Despite his extremely bright and almost jarring appearance, Zenitsu is shown to be a coward who joins the Demon Slayer Corps because of certain personal reasons. The former Thunder Hashira is the one who becomes his master and teaches him the Thunder Breathing techniques. Zenitsu is shown to be incompetent and slow learner, but he's also shown to be loyal to his friends.
One of his worst character traits is how he harasses any and every woman who gives him the slightest of attention, making him a creep and a stalker. However, fans forgive this side of him because he has certain redeeming qualities that make him likable. Fans who are interested in finding out more about this character can find ten unique facts about him below!
10 Details Regarding His Name
Zenitsu's full name is Zenitsu Agatsuma. It has been confirmed by the mangaka of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaibu manga that his name Zenitsu means "goodness" while his surname means "my wife". The creator of the mangaka said in an interview that, when pronouncing his name, lesser emphasis should be given to "zen" and more to "suu." In other words, the last syllable of his name is meant to be dragged out.
9 He Has Immense Respect For His Teacher
The name of Zenitsu's master or sensei is Jigoro Kuwajima. He was a strict but kind man who taught Zenitsu the ways of a Demon Slayer. The young boy looked up to him as a father figure and always strove hard to live up to his sensei's expectations. He admired and revered Jigoro, and it was these very feelings for him that helped Zenitsu overcome his cowardly nature.
8 The Reason Behind His Subconscious Combat
It’s been shown that Zenitsu has a very unique way of fighting. Whenever he faces any danger, he usually passes out due to extreme cowardice, and that, in an unconscious state, his subconscious mind takes over, and he fights like a pro. This is because, in this state of mind, his body moves based on pure instinct, which means his level of swordsmanship is very high, as is his ability to defend himself against high ranking demons.
7 He Creates His Own Form Of Breathing
Zenitsu creates his own form called Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi Nokami. Through this form, he is able to conjure a creature akin to a dragon that breathes thunder and fire. When combined with God Speed, his power and strength increase, giving him the ability to defeat demons like Kaiju, from the Upper Moon Six.
6 He Insults His Senpai
This is a manga-only incident that occurs in the Dimensional Infinity Fortress arc. Zenitsu meets his long lost senpai Kaigaku, but, to his shock, Kaigaku is no longer human, but a demon. Upon realizing that, Zenitsu denounces him as his senpai.
When the demon provokes Zenitsu by calling him a coward, the boy doesn’t give in to his emotions. He simply replies calmly that, for someone who simply filled an empty slot in the lowest-ranked of the Upper Moons, Kaigaku sure had a lot of opinions.
5 The Reason Behind Zenitsu's Master's Death
In the very same scene, Zenitsu berates Kaigaku for being the reason their sensei committed suicide. It is then revealed that, because Kaigaku became a demon, their master could not bear the shame and committed seppuku, which was a painful and slow death for him. Kaigaku then goes on to berate their sensei, calling him senile.
4 He Has Hashira-Demon Slayer Level Feats
There are many times of Demon Slayers, and among them are the highly respected Hashiras. They are well known for their original styles of Breath and superb fighting abilities. Zenitsu is one of those rare non-Hashia Demon Slayers who’s been able to match the feats of the Hashiras, including creating his own Breathing form and defeating a demon way above his skill level.
3 His Excellent Hearing Helps Him
Just like Tanjiro has a heightened sense of smell, Zenitsu’s sense of hearing is extremely acute. Not only is he able to hear movement of humans, demons and animals from large distances away, he can also listen to the thoughts of people if he focuses hard enough.
This helps him to locate demons who are well hidden. Another unknown fact is that due to his acute hearing, he is also skilled at playing stringed instruments like koto and shamisen.
2 He Is Easily Frustrated With Tanjiro
Despite Tanjiro being a good friend to Zenitsu, the latter is often frustrated with the attitude of the former. This is because what Tanjiro perceives as bravery, Zenitsu sees as a suicide mission. Not only does Tanjiro often land himself in dangerous situations, his friends are often forced to help him out in order to save his life, thus putting theirs in danger as well.
1 He Becomes Less Of A Harasser In The Manga
In the anime, it has been made clear that Zenitsu is someone who stalks and harasses women, and he does not understand the concepts of personal space and consent. This is always played off as a joke (shounen anime are famous for normalization of abusive traits), but in the manga, this one defining trait of him becomes less and less visible with each passing chapter.