Demon Slayer features a cast of delightful shonen anime characters who have a complicated web of of relationships with one another. Being an inspiring shonen action series, Demon Slayer tends to give its characters many strong friendships, such as Tanjiro's friendships with Inosuke and Zenitsu to form a classic shonen anime trio. Some relationships may even become romantic or have become healthy rivalries. But fans also like taking things a step further and imagine what-if romances between these characters as well.
Some what-if pairings make sense, given the characters' personalities and on-screen interactions in Demon Slayer's story. Other pairings make no sense at all, such as if the two characters are enemies with no way to reconcile their differences, or if the characters don't spend enough time together to form a friendship or romance. Some romantic pairings could have made sense, but are too late because one of the characters ended up committed to someone else.
10 Tanjiro/Nezuko Is About the Wrong Kind of Love
There are actually two different ways to ship two family members in a fandom like Demon Slayer. The main and healthier way is to adore the two family members for what they are — in this case, a close brother/sister duo. Nezuko was turned into a demon, so Tanjiro will risk his life in battle to find a cure, and Nezuko sometimes repays the favor against demons like Rui and Daki.
The other shipping method is far weirder, with some fans imagining Tanjiro and Nezuko as romantic lovers. Perhaps that's based on how close they already are and their wonderful personalities, but there's no chance either of them will love the other quite like that. Instead, they would rather support each other's love lives with other people.
9 Nezuko/Muichiro Doesn't Have Enough Material to Work With
In the Swordsmith Village story arc, Tanjiro and Nezuko fought alongside two Hashira, one of them being the quiet himbo Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira. At first, Muichiro didn't think much of the Kamados, and he kept them at arm's length. Then, when Gyokko and Hantengu attacked, Muichiro was inspired to fight for his new friends.
By the battle's end, Muichiro clearly had a higher opinion of the Kamados and was happy for Nezuko, who miraculously survived the morning sun's rays. Having Muichiro and Nezuko become friends was a pleasant development, but it didn't feel like the foundation for a romance. Nezuko seems to view Muichiro as a goofy brother of sorts, not her Prince Charming.
8 Nakime/Daki Is About Two Demons Who Never Even Became Friends
Some anime characters are shipped not because they have strong on-screen chemistry or a friendship, but out of sheer pity, it seems. One example is the biwa-playing demon, a female named Nakime, who can strum her instrument to teleport the Moons around. She seems to have no friends among the Upper or Lowe Moons, so Demon Slayer shippers gave her one.
Some fans picture Nakime and Daki getting along as a femslash pairing, all so the two of them can finally find love and understand each other as female demons. There's no harm in giving Nakime some friends in the fandom, but it's still bizarre to romantically ship her with anyone, let alone Daki, who's too self-absorbed to bother loving anyone beyond herself and Gyutaro.
7 Gyokko/Hantengu Imagines These Partners in Crime as Inexplicable Lovers
Plenty of anime scenes show two characters partnering up for a mission or journey, so fans will imagine them as a different kind of partner for each other, too. It's an example of quality time together leading to romance in fans' eyes, but it doesn't always make sense — especially not with the Upper Moons.
The aquatic-themed Gyokko and Hantengu attacked the swordsmith village together, so Demon Slayer fans decided to ship them in a slash pairing since they got along as fellow demons. However, neither of them has the personality or lifestyle for a lover or even a real friend, so there are no grounds for a serious Gyokko/Hantengu ship.
6 Tanjiro/Shinobu Relies Too Heavily on Shinobu's Outward Sweetness
The good news for this particular Demon Slayer ship is that protagonist Tanjiro Kamado and Shinobu Kocho did get along late in the anime's first season during their time together at the Butterfly Estate. Outwardly, Shinobu was a kind, cheerful lady who welcomed Tanjiro's company, but as Tanjiro soon realized, Shinobu actually seethed with rage and grief.
Shinobu is fixated on one thing: getting bloody revenge on the demon who killed her older sister, Kanae. No matter her lovely exterior, Shinobu is a swordswoman first who is determined to drive her blade through her sister's killer, no matter what. It's unthinkable that Shinobu would stop to find love, least of all with Tanjiro, who is probably more like a little brother in her eyes.
5 Nezuko/Karaku Is Based on a Single Fleeting Image
Some romantic ships in anime are based on just a brief scene between the two characters, with fans extrapolating an entire romance from just one nugget of information. Some ships work well that way, but others, such as Nezuko/Karaku, don't really add up. Karaku is one of Hantengu's demon forms, and in Season 3, he fought Nezuko Kamado.
This bizarre, nonsensical ship came from a brief scene of Karaku and Nezuko facing off, with some fans finding it slightly romantic how Karaku leaned in closer to Nezuko's face. In reality, despite Karaku being a fellow demon, he would never be interested in Nezuko that way, as their fight to the death showed.
4 Kanae/Doma Is Based on Misplaced Pity
Some of the sillier, more imaginative anime ships are what-ifs between the hero and villain, suggesting that the power of forbidden love allows two enemies to be together no matter the odds. Such ships aren't easy to pull off, though. Most of the hero/villain ships, such as Kanae Kocho/Doma, don't even begin to make sense.
Kanae Kocho was the Flower Hashira who battled the Upper Moon 2, Doma, to the death until the morning sun rose. In the end, Doma had to flee the sun, but Kanae was mortally wounded and soon perished. The ship comes from the fact that Kanae actually pitied Doma, who was incapable of feeling real human emotions, but that's no reason to imagine love blooming between them.
3 Tengen/Kyojuro Has Too Much Competition With Tengen's Three Wives
Some anime characters are romantically shipped because they have similar and compatible personalities. Based on that alone, the Tengen/Kyojuro ship almost works, but in the context of Demon Slayer's story, it doesn't quite make sense. The main obstacle is that Tengen Uzui the Sound Hashira is married to three kunoichi, his beloved wives and battle partners.
Fans have suggested that Kyojuro Rengoku would be Tengen's fourth wife or first husband for this ship, but it simply does not feel suitable. Instead, the two of them are good friends who respect each other immensely as confident, extroverted Hashira who both inspired Tanjiro's main trio.
2 Giyu/Tanjiro is Supposed to Be More Like a Brotherly Bond
Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira, was the first demon slayer whom Tanjiro ever met in the Demon Slayer series. Giyu was there when Nezuko went berserk in her new demon form, and Giyu was convinced not to attack or kill her. He later accepted Nezuko when Tanjiro met Kagaya, and deep down, Giyu is like a brother to Tanjiro.
Despite these positive bonds, it doesn't seem right to ship Tanjiro and Giyu as romantic lovers, mainly because of their obvious lack of interest and their differing personalities. Perhaps Shinobu can bring out the best in Giyu as his best friend, but no one in Tanjiro's team is compatible with the cool, aloof Giyu.
1 Genya/Muichiro Feels Like a Total Clash of Personalities
Genya Shinazugawa stole the show in the Swordsmith Village story arc when he used his half-other powers and shotgun to fight Hantengu, and he also had personal development with the rest of the characters. He learned to get along with the Kamados and the Hashira, but he wasn't about to fall in love with any of them or even become best friends.
Some Demon Slayer shippers even want to imagine Genya and Muichiro being a romantic pair, based on their brief moments together in the anime and manga, but there's not much of a case for their ship. Genya clearly has no patience for slow or annoying people, and it's unlikely he would want to spend much quality time with a quiet himbo like Muichiro, no matter Muichiro's talents in battle.
