The Incredible Transformation of Muichiro: Unveiling the Shift in Demon Slayer's Character

We are currently in the midst of season 3 of Demon Slayer, with nine episodes already aired. In the latest episode, we finally learn about Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito's backstory. Each Hashira has their own unique past, and Muichiro's is particularly heart-wrenching. The events of his younger years, which occurred not too long ago, had a profound impact on him and transformed him into a different person.

It goes without saying that any tragedy can have lasting effects on a person, and Muichiro went through a profound transformation. He was once an innocent and optimistic child, but now he is completely different, almost like a mirror image of his late twin brother, Yuuichiro.

The Tokito Twins Become Orphaned

Muichiro was born into a family of woodchoppers. He, along with his brother and father, would work together to chop wood. Unfortunately, tragedy struck one stormy day when both of their parents passed away. Their mother's cold worsened into bronchitis, ultimately causing her demise. Their father, on the other hand, fell off a cliff while braving the storm to obtain medicinal herbs for his ailing wife. As a result, the brothers, who were only ten years old at the time, were left to fend for themselves.

Yuuichiro and Muichiro possessed contrasting personalities, which made their daily life quite challenging. After their parents' death, Yuuichiro harshly criticized their family, deeming their compassion futile and their actions foolish. While Muichiro embraced their father's belief in karma, where good deeds bring positive outcomes, Yuuichiro struggled to accept this notion, as the very action resulting from this philosophy took their father's life. According to Yuuichiro, if their father had stayed home instead of braving the storm to save someone beyond saving, he would still be alive. Muichiro, on the other hand, felt that Yuuichiro's criticisms were overly harsh and unkind, whereas Yuuichiro believed he was simply expressing his thoughts candidly. In fact, Yuuichiro even went as far as calling Muichiro useless, likening the "Mu" in his name to the "in" in words like "ineffective" and "invalid".

About a year later, Amane, Master Ubuyashiki's wife, paid a visit to the brothers and delivered a significant revelation. She informed them that they were descendants of exceptional swordsmen, gifted with the extraordinary ability to utilize Sun Breath. While Muichiro eagerly embraced the idea of becoming a swordsman to serve and assist others, Yuuichiro dismissed it as mere nonsense. Yuuichiro adamantly rejected Amane's visits, going so far as to pour water on her at one point.

According to Yuuichiro's perspective, it seemed absurd for someone who couldn't even cook rice to aspire to become a swordsman. He criticized Muichiro for naively spouting optimistic ideals, much like their parents had done. Yuuichiro argued that if their mother had not concealed her illness and continued working, she would not have deteriorated further. Furthermore, he asserted that if their father had listened to him and their mother and stayed at home, he would not have embarked on a futile mission to obtain medicine. Yuuichiro believed that they were not exceptional individuals, as only a chosen few were bestowed by the universe with the opportunity to undertake noble quests. To him, their only option was to endure a mundane existence and ultimately "die like dogs". Muichiro silently endured his brother's tirade, with each sentence delivering a painful blow.

Muichiro Changes

The boys remained silent for an extended period after their intense fight. Summer came, bringing with it scorching heat. One night, a demon appeared and Muichiro's last family member was on the brink of death. The demon attacked Muichiro, but Yuuichiro intervened, resulting in the loss of his arm and severe bleeding. Mocking them as worthless woodcutters, the demon declared that the world would carry on even if they perished. Cradling his dying brother, Muichiro experienced a previously unknown emotion: rage. His memory blurry, the night passed with Muichiro impaling, hitting, kicking, and striking the demon until it crumbled into dust at sunrise.

Struggling, Muichiro dragged himself back inside where he discovered Yuuichiro still alive, albeit barely. Yuuichiro, praying to the gods, pleaded for Muichiro's life. He believed that he hindered Muichiro's desire to be a good person and felt deserving of punishment. As Muichiro grasped his brother's hand for the final time, Yuuichiro's dying words conveyed that the "Mu" in Muichiro represented the "in" in "infinity". He urged Muichiro to help others in order to unlock boundless strength.

Amane discovered them too late to save Yuuichiro. She and her children managed to heal Muichiro, but his memories were irretrievably lost. Despite his healing process, Muichiro dedicated himself to intense training. Through his exceptional talent and unwavering discipline, he achieved the status of Hashira in just two months, becoming the youngest to do so. These experiences hardened Muichiro, erasing his once naive optimism and transforming him into a cold and distant individual.

In the present, Muichiro's youthful innocence has vanished. He now interacts with Tanjiro in the same blunt and pessimistic manner that Yuuichiro used to. Tanjiro's belief in the power of good deeds strikes a chord within Muichiro, but he responds with the familiar indifference of his lost brother: it holds no meaning. Muichiro acknowledges that he has become a reflection of his brother.

Yuuichiro Tokito

Yuuichiro and Muichiro were complete opposites. While Muichiro embraced positive philosophies and maintained a sense of naive optimism, Yuuichiro only saw the pessimistic side of things. He failed to find any good even in moments of grief, criticizing the way his parents died. In his eyes, life had dealt them the worst hand, so he couldn't fathom any positive outcomes. Even the demon that ultimately killed him reinforced his negative self-perception.

There was a reason behind Yuuichiro's cold demeanor. Muichiro was a more gentle soul, causing Yuuichiro to feel the need to be tougher for their survival. To him, even the gods cursed those who were virtuous and innocent like him. If they wouldn't protect him, then he had to protect himself. In death, he regretted being so harsh towards his little brother and realized that kindness is a rare trait in such a merciless world, bestowed upon only a few fortunate individuals.

Muichiro, Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho, and Kanao Tsuyuri are treated similarly by the author of Demon Slayer, as they all have siblings who are kept alive through their behavior. Muichiro, being a twin, bears a striking resemblance to his deceased brother. They even wear different versions of the same outfit, with Muichiro now wearing an all-black attire instead of the black mist patterns worn by his brother. Similar to Shinobu and Kanae, Muichiro's actions keep his sibling's memory alive, as he has adopted his brother's cold personality. Catch Demon Slayer on Netflix & Crunchyroll for streaming.