The hype around the first episode of Demon Slayer season 3, the Swordsmith Village Arc, was real, and fans were not disappointed. As we delved deeper into the world of Upper-Rank Demons, we were introduced to a whole new level of intrigue and conflict. It was a shock to many fans that the Upper-Rank Demons, who were believed to be living in perfect harmony, had their own share of internal strife. The meeting between the Upper-Rank Demons and their leader, Muzan Kibutsuji, in the Infinity Castle was a pivotal moment in the episode and one that left viewers on the edge of their seats.
As we witnessed the exchange between Doma and Akaza, it became clear that there was a deep-seated animosity between the two demons. While it was easy to assume that all Demons hated humans, it was a surprise to see that they also harbored grudges against each other. And the question on everyone's mind was, why does Akaza hate Doma? Not just Doma, but he seems to have some grudge against Kokushibo as well, but why so?
Why Did Akaza Punch Doma?
In the first few minutes of the episode, Nakime summoned the Upper-Rank Demons after hundreds of years. Akaza arrived at Infinity Castle, followed by Doma. The latter was happy to meet Akaza (or just pretended to) and kept his hand on Akaza's shoulder while stating that he was worried about his fellow comrades. He then started talking to Gyokko and complimented how beautiful his new pot looked. Talking about the pot that Gyokko gave to Doma, the latter said that he was using it to display a woman's head in his room.
That is what infuriated Akaza, and he punched Doma hard enough to obliterate the lower half of his face. Well, that's because Akaza follows moral conduct, according to which he never kills or devours women. He might be a ruthless killer for Demon Slayers and males, but he never harms women.
In fact, even Muzan allowed Akaza to follow his morals and gave him special permission to never kill women, despite the fact that it would make him immensely strong. Given Akaza's seriousness for his work and loyalty towards Muzan, no doubt he is considered his favorite Uppen Moon Demon, and it's the least Muzan could do for him.
Why Akaza Never Kills Women?
The reason why Akaza never kills women can be traced back to a past incident where he fell in love with a girl named Koyuki. Hakuji, as he was known back then, was tasked with taking care of Koyuki and helping her regain her health. As the two spent more time together, they grew closer and eventually fell in love. Koyuki's confession of love and proposal to Hakuji determined him to become stronger and protect her for the rest of her life.
However, tragedy struck when Koyuki and her father were poisoned and killed by a rival dojo leader. The shock and grief of losing the love of his life caused Hakuji to go on a killing spree, taking revenge on 67 members of the rival dojo. This event left a deep scar on Hakuji's psyche, and when he was turned into a Demon by Muzan, he carried this trauma with him as Akaza. His vow to protect and cherish Koyuki for the rest of his life is what motivates him to spare women, as he sees them as symbols of hope and love, much like Koyuki was to him.
The episode also revealed that Doma became a Demon after Akaza, but still, the former managed to secure the Upper Two spot against Akaza, who is currently Upper Three. This is another significant reason why he has a deep hatred toward Doma.
Akaza's Hate For Kokushibo
Returning to the episode, Doma expresses his desire to join forces with Gyokko and Hantengu, but Akaza appears and cuts his head in half as a reminder of Muzan's orders. However, Kokushibo, one of the Twelve Kizuki, punishes Akaza for his disobedience by severing his hand and warns him not to disrupt the hierarchy. Kokushibo challenges Akaza to settle any grudges through battle, but Akaza declines, knowing he wouldn't stand a chance against Kokushibo and Doma, despite his confident demeanor.
However, given how audacious Akaza had always been, he warned Kokushibo that he would kill him, and the latter told him to get strong if he wanted that to happen. Well, unlike Doma, there didn't seem to be anything personal about why Akaza would hate Kokushibo, but given that he always wanted to be the strongest one, it makes a legit answer why he would hate Kokushibo. If it wasn't for that reason, we must have seen Akaza getting infuriated at Gyokko and Hantengu as well, but we didn't see that happening.