In Demon Slayer, Inosuke Hashibira’s origins are shrouded in mystery. His past memories are a blur, and it would take an upper demon moon to reveal the truth. But how is Inosuke related to Douma?
Spoiler Warning: This article contains Demon Slayer manga spoilers!
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The Burning Question: Is Douma Inosuke’s Father?
No, Douma, the upper demon moon two, is not Inosuke's biological father.
They are not related by blood, but Douma helped Inosuke’s mother, Kotoha, raise him, even for just a short time.
Inosuke's biological father is unnamed, but he is said to have mistreated Kotoha constantly.
He was an abusive husband, and Kotoha couldn't take it anymore.
Kotoha's mother-in-law is the same, and her life has been a living hell full of constant struggles.
Only Inosuke brought pride and delight to Kotoha. He means everything to her, and it's a shame she won't get to witness Inosuke grow into such a wonderful young man.
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But What’s the Story Behind Inosuke and Douma’s Relationship?
When Kotoha had enough of her husband’s abuse, she decided to run away from everything.
She decided to give up on the father of her son and live life anew, away from all the chaos that could potentially ruin Inosuke's life.
Kotoha ran away with all her might, never looking back. The only thing that drove Kotoha was her love for Inosuke.
At the time, Kotoha running away from her marriage was not exactly a wise idea.
The villagers regarded her as an irresponsible woman who neglected her responsibilities as a wife to her husband.
It's extremely unjust, but that's how things were back then.
As a result, no one was willing to lend a hand to Kotoha and take her in.
Only Douma and the Eternal Paradise Faith Cult provided shelter for Kotoha and Inosuke.
They stayed for a time, and Douma became close to Kotoha and Inosuke.
It even came to a point where he recalls Kotoha frequently singing a pinky promise lullaby to Inosuke.
When Kotoha discovered that Douma is a demon that devours his followers, she left in fear of endangering Inosuke's life.
She made it to a cliff and prayed to the gods to let Inosuke live as she threw him into the river.
Douma then came, and Kotoha sacrificed herself, offering her life to the demon.
Unbeknownst to Kotoha, Douma doesn’t really want to eat her or even Inosuke; instead, he wants them both to age and be by his side.
Fortunately, the gods heard Kotoha's plea and Inosuke survived.
He was then raised by a mother boar, which explains Inosuke's claims of being raised by a boar.
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So, Who Is Douma to Inosuke?
Truth be told, Douma is just another upper demon moon Inosuke has to get rid of. It’s just that Inosuke shares a tragic history with Douma.
Perhaps it was fate that led Inosuke to meet Douma. It made Inosuke stronger, capable of creating his own unique breathing form, in order to protect those he cares about.
However, Douma did a lot of nasty things, including devouring Shinobu Kocho, who made a pinky promise to Inosuke.
It triggered a memory of Inosuke’s past, as Kotoha has always sung a pinky promise lullaby to make him sleep.
Douma knows this song perfectly well, including the lyrics that Kotoha always used to sing.
Hence, Inosuke was adamant about avenging Shinobu and Kotoha, both of whom Douma devoured.
It was his destiny to put a stop to Douma’s tasteless killings, with the help of Kanao’s final flower-breathing form and Shinobu’s poison.
Inosuke never felt any sort of familial connection with Douma, and they remained demons and slayers until the end.
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