Who is Enmu in ‘Demon Slayer?’

The Lower Rank demons in Demon Slayer don’t always get the attention they deserve, but Enmu stands out. Drinking Muzan’s blood definitely put him in the limelight, and boy, did he make the most of it! Thanks in part to his role as the antagonist, the movie Demon Slayer: Mugen Train raced past every competitor to become Japan’s highest-grossing blockbuster ever.

The Twelve Kizuki is split into the Upper Ranks and the Lower Ranks. Six demons in each group, all vying for power and prestige. However, not all of them win the race to win their Supreme Leader’s admiration. In fact, 99 percent of the Lower Ranks were purged by Muzan, with Enmu being the sole survivor.

Enmu is the Dream Manipulating demon. For those unlucky enough to cross paths with this dream-demon, the line between what’s real and what’s not blurs, and that’s precisely where Enmu thrives.  He can put his victims to sleep and create vivid, realistic dreams to distract them while also conjuring nightmares to destroy a person’s mental spirit. We see him do this in the “Mugen Train” movie when he puts hundreds of passengers to sleep by hijacking the train. 

After drinking Muzan’s blood, Enmu could merge his body with objects. He was able to manipulate and attack from within the train. His battle with Rengoku, Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and the other Demon Slayers aboard the Mugen Train sets the stage for one of the series’ most emotional confrontations, and it’s a significant moment in the overall story. Thankfully, our heroes had time to detach the Enmu from the train and save the passengers. 

Enmu’s Ultimate Objective

What does Enmu get from all this? Well, he was ready to die at the hands of Muzan. However, he confessed to Muzan about his sadistic nature and the pleasure he derived from watching his fellow lower moons die. This tendency has been a part of Enmu’s character since his human days. 

Even as a human, Enmu was a deeply troubled individual with a cruel streak. He got his kicks from watching others suffer, and he’d go to twisted lengths to make it happen. One of his favorite tricks was to pose as a doctor and convince sick people that he’d cured them. But it was all a lie. Then he would reveal everything to the dying victims, savoring the fear and despair that washed over them.  He didn’t care about the consequences of his actions. All that mattered to him was his twisted pleasure.

In Mugen Train, with the help of the Flame Hashira, Tanjiro manages to counter Enmu. He and Inosuke head to the front of the train to confront the demon’s main body. After a fierce battle, Tanjiro locates Enmu’s real neck and decapitates him with his sword. But, as fans well know, the Enmu’s defeat was just the beginning of the challenges the Demon Slayers faced on this train ride.