Why Does Nezuko Have Bamboo?

Demon Slayer is an anime that is about a boy named Tanjiro whose family is attacked and wiped out by demons. Only he and his sister Nezuko survive. But, Tanjiro’s sister is slowly turning into a demon, she is different from the rest and sticks with her brother.

Tanjiro veins his quest to become a demon slayer himself and kill the demon that killed his family and turned his sister into a demon.

If you have seen the anime or read the manga, you may have noticed that Nezuko wears a bamboo muzzle in her mouth after she turns into a demon. The reasons behind this choice in prop is interesting and certainly something that we need to uncover.

There are several reasons that Nezuko wears this muzzle, and several knock-on effects it has for her and those around her. The answer to this question is actually quite simple, and we are going to answer it for you right here.

Where Did The Bamboo Muzzle Come From?

The bamboo Nezuko wears is a very recognizable prop for this character that makes you wonder why she wears it. If you have not seen the anime, you may be even more confused and not understand why a character might possibly need to wear a muzzle like that.

The short answer is that this bamboo muzzle is in fact meant as a precautionary tactic should she go feral and attack someone. It is also a method of hiding her fangs from humans so that they do not understand that she is in fact a human turned demon.

In the first chapter of the anime, a well-known demon hunter known as Giyu Tomioka puts this muzzle on Nezuko after he knocks her unconscious. The reason he did not kill her was because, unlike many demons, she resisted the urge to eat human flesh even after she transformed.

It was because of this glimpse of self-control that he put the bamboo muzzle on her before he spoke to Sensei Urodokai, a retired demon hunter.

Giyu wrote a letter to his former teacher, sensei Urodokai, and convinced him to shelter and train Tenjiro in the art of demon-slaying as well as caring for his demonic sister Nezuko.

The letter convinced Sensei Urodokai, not only because of the strange demon girl, but also because Tanjiro’s sense of smell was something similar to Sensei Urodokai’s and something he might be able to harness for the boy.

The Effect Of Nezuko Wearing The Bamboo Muzzle

In all of demon slayer history, a demon had never worked alongside the slayers before, it was not something that they trusted or believed to be possible. Until they met Nezuko.

With the help of the bamboo muzzle, she was able to be presented to the pillars in a way that was not as threatening. It also represents her in a positive light.

But, even though it would take a lot for her to become feral again, it was decided that it would be far better for her to stay hidden from society. The decision to hide her demonic side wherever possible.

If she were to become feral, this bamboo muzzle would be like a safeguard and prevent her from biting or consuming anyone. Even in the series, this muzzle has saved her a few times and prevented her from showing her identity to those that would not understand.

Even when Nezuko, Tanjiro, and the others stood before the Pillars of the Demon Slayers, they were not very trusting of Nezuko. She was a demon after all and by extension cannot be trusted.

But, when they try to bring the demon out of her, the bamboo muzzle once again saves her and prevents her from hurting them or anyone else.

If the bamboo muzzle were to be removed it would highlight Nezuko’s status as a demon and because of this fact being revealed she would be put in danger of being hunted by someone that does not understand, or worse, it might allow her to hurt someone when she cannot control herself.

In the series, you can see her battle with her demon size when the bamboo falls off. She struggles to keep her demon thoughts under control, and in some cases, they have taken advantage of her and made her do things she did not want to do.

So, the reason for the bamboo muzzle is to hide Nezuko’s identity from society so that she will be safe from those that would do her harm. It also plays a big role in keeping others safe from her. Should she become feral again, it will stop her from biting someone with her demon fangs.

Final Thoughts

That is all for this article, we hope that you have enjoyed learning about this great character from Demon Slayer. Nezuko is an interesting character with so much depth, learning about why she wears a bamboo muzzle is just one answer to many questions surrounding her.

Because of her intricacy, and the intricacy of many other characters, it is easy to see why this anime is so popular and well-loved.