Nezuko is the sister of Tanjiro, the main protagonist in Demon Slayer: Kimestsu No Yaiba, and her age is something of a debate. Based on what we learn in the first episode of the series, Nezuko is transformed into a demon which is a driving factor of Tanjiro’s main objective: to find the king of the demons and get them to turn Nezuko back to human form. Because of Nezuko’s demonic form, her age can get a bit complicated in Demon Slayer.
How Old is Nezuko in Demon Slayer, Explained
If you are watching Demon Slayer in chronological order, Season 1 shows Nezuko at age 12. When the tragic events in the first few episodes of Demon Slayer Season 1 occur, we see Nezuko at age 12. The last living members of Tanjiro’s family are himself and technically Nezuko.
This is where things get complicated. Demons are neither dead nor alive. Because of that, Demons don’t experience age. Therefore, while Nezuko may be experiencing the passage of time, because she is a demon, she doesn’t physically age.
When Nezuko sleeps and Tanjiro trains near the end of Season 1, two years pass. This means that Tanjiro ages two years and Nezuko ages two years. So, Nezuko is technically 14 years old, but her body will always remain stuck at 12 years old as long as she is a demon.
One thing that makes Nezuko’s age confusing is the fact that her physical body can shrink and grow. To fit in Tanjiro’s box backpack, Nezuko’s body shrinks to fit and to weigh less. In combat, Nezuko’s body grows and becomes more muscular. Though it may be confusing, her shapeshifting powers are the result of her demonic powers, not anything to do with her age.
Throughout the Mugen Train Arc and the Entertainment District Arc, Nezuko stays at the age of 14 because the general plot line doesn’t expand over years. Though more arcs are written in the manga that are yet to make it to anime just yet, the current age of Nezuko in Demon Slayer is 14.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba is available to watch on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Hulu, and Netflix.
- This article was updated on November 15th, 2022
