How Old Is Nezuko in Demon Slayer? Answered

Of all the fan-favorite characters in the popular anime series Demon Slayer, based on the manga by Koyoharu Gotouge, few are more tragic than Nezuko. Corrupted by a demon, Nezuko carries a monstrous power as her brother Tanjiro cares for her. Here’s Nezuko’s age in Demon Slayer.

Nezuko’s Age in Demon Slayer

At the start of Demon Slayer, Nezuko is described as being one year younger than Tanjiro, effectively making her 12 at the start of the story. Early in Demon Slayer, after Nezuko has been infected by the demon that slaughtered the rest of her and Tanjiro’s family, the story revolves around Tanjiro undergoing rigorous training to become a Demon Slayer under Sakonji Urokodaki. This training and Tanjiro’s early adventures in Demon Slayer Season 1 last for approximately two years since the start of the story. This makes Nezuko 14 years old for much of Demon Slayer, following its prologue, though Nezuko’s uniquely demonic nature makes this distinction visibly more complicated.

Because of Nezuko’s demonic transformation, she has the ability to alter her physical appearance, including affecting her age. This includes making herself bigger and smaller, appearing more physically mature or even regressing her age to make herself appear younger than she actually is. This is made all the more complicated by the fact that Nezuko relies on prolonged deep sleep to regain her power, often in a specially prepared wooden backpack, rather than consuming human flesh. This tendency for extended sleeping makes Nezuko mentally closer to 12 than her actual biological age of 14 years old.

Going into Demon Slayer Season 4, Tanjiro is nearing his 16th birthday, making Nezuko close to 15 years old biologically, but still around 12-13 years old mentally. And if Tanjiro is ultimately successful in restoring his sister’s humanity, purging the demonic power corrupting her, the matter of Nezuko’s true age may only become more complicated by the time that was stolen from her in the interim.