What If Rengoku Chose To Become A Demon

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From the start of Demon Slayer, we are shown that becoming a demon is basically THE. MOST. HORRIFIC. THING that can happen to a human. Because even though they gain super strength, speed, and healing, demons lose every bit of their humanity. So when Rengoku rejected the chance to become a demon during the Mugen train arc, he showed us that he would rather DIE than become a demon. But what if Rengoku had decided to live on and continue fighting as a demon? So let’s rewind. Akaza punches a hole through Rengoku’s stomach and once again offers to turn him into a demon. With Tanjiro screaming in the background, Rengoku realizes he is going to die. In the original story, Rengoku accepted his fate with open arms, but let's imagine for a moment that Rengoku shows some vulnerability and doesn’t want to die. Perhaps he clings onto life with every fiber of his being, refusing to accept his inevitable fate. Or maybe he is determined to continue his fight against demons and is willing to undergo the ultimate and painful sacrifice to gain the power to do so. And so this time, Rengoku accepts Akaza’s offer. With a wicked smile, Akaza infuses Rengoku with enough of the demon king’s blood to start his transformation into a demon. And while this agonizing process begins, the sun begins to rise. With his last moments of sanity, Rengoku promises Tanjiro and the others that he will come back one day to fight by their side. As the sun rises, Akaza mocks this promise and then carries Rengoku into the safety of the dark forest. Now, we know from later on in the manga that super powerful humans like the Hashira can take a few days to fully transform into demons. So Akaza takes Rengoku somewhere safe and isolated during this transformation. Maybe a dark cave or abandoned house somewhere. However, since Akaza selfishly wanted Rengoku to be his own personal fighting partner, let’s assume that he does not take Rengoku back to the demon king, Muzan, and instead keeps him far enough away that Muzan remains unaware of Rengoku’s transformation for now. So a few days pass, and the newly formed demon Rengoku awakens. His body has dramatically transformed with razor-sharp spikes, terrifying horns, and swirling flame patterns along his skin. And like any new demon, the first thing he craves is food. And now the possibilities of this insane what if scenario can branch in many different directions. You see, we already know that demons will sometimes lose their human memories after the transition. So it is possible that Rengoku could completely forget who he was and become a ruthless evil demon who eventually serves Muzan. However, some demons do keep their memories, or eventually recover them over time, so let’s assume that Rengoku’s crazy strength and will enables him to hold onto some of his humanity, despite his new demon form. But the cravings that come with his new demonic form begin to drive him insane. The hunger eats at his insides, and his body grows weaker by the hour. But Rengoku refuses to give in to his demon desires and he refuses to eat anything that Akaza brings him. Now Akaza, who thinks that humans are pitiful and weak, grows increasingly enraged by Rengoku’s defiance. The air crackles with tension as both Rengoku and Akaza find themselves eager to fight. Rengoku desires nothing more than to kill Akaza for revenge, while the other demon is determined to beat the humanity out of this new, super strong adversary. So they clash, with Rengoku using a brand new blade of black flames made from his blood demon art. But despite gaining the usual supernatural strength, speed, and healing of a demon, Rengoku struggles to keep up with Akaza's full power, which he never displayed during the Mugen train incident. Rengoku fiercely fights against his demonic cravings for days as Akaza tempts him with human flesh. The two demons battle each night, and Rengoku's will to hold onto his humanity weakens. Akaza warns him that Muzan will kill him if even thinks about betraying the demons, and Rengoku knows he can't hide his intentions from Muzan's mind-reading powers. There is literally nothing Rengoku can do. Except for one thing. Rengoku grows weak from hunger and decides to end his existence as a demon by stepping out into the sunlight. But just before he can, Akaza tempts him with more food, and this time, Rengoku’s failing spirit snaps. As he indulges his demonic needs, his human memories fade. They are locked deep within his min and he eats in order to stay alive. Rengoku’s transformation into a demon is complete. And now let’s shift to the Demon Slayer Corps, where Rengoku's betrayal leaves the group devastated. And there are many ways that the Demon Slayers could approach the situation, but no matter what the loss of one of their strongest warriors is a terrible blow, made all the worse by the knowledge that he now serves their greatest enemy. It is likely