In Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, the mechanics and lore behind demons' deaths seem to suggest that their energy doesn't return to Muzan, the progenitor demon. This is intriguing, as one would assume that Muzan would benefit from regaining some fraction of the energy he invested in creating them. However, there might be a deeper reason behind this phenomenon.
Demons are born when Muzan infects a compatible individual with his blood. He maintains both a physical and spiritual connection with his demons, allowing him to communicate with them telepathically and even remotely kill them. This connection is established through his blood, which means that theoretically, Muzan could force his blood to return to him and regain any lost energy when a demon dies. Yet, this is not shown to happen in the story. When a demon dies, Muzan remains unchanged.
The key to understanding why Muzan doesn't regain strength upon a demon's defeat lies in the specific way demons are shown to be defeated in the series. In most fights involving the protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, he often encourages demons to reflect on their past lives and feel remorse for their actions as demons. This leads to the demons reverting to their human form and passing on into the afterlife. Symbolically, this could mean that their demonhood is being purged from their system, leaving nothing for Muzan to reclaim.
This theory gains more weight when we consider the themes of Buddhism, which are prevalent in Demon Slayer. In Buddhist culture, going to hell doesn't entail eternal punishment for sins, but rather a temporary time to burn off negative karma before being reincarnated. When demons are shown turning back into humans upon death, this could symbolize the burning away of their negative karma until only good karma remains. In this context, Muzan wouldn't regain strength when the demons' bad karma is being incinerated by the fires of hell.
If this interpretation holds true, it makes Tanjiro Kamado's role as the protagonist even more crucial. While his strength is essential to defeat the demons he faces, his ability to invoke empathy within his opponents could be even more vital. By encouraging demons to seek atonement in their dying moments instead of desperately fighting, he could make it easier for Muzan's ranks to weaken, ultimately reducing his overall power. This aligns perfectly with the central themes of Demon Slayer.
In conclusion, the reason why Muzan doesn't regain strength when his demons die could be tied to Tanjiro's empathetic approach in battles and the symbolic purification of demons' bad karma through death. If this theory holds, Tanjiro's role in the story becomes not only about defeating demons but also about guiding them towards redemption, contributing to the overarching themes of the anime.
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