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| “ | I refuse. | „ |
| ~ Nakime rejects Doma's proposal. |
Nakime (鳴女 Nakime) is a major antagonist in the manga/anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. She is the demon who controls the Infinity Castle, the lair of Muzan Kibutsuji, and is a member of the Twelve Kizuki, holding the position of Upper Rank Four following the death of Hantengu.
As a human, Nakime lived over a century ago and was a biwa musician who developed a disturbing habit of killing people before her performances after she furiously murdered her deadbeat husband for wasting her performance dress on a gamble. While looking for another man to murder before another one of her performances, she encountered Muzan, who transformed her into a demon out of respect for her searching skills, and would spend the next 100 years serving him as one of his most loyal servants until Muzan was forced to kill her himself during the Infinity Castle Arc.
She is voiced by Marina Inoue in Japanese and by Amber Lee Connors (who also voiced Baccarat in One Piece Film: Gold, Toy Chicka in Ultimate Custom Night, Vernal in RWBY and Brandish μ in Fairy Tail) in English.
Appearance[]
Nakime possesses the physical attributes of a fair-skinned lady, whose complexion seems to have a hint of grayish undertone. Her nails, painted in a striking blue shade, are noticeably sharp and add to her overall appearance. One cannot help but be drawn to her vividly red lips, which create a striking contrast against the paleness of her skin. Her hair, glossy and reaching the length of her hips, is of a deep brown hue. She chooses to wear it in a style that falls in gentle waves down her back, the ends neatly trimmed to create a sharp cut. To frame her face, she leaves two strands of hair, reaching chin-length, while her long bangs elegantly cover her large eyes, nestled in between the strands and gracefully swept to either side of her nose.
Nakime adorns herself in a simple and elegant ensemble, consisting of a plain black kimono. This exquisite garment is enhanced by a subtle white lining, which adds a touch of understated sophistication. To fasten her kimono securely, she opts for a striped pale brown obi, which not only complements the overall look but also adds a subtle hint of contrast. Completing her ensemble, Nakime opts for white socks, eschewing the need for shoes or clogs, allowing her to maintain a sense of grace and tranquility with each step she takes. However, what truly sets Nakime apart from the crowd is her constant companion - a four-stringed wooden biwa. This remarkable instrument is never far from her side, as she gracefully holds it with a large bachi pick, ready to enchant and captivate anyone lucky enough to witness her performances.
Ever since Nakime attained the prestigious Upper Rank status, she made a deliberate choice to style her bangs in such a way that they no longer covered her face, allowing her unique features to be fully visible. One striking aspect that immediately caught anyone's attention was her single, awe-inspiring eye, which boasted a vibrant pink hue. Interestingly, this extraordinary eye bore a distinctive mark – the symbol for "Four" (肆し Shi?) etched delicately into its mesmerizing iris. Moreover, Nakime's decision to expose the upper part of her face unveiled a surprising contrast. While her overall complexion retained a pale tone, the revealed portion appeared noticeably darker, presenting a captivating shade of gray. Upon closer inspection, intricate veins gracefully encircled her solitary eye, further accentuating its allure.
Personality[]
Nakime is a demon with a stoic nature, unruffled demeanor and an unwavering loyalty towards Muzan. With the ability to tap into the formidable Blood Demon Art, she exhibits complete mastery over the intricate layout of the Infinity Fortress. Nakime's enigmatic persona is characterized by her reticence and frigid disposition, choosing to utter words solely when deemed necessary. Her responses are characterized by their brevity and directness, devoid of any unnecessary embellishments. Diverging from her demon counterparts, Nakime's allegiance to her master, Muzan, is genuinely unwavering, promptly carrying out his commands without a hint of hesitation or inquiry. Notoriously renowned for her mercilessness and an apparent absence of sentiment, Nakime is an entity shrouded in mystery.
Biography[]
Past[]
Nakime was an obscure amateur biwa musician struggling to earn her living. But the man she married to was hopelessly addicted to gambling who squandered her earnings and savings while contributing nothing to improve their lives.
During the night, she was scheduled to go to play her biwa at a particular stage, but she discovered that her husband stole her performing dress and wasted on the gamble. Enraged, Nakime murdered her husband using a hammer. Shortly after she killed her husband, Nakime realized that the appointed time to play was fast approaching, and she was forced wore to wear a worn-out, ragged dress as she left to her stage in haste. However, the crowd did not appreciate her shabby looks, and with the traumatic sensation of committing the murder for the first time still fresh in her mind, her hands shook in nervousness as she played her biwa.
