I have to say, Zenitsu Agatsuma being a fan-favorite in Demon Slayer is not surprising at all. I mean, here is a character who understands self preservation and isn’t a trigger happy killer. Like, sure he’s a Demon Slayer, but he is also rightfully terrified of his shelf life due to the job he has and doesn’t pretend otherwise. We love cowardly characters around here, because that makes their moments of bravery even more inspiring. 

And being besties with Tanjiro Kamodo of all people means you get plenty of those moments. But Zeintsu Agatsuma gets it. He is one of the major supporting characters in Kimetsu No Yaiba, popularly known as Demon Slayer. However, Zenitsu only became a Demon Slayer because he was in debt, thanks to some scheming exes. And his debt was paid off by an older man who later trained him. Zenitsu becomes a traveling companion to Tanjiro, joining Nezuko Kamado and Inosuke Hashibara. 

Zenitsu Agatsuma is the best friend trope done right, in my humble opinion. Like, normally characters like him are limited to being the comedic relief or a sidekick to the main protagonist. And, yeah, with Zenitsu you can see that he doesn’t have much of a drive to be the Hero himself. But that doesn’t mean that he can’t hold his own, nor does it mean he lacks complexity and growth as a character. Like, he’s still funny, but that’s not all he is. 

And when you get down to it, it’s easy to see why he’s so beloved. Zenitsu is scathingly funny and relatable, while still holding a lot of untapped potential. And it’s his anxiety ridden self that adds a touch of humility back into Demon Slayer. So today, let’s dive into the life of Zenitsu Agatsuma and see why he is, who he is in another segment of A (Not-So) Wiki. Let’s get right into it. 

Who Is Zenitsu Agatsuma?

Okay, so here’s the scene: Zenitsu Agatsuma was probably born to some unnamed parents, never really grew up with them and became a really mid-level  womanizer who got scammed by the women he decided to pursue. That’s technically his origin story and not a very compelling one. In the end, he was broke, in love and life, along with amassing a huge debt thanks to the girlfriends that never paid him back.

That is, until an old man saw him and decided to pay his debt, but only if Zenitsu agreed to train with him in the art of combat. And this was Jigoro Kuwajima, also known as the Thunder Hashira. Zenitsu realized he had no other choice but to agree. And so, Zenitsu showed that he wasn’t actually all that dumb, and hid a surprising amount of power inside of him. This is why he decided to enroll into the Demon Slayer Corps, despite being deathly afraid of Demons. 

So, by the time the Final Selection Arc was done, he was still left standing. You know, despite being a coward who tried to take every chance to run. He has trained alongside the likes of Kaigaku, so it wasn’t so out there of him to be every bit the Demon Slayer that he is today. 

Bright Locks, Brighter Attire

You can’t tell me you don’t recognise Zenitsu Agatsuma from a mile away, due to all that yellow. Like, you’d think the boy invented orange and yellow as a color scheme, or what I like to call ‘The Naruto Uzumaki’ drip. Or was it ‘Son Goku In Super Saiyan Mode’ drip? Either way, the boy is a literal beacon.

However, Zenitsu wasn’t born blonde. He had jet black hair growing up, but was struck by lightning while training once and now he’s the blonde bombshell of the series. Zenitsu really sells the ‘I’m Just A Silly Little Man UwU’ energy, to be honest. He’s even got the downward puppy dog eyes down. One look at those copper eyes and you get it, the man is terrified of his own shadow at times.

But once Zenitsu became a Demon Slayer, you could see the change in him. He wears the usual dark colored Demon Slayer uniform, but with a light brown twist that compliments the overall warm tones he is decked in. And then there’s his signature yellow-orange ombre haori with a triangle pattern. I could also say that Zenitsu Agatsuma pulls his style inspo from a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos. But I digress. 

A Coward Until It Matters

Look, we’ve seen Zenitsu’s type before. It’s practically a mainstay of the Shounen genre to have a funny sidekick who doesn’t show the same self righteousness as the main hero. But with Zenitsu, you actually see why he’s like this. And it doesn’t just happen because he has a traumatic past or anything.

