Summary

In the world of Demon Slayer, the iconic Kitsune masks are deeply rooted in tradition and reflect the personality of the wearer.
Sakonji Urokodaki, the creator of water breathing technique, gifted these masks to protect his students during the final selection process.
Japanese masks in real life, like the Kitsune masks, hold symbolic significance and draw inspiration from mythology and cultural beliefs.

In the world of Demon Slayer, warding masks are worn as special protection against demons and to provide them with spiritual protection against demonic influences. These masks are known to be deeply rooted in tradition, reflecting the cultural practices of the Demon Slayer Corps. The creation of each mask is imbued with ancient warding to keep demons at bay. Some marks are made out of wood and some with metal, which are also carved with details and paintings. What makes these masks even more unique is that each mask reflects the personality of the wearer and connection to their mentors.

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By Ritwik Mitra

Warding Masks In The Demon Slayer Series

The Kitsune Masks Are Iconic And Recognized World-wide

In the Demon Slayer series, the characters are seen to be wearing Kitsune masks that are made of wood and which are carved by the retired legendary member of the Demon Slayer Corps, Sakonji Urokdaki. Sakonji was the creator of the water breathing technique and later trained Tanjiro in this art form. He also gave his students these masks to protect them from harm. The face of the mask resembles foxes because of his liking towards foxes. As an act of care, Sakonji would gift the masks to his students before they entered the 'final selection process', the final exam for the selection of candidates to the Demon Slayer Corps. The exam is a life or death situation, as candidates need to survive seven nights on Mount Fujikasane where demons roam and death could be inevitable, but it is a necessity in order to become a part of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Even though Sakonji imbues the masks with protective spells and enchantments, it is questionable if these masks actually do provide some kind of protection to their wearer. As all thirteen of Sakonji's students had met their fate when the Hand Demon killed them. The Hand Demon was able to recognize Sakonji's students because of the masks and made it a point to target them, as it was because of Sakonji that the demon was stuck on the mountain. Tanjiro was the only student to survive and kill the Hand Demon to avenge the fallen students before him. Known characters who possessed a Kitsune mask were Sabito, Makomo, Giyu and Tanjiro. Sabito was close friends with Giyu and the reason why Giyu is alive is that he had saved him from death. This draws an interesting connection between Tanjiro, Sabito and Sakonji, showcasing how each character's backstory could be intertwined with another's.

You must survive the Final Selection process held on Mt. Fujikasane. ― Sakonji Urokodaki

The Significance Of Japanese Masks In The Real World

What Do Masks Represent, And What Are The Different Kinds?

In the real world and according to Japanese tradition, masks come in many forms. The well known ones are the Oni masks, which represent the battle between good and evil, the Kitusune masks, which are believed to possess magical powers, samurai masks which represent honor, loyalty and courage, and many more. It is clear that the Kitsune masks in Demon Slayer were inspired by the real life Kitsune masks, which are a popular symbol of protection. The Kitsune mask has the face of a fox, which is a significant representation of Japanese culture and folklore, where foxes are considered to be mythical creatures with supernatural abilities.

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By Ritwik Mitra

The Demon Slayer series very distinctly draws inspiration from Japanese folklore, myths and traditions, as it draws many references to demons, spiritual practices, the concept of Bushido and most importantly, the relationship between family and legacy. The masks are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how deep the rabbit hole goes when it comes to traditional Japanese references in the series and also show the depth to which the creator of the series (Koyoharu Gotouge) had gone to, to bring to life these historical and cultural references to the world of manga and anime.