After an encounter with Giyu Tomioka, a demon slayer, Tanjiro begins his quest to help his sister turn back into a human and avenge the death of his family.

[2] Critical response to Nezuko has been positive due to how unconventional it was for the narrative to have her kind of character as a demon, as well as how her fighting abilities adapt and grow as the series progresses.

[5] For the English dub, Abby Trott described Nezuko as "a sweet, caring sister to her many siblings," even when she becomes a demon as she often aids her brother in battles.

[6] Nezuko grew up on a mountain alongside her older brother, Tanjiro, and the rest of her siblings and mother, as the eldest daughter of the Kamado family.

Following her awakening after their short fight and her brother receiving instructions from Giyu to find a man named "Sakonji Urokodaki," Nezuko is taken by Tanjiro to first bury and pay their respects to their deceased family.

Tanjiro hesitates to deliver the final blow, and, eventually, the sun rises, causing the Demon to disintegrate and Nezuko to flee to the safety of the house.

It is during this time we learn that Sakonji used suggestive hypnosis on Nezuko as she slept to reinforce a simple mindset; that all humans were members of her "family" and therefore she should protect them, and also to kill all demons.

She helps her brother at first using herself as a shield against Rui's threads but then is captured and tied up by him to the top of several trees upside down, falling asleep as a result of blood loss.

Before Kanao is able to decapitate the cornered Nezuko, a crow appears ordering to bring the Kamado siblings to Demon Slayers' headquarters.

As Sakonji asks the girl whats wrong, she dashes into the forest, seemingly aware of and drawn to Tanjiro's impending death.

Nezuko spends almost the entire arc sleeping to recover her strength after she used her Blood Demon Art for the first time against Rui on Mount Natagumo.

[11] Manga.Tokyo enjoyed the build-up of this scene as Nezuko manages to assist Tanjiro thanks to being motivated by her late mother and the power she shows surprised the writer.

[14] IGN regarded Nezuko as one of the series's most popular characters and noted how her design elaborates the way she sees humans as good people as a result of hypnosis.

[15] Siliconera made a similar article discussing her characterization and how compelling she is during the anime's first season due to how, despite her tragic backstory, Nezuko becomes a more heroic figure when fighting other demons.

[17] In October 2021, Shueisha failed its appeal to trademark the clothing patterns for three of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba main characters including Nezuko.

Rebecca Silverman from Anime News Network noted that Nezuko retained her humanity despite becoming a demon due to how she protects her older brother, making Giyu allow the siblings to embark on a quest to find a cure to her state.

James Beckett from the same site said that Nezuko's transformation into a demon was the pilot's strongest part making the narrative surprisingly unconventional, based on Tanjiro's reaction to it and Giyu's actions.

[25] Manga.Tokyo also praised the development of Nezuko's actions because she manages to awake after two years as a caring demon to Tanjiro, making their embracing emotional.

[26] Comic Book Bin enjoyed Nezuko's portrayal as, although being a cursed character, she is still active and appealing to see, mostly due to how she develops supernatural strength to use in combat.

[27] In a general overview of the series' first episodes, UK Anime News found Nezuko as the most compelling character for the depth she possesses and, like Comic Book Bin, noted she is surprisingly helpful to Tanjiro when it comes to fighting.

"[31] In Jungian Dimensions of the Mourning Process, Burial Rituals and Access to the Land of the Dead: Intimations of Immortality, the writer Hiroko Sakata addressed similarities the Kamado siblings with the Forgotten God Hiruko, the Oni Katako and the child K, citing the Kamado' stories as modernized version of Japanese myths, comparing them with Yuta Okkotsu and Rika Orimoto from the manga Jujutsu Kaisen 0 as both aim to control the Oni element present in the narrative and become fighters in the process.

[32] Anime News Network was surprised by Nezuko's heroic actions in the episode as well as the voice acting from Akari Kitō despite not having multiple lines in the series, being able to develop her character in the process.

[33] The character's handling in the Entertainment District Arc was panned by Anime News Network and accused it of sexualization despite her changing her size and her being fictional.