When discussing Demon Slayer’s Zenitsu Agatsuma, fans of the series may have divided opinions regarding just how deserving the yellow-haired boy is of his Demon Corps status. Without a doubt, Zenitsu’s faintheartedness has called into question his competence and capability many times. The first time viewers met his character at the conclusion of his training, he expressed his crippling fear and anticipation of failure even after making it this far.
Seeing this, it might’ve been easy to write Zenitsu off as a lost cause. However, since then, he has proven himself to be an extremely skilled and powerful demon slayer with qualities resembling that of a Hashira. One might even argue that as many times as Zenitsu irked fans with his flagrant cowardice, he has redeemed himself as a worthy and heroic demon slayer just as many times, if not more.
10 FELL SHORT: Didn’t Have A Good Reason For Joining The Corps
After the 7-day battle for survival on the demon-infested Mt. Fujikasane, the four successful applicants were greeted by guides who gifted them uniforms, communication birds, and their ore of choice for their Nichirin swords. At this ceremony, Tanjiro sees Zenitsu for the first time, uttering to himself: “Even if I survive now, I’m gonna die in the end anyway.”
Later on, when Tanjiro encounters Zenitsu again, the timid boy reveals that the only reason he joined the Demon Corps was because he was once in great debt, and the man who paid it off was a cultivator who decided to train him as a swordsman. Zenitsu pathetically admits that he was hoping he’d die in the Final Selection, and it’s hard not to feel sorry for the guy.
9 REDEEMED: Uses Impeccable Sense Of Hearing To Locate Demons
On their first mission together, Tanjiro and Zenitsu arrive at the Tsuzumi Mansion as directed by Tanjiro’s crow. Here, they meet two frightened children who explain that the house contains a demon who captured their older brother. Tanjiro utilizes his excellent sense of smell to confirm that an unfamiliar scent lies inside. Zenitsu, on the other hand, inquires if Tanjiro can hear a strange sound.
He soon guesses that the noise is a tsuzumi, but Tanjiro can’t hear anything. Although Zenitsu’s fear limits him in many ways, he possesses a unique ability that proves invaluable in tracking creatures as elusive as demons.
8 FELL SHORT: His Loud Panicking Led A Demon Straight To Him And Shoichi
Though Zenitsu eventually musters up the courage to enter the Tsuzumi Mansion, he cannot compose himself for the life of him. While he, Tanjiro, and the children search for the demon inside, the mansion rearranges itself, separating Tanjiro and Teruko from Zenitsu and Shoichi.
This causes Zenitsu to go berserk with fear as he’s now on his own with a child. In an already life-threatening situation, Zenitsu uncontrollably screams about how he’s going to die, even causing Shoichi to be embarrassed for him. He also contradicts himself by telling Shoichi to be quiet, or else the demons will find them, shamelessly yelling all the while. It’s no surprise that a demon comes crawling out of the woodworks right behind them.
7 REDEEMED: Defeated A Demon By Himself Using Thunder Breathing
When the bloodthirsty Drum Demon manages to corner Zenitsu and Shoichi in a room, he announces, “I’m gonna guzzle your brain matter through your ears,” causing Zenitsu to pass out immediately and leave Shoichi vulnerable.
Amidst Shoichi’s sobs, however, Zenitsu unconsciously twitches his hand, which to the demon’s surprise, slices off a piece of its tongue. After this, Zenitsu stands up, eyes still closed, and flawlessly executes Thunder Breathing, First Form, severing the demon’s head in a quick flash. It becomes clear that as powerless as Zenitsu first appeared, he can actually make himself useful with his mastery of this Breathing Style, though he has to be unconscious to incite it.
6 FELL SHORT: Refused To Enter Mt. Natagumo When There Was Trouble
As Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu arrive at the base of Mt. Natagumo as per instruction from the Kasugai crow, Zenitsu calls everyone to a halt, claiming that now that they’re finally nearing their destination, he’s too scared to go forward.
To incite further terror, the three stumble upon a wounded demon slayer farther along the path. As he calls for help, he is yanked away into the trees by invisible threads, and Tanjiro catches the potent scent of demons ahead. He and Inosuke proceed forward, while Zenitsu sits still and refuses to follow. Only after realizing that Tanjiro took “his precious Nezuko” with him into the forest is he prompted to race up the mountain at full speed.
5 REDEEMED: Understood The Importance Of Mastering One Thing
After finally making it up the mountain, Zenitsu faces off with a spider demon who injects him with poison that will turn him into a spider in a short span of time. Soon, he falls unconscious, entering the state of being able to use Thunder Breathing.
As he consecutively dodges the spider demon’s attacks, Zenitsu recalls words from his “gramps,” former Thunder Hashira Jigoro Kuwajima, telling him that, “If you can only do a single thing, hone it to perfection.” Zenitsu’s memories continue to pour in, reminding him of the fact that his master never abandoned him when everyone else did. As spiders enveloped Zenitsu, the demon slayer escaped by unleashing his perfectly mastered Thunder Breathing, First Form, further slashing and finishing off the spider demon once and for all.
4 FELL SHORT: Stopped Coming To Training After Feeling Defeated
Weeks after returning from Mt. Natagumo, Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu begin Rehabilitation Training, which involves a number of exercises that test reflexes and agility such as playing tag and trying to grab a cup from Kanao before getting splashed with tea. After five days of consistent defeats, Inosuke and Zenitsu lost their morale and stopped showing up to training.
Tanjiro continues to train on his own, but he does try to convince the others to come back. “Sulking and feeling sorry for yourself won’t do you any good,” he reminds them, but it doesn’t seem to work as Zenitsu simply tells him that he’s “injured” so he can go drink tea with the other women nearby.
3 REDEEMED: Mastered Total Concentration Breathing
One day during Rehabilitation Training, Zenitsu and Inosuke witness Tanjiro breaking a gourd after practicing Total Concentration Breathing every second of the day. When the two start to panic about feeling left behind, they consult Shinobu to try and master this technique as well.
After practicing for a bit, Zenitsu wails that it’s “impossible, seriously impossible.” Even with some extra reinforcement from Tanjiro, the two trainees were incredibly turned off by the idea of training harder. Only when Inosuke is taunted by Shinobu, and when Shinobu holds Zenitsu’s hand and tells him that he can do it, do the two promptly return to training with more force than ever, eventually mastering Total Concentration Breathing as well.
2 FELL SHORT: He's Easily Distracted By Women
It is fair to say that Zenitsu’s most distasteful quality, aside from his cowardice, is his fatal attraction to women and girls. From begging a woman on the street to marry him, to being relentlessly obsessed with Nezuko, to only participating in training to have physical contact with girls, it is clear that he has a problem that makes everyone extremely uncomfortable.
Perhaps this trait has prompted Zenitsu to take effective action in certain scenarios, such as pushing him to find Nezuko on Mt. Natagumo and defeating the spider demon, but ultimately, there is no doubt that this trait can be a huge hindrance to him focusing on more important (and less creepy) priorities as a demon slayer.
1 REDEEMED: Saved Nezuko On The Mugen Train
Taking place in the Mugen Train arc, Nezuko finds herself in great trouble as she fights off Enmu’s gorey appendages on one of the train carts. Despite her efforts, she eventually gets trapped in their grasp and cannot break free. Zenitsu, who was previously fast asleep, is able to unconsciously sense that Nezuko is in trouble. He zips through the train with his Thunderclap and Flash, Sixfold just in time to sever Enmu’s grip and free Nezuko, as well as slice up several other mutated intestines permeating the cart around them. “I’ll protect you, Nezuko,” are the last things he says before slipping back into a soft snore.