Demon Slayer's Most Twisted Backstory Was Never Show in the Series (2024)

Demon Slayer presents a clear moral system where demons represent the corruption of humanity, to whom the Demon Slayer Corps must deliver justice for their crimes. Because of this, the relevant antagonists in Demon Slayer have a special scene during their most prominent arc that reveals their past, which has become a trademark of the story. While some are inherently evil, others have sad circ*mstances during their human lives that add complexity to their characters and even a certain degree of empathy. However, this wasn't the case with Upper Moon 5, Gyokko, whose background was never brought up in the series.

Gyokko, one of the antagonists in Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc, along with the Upper Moon 4, Hantengu, differs from the other demons because his past wasn't shown during his fight with Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira, either in the manga or the anime.

The lack of exploration of Gyokko's backstory left viewers wondering about his motivations for becoming a demon. Fortunately, the author, Gotouge Koyoharu, explained Gyokko's character in the official fanbook of Demon Slayer, revealing he has the most twisted backstory in the series.

Gyokko Was Obsessed With Death Before Becoming a Demon

Upper Moon 5 Disregarded Other Living Beings, Even as a Human

Gyokko's past appeared in the official Demon Slayer fanbook, which revealed that his name was Managi, he lived in a coastal village, and he was ostracized for his abnormal behavior, which began after his parents drowned while fishing. This was Gyokko’s breaking point because he saw his parents' disfigured corpses washed out ashore and thought they looked beautiful.

Managi started to show clear signs of mental imbalance, from killing animals to obsessively collecting fish carcasses to sewing different kinds of fish together and saving their scales and bones in pots. This went on until a kid from his village mocked him, and Managi killed him and stuffed his corpse in a vase. Later, he was stabbed as a punishment with a harpoon by the child’s parents and left for dead, where he agonized for twelve hours before Muzan found him.

When compared to the other demons, who were mostly pushed to become monsters due to their tragic past and sufferings, Gyokko’s backstory shows that even though his parents died tragically, instead of showing pain or sadness, he developed a morbid fascination with death, and his grotesque actions of collecting corpses only confirm his disrespect for other beings, until he became a murderer, showing his lack of remorse and morality.

Gyokko’s Lack of Humanity Is Showcased in His Demon Form

Upper Moon 5’s Blood Demon Art Is Connected to His Past

After his transformation into a demon, Gyokko's disturbing appearance reflects his obsession with vases, being partially inside one, in addition to his twisted nature and disconnection with humanity, as he is the Upper Moon who retained the fewest human features, having an abstract face and a body with scales that resemble a monstrous aquatic creature. Short child-like arms emerge from his body, symbolizing his obsession with children ever since he murdered one. This is shown in the Demon Slayer fanbook, which states that Gyokko liked to eat children and later modified his body.

Gyokko's fascination with death, which he sees as art, has been amplified in his appearance and blood demon art, turning his own body and attacks into a living manifestation of his creepy aesthetic. Gyokko's Blood Demon Art not only uses vases for attack and mobility, but also serves as a representation of his encapsulated and distorted humanity. It also shows his connection with fish, due to the death of his parents at sea, as he can summon various deformed and monstrous fish and cephalopods from his vases to attack his enemies.

Upper Moon 5 Desires To Be Recognized Due to His Past

Gyokko Is Proud of His Twisted Art

Gyokko has a sad*stic aesthetic sense because he saw his creations made by mixing human bodies in his vases as art. He enjoys people looking at his art and wants to be recognized, proudly showing his creations to Tokito, Kotetsu, and Kanamori. This is because of Gyokko's obsessive behavior and the rejection and contempt he faced from his village as a human, which also proved why he got angry when Haganezuka ignored his presence to concentrate on his craft.

Gyokko's past shows that he is a character that encapsulates that humans can become monsters even without turning into demons, as his soul became distorted until he lost empathy towards others, being unable to appreciate the value of people and seeing them as simple pieces for his creations. Even if being rejected contributed to his madness, his past reflects that his lack of humanity didn’t originate from Muzan's corrupt blood, confirming Gyokko has the most twisted backstory in Demon Slayer, being unable to cause compassion, unlike other demons.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Adventure

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba follows Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy who becomes a demon slayer after his family is slaughtered and his sister Nezuko is turned into a demon. Tanjiro embarks on a perilous journey to find a cure for his sister and avenge his family, facing numerous demons and formidable opponents along the way. Set in Taisho-era Japan, the series combines intense combat sequences with intricate character development.

Cast

Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yosh*tsugu Matsuoka

Release Date

April 6, 2019

Seasons

5

Main Genre

Animation