the eldest son in a large family. His parents passed away early due to illness, leaving the children orphans. Because of this, Tanjiro became the main provider, taking on many responsibilities at home. The family was very close, and Tanjiro once jumped in to shield his younger brother from boiling water, leaving a scar on his forehead as a result.

He took on the heavy tasks of chopping wood and selling charcoal to help support his mother and siblings. One day, after selling charcoal in the village, Tanjiro returned home the next morning to find that his family had been slaughtered by demons, with only his sister Nezuko still alive. Tanjiro carried Nezuko and rushed to find a healer, unaware that Nezuko had transformed into a demon and attacked him. Witnessing his family's brutal deaths and only Nezuko left was a heart-wrenching moment for him. After burying his mother and siblings, Tanjiro resolved to find a way to cure Nezuko and embarked on a journey to fight demons and restore her humanity.

Shinobu and Kanae had a blissful childhood, surrounded by the love and protection of their family. However, everything changed when a demon slaughtered their parents in front of the two sisters. As they were about to be devoured by the demon, the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, appeared and killed the demon, saving them. The immense grief and loss of their parents became the driving force that led Shinobu and Kanae to join the Demon Slayer Corps. They vowed to become stronger to protect one another and prevent such tragedies from befalling others.

During one of their missions, the Kocho sisters encountered Tsuyuri Kanao, who was being held as a slave. Kanae was deeply moved by Kanao and decided to take her to the Butterfly Mansion for training, despite Shinobu's objections. Eventually, Tsuyuri Kanao became the successor to the position of Insect Hashira.

Years later, Kanae was defeated in a battle with Upper Rank Two, Doma. As the battle ended, Doma was forced to flee with the rising sun, but Kanae was critically injured and died in the arms of her younger sister, Shinobu. Before her passing, Kanae urged Shinobu to leave the Demon Slayer Corps and live a peaceful life, but Shinobu refused, vowing to take revenge on the demon who took her sister's life. She later identified Doma based on Kanae's description of him.

The father of Gyomei Himejima passed away from an unknown illness, and his mother died giving birth to him. Later in life, Gyomei became blind due to a mysterious fever. Despite losing his sight, he developed a keen sense of awareness, allowing him to sense everything around him. For example, when others tried to mock or harm him, Gyomei could effortlessly dodge their attempts. This ability led many to believe that he was pretending to be blind, as no blind person could perform such feats.

After the death of his parents, Gyomei became an orphan and lived in an orphanage with nine other children. As the eldest, Gyomei took it upon himself to care for and nurture the younger children, promising them that he would always protect them, no matter the cost.

The temple where they lived was frequently attacked by demons, so Gyomei used incense to ward off the demons. One day, a child from the temple ventured outside the sacred grounds and was attacked by a demon. In a desperate bid to survive, the child promised to help the demon kill Gyomei and the other children. That night, the child secretly extinguished the incense and led the demons to the temple, where four children were immediately killed. The others, doubting Gyomei's ability to protect them due to his blindness and apparent weakness, fled in panic. Unfortunately, they shared the same fate and were slain by the demons, but the youngest child followed Gyomei and was saved by him.

Gyomei fought the demon until daylight, finally slaying the creature in front of the child. When local villagers arrived, the terrified child, overwhelmed by fear, falsely accused Gyomei of killing everyone. With the demon now destroyed by sunlight, the villagers mistakenly believed that Gyomei was the murderer and imprisoned him. Fortunately, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, intervened and saved Gyomei. Kagaya took Gyomei under his wing and trained him to become a Demon Slayer. Thanks to his remarkable physical strength, just two months after joining, Gyomei became a Hashira, known as the Stone Hashira.

Tengen Uzui sinh ra trong một gia đình có chín người con trong một gia tộc shinobi, như thông lệ của gia tộc, người cha bắt những anh chị em trong gia đình chiến đấu với nhau để tồn tại. Họ không hề biết nhau trong khi chiến đấu vì khuôn mặt của họ đã bị che đi. Cuối cùng, chỉ còn 2 người vượt qua cuộc chiến trong số 9 người. Họ đã phải luyện tập vô cùng khắc nghiệt để được trở thành một shinobi mạnh mẽ. Sau đó, Tengen đã rời khỏi làng vì không muốn giết em trai và sống cuộc sống vô cảm chỉ có tàn sát, chém giết như cha mình.

