Zenitsu Agatsuma | Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba

Zenitsu Agatsuma is one of the main protagonists of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and, along with Inosuke Hashibira, a traveling companion of Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko Kamado. He is also a demon slayer in the Demon Slayer Corps.

I hate myself more than anyone else. I always think I have to pull myself together, but I end up cowering, running away, whining. I want to change. I want to be a competent person.

Zenitsu Agatsuma’s desire to change for the better in You must master one thing.

Appearance

Zenitsu is a young boy of average height, with fair skin and frightened, downward slanting eyes that change from soft brown to golden. His hair is short, yellow, and changing lengths, cut squarely at the ends where it turns a darker orange color, and falls in an irregular fringe in front of his face. Zenitsu’s hair was originally black before he became a Demon Slayer, but it turned the color it is now after he was struck by lightning during his training.

For a while after the battle of Mount Natagumo, his limbs temporarily shrank due to the poison of the Spider Demon (Son) but were later able to return to normal thanks to the medicine given to him by Shinobu Kocho.

He wears a lighter brown version of the standard demon slayer uniform, which consists of a dark brown gakuran jacket, a white belt around the waist and hakama pants that extend, as well as his signature haori with a pattern of white, yellow and orange gradient triangles. In addition to this, Zenitsu also sports a pair of Kyahan, tied in the front in 3 white knots, with the same pattern as his haori, light brown tabi socks and white lace-up zōri.

Zenitsu with his original hair color

 

Personality

Zenitsu is considered as a coward, because he often pretends that he doesn’t have much time to live because of the danger of being a Demon Slayer. Despite his strength, he has low self-esteem and even considers himself useless, as evidenced by the time he couldn’t believe he had killed a demon and mistook it for Shoichi, who was only a small child with no unique demon-slaying abilities. Zenitsu is constantly terrified and screams and attempts to flee whenever he sees danger, claiming that he prefers to live a simple and ordinary life rather than that of a Demon Slayer. For this reason, Zenitsu shouts and screams a lot, which sometimes annoys the people around him. He is also sometimes pessimistic, especially during Hashira’s training arc where he is attacking Tanjiro and Inosuke who see the training in a good light.

However, despite these weaknesses, Zenitsu always wants to live up to the expectations of others and does his best when needed. He has great respect and admiration for his comrades and his late master, Jigoro Kuwajima, and his inner focus and desire to avenge him helps him get rid of his cowardice and doubts when he is in a difficult situation. Zenitsu likewise despises himself for his cowardice and incompetence, and is constantly attempting to better.

Zenitsu is also shown as a womanizer, out of a desire not to remain single if he is killed. He has a habit of hitting on cute girls and asking them to marry him, to their dismay. This womanizing nature overrides his docile personality, especially when he thinks his classmates are “flirting” with cute girls, he breaks down and goes into long hysterical and complaining fits. Zenitsu appears to have a tremendous affection for Nezuko, publicly expressing his feelings for her and instinctively protecting her. We also watch him becoming physically aggressive in these instances, lashing out in frustration. Zenitsu shows his respect for women, however, telling Daki to let go of a girl whose ear Daki almost rips off, and then asking her to apologize.

Zenitsu falls for Nezuko. EP15

As the only boy in the trio who grew up in the city, Zenitsu shows more knowledge about how the city works and is constantly embarrassed by his partners’ naivety.

Zenitsu puts out a different, more serious feeling before the raid on Infinity Castle, as if he is focused on something essential. This change occurred after he received a letter from Chuntaro, which revealed the death of his master and Kaigaku’s role behind it. During his fight with Kaigaku, Zenitsu is stern and becomes furious, which leads him to angrily yell at her for disrespecting their cultivator. His sudden change surprises his ex-superior, as Zenitsu shows a more mature personality compared to his usual cowardice.

