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MangaDemon Slayer Mysteries Demon Slayer Ending Explained: How Muzan Died, Tanjiro the Demon, Which Hashira Survived and the Modern-Day Epilogue
The Demon Slayer Corps holds Muzan in place until dawn and destroys him in the sunlight. Muzan turns Tanjiro into a demon at the last moment, but Tanjiro is pulled back by his friends and Nezuko and becomes human again with the help of medicine. Most of the Hashira die in the battle; only Giyu Tomioka and Sanemi Shinazugawa survive (Tengen Uzui had already retired and is alive). The final chapter is set in the present day and shows the descendants, and what look like reincarnations, of Tanjiro and the others living peaceful lives.
This article covers the final chapter of Demon Slayer.
How was Muzan defeated?
He was held in place until dawn and destroyed by sunlight.
Demons die when exposed to sunlight. The Corps knew they couldn’t beat Muzan head-on. So the Hashira and the other swordsmen risked their lives to keep him above ground until morning and waited for the sun to rise. The medicine Tamayo had injected into Muzan, which weakened his body, was a big help too.
At last, exposed to sunlight with nowhere to run, Muzan crumbled away.
Why did Tanjiro become a demon?
Because the dying Muzan used the last of his strength to pour his blood and his will into Tanjiro.
Muzan wanted to make Tanjiro the strongest demon of all and pass his will on to him, even if he himself was destroyed. As a demon, Tanjiro comes close to attacking his friends.
What brings him back are the voices of his friends, Nezuko above all, and the medicine Tamayo and Shinobu made to turn demons human. Tanjiro becomes human again and goes home with Nezuko.
Who survived?
| Character | After the final battle |
|---|---|
| Tanjiro Kamado | Survives, with lasting damage to one eye and one arm |
| Nezuko Kamado | Becomes human again |
| Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, Kanao Tsuyuri | Survive |
| Giyu Tomioka (Water Hashira) | Survives, losing an arm |
| Sanemi Shinazugawa (Wind Hashira) | Survives |
| Tengen Uzui (former Sound Hashira) | Retired after the Entertainment District and alive |
| Kyojuro Rengoku (Flame Hashira) | Died in the Mugen Train battle |
| Shinobu Kocho (Insect Hashira) | Dies fighting Upper Rank Two, Doma, in the Infinity Castle |
| Muichiro Tokito (Mist Hashira) | Dies fighting Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, in the Infinity Castle |
| Gyomei Himejima (Stone), Mitsuri Kanroji (Love), Obanai Iguro (Serpent) | Die after the final battle with Muzan |
Of the nine Hashira, only Giyu and Sanemi survive to the very end. The full list is in the Hashira article.
What does the modern-day final chapter mean?
I think it’s there to end on a time without fighting.
The final chapter is set in the present day, about a hundred years after the Taisho era. The descendants of Tanjiro and Zenitsu, and people who look like the Hashira, are living completely ordinary lives.
Fans were split on this chapter. Personally, though, I think it’s the clearest possible way to show what the people who gave their lives were protecting. Mornings without demons have lasted a hundred years. That was the answer to their fight.
What’s still unknown?
The story doesn’t clearly say, one by one, whether the modern-day characters are descendants or reincarnations. What became of the blue spider lily, and some smaller mysteries about demons, are also left unexplained. Muzan is covered in the Muzan article.