Inosuke’s new accomplices are a strange revelation, but these unexpected allies might be more important than they appear.
WARNING : The following contains spoilers for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 2, Episode 11, currently streaming.
Things are always intense in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, but in episode 11 of season 2, they got very … weird. After Zenitsu Agatsuma disappears, which made Tengen Uzui cancel the mission, Inosuke Hashibira decides he’s had enough of these stealth games. Throwing himself head first through the ceiling to access the attic, for how else would Inosuke utter some strange words: ” Hey mice! My swords! They are two very muscular mice, walking upright, which indeed bring Inosuke’s swords.
The aptly named muscular mice are exactly what they appear to be: very well-built rodents. Animal helpers are not uncommon in Demon Slayer, as most of the Corps are accompanied by a Kasugai Crow who issues orders from Ubuyashiki. However, Inosuke tried to eat the raven assigned to him, so it’s clear that he doesn’t work well with animals. Yet, unsurprisingly, he’s totally in love with muscle mice and wants to have his own miniature minions.
Muscle Mice are servants of Tengen Uzui, and it appears he temporarily gave a pair of them to Inosuke for their mission to the Pleasure District. The mice clearly belong to Tengen – rather than the Demon Slayer Corps – as they each wear a gem-encrusted headband identical to Sound Hashira’s.
It is implied that the muscle mice are nothing more than field mice that Tengen trained to act as his “ninju”. The flashy Hashira demands of them as much theatricality, and accepts only mice who will be narcissistically proud of their outrageous muscles. In fact, “muscle” seems to be the only word mice can say. How Tengen manages to make these mice so muscular, make them tread on two legs, make them understand human language, and even make them talk is a mystery comparable to Muzan Kibutsuji’s origins, but it is probably less likely that he be one day explained.
The bloated mice that work behind the scenes to aid demon slayers are far too bizarre to be featured for such a trivial task as delivering swords. Tengen mentions during Taisho-Era’s Secret segment that he brings in the mice to crawl into the small places he can’t go. Daki, High-Rang Six – whom Tengen sought out – has already shown that she can escape through walls and ceilings inside houses in the Pleasure District. If she tries to escape like this again, it is none other than the muscular mice who will be able to find her.
Muscular Mice have enormous strength beyond what their cartoonish muscles should be capable of, and while they probably can’t fight a demon, they could find a way to contribute regardless. As flashy proteges of Tengen Uzui, these mice will likely be present for most of the Pleasure District arc, since they even appear briefly in the opening credits. The muscle mice might not defeat Daki on their own, but it’s still funny to think that these bizarre rodents could have a major role to play in the sequel. Demon Slayer.