Demon Slayer stands as one of the biggest titles in shonen anime right now, and for a variety of reasons. One contributing factor is the series' relatively small but richly realized cast of characters, all of whom have remarkable emotional depth to provide meaningful stakes and conflict in their character arcs. This includes Tanjiro's demon sister, Nezuko Kamado.
Some anime fans might say that Nezuko is defined by her unintended demon status, since curing Nezuko's condition is what drives Demon Slayer's entire plot. However, perhaps Nezuko's arc is really about her ongoing struggle with her dark side and the emotional strength necessary to resist it. That may make her more similar to Princess Leia of Star Wars fame than appearances would suggest.
How Nezuko Kamado Can Relate to Princess Leia
Nezuko Kamado, just like Princess Leia, is the sister of a heroic action star, and that puts both characters in harm's way repeatedly in their respective stories. Just as Princess Leia sometimes fought the Empire alongside her Jedi-in-training brother Luke Skywalker, Nezuko is Tanjiro's constant companion in the story of Demon Slayer, fighting Muzan's hordes right by his side. Both hero sisters are not just exposed to external threats but also to internal forces that threaten to consume them. Tanjiro and Luke are more concerned about the likes of Darth Vader and Muzan, while their sisters face an emotional, internal battle that requires a different kind of strength.
At times, the hero brothers face this inner conflict as well, but it's more prominent in their sisters' arcs, and that allows them to stand out. In the realm of Star Wars, Princess Leia faced tragedy and hardship many times while risking her life for the Rebellion, enduring the loss of her home planet Alderaan and her entire family in the process. Then, in the sequel era, she lost her brother Luke after his heroic sacrifice in the battle of Crait and even witnessed the Resistance fleet's total destruction. However, despite all that, Leia was never tempted to fall to the Dark Side, instead carrying on with her heroic, selfless strength of spirit. Many other Star Wars characters fell to the Dark Side with much less than that, such as Anakin, but not Leia. She faced her inner darkness and won each time.
Nezuko must face her own Dark Side in Demon Slayer, that being her demonic nature. She was mentally scarred after witnessing her entire family's slaughter at Muzan's hands, and she must also contend with her non-stop demonic hunger. However, Nezuko doesn't let this dark side win. She has endured mental trials that not even Tanjiro can imagine, withstanding her endless hunger and fighting to retain her remaining traces of humanity. When she let loose on Daki as a powered-up demon, she was reduced to tears afterward. She was under serious mental strain, with her noble human side struggling to restrain her brutal demonic side, proving once again that this battle is far from over. Nonetheless, Nezuko will never stop fighting it until her humanity is truly restored.
The Difference Between Nezuko and Princess Leia
Of course, for all their similarities as the sisters of heroes, Nezuko and Princess Leia have some distinct differences as well. Primarily, Princess Leia chose to be a fighter, while Nezuko did not. Unlike Nezuko, who was forced to become a demon, Princess Leia chose to become a great hero and join the Rebellion, risking her very life for freedom and peace in the galaxy. This is why Leia is widely hailed as an inspiring warrior-princess, all the way from her presence aboard the Tantive IV to her role in the battle of Endor to her position of General of the Resistance decades later. She fought right to the very end, and it was what she always wanted. It was her calling, and that made her remarkably similar to her distant brother on Tatooine.
Meanwhile, Nezuko never asked for any of this, making her more of a victim. She is a tragic character -- an innocent girl who wanted to live an ordinary life until Muzan forced her to become a monster. By extension, this also forced Tanjiro to abandon his happy, ordinary life and face many external trials as a demon slayer, so they are both more tragic compared to the Skywalker twins. In some ways, Nezuko's battle against her inner darkness is inspiring, but most of all, it's a heartbreaking drama, while Princess Leia is a more traditional action heroine to inspire the masses.
Luke and Leia are answering the call of destiny to save the galaxy; the Kamados are fighting to get back what little they had, and that makes Nezuko's own battle against the Dark Side that much tougher. If the two characters ever met, Leia would no doubt feel heartbroken by the sight of an innocent girl who fights the Dark Side every day just to retain her happiness as a human, let alone become a galactic hero of legend.