Zenitsu’s determination for the CH136 training

Skills

General abilities : From the beginning, Zenitsu appears as a talented and competent demon killer, even if he denies it. Zenitsu’s actual strength wakes as he sleeps, as his nerves that typically prevent him from accessing it break down, allowing him to be more shrewd, cool, and accurate in battle, allowing him to decapitate the Tongue Demon and beat the Spider Son Demon on his own. He was then able to defend 3 whole wagons attacked by Enmu, Rank 1 lower, with Nezuko. A few months later, he was able to face an awakened Daki with the help of Inosuke, and then managed to crush it with Thunderclap and Flash: God Speed. As further proof of his strength, Zenitsu was able to reach the highest point of the Hashira training.

However, his true strength seems to manifest itself when Zenitsu can fight while awake, as he was able to match the new Upper Rank Six, Kaigaku, in power, and later shot and decapitated him before he could react, although he suffered several serious injuries. However, it was shown that his feelings of regret and melancholy were the only things that kept Zenitsu from immediately killing Kaigaku, his former superior. In addition, he could track and control the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, although he was severely weakened by the anti-Kibutsuji drug. Nevertheless,  Zenitsu’s strength more than likely equaled that of Hashira by the end of the serie.

Enhanced Hearing: Zenitsu has a highly developed sense of hearing that allows him to detect danger in even the faintest sounds. With his superhuman hearing, he has demonstrated his ability to decipher layer upon layer of sounds in one of the brothels and even in Infinity Castle. Another example of his excellent sound detection abilities is that, despite his lack of musical experience, he can exactly repeat every tune he hears on a Shamisen and Koto after hearing it for the first time. Zenitsu’s exceptional hearing also allows him to battle while sleeping, which is an astounding feat given that he has no visual help and relies solely on sound to follow demon attacks.

Zenitsu puts his hearing abilities to the test.

Extrasensory perception: Zenitsu’s hearing allows him to hear and pick up sounds outside the normal range of perception, such as detecting a person’s thoughts, emotions and even personality just by picking up the subtle sounds they make. In addition, he can distinguish between a human and a demon by comparing the sounds they make, which also allows him to determine their strength to a certain extent, as Daki, an Upper Rank demon, has a more terrible sound than normal demons.

Enhanced Strength: Zenitsu has achieved amazing physical strength after years of intensive training. Zenitsu can hold Inosuke Hashibira with his bare hands and throw his whole body by grabbing one of his legs and swinging it. Zenitsu’s leg strength is amazing, allowing him to jump exceedingly high and at breakneck speed to conduct his thundering breathing methods. He was also able to damage the body of Muzan, whose body has the highest durability of any demon, which is a testament to his superhuman physical strength.

Immense speed and reflexes: Zenitsu is extremely fast, being able to move faster than the eye can see. Even at the beginning of the series, when he was the weakest, his speed allowed him to effortlessly dodge the attacks of several demons such as the Tongue Demon and the Spider Demon and then crush them. During the Mugen Train Arc, he was able to save Nezuko from the flesh appendages of the lower Rank 1, Enmu, and slice through several before Enmu could react.

As he progressed, his speed improved to the point that his movements could not be perceived by higher ranked demons, such as Daki and Kaigaku, as the former’s reflexes were amplified several times during the fight and the latter was a user of the same Breathing Style as Zenitsu. Moreover, Zenitsu could move faster than Kaigaku’s Lightning Blood Demon Art and cut his neck before the attack reached him. Even more impressive, Zenitsu could strike several times at the Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji, whose speed was imperceptible, with his techniques, even though he was very weakened.

Immense strength and endurance: Zenitsu has incredible strength and endurance. He was seen to continue fighting even after being affected by the deadly poison of Son Spider Demon which gradually weakened him and turned him into a spider. He was also able to defend 3 train cars with Nezuko for a long time without getting tired. Later, Zenitsu, accompanied by Inosuke, fought against Daki, a Sixth Upper Rank, for a relatively long period of time, even after receiving many wounds from the Sixth Upper Rank and after being trapped under rubble. Zenitsu still had enough stamina to unleash his Thunderbolt and Flash: God Speed technique twice, once to get out of the rubble, the second time to attack Daki.

