Throughout Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, it is not hard to notice the famous purple flower that appears in multiple scenes – both in the manga and the anime adaptation.
One of these notable scenes is when Tanjiro Kamado, the central character, first arrives at Fujikasane Mountain to complete Final Selection and is in awe at all the purple flowers hanging off the trees.
This famous purple flower is wisteria, a real-life flower native to several Asian countries, including Japan, symbolizing long life and regality.
In Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, however, the wisteria flower has an altogether different meaning that lies close to the story and the background of the heroic Demon Slayer Corps.
So, if you have ever wondered what the significance of the wisteria flower is, make sure to read on for everything you need to know about wisteria in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
In the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga, a brief story is told about one particular family that was saved from a demon by the Demon Slayer Corps.
In return, the family created a crest with a wisteria flower to show their gratitude. The crest was placed outside their home as a symbol, a symbol that welcomed all Demon Slayers of the Demon Slayer Corps to go inside to eat and sleep, free of charge.
Since this event, the wisteria flower has been closely associated with the Demon Slayer Corps as a symbol, both of protection from demons and unity among humans in the fight against demons.
Who Are The Demon Slayer Corps?
We now know that the wisteria flower is a symbol for the Demon Slayer Corps, but who exactly are the Demon Slayers?
The Demon Slayer Corps, made up of Demon Slayers and other helping members, is a group of trained individuals that work together in secret to fight against demons.
The demons are led by the Demon Lord, Muzan Kibutsuji, and prey upon humans.
The main characters of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Tanjiro Kamado and Zenitsu Agatsuma, become Demon Slayers early on in the story. They meet Inosuke Hashibira later on, another main character, who is also a Demon Slayer.
Overall, all of the Demon Slayers are skilled combatants who use Nichirin Blades and unique Breathing Styles to kill the demons.
The Demon Slayer Corps are led by Kagaya Ubuyashiki. And within the Demon Slayer Corps, there also exists a group of elite-ranking Demon Slayers, called the Hashira – the most powerful Demon Slayers in the story.
Some of the Hashira include Giyu Tomokia, who is seen early on, Shinobo Kocho (the Insect Hashira), and Rengoku Kyojuro, one of the main characters in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Mugen Train, the blockbuster anime movie that followed season one.
Why Are Demons Afraid Of Wisteria?
Wisteria is not just a symbol for the Demon Slayer Corps, but a weapon that is used against the demons.
This is explained by Kanata Ubuyashiki, the daughter of Kagaya, after the events of Final Selection, who tells Tanjiro and the other surviving Demon Slayers that wisteria is hated and avoided by demons.
So, wisteria is actually a repellent against the demons. In fact, when Tanjiro Kamado heads to Mount Fujikasane for Final Selection, the reason that the demons are on the mountain and unable to escape is because the mountain is covered in wisteria.
For the same reason, the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters is also abundant in wisteria flowers.
As well as in its original form, wisteria can be concentrated into a liquid that works like a poison to demons. It has the ability to kill normal and lower-ranking demons (the Lower Moons) and paralyze the Upper Moons, the high-ranking demons, who are stronger.
Shinobu Kocho And Wisteria
Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira, first appears during the events that take place on Mount Natagumo, when Tanjiro and Zenitsu fight the Demon Spider Family. She comes to assist with Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira.
Shinobu Kocho is the older sister of Kanao Tsuyuri, who passed Final Selection with Tanjiro. And one of the most distinct characteristics of Shinobo Kocho is her purple hair.
Shinobu’s purple hair is not merely a character design choice, but a characteristic that ties in with her Breathing Style, Insect Breathing.
As the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho can infuse her Breathing Style attacks with poison – poison created from wisteria flowers. Similarly, she is shown at the Butterfly Mansion to concentrate wisteria and apply it to her Nichirin Blade before going out to hunt demons.
What’s more, Shinobu also knows how to use wisteria to create a medicinal concoction that can be used to turn demons back into humans.
Does Nezuko Become Human Again?
Nezuko Kamado, Tanjiro Kamado’s younger sister, becomes a demon at the very start of the story of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
In an attack on the Kamado family, Tanjiro returns to find that Nezuko is the only survivor. However, due to absorbing the blood of Muzan Kibutsuji, the Demon Lord, she becomes part-demon, but manages to suppress her demon side after Tanjiro protects her (from Giyu Tomioka).
One of the central questions surrounding the Demon Slayer story is whether Tanjiro will succeed in beating Muzan and transforming his sister Nezuko back into a human.
Above, we mentioned that Shinobu Kocho knows how to make a wisteria-based medicine that can return demons to their human form.
And, as it turns out, a drug – called the anti-Kibutsuji drug – created by Shinobu, demon doctor Tamayo, and her assistant Yushiro, is what heals Nezuko in the end and helps the Demon Slayer Corps overcome Muzan in the final battle.
Conclusion
In short, the purple wisteria flower in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a symbol of the Demon Slayer Corps and a weapon that can be used against demons. Wisteria is a repellent and deadly poison against the demons, which is why they avoid it and are afraid of it.
Due to this, the wisteria flower is seen protecting the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, and is also used as a weapon to fight the demons, specifically by Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira.