that Rengoku's father would commit seppuku in shame. And we have to imagine that the rest of the Demon slayers are in chaos. Because from the manga we know that one of Muzan’s eventual goals is to find the Demon Slayers’s base and wipe them out. Since Rengoku knows where the mansion is, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the demon slayers, could be incredibly worried about Muzan learning this information and he could consider a few options. Such as ordering everyone to leave and set up a new base somewhere else. Or he may simply think that strengthening their current base is the best option because it is basically already the most demon proof area in the world. But let’s assume that for now they choose to stay, and they have an intense debate about what to do regarding Rengoku. Some of the Hashira, like Sanemi, the wind Hashira, and Giyu, the water Hashira, could demand they hunt him down for his betrayal. Others, like Tanjiro and maybe Gyomei, the stone Hashira, could argue that they need to talk with Rengoku to see if they could bring him back to their side. And Tanjiro is extremely concerned about what would happen when the Demon Slayers eventually confront Rengoku again. So keep watching to see how this epic clash turns out later in the video. But before the group separates for their next missions, I definitely think Tanjiro would ask permission to go see Lady Tamayo, the demon who is working on a cure to turn demons back into people, to see if she has made progress on the life-changing medicine. But it still probably wouldn’t be ready, so Tanjiro vows to continue to send her demon blood to help with the research. And with Rengoku now a fully fledged demon, Akaza would definitely take him to meet Muzan. And wow is the demon king furious with Akaza for making Rengoku a demon without his permission. It is entirely possible that Muzan could obliterate both of them on the spot, fearing that Regnoku may eventually betray him or become too powerful to control. But for now let’s assume that he restrains himself because he recognizes the opportunity to gather more intel about the Demon Slayer Corps. Muzan attempts to read Rengoku's mind, but he is incredibly disappointed that Rengoku has lost all of those memories. For now. Once more, Muzan’s temper ignites, but he spares Rengoku’s life for a reason we will see later in the video. Because Rengoku was already super strong as a human, I think Muzan would make him Lower Moon 1 since that spot is now empty after the Mugen train battle. Then Rengoku is sent out into the world. And this is where this story gets pretty dark. At this point, the demon Rengoku would be hungry for power and would likely become a terror in the human world. He buries his human shame and guilt is deep alongside his memories. His dark flames consume everything in their path as he rampages through villages. And this takes us to the events of the entertainment district arc, which we saw in season 2 of the anime. During this arc, Tanjiro and the others team up with the Sound Hashira, Tengen, and his wives to take out the Upper Moon 6 demons Daki and Gyutaro. And I think these events would progres pretty much as they did in the original story. Tanjiro and the others investigate and eventually uncover Daki’s presence. They clash in these epic battles. Daki is almost killed until Gyutaro reveals himself. And just like in the original, Daki’s ability to use her cloth as a weapon and Gyutaro’s poisonous blades almost wipe out the Demon Slayers. But eventually, Nezuko awakens her next demon form, and in the end, the Demon Slayers are victorious. Though badly injured, the main characters are still alive, and Tanjiro even briefly awakened his demon slayer mark during the fighting. But now Rengoku enters the fight. You see, after all this time attacking humans and even practicing against Akaza, Rengoku has grown extremely powerful. Much stronger than the Upper Moon 6 demons who were just defeated. And so it is the perfect opportunity for Rengoku to defeat the Demon Slayers and claim Daki and Gyutaro’s place within the Upper Moons. And this is a truly awful time for the slayers’ first confrontation with Rengoku. Nezuko is recovering from nearly going Berserk. Tengen and Inosuke are hanging on by a thread. Tanjiro and Zenitsu are completely spent. But none of that matters to the demon Rengoku. His black flames begin to consume the town and burn the people inside. Exhausted, Tanjiro stands up, wielding his chipped blade, and confronts this new demon, but he nearly drops the sword when he recognizes who has arrived. In utter disbelief, Tanjiro stands frozen, gazing upon the terrifying demonic form of Rengoku. Despite his shock, I still think Tanjiro would want to talk to Rengoku. That is after all Tanjiro’s main character trait, that he always believes in a person’s capacity to be good. So Tanjiro frantically calls out to Rengoku’s, begging him to stop the destruction. But Rengoku barely pays him