Mặc dù là một shinobi truyền thống coi trọng việc hoàn thành nhiệm vụ bất kể là nhiệm vụ thế nào, nhưng sau khi nhìn thấy nhiều mối nguy hiểm, Uzui Tengen giờ đây đã thay đổi. Anh đặc biệt xem trọng sự an toàn của các thành viên trong gia đình hơn và muốn những người dưới sự chỉ huy của mình cũng phải quan tâm chăm sóc gia đình và coi trọng mạng sống của họ cùng những người vô tội khác. Tengen đặc biệt ghét việc trở nên giống như em trai hoặc cha của mình, những người thờ ơ với cuộc sống của con người.

Gia đình của Tengen có truyền thống đa thê. Giống như cha mình, Tenge có ba người vợ. Sau khi rời khỏi gia tộc, Tengen gặp được được Kagaya Ubuyashiki và gia nhập vào Sát Quỷ Đoàn để chiến đấu với lũ quỷ và bảo vệ những người dân vô tội. Tengen trở thành Âm Trụ trước Phong Trụ Sanemi Shinazugawa.

Yoriichi was the younger twin brother of Michikatsu Tsugikuni. As a newborn, Yoriichi was frail, and as he grew older, he became an extremely quiet individual. His true potential, including his immense strength, went unnoticed by everyone, even by his twin brother.

Yoriichi was born with the Demon Slayer Mark on his forehead, symbolizing his immense strength and unparalleled combat skills. However, when his father discovered the strange mark, he mistakenly viewed it as an omen of bad luck and threatened to kill Yoriichi. Only his mother, Akeno, tried to stop him. After her death, Yoriichi fled from his home.

Years later, he met a young woman named Uta, who was the same age as him. After losing her entire family, Yoriichi decided to live with her. Ten years later, they grew up together, married, and Uta became pregnant. One fateful day, Yoriichi set out to find a midwife to check on his wife’s health. On his way, he encountered an elderly man in need of assistance. After helping the man, he decided to return home first, planning to find the midwife afterward. Upon arriving home, Yoriichi was horrified to find that both his wife and unborn child had been murdered by a demon. This heartbreaking sight left him in shock, and he held their bodies for ten days before burying them, as advised by a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. After the tragedy, Yoriichi picked up his sword and became a Demon Slayer.

During his time as a Demon Slayer, Yoriichi had a confrontation with Muzan. Just as Yoriichi was about to deliver the killing blow, Muzan split his body into 1,800 pieces, and Yoriichi was only able to cut through 1,500 of them. The remaining 300 pieces allowed Muzan to escape. Not long after his battle with Muzan, Yoriichi received word that his brother, Michikatsu, had turned into a demon and betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps. Yoriichi was expelled from the Corps for his failure to kill Muzan, for allowing Tamayo to escape, and for his brother’s betrayal. Yoriichi felt immense guilt, blaming himself for the many deaths caused by Muzan, despite the fact that he was not at fault.

Muichiro and his twin brother Yuichiro Tokito were born to a couple of woodcutters who lived in the mountains. When they were 10 years old, their mother fell ill with a severe cold. She kept her illness hidden, causing her condition to worsen until it turned into bronchitis, and she eventually lost all strength and passed away in her bed. On the same day, their father, despite the heavy storm, went out to find herbs to heal his wife. Unfortunately, he fell and died on a dangerous cliff.

In a single day, the two boys were left with no parents, learning to rely on one another for survival. While Muichiro inherited his late father’s sensitive and kind nature, Yuichiro became cold and stubborn because of the loss of their parents. The brothers often argued fiercely about this. In a fit of anger, Yuichiro mocked his brother, saying that the "Mu" in Muichiro’s name meant "Worthless." From that point on, Muichiro seemed to live in hell with his twin brother.

The following spring, a woman named Amane, claiming to be the wife of Oyakata-sama, arrived to recruit the two brothers into the Demon Slayer Corps. Muichiro was thrilled and eager to join, but Yuichiro reacted in the opposite manner. Nevertheless, Amane continued to visit the brothers multiple times after that. On each visit, Yuichiro would send her away, even going so far as to throw cold water on her during one encounter.

