Every villain has henchmen. After all, it isn’t easy to do villainous work when you’re on your own! Even the strongest and godlike villains had people working for them. Demon Slayer employs this idea through Muzan’s Kizuki. His organization is made up of demons he thought were worthy of his investments. He had it divided into two parts: Upper-Rank Moons and Lower-Rank Moons. Between these two, it is in the former group he put the most trust in.
However, among these moons, there are still few he liked. At most, he tolerated their presence and saw them as tools. At worst, he was more than willing of disposing of them himself. He didn’t care for how strong they were. All that mattered were their contributions to his cause. And among all of them, he found Nakime to be one of his favorites. In this article, we will be talking about all that we know about Nakime.
Table of Contents
Who is Nakime?
When we were first introduced to Nakime, it was on Episode 26 of the anime. For manga readers, that’s Chapter 51. Her introduction left much to curiosity. Her mysterious and silent nature had fans begging for more information. Since she never spoke much during her appearance, it was hard to deduce what she was like. Even in the later chapters of the manga, we don’t know much about her. All that we know is she’s fiercely loyal to Muzan and is blunt with her words. Towards Doma, she had a no-nonsense personality.
What is the Backstory of Nakime?
We don’t have a solid timeline for Nakime. It is unknown how far in the past did Muzan meet her or how recent it was. However, we can at least say that she has been around for more than a century. And thanks to the Kimetsu no Yaiba 2nd Fanbook, we got what we need!
Her life as a human was difficult. She was a struggling biwa musician who tried numerous gigs. Her amateur performance made it difficult for her to make a living. A deadbeat husband did not help with the situation. Instead of contributing, Nakime’s earnings and savings are squandered away for gambling. Her situation was pretty much like the Joker’s! And, like the latter, it only took one bad night to turn things for the worst.
Nakime’s husband had made the poor decision to sell her performing dress. Any earnings he had from the sale were gambled immediately. Enveloped in rage, Nakime had enough. With a hammer, she killed him. Unfortunately, the murder would come in an untimely manner. She had a performance that was coming soon and she had to get there to earn money. Fresh off a murder, she arrived at the venue with shaking hands. Since her dress was sold, she had to perform in ragged clothes. The crowd disliked her appearance which frayed her nerves further.
A Lucky Break (For her. Her Victims? Not so Much!)
Nakime’s tension as she played the biwa gave a unique performance. The sound had so beautiful that the audience loved it. She was surprised by the audience’s reception, especially when they asked for an encore. She was paid handsomely for her performance. That night, she came home with the satisfaction of pleasing her stage owner.
If only things ended there. Nakime attributed her success to killing her husband. With this mentality, she developed an unhealthy fixation. By murdering before her performances, she was able to recreate the experience. This made her a pretty effective serial killer. So effective that Muzan, who had been her target, was impressed. This is when Muzan gave her the offer to become one of his demons. Nakime accepted the offer and became the demon we know today.
What Did Nakime Do During Demon Slayer?
Unlike the other Upper-Rank Demons, Nakime was mostly on the side. She performed her services as much as she could and that was it. Across two arcs, all that we saw of her was her playing her Biwa and using her Blood Demon Art. She acted as the transport for the demons and Muzan, dragging them in and out of meetings. The only time we see her do something different is during two arcs. the Hashira Training and Infinity Castle Arcs.
However, there is a possible connection between Nakime and Kyogai. Due to their similar abilities, Muzan may have compared the two. Kyogai’s inability to match up to Nakime is one of the likely factors that had him excommunicated.
Hashira Training Arc
Hantengu’s death in the previous arc left a vacuum among Muzan’s members. We see Nakime get promoted to Upper-Rank Four. With her new position, she gained an additional ability provided to her by Muzan. With her eagerness to please, she immediately put her new ability to use. Nakime’s rapid development impressed Muzan and he complimented her for it. It was thanks to her that they found Kagaya and began the final battle.
Infinity Castle Arc
This is the arc where Nakime shone the most! Through her Blood Demon Art, she was able to drag the entire Demon Slayer Corps into her dimension. There, she sent them off to their respective deaths. Obanai and Kanroji would be able to find her, but she’d prove a difficult opponent. All hope seems lost for them until Nakime was taken by surprise.
Who Killed Nakime? The Answer May (Not) Surprise You!
Through unknown means, Yushiro managed to sneak up on her. With his ability, he was able to manipulate her sight. Muzan took note of this and immediately set out to dispose of her. Muzan’s favorite or not, she was proving to be a liability. Nakime’s tenure as a demon ended when Muzan crushed her head.
Nakime’s Abilities and Blood Demon Art
As a demon, Nakime’s senses are far greater than a human. She can react to the Hashira with ease and evade Mitsuri’s unpredictable attacks. However, when it came to her physical abilities, she was lacking. This is due to her Blood Demon Art that kept her rooted in place.
Infinity Castle
Nakime’s Blood Demon Art is aptly named Infinity Castle. It is a pocket dimension where she has control over everything that happens. She can change where the rooms are, create new ones, and create death pits however she pleased. She can also use these rooms to crush her enemies. Other than that, she was able to create portals. With these, she can redirect attacks and transport people across her castle.
However, this ability comes at a cost. Her hair must be bound and rooted to the castle to freely change these rooms. This makes her incredibly immobile and susceptible to sneak attacks.
Upper Moon Four: Eye Familiars
After her promotion as an Upper Moon Four Demon, Muzan bestowed upon her a new ability. She can create eyes across her body and have them detach. Detached eyes can move independently, and she can see through them. She basically acts as a demon CCTV system for Muzan!