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Who is the Upper Moon 4 Demon in Demon Slayer? Discover why he is unique, his abilities and his role in the series.
In the world of Demon Slayer, the Twelve Kizuki are the strongest demons under the command of Muzan, causing chaos to the Demon Slayers. This group has its own hierarchy, with the weakest six called the Lower Moon and the strongest six called the Upper Moon.
The Upper Moon demons are distinctively different from all their peers, having unique personalities and being notorious for killing several Hashira over the years. Even amongst them, Upper Moon 4 is a particularly memorable character. So, who is the Upper Moon 4 Demon in Demon Slayer?
The Upper Moon 4 demon is Hantengu, the main antagonist of the Swordsmith Village Arc, whose powers revolve around his fragmented psyche. Let us take a closer look at this.
Who Is Hantengu in Demon Slayer?
Hantengu’s character as a demon was deeply tied to his backstory. Even as a human, he was a deceitful and paranoid man who always feigned innocence when caught committing crimes. His delusions and mental instability followed him later in life after Muzan transformed him into a demon.
His design elevated his personality, being a frail, hunched man with an exaggerated expression of fear and guilt. This underscored his manipulative nature, where he was always looking for sympathy despite having caused innumerable evils.
Once Hantengu infiltrated the Swordsmith Village and fought Tanjiro and Muichiro, however, we found that he was inherently different from the other demons. This was because, with each time he was beheaded, a new emotion of his was manifested. Each of these emotions was extremely powerful, greatly hindering the Demon Slayers’ efforts.
Hantengu’s Different Personalities
We have already seen how Hantengu is the main body who is cowardly and embodies fear. Apart from him, the different personalities we meet are:
- Sekido – The representation of Hantengu’s rage and anger, to both his enemies and other clones.
- Karaku – The relaxed and carefree nature of Hantengu, who always seeks pleasure.
- Aizetsu – A depressed manifestation of Hantengu’s sorrow, who is dejected even when harming enemies.
- Urogi – Hantengu’s joyful side who is gleeful and finds extreme happiness in battle.
- Urami – An aggressive and hypocritical figure who represents Hantengu’s resentment. He was the main representative of Hantengu’s belief in his self-innocence even after committing crimes.
- Zohakuten – The strongest clone of Hantengu, who is generally practical but is the manifestation of his hatred. He is created by combining Sekido, Karaku, Aizetsu, and Urogi and is very protective of Hantengu.
Hantengu’s Strengths and Abilities
Each of Hantengu’s personalities have a wide range of different strengths and abilities. These include:
1) Hantengu –
As the main body, Hantengu’s Blood Demon Art allowed him to manifest his emotions into clones of immense power. All of them were dedicated to Hantengu, showing pity towards him. In addition to this, Hantengu was extremely stealthy, where he could evade Muichiro’s senses and easily enter the Swordsmith Village.
Hantengu may not directly attack others, but his abilities are a perfect match for his personality. He can change the structure of his body to shrink in size and is durable enough to withstand Genya’s blade.
2) Sekido –
Sekido was a powerful demon who could create bolts of incredible lightning, significantly damaging his opponents with his staff. He was fast and strong while being able to absorb the other clones for the sake of creating Zohakuten.
3) Karaku –
With his leaf-shaped weapon, Karaku could create powerful gusts of wind that could blow targets over great distances. He was primarily responsible for separating Muichiro from the rest and was strong enough to overpower Nezuko.
4) Aizetsu –
While the other emotions used supernatural Blood Demon Arts, Aizetsu stuck to his proficiency with his weapon – the spear. By creating projections of it, he could use it for close combat and thrust it over long distances. This was powerful enough to pierce through Genya’s durable body.
5) Urogi –
As an enjoyer of fighting, Urogi could generate powerful sound waves with his mouth, enough to temporarily deafen and momentarily paralyze his target. He could transform into a bird-like creature and fly while also creating his own puppets from his severed parts.
6) Urami –
Urami’s abilities are never majorly revealed, but he had a hollow heart for Hantengu to hide in. His own Blood Demon Art was not shown, but he could use Urogi’s abilities to stun Tanjiro. Additionally, this clone was heavily resistant to sunlight, still moving even in the day.
7) Zohakuten –
Zohakuten was the strongest of Hantengu’s emotions and could manipulate wood however he desired. He majorly used this ability to create giant dragons with immense strength, length, and speed. Zohakuten and his dragons could also proficiently use the Blood Demon Art of the clones they had absorbed.
This allowed him to dominate against the likes of Tanjiro and Mitsuri, sustaining very little damage until the very end.
Hantengu’s Final Fate in Demon Slayer
While Mitsuri was busy fighting Zohakuten, Tanjiro and Nezuko chased down Hantengu, with the protagonist swiftly cutting the demon’s head using Yoriichi’s old sword. In a sudden twist, however, Tanjiro discovered that the demon he killed was not the main body but another clone called Urami.
Urami was burnt up by the rising sun, but so was Nezuko, who had no protection but Tanjiro’s body. To ensure her brother killed the Upper Moon, she pushed him away to finish the job. Believing that his sister was dead, Tanjiro detected Hantengu, who was hidden inside Urami’s heart.
Filled with grief and anger, he cut the demon down with his burning blade while Hantengu reminisced on his past as a human. This marked the end of the Upper Moon 4 Demon, a deceptively powerful enemy in Demon Slayer.
This was also a turning point in the series because it was revealed soon after that Nezuko was a unique type of demon who had survived and grown resistant to the sunlight. Hence, despite Hantengu’s death, Muzan was overjoyed. He could now shift his focus from the Blue Spider Lily to Nezuko in order to conquer the sun.
Conclusion
Hantengu’s role as the Upper Moon 4 demon in Demon Slayer is a testament to the series’ ability to craft complex, multidimensional villains. His unique abilities and tragic backstory made him a memorable adversary. Finally, his death has also helped to perfectly set up the upcoming battle against Muzan, where the stakes are higher than ever.
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