One summer night, a demon attacked the brothers’ home. In an effort to protect Muichiro from the demon’s attacks, Yuichiro lost his left arm. Muichiro, in a burst of rage after the demon insulted them for their weakness, found his newfound strength. He screamed and charged at the demon, using nearby wood and rocks to violently assault it. By dawn, the demon was reduced to ashes by the sunlight. Exhausted, Muichiro crawled back to their home, only to find Yuichiro on the brink of death from blood loss. Despite his condition, Yuichiro remained conscious enough to pray for his brother’s safety, asking the gods to punish him instead of Muichiro.

Muichiro collapsed, trying to hold onto his deceased brother’s decaying hand, now covered in maggots. As he stood on the edge of life and death, Amane and her daughters arrived, rescuing him. Muichiro lost all his memories and joined the Demon Slayer Corps. Within two months of wielding a sword, he rose to the rank of Pillar, showing his innate talent—perhaps due to being a descendant of Yoriichi, the greatest swordsman in history. With his memories lost, Muichiro’s personality began to resemble that of his late brother, Yuichiro, becoming cold and distant.

Sanemi and Genya are siblings from a family of seven children and two parents. They were raised in an abusive household, enduring relentless mistreatment from their father. Their mother bore the brunt of this cruelty until their father passed away, a result of his own harsh nature.

One night, their mother failed to return home, sparking deep concern in Sanemi and the others. Sanemi took it upon himself to search for her, instructing Genya to care for the younger siblings. As Sanemi left, a loud noise erupted from outside. Genya, remaining alert, quickly discerned that it wasn’t their mother, but it was too late. The sound signified the arrival of a demon, which proceeded to attack the siblings in the house. Sanemi fought the demon alone until dawn. In the aftermath, Genya, panicked, rushed to seek help for the wounded siblings, but by the time he reached the streets, dawn had broken.

Upon reaching the street, Genya saw Sanemi standing, covered in blood, holding a knife, with their mother’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood. In agony, Genya screamed that Sanemi had murdered their mother, unaware that she had turned into a demon, and that Sanemi had risked his life to protect the family. Later, Genya, full of regret upon learning the truth, realized that Sanemi had only tried to defend them. He wanted to apologize for his earlier accusations, but by the time he could, Sanemi had already left. In their final moments together, they shared heartfelt words.

After this tragic ordeal, Sanemi lost the ability to perceive color and now saw the world in shades of black, struggling especially in the dark. This was likely a psychological result of having had to kill their mother, who had turned into a demon, and the painful accusations from his brother. From that moment, Sanemi began hunting demons on his own, no longer relying on the Nichirin Blade. He honed his skills as a demon slayer and equipped himself with advanced weaponry to aid in his battles.

Gyutaro was born to a former courtesan living in a slum within the Red-Light District. In contrast to his beautiful sister Daki, Gyutaro had a horrific, deformed appearance that was so terrifying it drew constant ridicule from others, even when he was just a child. This dreadful appearance was likely due to the abuse his mother inflicted on him before he was even born.

When Daki/Ume was born, Gyutaro made a vow to protect her. As Ume grew older, Gyutaro took on the role of a "collector" (essentially the one responsible for gathering money from clients) for his sister. One day, after discovering that his sister was nearly burned to death by a samurai customer, Gyutaro rushed to help her. However, the samurai discovered him and struck a fatal blow to his back. Realizing that both the samurai and the brothel madam were responsible for Ume's death, Gyutaro used his weapon, a sickle, to take their lives.

Afterward, Gyutaro carried Ume’s body, seeking help, but no one in the Red-Light District would assist them. Exhausted and on the brink of death, Gyutaro's life seemed to be at its end when Doma – the Lower Rank Six at the time – appeared and transformed both of them into demons. From then on, the two siblings continued to reside in the Red-Light District, hunting humans. Throughout his demonic existence, Gyutaro killed and devoured at least 13 Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps (while Daki killed 7). This feat earned them favor with Muzan, who made them his trusted pawns. After more than a century, they shared the position of Lower Rank Six in service to Muzan.