Can Zenitsu Ever Fight Without Falling Asleep?

Though a scaredy-cat, Zenitsu can pretty much destroy whatever demon that blocks his path within seconds. Yet, there’s a catch to it: He must first fall half unconscious! Naturally, many fans can’t help but wonder: Can Zenitsu ever fight without falling asleep? Or is him passing out an indespensible requisite to all of his victories? Find out here.

Why Does Zenitsu Fall Asleep When Fighting?

Zenitsu fainting when confronting demons is a natural consequence of his extreme cowardice and anxiety. Whenever faced with life-and-death situations, Zenitsu’s initial response is to panic and think of the worst possible outcome, resulting in him fainting due to extreme fear.

However, while unconscious, his self-preservation instict kicks in, enabling his body to move and fight without the burden of self-doubts and other negative emotions. In other words, while asleep, Zenitsu enters a state where he can use the best of his abilities, freeing him from the chains of his own cowardice and anxiety and letting his muscle memory take over.

Can Zenitsu Ever Fight Without Falling Asleep?

The short answer is yes, Zenitsu can fight without falling asleep, and this was already proven in the manga. The tricky part, however, is that he must not be afraid of the enemy. Or, at the very least, his resolved to fight must be bigger than his fear of his opponent.

Right from the start, Zenitsu already has the talent to fight and end strong demons using his Nichirin Blade skills and breathing techniques. However, it is his self-doubt and fear that puts a shadow to his talent. Hence, once he overcomes such fear and self-doubt, he can easily engage in battles without passing out.

When Will Zenitsu Fight While Awake?

So far, in the anime, all of Zenitsu’s hype-inducing scenes all happened with him half-asleep. However, in Chapter 143 of the manga, Zenitsu was able to fight an Upper Moon Demon while completely awake the whole time. For anime viewers, this is bound to happen in the final arc of the series, which is yet to be animated.

In the said battle, Zenitsu was up against the Upper Moon 6 demon, Kaigaku. Like Zenitsu, Kaigaku used to be a disciple of the former Thunder Hashira, Jigoro Kuwajima, and was even a candidate to become the next Thunder Pillar together with Zenitsu. However, when encountered with a fearful enemy, Kokushibo easily surrendered and chose to become a demon to save his own skin. Unable to accept the news that his disciple chose the dark path, the former Thunder Hashira Jigoro Kuwajima committed seppuku.

During the battle, fans were able to see a different Zenitsu – one who is brave, strong, and unwavering. This is because during the whole battle, Zenitsu was more angry than scared. It was this anger that overshadowed and even cast away his fear of the possible danger that looms before him and enabled him to fight freely.

Manga readers where therefore able to see the power of Zenitsu in full glory. He even managed to create a seventh form of the Thunder Breathing Style, called the Flaming Thunder God. And even after the battle, Zenitsu, with all the bruises and in his already weakened state, was even able to keep up with the Demon King Muzan himself.