Nezuko having a bamboo muzzle is her most recognizable feature. But what’s her reasons for wearing it and how did she receive it?
The reason Nezuko has bamboo is to hide her demon fangs from the world. It’s also an extra layer of defense in case she becomes feral again and tries to attack someone.
She initially received her bamboo muzzle in Chapter 1. Demon Slayer Giyu Tomioka placed the bamboo in her mouth after knocking her unconscious.
Giyu was prepared to defeat Nezuko after he transformation to a demon. She showed a willingness to resist her flesh-eating urges, so Giyu placed the bamboo on her before meeting Sensei Urodokai.
The Demon Slayer wrote a letter to his former sensei, urging him to take Tanjiro and demon-Nezuko under his wing. It expressed how Tanjiro has a sense of smell similar to Sensei Urodokai. The letter also said Nezuko’s resistance to her demon instincts makes her an exception.
Pillar’s Thoughts on Nezuko Having Bamboo
A demon has never worked alongside the slayers before. The bamboo helps present Nezuko with a more positive first impression. It takes a lot for her to become feral again, but even in normal conversation it is best to shield the fact that she’s a demon whenever possible.
Should she actually become feral again and attack a human, the bamboo muzzle would act as a safeguard to prevent her from doing so. Quite a few times the bamboo has saved Nezuko from showing her fangs and exposing her status as a demon.
Once Nezuko and Tanjiro meet the Pillars of the Demon Slayers, the group is skeptical about working with a demon. The bamboo muzzle works in Nezuko’s favor when the Wind Pillar attempts to coax her into attacking him.
If Nezuko did take off her bamboo, it would expose her status as a demon. That opens the possibility of her attacking someone. The bamboo has fallen off a few times already and her demon-thoughts have taken advantage of that fact.
So that’s it. Nezuko has bamboo because it hides her demon fangs, but it also acts as a safeguard should she become feral and try to attack someone.