Zenitsu is one of the main protagonists of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, and is widely remembered by fans for his yellow-orange aesthetic and his constant fear and screaming. He is a fellow demon slayer companion to Tanjiro, and uses Thunderclap and Flash fighting techniques.
Underneath all of his screaming, Zenitsu is actually a fairly relatable character in the series. After all, he’s basically the only protagonist who has a normal, realistic reaction to constantly facing bloodthirsty demons — complete, utter fear. Beyond this, he has demonstrated many other characteristics that make him a familiar, admirable character to fans.
10 Zenitsu Kept His Word To Tanjiro Regardless Of The Cost
During the Tsuzumi Mansion episodes, Tanjiro asked Zenitsu to protect the box holding his sister even though he didn’t reveal its contents to Zenitsu. All Zenitsu knew was that he needed to protect the box because it was important to his friend. Yet, when Inosuke arrived and tried to fight Zenitsu for the box, Zenitsu’s reaction went against everything fans knew of him previously.
Zenitsu stubbornly and vehemently defended the box for as long as he was physically able to, even after he was completely beaten up by Inosuke. He was brave for the sake of his friend because the box was important to his Tanjiro and he promised to protect it. In this way, he was an amazing friend to Tanjiro, risking himself for the sake of his friend even when he didn’t know why.
9 Zenitsu Is Constantly Dramatic
Zenitsu is the epitome of drama in Tanjiro’s first substantial scene with him, in such a fashion that fans only wish they could replicate. His first interaction with Tanjiro outside Final Selection was him begging a girl to marry him. He didn’t want to die alone, and he was convinced he was going to die on his next mission.
Zenitsu went on to have an entire dramatic meltdown over it, in a way that was hilarious but simultaneously too real. His antics are amusing to watch while also highlighting a very real fear of death. He may have acted annoying, but marriage is a goal for him and his life is constantly in danger.
8 Zenitsu’s Terrified Of Demons
Zenitsu is the only relatable protagonist every time they come across a demon. Where Tanjiro is calm and ready and Inosuke is aggressive and competitive, Zenitsu is simply scared. Considering how deadly and bloodthirsty demons are, it’s all too relatable a reaction for the average person.
While many fans wish they could be like Tanjiro or Inosuke, they can’t help but admit that Zenitsu is the most relatable. He acts terrified every time they come across demons, no matter how many he’s defeated. He practically has a meltdown each and every time, often cries over them, and swears that they are going to be the death of him.
7 Zenitsu’s Riddled With Self-Doubt
One of the first things Zenitsu said was, “I’m going to be dead soon anyway,” and that moment sets the tone for Zenitsu’s character. Underneath his comedic relief is a very real fear and lack of belief in himself. He constantly refers to himself as being weak, and it’s all too relatable for many fans.
Since that first moment, fans see Zenitsu struggle with his self-worth frequently. It certainly doesn’t help that some of his most impressive moments are when he’s asleep and that he doesn’t appear to remember them. Instead, he views himself as the weakest in the group, which is a sad sentiment given that fans know the truth about him.
6 Zenitsu Saved A Young Girl
While Zenitsu is known for acting cowardly and afraid, he’s not afraid to stand up for what he believes in, especially when it comes to saving others. During the Entertainment District Arc, Zenitsu steps in when Daki brutally punishes a young girl for a minor transgression. Even though he’s scared, he demands that she stop hurting the child.
In this way, Zenitsu puts his own fear aside for the sake of someone else. It was a very brave move that was important to many fans, as it reminded fans he isn’t actually the coward he typically acts like. Instead, he is not afraid to face opponents head-on to save others.
5 Zenitsu Still Does What He Has To Even Though He’s Scared
For all of his talk about how he’s a coward, Zenitsu is not afraid to do things even when he’s scared. This is best seen when he chose to follow Tanjiro to Mount Natagumo even though he very clearly didn’t want to. He insisted that the mountain was creepy, and he refused to enter the mountain after watching another demon slayer get pulled to his likely death.
Still, Zenitsu followed Tanjiro and Inosuke into the mountain even though he was visibly terrified of it and very clearly thought entering the forest would lead to his doom. Yet, he knew he had to help his friends, so he went even though he didn’t want to.
4 Zenitsu Is The Only Normal Protagonist
Right before they enter Mount Natagumo, Zenitsu insisted that he’s the only normal one of the trio and that the other two are strange — and fans can’t help but agree. He’s the only protagonist who acts normally in terrifying, deadly situations. He is constantly realistic but scared and understands the very real possibility of his death yet continues on.
It’s unusual to see an anime character have such a normal reaction to such events, which only makes Zenitsu more relatable. He never underestimates the situations they’re getting into, has frequent meltdowns, and cries a lot-which is very fair for someone in his situation.
3 Zenitsu Has A Heartwarming Dream
During the Mugen Train arc, fans got a glimpse into Zenitsu’s dreams, and what they found was actually quite endearing. His dream was just of him and Nezuko running through a forest, and he was uncharacteristically sweet to her. It was an adorable moment and a very familiar dream for many fans.
In Zenitsu’s dream, they’re simply holding hands as Zenitsu points out the pretty scenery before offering to make Nezuko a ring of flowers. Compared to his usual interactions with women, this dream was a touching, sincere moment that showed the real inner workings of Zenitsu’s mind.
2 Zenitsu Never Gives Up Even If He Wants To
During the Rehabilitation arc, both Zenitsu and Inosuke come very close to giving up on their training to get stronger. After days of trying to train and not seeing any results or having any success, Zenitsu wanted nothing more than to stop trying.
However, Zenitsu still powered on even though he found it to be difficult and troublesome. After a pep talk from Kocho, he managed to motivate himself to keep trying. This culminates in Zenitsu ultimately being successful, proving that it was worth it to keep trying.
1 Zenitsu Has Realistic Desires
Zenitsu is the only protagonist that isn’t outwardly obsessed with demons and shows desires for goals in life outside of fighting demons. Where Inosuke and Tanjiro don’t appear to have many long-term goals that aren’t demon-related, Zenitsu indicates desires for a life outside of slaying demons — and this is much more understandable for fans.
Zenitsu has demonstrated many times his interest in women and his desire to have a life with a woman in a romantic capacity. In this way, he has dreams in life that are more realistic and tangible to fans, as it’s hard to imagine a world with demons and being able to relate to those goals.
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