Every Way a Demon Can Die

Key Takeaways

• Exposure to sunlight or sunlight-infused weapons (Nichirin) is crucial for killing demons in Demon Slayer.
• Wisteria poison can paralyze demons, and in stronger doses, kill them.
• Starvation might work as a last resort, other weaknesses like Marechi blood or Blood Demon Arts can also harm demons.

Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc, now streaming on Crunchyroll.

In Demon Slayer, Muzan’s army of near-unkillable demons is the biggest threat to humanity, but “near”-unkillable means there’s still hope. Even though conventional weapons cannot kill demons, it’s been well-known throughout the series that they will almost immediately disintegrate upon contact with sunlight. However, there are other ways to slay demons; and though they might not be as reliable as sunlight, a Demon Slayer needs every advantage they can get if they want to stand a chance against Muzan and his maneaters.

Cut off their heads with regular weapons, blow them up, or burn them; all of these things that are lethal to normal humans are mere inconveniences for even the weakest demons. If you want to permanently finish one off, you’d have to rely on one of these methods.

How To Kill A Demon

Sunlight and Sunlight-Infused Metals (Nichirin Weapons)

As stated earlier, the most effective way to kill demons in Demon Slayer is to expose them to sunlight. Sunlight makes humans completely safe from demons during the day, but it won’t do anyone any good at night unless you’re a naturally gifted fighter who can restrain a demon until sunrise.

But if you are a gifted fighter, there’s a better way to utilize sunlight. An indirect way to expose demons to the sun’s power is through the Demon Slayer Corps’ Nichirin weapons. What makes these weapons special is the materials they’re forged from, known as Scarlet Ore and Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand, which are mined atop high mountains where they can absorb the most sunlight. Because of the inherent sunlight inside them, Nichirin weapons, which can range from swords, to maces, to sawed-off double-barreled shotguns, can be used to slay demons. However, since this is only indirect contact with sunlight, a Nichirin weapon has to decapitate or destroy a demon’s head to kill them. A demon can still heal any other body part damaged by a Nichirin weapon.

Fun Fact: Iron Sand is a real type of sand that heats up when exposed to sunlight and can get hot enough to cause minor burns when touched.

Wisteria Poisoning

Gorgeous Wisteria plants often decorate the Demon Slayer Corps’ bases and sometimes even the homes of its members. But these purple flowers aren’t just for show; they are the main ingredient in a special poison the Corps uses against demons. A normal dose of Wisteria poison can paralyze demons, restricting their abilities, movement, and even their regeneration. High enough doses will straight-up kill demons, though larger doses are required the stronger the demon is.

Have you ever noticed how weird the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho‘s blade looks? Her sword’s shaft is incredibly thin except for the base and tip. You’d think she’d have a hard time slashing with it, and you’d be right because Shinobu uses the blade to stab at demons rather than slash. The blade’s sheath houses potent Wisteria poison which coats the sword she uses to give demons grisly and painful deaths.

Fun fact: Wisteria flowers are real, but they’re poisonous to humans as well.

The Curse of Kibutsuji

To protect his identity, Muzan Kibutsuji has placed a curse on every single demon that triggers when they divulge any information regarding him. Even just uttering his last name can cause the curse to take effect, killing the demon that said it. In Demon Slayer, season 1, episode 10, “Together Forever”, a demon named Susamaru accidentally spoke Muzan’s last name while influenced by Tamayo’s Blood Demon Art and in a fit of rage. Shortly after, arms sprouted out from her mouth and torso, which proceeded to crush her to death. Revealing information about Muzan isn’t the only way to trigger it though, as Muzan himself can activate the curse in any demon, whenever he wants. It seems that the curse can manifest itself in different ways as well. Muzan can just will a demon’s head to explode, and that’ll be the end of it.

“You’ve uttered his name out loud, haven’t you? You just activated his curse” – Tamayo to Susamaru

Although this is technically a way to kill demons, it’s not easy for a Demon Slayer to take advantage of as it relies on the demon to make a mistake or be under the influence of something like Tamayo’s Blood Demon Art.

Starvation

Starvation is the most iffy way to kill a demon from Demon Slayer because it’s the only method that hasn’t been recorded in action in both the manga and the anime. In fact, the only source that implies that demons can even die from starvation is a quote from Tamayo. She states that since she altered her body, she no longer has to feed on humans to survive, implying that other demons will eventually starve to death if they stop feeding on human flesh.

Starvation also isn’t a very efficient way of dealing with a demon because if someone has the ability to subdue a demon, it’s better to just wait until sunrise and kill them with sunlight. If a demon’s metabolism is anything like a human’s, it could take weeks before they succumb to starvation. It’s probably why no one’s ever seen it happen before.

Other Demon Weaknesses That Will Harm But Not Kill Them

Marechi Blood

Marechi Blood is a rare blood type in humans that contains about 100 times more nutritional value than a regular person’s blood. Because of its potency, demons go crazy when they get a whiff of it, attacking recklessly and making their actions more predictable for a skilled Slayer. Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira, has Marechi Blood flowing through his veins and will take full advantage of it in the upcoming Infinity Castle Arc.

Blood Demon Arts

Higher-level demons have powers unique to them known as Blood Demon Arts, and ironically, this very power can be used against their own kind. The best example of Blood Demon Arts being used to harm other demons is Nezuko’s Combustible Blood, which produces bright pink flames harmful to demons, but not humans. Tamayo also weaponized another demon’s Blood Demon Art against Muzan himself at the end of the Hashira Training Arc. Of course, any demon harmed by a Blood Demon Art will eventually regenerate from it, as only Muzan is capable of killing his own kind.

Demon Slayer is now available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix. The release date for the next season of Demon Slayer, the Infinity Castle Arc has not been announced yet.