The anime is about Tanjuro’s determination to avenge his family’s deaths and find a cure to transform Nezuko into a human. The story follows him as he joins the ranks of the Demon Slayer Organization, which trains fighters to protect humans from roaming demons.
The manga-turned-anime series-turned-movie amassed a huge fan following. Time magazine reports that after the “Demon Slayer” animated movie aired in October 2020 in Japan, it became the country’s highest-grossing film (1) and, a month later, the highest-grossing anime film of all time in the world.
In the spirit of this wildly popular series, we’ve collected the best and funniest “Demon Slayer” memes. These quirky and thought-provoking memes will have you letting out your best demonic laugh as you follow the drama and twists of the demonic underworld. Don’t forget to vote and comment on your favorite meme below!
Why Does “Demon Slayer” Have Lots of Fans?
While the anime exists in the realm of magic and demons, the storylines in the “Demon Slayer” anime series are rooted in the hard-hitting themes of real life. It’s like watching a live-action soap with all the drama of family love, revenge, camaraderie, and resilience.
Jehan Fernando raves about the series in a 2023 feature for Game Rant, saying that the emotional depth and character relationships make the journey of the “Demon Slayer” characters more engaging and relatable (2). Fans latch on to the dramatic storyline and see themselves in the animated characters as they maneuver through their complex emotions.
Why Do We Empathize with the Demons?
As much as the series portrays demonic drama, “Demon Slayer” attracts fans with its ability to humanize the demonic characters. In a 2022 article on Comic Book Resources, writer Xandalee Joseph explains that Demon Slayer makes it challenging to maintain animosity against the demon characters even though they set out to assassinate the show’s heroes (3).
During battle or after their defeat, fans learn more about the demons, understand who they were as humans, and what led them to their demonic afterlife. This makes the demons — and the show — multidimensional in appeal and engagement.
“Demon Slayer” Marks are like Real-Life Tattoos
People get tattoos for various reasons, such as marking milestones, adhering to peer pressure, or celebrating overcoming a hardship. In a 2019 feature for Psychology Today, Vinita Mita says that 25% of those who get tattoos choose a symbol with a personal meaning pointing to their marking a significant experience or struggle (4).
The anime review portal Otaku Box explains that tattoos are similar to the marks in “Demon Slayer,” which always appear on a slayer after experiencing life-threatening conditions, usually when a demon attacks (5).
In Slayer Tanjiro’s case, his mark awakened after he was attacked by a demon called Gyutaro. The Demon Slayer “tattoos” are more remarkable because they grant the bearer extra abilities to help them in battle, like increased speed, strength, and agility. Unfortunately, demon marks come with a price, as most mark owners die by age 25.
