Demon Slayer shocker: How Muzan barely escaped death from the strongest Demon Slayer in history

Long before Tanjiro’s duel was underway, the Demon Slayer universe experienced its most mythical battle. Intending to kill the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji almost wiped him out for good—a single man, Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Here’s how Muzan managed to escape his ultimate foe by the skin of his teeth.In Demon Slayer, the magic and the monsters all come at a cost. In Kimetsu no Yaiba, Muzan Kibutsuji is the first demon—the one who made all other demons. Cold, cruel, powerful, and nearly immortal, Muzan hides in plain sight among humans, constantly searching for a way to safely walk in sunlight, his only true weakness.Well before the start of the anime’s main plot, Muzan connected with a man who nearly destroyed him—Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the original Sun Breathing agent, and the most powerful Demon Slayer to ever walk the earth.Yoriichi wasn’t just any swordsman. In addition to being born with the equally rare but opposite Demon Slayer Mark, the acquired ability to see through enemies using the Transparent World, Tanjiro was blessed with natural talent that no one could ever hope to achieve. He invented Sun Breathing, the first sword style, the original from which all others would branch off.So when it came time for Muzan to face off against Yoriichi, it wasn’t just a fight, it was a life or death encounter that would plague Muzan for the remainder of his days.More than 500 years prior to the events of Demon Slayer, Muzan and Yoriichi encountered each other in a bamboo forest. After all, this was the same Muzan who had just turned Yoriichi’s own brother into a demon—Michikatsu, later known as Kokushibo, the Upper Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki.Even against Muzan’s ruthless speed, strength, and regenerative abilities, Yoriichi didn’t waiver. With the help of the Transparent World, he came to find out that Muzan possessed seven hearts and five brains – all operating inside his body simultaneously.After performing a flawless attack with all 13 forms of Sun Breathing, Yoriichi slashed through Muzan with a Bright Red Nichirin Blade, cutting through Muzan’s neck and internal organs in one blow. To all of our surprise, for the first time, that regeneration didn’t happen for Muzan.Right as Yoriichi was about to strike the final blow, Muzan’s body shattered into 1,800 pieces. Even with his amazing superhuman abilities, there were just too many for Yoriichi to slice up himself—in the end, he could only cut down around 1,500. With each piece that fell, it let Muzan reconstitute and get free.In his panicked escape, Muzan abandoned his faithful pet, Tamayo. Though he survived the battle, the experience left him emotionally damaged. Because of this ability, from that day forth, Muzan became afraid of Yoriichi and all users of Sun Breathing.Though Yoriichi’s strike could not kill his target, the raw strength of Yoriichi’s attack was never lost on Muzan, with the fear left in its wake never fully allowing Muzan to heal. For centuries to come, Muzan stayed out of fights against Sun Breathers and made efforts to breed a demon capable of withstanding sunlight. His so-called “perfect being.”This pursuit ultimately resulted in his slaughter of Tanjiro’s entire family, setting Demon Slayer’s tragic tale in motion. Muzan’s previous battle with Yoriichi was an important moment because it ultimately sealed the fate of all demon slayers.Even though Yoriichi failed to kill Muzan, his actions helped future generations. He passed down Sun Breathing techniques through the generations of the Kamado family, which is why Tanjiro was able to learn them centuries later.In the end, Yoriichi’s sacrifice paved the way for Muzan’s final defeat, proving that even if a battle is lost, the war can still be won.Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is streaming now on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Hulu in the US and UK. The latest season, Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc, is currently airing and continues to dive deeper into the story’s rich past and future.Muzan Kibutsuji may be the strongest demon ever created, but he’s also the only one who’s ever felt fear. That fear came from just one man—Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the original Demon Slayer legend. Their epic battle didn’t just change Muzan—it changed everything in the world of Demon Slayer.