In the dark world of Demon Slayer, Muzan Kibutsuji the progenitor of all demons is the most feared one. With his immense power, centuries of experience, and genius-level intellect, he should have been an unstoppable force. Yet, as fans of the series have come to realize, even the mightiest can fall prey to their own shortcomings.
A fan theory suggests that his downfall was not due to a lack of power or resources, but rather a fundamental weakness in his character. Despite possessing abilities that should have made him invincible, Muzan repeatedly failed to capitalize on opportunities to crush his opponents.
Questioning Muzan’s Strategic Abilities
In a recent YouTube Shorts video, content creation @AnimentOG sparked a heated debate among the Demon Slayer fans by highlighting the paradoxical nature of Muzan’s intelligence. Despite being portrayed as a genius, his actions throughout the series suggest a significant lack of wisdom and strategic thinking. The content creator argues that this intelligence is largely superficial. While he conducts research and presents himself as a mastermind, his actions tell a different story.
One glaring example is his obsession with finding the Blue Spider Lily, a flower that blooms only once a year in sunlight. This pursuit seems particularly foolish when compared to the accomplishments of Shinobu, who developed a demon-killing poison before she was 18 years old. As user @nicholastaylor5354 cleverly commented:
Bro has five brains but don’t use them.
It suggests that a truly intelligent being would have utilized human resources to locate the flower, like manipulating humans for their benefit. This oversight on his part is seen as a significant tactical error.
The Role of Arrogance in Demon King’s Fall
Muzan’s failure to take the Demon Slayer Crops seriously is perhaps his most critical mistake. Despite having centuries to strategize, he never deployed spies within the organization or made serious attempts to neutralize this threat.
User @vincentthought6130 offers a perspective on this behavior:
It’s called arrogance. He believes he is superior to humans so why would he stoop so low as to work with humans.
This comment highlights the crucial distinction between intelligence and wisdom, a point further elaborated by @LittleMissRequiem:
Muzan is definitely intelligent (or more preciesly, ‘book-smart), able to conduct highly sophisticated research experiments on his own, but he is most centainly NOT wise, and it shows time and time again.
This arrogance is not just a character flaw but a weakness. As @amharbinger notes, “I think the reason is his need to control eerything and always the best. Having anything less than absolute control was not in his cards.” This obsession with control and superiority ultimately blinds him from taking effective actions that could have secured his victory.
The debate surrounding his intelligence raises interesting questions about the nature of true genius. While he possesses immense power and knowledge, his inability to adapt, or consider perspectives other than his own proves to be his undoing.
You can watch Demon Slayer on Crunchyroll.
