WARNING: The following contains massive spoilers for the Demon Slayer Manga’s final arc.
Summary
- Developing a multi-layered drug weakened Muzan systematically
- Hybrid drug enabled Corps to draw out final battle with Muzan
- Drugs created by Tamayo and Shinobu rendered Muzan incapable of escaping
There’s no doubt that Kibutsuji Muzan had been a formidable foe. As the original demon that has lived for over 1,000 years, Muzan has immense strength and, most importantly, an exceptional regeneration ability thanks to his strong desire to live.
However, formidable as Muzan may be, he is not immune to attacks or any drug administered to him. While this poses an advantage for the Corps, they also have a limited amount of time to deal the final blow, as Muzan can decompose unwanted substances. So, what is the significance of the drug that killed Muzan in Demon Slayer?
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The Development of the Drug That Killed Muzan
Two Unlikely Forces Work Together to Stop the Demon King
The drugs that contributed to Muzan’s defeat were developed with assistance from Tamayo, Yushiro, and Shinobu. While she was initially reluctant, Tamayo was enthusiastic about collaborating with the Demon Slayer Corps, having finally discovered a cure that could revert demons to human form.
And with the help of Tamayo-san, the demon you believed in and allowed to escape, we managed to drive Muzan into a corner.
While Shinobu had a deep hatred for demons, she respected Tamayo and her abilities as a doctor, as it allowed her to create a much more potent version of the poison she had been inventing in her attempts to defeat Douma. These characters have exceptional knowledge in their respective fields: Tamayo’s knowledge of Muzan’s weakness and predictability and Shinobu’s extensive knowledge of Wisteria poison. Together, they created a multi-layered drug that would have Muzan fearing for his life.
How the Drug Systematically Weakened Muzan
As the Drugs Activated Its Effects Consecutively, It Gave the Corps Time to Draw out the Battle
|
Arc |
Sunrise Countdown |
|---|---|
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Chapters |
184 – 205 |
Let’s try creating a hybrid drug. We should proceed forward based on the presumption that the drug will decompose.
The pharmaceutical agent administered to Muzan resulted from years of intensive research and was meticulously developed to impede his regenerative capabilities. As the original demon, Muzan possesses the ability to heal almost instantaneously. He emerged as an overwhelmingly formidable adversary in conjunction with his exceptional strength and Blood Demon Art. To assist the Hashira in systematically subduing him, a drug was formulated to decelerate his regenerative process.
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First Effect
There are multiple stages to the drug that rendered Muzan incapable of battle. The drug Muzan had absorbed had an effect with the ability to turn demons back into humans. Tamayo created this drug after analyzing Nezuko’s blood after every battle. Due to the significant changes in Nezuko’s blood, Tamayo successfully created a cure to revert demons into humans.
Tamayo was aware that Muzan would decompose and dissolve the drug, which is why Shinobu suggested creating a hybrid drug with multiple layers. Disclosing the initial effect to Muzan proved vital, as he dedicated most of the evening to analyzing the effect, ultimately failing to recognize its multi-layered complexity.
- Tamayo obtained blood samples from multiple high-level demons, which was likely how she invented the Anti-Blood Demon Coagulant.
- The cure for demonization was successfully created during the Swordsmith Village arc.
Second Effect
Many are aware that Muzan has lived for over 1,000 years. However, he was still in his prime during the battle. Which is why Shinobu suggested they create an aging effect within the drug. Along with what Tamayo created, they were able to successfully create a drug that would age Muzan by 50 years per minute.
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After nearly five hours of the drug within Muzan’s system, the drug only took effect for three hours, which meant Muzan had aged over 9,000 years. The result of this aging caused his hair to drastically gray and become sheet white, and it slowly chipped away at his powers, slowing him down, which left him unable to finish off Tanjiro. Although Muzan could decompose the previous effect, the second effect had begun to eat at his stamina, prolonging his fatigue and rendering him unable to decompose it.
The second effect of the drug was likely the most significant effect, as it drastically decreased Muzan’s strength over three hours. This inability allowed the Hashira to subdue Muzan somewhat, forcing him into a grotesque form, hiding away within the Infinity Castle until he could decompose the first effect. Thanks to these effects, Muzan’s old wounds from the battle Yoriichi began to appear, providing the Corps an additional advantage to guide them to Muzan’s weak spots.
In the hour before sunrise, the substance Muzan ingested through Tamayo began manifesting its effects on him. Although Muzan had previously remained unaware, the drug had been accelerating his aging process at an alarming rate, resulting in the graying of his hair. Only upon observing the noticeable deceleration of his movements did he comprehend the irregularity of his condition.
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Third Effect
As it neared dawn during the Sunrise Countdown arc, Muzan discovered the additional effects of the drug. As Tamayo was a close confidant to Muzan after being turned into a demon, she was also aware of all his weaknesses and flaws, including his insecurities. As Muzan is a coward, he attempted to split himself into multiple pieces to escape the Corps. However, the third effect of the drug was to prevent Muzan from self-splitting, thus decreasing his chances of escape as Tamayo predicted he would.
This stage of the drug was made in the case that if Muzan had been pushed into a corner, he would split himself into multiple pieces to prevent himself from dying. Tamayo was only made aware of this fact after witnessing Muzan split himself apart to save himself from being killed by Yoriichi.
Fourth Effect
Once the third drug had taken effect, the fourth and final drug would begin to destroy Muzan’s cells at their weak points. After Muzan attempted to escape, he immediately began to cough up blood, indicating the effects of the fourth drug.
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As the effects of all four medications commenced, Muzan’s strength experienced a significant decline. The combination of the aging effect alongside the deterioration of Muzan’s cellular structure resulted in considerable fatigue, rendering him incapable of elevating his arm. This circumstance afforded the Hashira, Inosuke, and Zenitsu a competitive advantage in the ongoing battle, although they, too, were fatigued from prior engagements. In a desperate attempt to safeguard his form, Muzan resorted to enveloping himself in a protective armor of flesh, which caused him to regress to an infantile state. In a final effort, Muzan sought to absorb Tanjiro, intending for him to inherit his will; however, this endeavor ultimately proved unsuccessful.
The drug administered to Muzan constituted one of the numerous strategies required to subdue him. Ultimately, the Demon Slayer Corps recognized the necessity of possessing a definitive advantage to engage in combat with Muzan. Without the drug, Muzan would probably have decisively defeated them. However, as the drug systematically weakened and hindered Muzan’s capabilities, the Demon Slayers were able to prolong the confrontation until dawn, which ultimately led to Muzan’s demise—an outcome of which he harbored the deepest fears.
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