Yuichiro manipulating Nakime's sight.
But surprisingly, the sound coming from biwa as Nakime played with utmost tension, was so beautiful that her audience cheered her performance and shouted for encore. Both her customers and the stage owner were pleased with the unexpected outcome and Nakime earned very handsome earning. Since then, Nakime developed a disturbing habit of killing people every time prior to playing her biwa before large audiences. Strangely, every time she played her biwa in the aftermath of committing murders, her performance received extraordinarily positive feedback from customers and stage managers.
On a fateful day, as she had the routine appointment to perform at another stage, she stalked her victim to kill him. That victim was none other than Muzan Kibutsuji. But Muzan was a demon, and Nakime found out the hard way as he effortlessly busted her. Muzan was impressed with Nakime's searching skills, so he spared her life and offered her to become a demon. Nakime accepted his offer, became a demon and ultimately became one of Muzan's servants.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba[]
She summons the Lower Moons to the Infinity Fortress. Not long after being summoned, the remaining Lower Moons are purged by Muzan after he deems them weak and useless. She stays silent while Muzan kills all of them. Later, she also summons the Upper Moons for a meeting. They ask her where Kokushibo is hiding and she quickly replies that he was there. She remains silent for the rest of the meeting and sends everyone back once it's over, despite Douma still wanting to ask her something.
Doma asks Nakime out.
After Muzan gave her the new title of Upper Moon Four and gave her more of his blood, she used her new powers to create eyeball-spiders through which she could see. Using this, she locates Kaguya Ubayashiki, whom Muzan wants to kill. When the Demon Slayer Corps attacks Muzan, Nakime transports all of them to the Fortress and separates them. She keeps playing her Biwa, manipulates the environment, keeps isolating Demon Slayer Corps from one another, and/or sends them directly to other Upper Moon Demons or their own demise. While two Demon Slayer Corps members (Mitsuri Kanroji and Iguro Obanai) eventually reach Nakime and try to kill her, she is able to calmly keep them at bay, by constantly manipulating the structures of the fortress to fortify herself. While extremely ferocious and desperate against the battles with all the other Upper Demon Moons that cost several Demon Slayer Corps members that their lives raging on other sections of the fortress, Nakime's battle against Mitsuri and Obanai was quite comical. Ultimately, she was the last Demon Moon remaining after all others were defeated. While her Blood Demon Art is not lethal or destructive per se, her ability to manipulate Infinity Fortress' structures is formidable enough to tie down the two Demon Slayers, preventing them from reinforcing other fellow Demon Slayer Corps members.
Aftermath[]
While she is focused on keeping the two of them at bay, Nakime doesn't notice Yushiro's presence. Yushiro sneaks up and his powers to manipulate Nakime's sight. This sends false information to Muzan, fooling him into thinking that Mitsuri and Obanai are dealt with by Nakime. But Muzan realizes that was not the case upon seeing Obanai and Mitsuri in his room. Infuriated, he asks Nakime what happened, only to be answered by the vengeful Yushiro. Yushiro announces his intention to avenge his fallen mistress by casting Muzan onto earth. Muzan at first attempts to mentally break Yushiro in a bid to reclaim Nakime, but is interfered by Tanjiro, Giyu, Mitsuri and Obanai. Resorting to give up on her, Muzan coerces Nakime into committing suicide. Her death causes the Infinity Fortress to collapse.
Powers and Abilities[]
In terms of combat skills, Nakime may not have shown much prowess, but as the holder of the fourth highest position in the Twelve Kizuki, she possesses an immense amount of power as a demon. Despite lacking traditional fighting techniques, Nakime effectively utilized her unique Blood Demon Art to impede the attempts of Obanai and Mitsuri to decapitate her, successfully prolonging their battle with the two Hashira. Remarkably, neither of these highly skilled fighters were able to leave even a single scratch on her, showcasing her formidable abilities.
Nakime, a gifted biwa player, possessed an unparalleled mastery of the instrument, captivating the hearts and minds of those who had the privilege of witnessing her performances, even during her humble days as a young human girl.
