KF1723

2022

Manga

Akaza is a major antagonist in the manga series *Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba*. He is a powerful demon and one of the Twelve Kizuki, holding the rank of Upper Rank Three.

Originally a human named Hakuji, Akaza had a tragic past marked by poverty and the need to steal to care for his ailing father. After his father's death and being framed for crimes he didn't commit, he met Keizo, a dojo owner, who took him in and taught him martial arts. Hakuji eventually fell in love with Keizo's daughter, Koyuki.

However, his happiness was short-lived. A rival dojo poisoned Koyuki and Keizo. Consumed by grief and rage, Hakuji slaughtered all sixty-seven members of the rival dojo with his bare hands. Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor of demons, found him after the massacre and transformed him into a demon. As Akaza, he lost his memories of his human life but retained his martial arts skills, developing a unique fighting style known as Soryu Style.

Akaza first appears in chapter 65 of the manga, during the Entertainment District Arc.