He was able to continue fighting with Kaigaku even after receiving multiple blood demon art enhanced thunder breath techniques that burned his skin and finally gathered enough power to use his ultimate technique and take him down. Zenitsu was even able to exert himself for about half an hour during the fight against Muzan, even exceeding his limit of only being able to use his Thunderclap and Flash: God Speed techniques twice a day before his legs gave out.

Indomitable Will: Zenitsu has an indomitable will and spirit to kill demons. This was shown when he absolutely refused to let Inosuke kill the demon in Tanjiro’s box, and protected it until the end despite Inosuke’s constant beating. While he was asleep during the battle against Daki, Zenitsu had the will to continue to fight despite the many wounds he received all over his body and his broken feet. Thanks to his willpower and anger, Zenitsu was able to overcome his cowardice and stay awake during the fights against the demons, as we could see during his fight against Kaigaku and Muzan, especially during the fight against the latter where he refused to give up and persisted despite his tiredness and injuries.

Zenitsu refuses to let Inosuke harm Nezuko

Tactical intelligence: Even when he fights unconsciously, Zenitsu shows incredible judgment and tactical intelligence. When he fights consciously, this ability is fully released. This ability was demonstrated in his fight against Daki, the Upper Rank 6. When Inosuke made a wrong deduction about his weaknesses, Zenitsu correctly explained that all they had to do was to keep the two demons’ heads disconnected to kill them. After the start of his fight against Kaigaku, he was able to think clearly and process his demonic techniques and abilities.

Unconscious Fighting: Zenitsu has the ability to fight when he is asleep, which allows him to awaken his true strength. When he is awake, his nerves and fear freeze him and prevent him from moving. When his life is in danger, his nerves and fear become so strong that he faints. But when he is asleep, his nerves no longer hold him back, allowing him to fight and move with great judgment, precision and skill. His hearing also plays an important role in Zenitsu’s ability to fight unconsciously, as it allows him to discern his surroundings and the location of his enemies and their attacks. It also allows him to fight even after falling victim to Enmu’s spell that puts everyone in a deep sleep.

Fighting style

Master Swordsman: Zenitsu is an incredibly talented swordsman, especially with his mastery of the extremely fast Iaijutsu sword techniques and the Thunderbolt and Flash technique, to the point where he can create branches of this technique and use it even when he is sleeping. His sword skills allowed him to fend off dozens of spiders and defend 3 train cars that Enmu was constantly attacking. Zenitsu’s swordplay skills evolved to the point where he was able to fight against the Upper Rank demons of the Twelve Kizuki, and then against a severely weakened Muzan, implying that his swordplay skills most likely improved to the point of matching those of the Hashira, the most powerful and highest-ranking swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps.

Sword Mastery

• Thunder Breath (雷かみなりの呼こ吸きゅう Kaminari no kokyū?): A breathing style that Zenitsu learned from a cultist and his teacher, Jigoro Kuwajima, but he was unable to master all forms of the sword style, but was only able to use the first of the six forms it contains, known as Thunderbolt and Flash. However, Zenitsu became incredibly proficient at fighting and winning using only the first form, even creating several variations and modifications of it and being able to successfully execute the technique even while unconscious. Later, Zenitsu even created a brand new form of Thunder Breath, which only the Hashira’s, especially Giyu and Muichiro, had done before. This form allowed him to turn the tables on his opponent, Kaigaku, by overpowering him and decapitating him instantly.

