This Demon Slayer character had Muzan's highest trust at one time, and it's not Kokushibo

With the Demon Slayer anime series at its peak, fans have been eagerly anticipating the appearance of several major characters as the final battle approaches. Among these, Kokushibo stands out as one of the most renowned demons, widely regarded as the closest to Muzan.

While this might be true in some instances, a closer look at the series' narrative reveals that another demon was much closer to Muzan than Kokushibo, at least until they decided to betray him. The character in question is Tamayo, often referred to as Lady Tamayo in the Demon Slayer series.

Disclaimer: This article contains speculative theory and reflects the author's opinions.

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Tamayo was closer to Muzan in Demon Slayer than a lot of fans might think

Probably one of the most iconic characters in the Demon Slayer animanga universe, leading up to the Infinity Castle arc, Tamayo was once Muzan's go-to person, and they were often seen together. While not shown in much detail in the anime, the manga has captured several small instances where the two were seen traveling together, including the iconic Yorichii scene.

To be clear, this article does not ignore the hatred Tamayo holds for Muzan but rather highlights the past they shared. Before Muzan came in contact with Yoriichi, he and Tamayo were often seen together throughout multiple panels in the manga. It was only after Yoriichi nearly defeated Muzan that Tamayo betrayed him and sided with the Slayers.

Tamayo's hatred for Muzan originates from her transformation, even before the Yoriichi encounter. Muzan transformed Tamayo into a demon against her will, likely because she was a renowned doctor. After her transformation, Tamayo lost control and slaughtered her own family. Though she remained by Muzan's side, she nursed a deep resentment toward him.

When she witnessed the Yoriichi encounter with Muzan and saw how weak the latter was compared to the former, Tamayo saw the possibility of Muzan's defeat. She left Muzan's side and started helping the Slayers by developing several medicines and concoctions to defeat demons, along with Yushiro.

So why was Tamayo so close to Muzan, or rather, why did Muzan keep her close when he barely kept anyone else close to him? The answer likely lies in the reason for her transformation. As mentioned earlier, Muzan transformed Tamayo into a demon for being a doctor. As it is known to the fans, Muzan's main objective was to acquire the Blue Spider Lily.

Keeping a doctor at hand makes sense, as Muzan could swiftly begin the process of creating the sunlight-resistant medicine after he acquired the Blue Spider Lily. Additionally, there is another possibility that Muzan used Tamayo as a cover, pretending to be her husband. While other demons looked rather conspicuous, Tamayo retained her human form.

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Final thoughts

While Tamayo was, at one point in Demon Slayer, closer to Muzan than even Kokushibo, she played a pivotal role in his defeat. While the reasoning for Muzan keeping Tamayo close to him is not explained in the series, the angle explored in this article should shed some logical sense on the matter.

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Also read:

• I can't imagine a sadder story than Demon Slayer with Muichiro as the protagonist
• Muzan's negligence of the Demon Slayer Corps was his ultimate doom
• Black Nichirin Swords in Demon Slayer were not inherently bad, and their bad reputation is thanks to Muzan

Edited by Shubham Soni