Summary
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaibaprotagonist Nezuko Kamado teams up with several characters from Game Freak’sPokemonfranchise in an incredible piece of fan art recently shared online. BothDemon SlayerandPokemonare currently some of the most successful franchises in their native country of Japan.
Koyoharu Gotouge’sDemon Slayeris among thebest-selling mangas of all time, and its popularity has resulted in many of the series' characters becoming Japanese media icons. Among them is Nezuko, the younger sister of the main protagonist Tanjiro Kamado, who gets turned into a demon at the start of the story. The transformation gave Nezuko immense strength, and one artist has drawn this enhanced version of her standing alongside a number of beloved characters from thePokemonseries.
In a recent post on thePokemonsubreddit, user xthememoryshopx shared their drawing ofDemon Slayer’s Nezuko teaming up with Alakazam, Cubone, Gastly, Gengar, Haunter, and Mimikyu. The art was used for a customPokemoncard, according to xthememoryshopx, who also drew a similar piece featuring Zenitsu Agatsuma, considered by some to be one ofDemon Slayer’s best-written characters, in the past. Despite being comic relief, Zenitsu is a talented swordsman who can use powerful Thunder Breathing Techniques.
Xthememoryshopx has also used Nezuko’s older brother as a subject in their work. The artist previously drewDemon Slayer’s Tanjiro with several Water-type Pokemon, namely Psyduck, Polywhirl, Squirtle, and the latter’s final evolved form, Blastoise. One of the illustrations with Tanjiro featured a Water Breathing Technique that took on the form of Gyarados, a large, serpentine Pokemon known for its destructive behavior. While kind and selfless, Tanjiro is a prodigy in the ways of the sword, and he is widely recognized as one ofDemon Slayer’s best swordsmen.
The State of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba in 2024
Following the breakthrough success of its anime adaptation, theDemon Slayermanga concluded in 2020. The series continues to thrive, however, with data provided by analytics firm Oricon showingDemon Slayeras the 22nd highest-selling media franchise in Japan for 2023. A movie, as well as thefourth season of theDemon Slayeranime, which covers the Hashira Training Arc, were released in January and May, respectively. Gotouge’s popular manga received a game adaptation this year, too, in the form of theMario Party-likeDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Sweep the Board!that came out on April 25.
LikeDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba,Pokemonwas also one of the highest-selling media franchises in Japan in 2023.Pokemon Legends: Z-A, the next mainline entry in Game Freak’s long-running monster-tamer franchise, is scheduled to be released in 2025.
Demon Slayer
Based on Koyoharu Gotouge’s shonen manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is an action anime set in Japan during the early 20th century. Seeking revenge for the murder of his family while also looking to save his sister, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps as they try to eradicate Demons led by Muzan.