Zenitsu attacks Daki

• First Form: Thunderclap and Flash (壱いちノ型かた 霹へき靂れき一いっ閃せん Ichi no kata: Hekireki Issen?) – The user draws his katana, charges in at blinding speed and decapitates his opponent before he can react, before sheathing it. This technique is very reminiscent of Iaijutsu and its movements are described as being similar to “lightning splitting the air”.
  • Sixfold (六ろく連れん Rokuren?) – An extension of the Thunderclap and Flash technique created by Zenitsu. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash six times in a row while slightly increasing the power and speed of their dash.
  • Eightfold (八はち連れん Hachiren?) – An extension of the Thunderclap and Flash technique created by Zenitsu. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash eight times in a row while slightly increasing the power and speed of their dash.
  • God Speed (神しん速そく Shinsoku?)-An extension of the Thunderclap and Flash technique created by Zenitsu. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash while greatly increasing the speed of the technique. When this technique was first demonstrated, an unconscious Zenitsu pointed out that he should not perform this technique more than 2 times, otherwise his legs would be rendered useless by muscle fatigue and exhaustion. However, in the fight against Muzan Kibutsuji, Zenitsu showed an improvement in the mastery of this technique, allowing him to use it more than 2 times while maintaining the power and speed of the technique.

• Seventh form: Honoikazuchi no Kami (漆しちノ型かた 火ほの雷いかづちの神かみ Shichi no kata: Honoikazuchi no Kami?, lit. Seventh form: Flaming Thunder God) – Zenitsu Agatsuma’s personal creation. The user rushes forward at blinding speed and unleashes a single forward strike from a low position, which appears to be accompanied by a yellow Japanese dragon in the form of a lightning bolt.

Techniques exclusive to the game

• First Form: Thunderclap and Flash , Prime (壱いちノ型かた 霹へき靂れき一いっ閃せん・極きわみ Ichi no kata: Hekireki Issen – Kiwami?) – A variant of Thunderclap and Flash created by Zenitsu. The user performs Thunderclap and Flash with such force that it cracks and uproots the ground underneath him, and then tears through the ground trying to stop his momentum . This move can be performed in the air, allowing the user to be thrown at an angle towards the ground.

• Air Spin (空くう転てん Kūten?) – The user delivers a circular blow in the air to his opponent.
  Zernitsu power

Equipment

Standard Nichirin Katana: As a Demon Slayer, Zenitsu has a standard size and shape Nichirin katana with lightning bolts all over the blade. The hilt of his sword is circular with 4 slight indentations, the center is silver with small triangles and a golden border. With his katana, Zenitsu has a standard scabbard of deep black color.

Fights

Tsuzumi Mansion Arc :

• Zenitsu Agatsuma vs Tongue Demon

Mount Natagumo Arc :

• Zenitsu Agatsuma vs Spider Demon (son)

Mugen Train Arc :

• Demon Slayers vs Enmu

Entertainment District Arc :

• Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira vs Daki

Infinity Castle Arc :

• Zenitsu Agatsuma vs Kaigaku

Sunrise Countdown Arc :