Her biwa sound
After reaching the prestigious rank of Upper Rank Four and likely receiving an increased amount of blood from Muzan, she showcased a remarkable advancement in her powers known as Eye Detachment. This newfound ability granted her the extraordinary capability to generate and detach multiple eyeballs from her own body. Consequently, she gained the ability to covertly observe and surveil individuals from a considerable distance. With this formidable power at her disposal, she effectively managed to uncover and pinpoint the whereabouts of nearly all the members of the esteemed Demon Slayer Corps. Furthermore, she even managed to unveil the clandestine abode of Kagaya Ubuyashiki, a location that had been meticulously concealed from even the most esteemed and authoritative members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Nakime's speed and reflexes are truly extraordinary, rivaling even the renowned Hashira members Obanai and Mitsuri. She effortlessly dodged Obanai's deadly Venom Fangs of the Narrow Head technique and skillfully evaded Mitsuri's powerful attacks. Her ability to react swiftly and avoid danger showcases her immense agility and quick-thinking. Nakime's remarkable speed puts her on par with the elite warriors of the Demon Slayer Corps, solidifying her status as a formidable opponent.
Infinity Castle Manipulation is the unique Blood Demon Art of Nakime, which manifests as a mystical pocket dimension housing an enormous fortress. Nakime possesses complete control over this extradimensional space, able to effortlessly manipulate and reshape it as she desires, simply by playing her biwa. Within the confines of her fortress, there exists an endless array of rooms, each brimming with diverse and captivating features. One room is an expansive expanse filled with towering pillars, serving as the battleground against Kokushibo. Another room is a serene garden, the site of the intense confrontation with Doma. A long corridor connects various other chambers, where the epic clash with Akaza unfolded. Nakime herself is positioned at the heart of the Infinity Castle, with the very fabric of space bending and warping around her in a mesmerizing display.
In addition to showcasing her unique and unconventional Blood Demon Art, Nakime has also demonstrated her offensive capabilities. She accomplishes this by transforming rooms into massive pillars and forcefully driving them towards her adversaries, effectively annihilating them. Furthermore, she possesses the ability to bind and manipulate her hair, allowing her to control the castle's layout and arrangement at will. It is as though the rooms and walls become extensions of her own body. Nevertheless, it is presumed that utilizing this power renders her unable to move.
Nakime possesses the extraordinary ability to manifest portals, resembling traditional tatami sliding doors, for the purpose of transporting individuals both within and outside of her fortress. These portals serve a dual function, enabling Nakime to employ them for offensive and defensive maneuvers. This was demonstrated when she skillfully generated a portal to counteract Mitsuri Kanroji's assault. Furthermore, Nakime's pivotal role extends to serving as a means of conveyance for the other Upper Ranks during their assigned missions, while also likely aiding Muzan in discreetly traversing the nation incognito.
Nakime is consistently observed with a four-stringed wooden biwa resting on her lap, a musical instrument she utilized during her time as a human, showcasing her remarkable skill in playing it. This biwa, a type of lute with a short neck, now serves as a conduit for her Blood Demon Art, necessitating her to pluck the strings using a solitary, oversized Bachi pick. It is speculated that, as a demon, Nakime's biwa and Bachi may have been crafted from her very own flesh and blood, mirroring the manner in which other demons fashion their tools and weapons.
Trivia[]
- Nakime stands out among the Demons as a rare entity possessing only a solitary eye. This unique characteristic sets her apart from the rest of the Twelve Kizuki, as she is the sole Upper Rank member to bear her rank number within her single eye, a feature typically associated with the Lower Ranks.
- Nakime had gained immense favor from Muzan as her ability proved to be extremely advantageous and convenient.
- The moniker "Nakime" is constructed using two kanji characters, namely "鳴" which symbolizes the action of calling or crying, and "女" which represents the concept of a woman or female.
- Nakime bears numerous resemblances to Kyogai, the previous holder of the Lower Rank 6 position. Both possess the extraordinary ability to manipulate a particular structure effortlessly using their Blood Demon Arts, and they utilize a musical instrument as a conduit for their unique techniques. Moreover, their respective epithets are derived from the instruments they wield, further highlighting the striking similarities between these two formidable individuals.
- One of Muzan's preferred Upper Ranks was drawn to her due to the perceived value of her ability.
- In the official English release of Volume 12, there was an error where Nakime's name was mistakenly translated as "Nasume". This mistake led to confusion among readers, as Nakime's true name was not accurately represented.
- Amber Lee Connors, the talented English voice actress behind Nakime, happens to be married to Howard Wang, who lends his English voice to the character Sumiyoshi Kamado.
- She is the sole Upper Rank to have been killed by Muzan personally.
External Link[]
- Nakime on the Kimetsu no Yaiba Wiki
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 Villains
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Demons Twelve Kizuki Replacement Upper Moons Lower Moons Former Lower Moons Muzan's Lesser Followers Humans | ||