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Kanji for Demon
The kanji most commonly used for "Demon" are 鬼、魔.
鬼
Kanji that mean Demon
鬼 (oni / ki) is Japan’s own demon — the horned, tiger-skinned ogre of folklore, the one children throw beans at on Setsubun shouting 鬼は外, “demons out!”. The character is a picture of a huge-headed spirit. But oni cuts deeper than monsters: it colours everyday Japanese as an intensifier — a 仕事の鬼 is a “demon for work”, and in slang 鬼 simply means “insanely” (鬼強い, monstrously strong). The famous 鬼滅の刃 (Demon Slayer) is literally “blade of demon destruction”.
魔 (ma) is the other demon: evil influence, the tempter. It arrived with Buddhism as Māra, the demon who assailed the Buddha, and it powers 悪魔 (devil), 魔法 (magic — “the demon method”), 魔女 (witch), 邪魔 (hindrance — an evil in the way).
Roughly: 鬼 is a being; 魔 is a force. Japanese horror needs them both.
Words using Demon kanji
Everyday Japanese vocabulary built from the characters above.
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吸血鬼
きゅうけつき
vampire; bloodsucker
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悪魔
あくま
devil; demon; fiend
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鬼神
きしん
fierce god
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邪魔
じゃま
hindrance; obstacle; nuisance
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鬼ごっこ
おにごっこ
tag (children's game); tig
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魔法
まほう
magic; witchcraft; sorcery
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魔女
まじょ
witch
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魔術
まじゅつ
magic; sorcery; witchcraft
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魔力
まりょく
magical powers; supernatural powers; spell
Before you use Demon kanji
鬼 is a strong and culturally rich choice — fierce guardian energy, folklore pedigree, and the modern slang sense of "beast-level". 魔 alone reads darker: evil influence, the devil's radical — it sits inside 悪魔 and 魔王. Wear 鬼 for fierceness; wear 魔 only if you genuinely want "dark magic" overtones.