any attention. Instead, he heads straight for Tengen, who is writhing in pain due to the poison still in his blood. Looking down on the Sound Hashira, Rengoku’s flames flare. And this might stir memories and guilt within him, but demon Rengoku is focused on his goals and pushes them back down. He raises his burning sword, then swipes down at Tengen. Tanjiro leaps forward, raising his sword to block the killing blow, but the force of the blow throws Tanjiro aside. Tengen is helpless, and the slash slices through the Sound Hashira. And with one demon slayer dead, this is where the battle would really heat up. So as we’ve seen with every other demon Tanjiro has faced, his rage comes spilling out. Rengoku turns his dark, soulless eyes on the young Demon Slayer. Tanjiro shouts at his former friend, demanding that he remember himself. Rengoku loved people. He wanted nothing more than to protect humans from demons. But the demon Rengoku barely reacts. Instead, he approaches Tanjiro. With unwavering courage, Zenitsu and Inosuke stand beside Tanjiro, even though they can barely move, and together they face down their most terrifying threat yet. A former friend turned into a heartless monster. They clash, but the three of them are definitely no match for the demon, especially because they were pushed to the limit in the previous battle. Even Nezuko joins the battle, but she is also exhausted. So Rengoku traps them in a burning cage of black flames, and with no shred of humanity in his eyes, he raises his blade to strike them down. Then, the wind picks up. The flames flicker. And suddenly, the fire is gone. And Rengoku vanishes. At least as far as the three young demon slayers can tell. Sword clashes ring out. Bursts of flame and wind stir the street. The sound of gushing water surrounds them. And suddenly, everything stops. On one end of the street, stands the demon Rengoku, blood dripping and cuts healing. In front of Tanjiro stands Giyu and Sanemi, the Water and Wind hashiras, breathing hard. And these two would not just show up randomly. I think it is entirely possible that they would have been hunting Rengoku this whole time, and have just now caught up to the former hashira. So Giyu looks back at the boys and would probably order them to flee. But Sanemi cares less about them, and stares down at the burnt corpse of Tengen and his rage boils over. He shouts at Rengoku, cursing him. Now that they’ve tracked him down, they are going to end him. Rengoku smirks, flames rising around him, and the battle resumes. Zenitsu would probably ask if they should flee, but Tanjiro and Inosuke would not even respond as they strain to keep up with the incredible display of power in front of them. And we know from later in the story, that the Upper Moon one, two, and three demons are pretty far above the power levels of the individual Hashira. And while Rengoku hasn’t quite reached that level yet, he is certainly much stronger than anything that the Hashiras have faced before. So this definitely isn’t going to be an easy battle. However, Giyu and Sanemi are two of the strongest Hashira and together they manage to keep Rengoku occupied. The sun is coming soon, so they must stay alive until it arrives. As the battle continues, the town burns. Screams fill the air. And the Hashira are distracted by trying to keep the innocent people alive. Meanwhile, Rengoku delights in the chaos, causing more destruction with his flames. Amidst the burning town, Tanjiro finds himself torn. He knows that he is outmatched in a battle of this level, but he cannot just stand by and watch his friend’s perish. And despite it all, he refuses to give up hope that Rengoku can still be saved. But time is ticking away. In the blink of an eye, Giyu is engulfed in flames, and Sanemi’s attempt to save him earns him a wicked slash across his leg. The two Hashira stumble, and Rengoku charges towards them. The battle begins again, but the Hashira are clearly losing their grip. And I think it’s at this point that Tanjiro would not be able to hold himself back. As always, when he is most desperate, Tanjiro finds the next level of strength. Tanjiro’s heart races as he feels the rhythmic power of sun-breathing filling his body. Giyu cuts Rengoku across the chest, but flames explode from the wound, stunning the water hashira. Rengoku grabs Giyu by the throat and squeezes tightly. Giyu gasps, his neck bulging, but suddenly Giyu is free and Rengoku’s severed hand falls to the ground. Tanjiro stands over a breathless Giyu. His demon mark flares on his forehead, giving him the strength to fight. As always, when Tanjiro is most desperate he finds the next level of strength. Rengoku grins, blocking a blow from Sanemi and then coming after Tanjiro. But Tanjiro is furious. The rage fuels his muscles and he leaps forward so quickly Rengoku can barely block the strike. Together, the three demon slayers rain blows on their former friend. With each strike, Tanjiro shouts memories at