• Demon Slayers vs Muzan Kibutsuji : Part 2
• Tanjiro Kamado vs Demon Slayers

Triviality

• Zenitsu’s last name means “my wife” (我妻 agatsuma?), while his first name means “goodness” (善逸 zen’itsu?). His first name contains the kanji for “good” (善 zen?) and “special, unique” (逸 itsu?).
• Zenitsu’s rankings in popularity polls are as follows:
  • Zenitsu ranked 2nd in the first popularity poll with 4,299 votes.
  • Zenitsu came in 1st place in the second popularity poll with 17,451 votes.
    • Zenitsu also appeared in the 2020 popularity poll for The Promised Neverland, ranking 29th with 44 votes.
• Thanks to his hearing, Zenitsu is very good at playing the shamisen and koto.
• Zenitsu was also mispronounced by Inosuke. Examples include Monitsu (紋もん逸いつ Mon’itsu?) and Chuitsu (チュウ逸いつ Chū’itsu?) in his squirrel dream.
• In a 4-koma spoof of Weekly Shonen Jump, Zenitsu plays shamisen in the group “Chic-N-Scruffy Democracy” , the other members being Tanjiro (vocals), Inosuke (taiko) and Tengen (harmonica). “Melancholy of Explosive Sound Skin and Modern Sense of Smell” is their first single, which is said to have made everyone who heard it dizzy and nauseous. Zenitsu also wrote a song called “Past Life Sins” for the band under the name “zenithu☆A.
• Zenitsu is the only non-Hashira Demon Slayer to have accomplished feats specifically reserved for Hashira:
  • Creating a new original form in a breathing style with multiple users (done by Giyu Tomioka).
  • Defeating an Upper Rank demon by himself (done by Muichiro Tokito).
• Zenitsu has a dental bite.
• The pattern of Zenitsu’s haori may be inspired by the Uroko, a traditional Japanese pattern that symbolizes scales. Samurai wore clothes with this pattern to protect themselves from danger.
• After the events of the story, Zenitsu wrote a memoir entitled “The Legend of Zenitsu”.
• Zenitsu is superstitious, as evidenced by his delight in seeing two tea stems in his tea in the additional chapters. In Japan, seeing the Chabashira or a tea stem floating vertically in your teacup when you take Japanese green tea is a sign of good luck.
• There are six forms, but Zenitsu was only able to learn the first form, which was supposed to be the basis for the others, but he perfected it to the point where he could fight against several powerful demons. He then created a seventh form and defeated his former elder who had become the sixth Upper Rank of the twelve Kizuki.
• Zenitsu is a city boy and has already taken the train. That’s why going out and training with his master in the mountains was 10 times harder for him than for Tanjiro and Inosuke. He doesn’t really care about the inconvenience of the countryside either.
• Zenitsu’s hearing allows him to hear the disgusting remarks girls make about him behind his back. This caused him to become so afraid of girls that he couldn’t stand them anymore (although his naturally cheerful and persistent nature allowed him to quickly get over it).
• Although Zenitsu fell in love with Nezuko at first sight, he was skeptical about the way Tanjiro described her. He couldn’t believe that girls could be so nice on one side. When he saw that Nezuko was not two-sided and that she was really nice, he was so happy that he saw heaven for a moment and almost went to heaven.
• Zenitsu’s debt is estimated to be about 600,000 yen in modern money.
  • This massive debt probably comes from his 7 ex-girlfriends. Although they are all beautiful, they treated Zenitsu like a slave, cheated him and stole his money. Zenitsu never had a chance to hold their hands.
• Zenitsu likes sweet and expensive food (especially “high quality eel” (高こう級きゅうな鰻むなぎ Kōkyū’na Munagi?), more commonly known as kabayaki (蒲かば焼やき?)), so if he had not become a swordsman, he would be chubby.
• In Kimetsu Academy, Zenitsu is a morality officer who got into the committee despite not wanting to. He performs uniform checks every day at the school gate while being terrified of delinquents.

Quotes

• (To himself) « I hate myself more than anyone. I always think I need to get my act together, but I end up cowering, running, whining. I want to change. I want to be a competent person. »
• (To himself regarding the death of Kyojuro Rengoku) « People don’t recover instantly. No matter how strong a person is, they can feel pain and sadness. But hiding from it doesn’t solve anything. You have to wake up your aching heart and get up. I am sure Rengoku was that kind of person. »
• (To Daki) « Before you die, I have a task for you. Apologize to the girl whose ear you almost ripped off. It may be your money that pays for their clothes, food and shelter, but these girls are not your toys. You won’t get away with it. »
• (To Kaigaku) « Grandpa wasn’t senile. If I am scum, then you are scum. I pity grandpa for having such pathetic successors. I can only do the first form and you can do anything but that! »
• (To Kaigaku) « This is my form. I created it, so it is all mine. With this technique… I wanted to fight you as an equal! »
• (To Tanjiro Kamado) « Tanjiro! Concentrate on staying alive! Can you hear me? Don’t die! You can’t die! Nezuko will become human again! And you’re going to get her out of here! And go back to the house where you grew up! Your family is waiting for you to come back! »