Zenitsu has always been very aware of his surroundings, which leads him to have a healthy fear of the unknown. At best, he is cautious and for good reason: He is a Demon Slayer after all. And that profession doesn’t exactly have the reputation of a peaceful retirement, you know? So, obviously, he’s scared for his life half of the time. And, like, he’s loud about it, screaming so much that even his companions are done with him, half of the time. 

But underneath all that cowardice, there is a strong-willed individual. Zenitsu might run away from danger, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t stand his ground when the moment calls for it. I mean, of course he isn’t happy about how he feels. He has so much respect for his peers and seniors, and he wants to live up to their expectations of him. So Zenitsu tries, genuinely, to stop cowering in the face of fear. He lets his inner strength pull through, when it counts.

And that’s when you see a new side to Zenitsu, one that you don’t expect. When Zenitsu gets past his fear and apprehension, he becomes this lightning fast weapon, lethal in his executions. And he doesn’t even realize it! At least, not in the beginning, like during the Tsuzumi Mansion Arc. Zenitsu was walking around the house alone with a literal child and faints at the sight of the Tongue Demon, only to enter an unconscious state where he one-shots the Demon. And then he has the audacity to think it was the kid, Shoichi, who did that!

Slowly, he does get much better with regulating his emotions. Zenitsu Agatsuma might be a menace, but he does grow quite a lot as the series goes on. 

Unaware Of His Own Deadly Skills

Okay, speaking of Zenitsu Agatsuma’s skills? His strong sense of doing the right thing is what leads him to be the one of the most deceptively powerful people in the series. I mean, yeah he might try denying that he’s talented as a Demon Slayer, but there’s a reason he has survived as long as he has. And, no, it’s not dumb luck, because that doesn’t exist in the world of Demon Slayer. 

As the protege of the Thunder Hashira, Zenitsu is a more than capable warrior. He just can’t access it fully when awake. But the moment he lets go of his consciousness, his powers activate to turn Zenitsu from a nervous wreck, to someone you should be very nervous around. I mean, he decimated the Spider Demon Son and defended 3 train carts full of people from Enmu, on his own. Zenitsu was even able to keep up with Daki, despite her being one of the Upper Rank Demons. And he actually made it to the final stage of Hashira Training.

Out of all of his enhanced senses, his hearing is the one to beat. But other than that, Zenitsu is also well trained as a swordsman, typically favoring the Iaijustu-style of katana wielding. Because of how rapid moves tend to be in this style, he is also able to execute the Thunderclap And Lightening techniques, modifying it when he wishes. And though he doesn’t fully master his taught style of the Thunder Breathing technique, he does become more proficient in it. 

Later on, Zenitsu even creates his own personal technique, known as the Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami. So he’s fast, strong willed and innovative? No wonder he is known for his tactical intelligence and strategizing.

Why Zenitsu Is A Fan-Favorite

So, who does Zenitsu Agatsuma work as a foil to Tanjiro, and ends up being Demon Slayer’s top 3 most popular characters? I honestly think it has a lot to do with how his personality is very akin to the Shounen protagonists we are used to, while taking more of a backseat.

And I don’t mean that in a bad way, because obviously Zenitsu gets a lot of screen time. But his arc isn’t just comedic relief alone, you know? Like, the narrative doesn’t just push him as this class clown type forever. They actually give him growth that is organic, developing his character to be much more multi faceted. And it’s a treat to see, because he isn’t always obnoxiously in-your-face about it. 

This is going on a weird tangent but if you’ve ever heard the term ‘Final Girl’ in Horror media, you get what I’m saying. Zenitsu is the type of character that is wary and terrified of the Demons, instead of just accepting everything at face value. Like, fainting in front of a terrifying monstrous Demon is the correct action to us normal beings. Hence, it makes Zenitsu so much more fun to watch, because we can relate. 

Zenitsu Agatsuma is just very enjoyable as a character, flaws and all. Plus, he gets to marry Nezuko and leave all his (unsuccessful) womanizing behind. And for that alone, he has everyone’s seal of approval!