Rengoku. Reminding him of their treasured time together. How he laughed with them. How he trained them. How he was willing to give up his life for them. The memories fuel Tanjiro’s spirit, but nothing seems to break through to Rengoku. But Tanjiro keeps trying because this demon was his friend and I don’t think he would ever give up on him. But Tanjiro is slowing. Exhausted, he slips, and gets tossed to the side. Giyu and Sanemi are quickly downed as well. They simply cannot keep up with the stamina and recovery of this overpowered demon. So Rengoku stands over them, ready to deliver the final blow. But Tanjiro rises again. His sword is gone. His breaths are heavy. His sun-breathing flares. And he stares the demon in the eye. And he does the only thing that he can. Tanjiro yells Rengoku’s name. Over and over again, he repeats it. Trying to reach down and awaken the buried memories. Because just like his sister, Nezuko, Tanjiro has to believe that the human is still inside of this terrifying demon. And with each word, Rengoku eyes grow unfocused. The flaming sword lowers. And suddenly tears form in the dark pits of his eyes. And a word forms on his lips. “Tanjiro.” The flames falter. Sanemi goes for another strike, but Rengoku blocks it. “Sanemi.” His gaze turns to Giyu and he calls the Water Hashira’s name as well. And then Rengoku, the former flame Hashira, drops his sword. He stares at his hands, tears running down his face, as he looks at the Demon Slayers in front of him. Tanjiro has reached him. His memories return. But so do the shame and guilt that he has buried all this time. And with Rengoku finally coming back, there are a few ways that this could go. If he is truly returned, the demon slayers could bring him back with them. However, as we saw with Sanemi when he first met Nezuko, when a demon kills a human, some Hashira believe there is forgiving that sin. So while emotions overwhelm Rengoku, Sanemi goes for a death strike, but Tanjiro steps in front. He kneels before Rengoku and tells him that he can still choose to come back. He can still choose to do good, but Rengoku doesn’t believe him. His eyes turn to Tengen’s burnt body, and his cries grow even louder. And he simply asks Sanemi to end him. And the wind hashira is more than willing, until a haunting laugh echoes down the dark street. Muzan has arrived. Because while Muzan was initially disappointed he couldn’t get information about the Demon Slayers when they first met, he probably knew that at some point Rengoku would regain those memories. So he was just waiting all this time. And With Rengoku’s memories returned, Muzan reads Rengoku’s mind, and finally learns the secrets of the Demon Slayer Corps, including where to find their base. The demon slayers rise. Tired and ragged, they face down the demon king. Muzan applauds Rengoku for being so useful, and then he calls the former Hashira to his side. He tells Rengoku that he can use that guilt and shame to grow stronger. But Rengoku doesn’t listen. Instead he rises. He begs everyone to flee, reminding them that the sun is rising, and Muzan can’t stay here long. Muzan scowls, and tries to trigger the curse that will instantly kill Rengoku. But it doesn’t work. With his memories fully returned, and his humanity with it, Rengoku’s connection to Muzan has been severed. Now we know that Muzan is insanely powerful. Way more powerful than even the Upper Moon demons, so it is possible that he kills all of them right here. But to continue the story, let’s assume that with the sun close to rising, Rengoku stands to face the demon king. He tells the others to run. And without hesitation, Giyu and Sanemi take the others and flee. And let’s assume that Rengoku can hold him off for at least a short while before Muzan eventually ends the former flame hashira’s life. And with the sun rising, the Demon Slayers manage to retreat safely to the Demon Slayer Corps base. Despite the heart-wrenching tragedy of losing Tengen and Rengoku for a second time, there is no time to rest. With Muzan now aware of their location, it would only be a matter of time before the demons launch an all out assault on the Demon Slayer Crops. And this insane, all-out battle will require Tanjiro and the other Demon Slayers to summon every ounce of strength, skill, and courage they possess just to survive. But one thing we do know is that Tanjiro will never give up protecting his friends, so he would certainly unlock his full potential to defeat the demon king or die trying. And if you want to watch my full breakdown of why this part of his character makes Tanjiro a fantastic great protagonist, you can click right here. Thanks for watching.
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Channel: Ohara
Views: 143,724
Rating: undefined out of 5
Keywords: demon slayer what if, rengoku, anime, manga
Id: UGx3J9hSYJI
Channel Id: undefined
Length: 21min 4sec (1264 seconds)
Published: Thu Jun 22 2023
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