Tanjiro Kamado has had quite the journey throughout Demon Slayer’s anime so far. The Swordsmith Village arc finale marked the first truly positive victory in a sea of bittersweetness. Among many revelations and shocking moments was Tanjiro’s humanity being reaffirmed.
One of the themes Demon Slayer has is the examination of the human condition, or what it truly means to be human in a world surrounded by greed, corruption, and literal demons. This article will thus show how the finale of Demon Slayer’s Swordsmith Village arc showcased why Tanjiro’s humanity and compassion is his greatest asset.
Disclaimer: The following article will contain Demon Slayer spoilers for the most recently released anime season.
How Tanjiro’s humanity is more important than ever after the Swordsmith Village arc of Demon Slayer
Helping Muichiro Tokito
The Mist Hashira and Tanjiro didn’t get along when they first met back in Demon Slayer’s Rehabilitation Training arc. However, he was officially introduced to Tanjiro during the Swordsmith Village arc as an aloof person that was inconsiderate to Kotetsu and Tanjiro.
Though Muichiro did have a secret, the amnesia that afflicted his way of looking at the world, Tanjiro’s words about how helping others positively trigger a sense of familiarity within him. Strangely enough, this moment was step one in helping him regain his memories.
At the end of the arc, Muichiro saved Kotetsu and even threw Hotaru Haganezuka’s unfinished Nichirin Sword towards Tanjiro him to use against Hantengu. Moreover, he thanked Tanjiro for his aid at the end – all because Tanjiro had more than a few choice words for him at the beginning and helped save his life in battle.
Seeking aid for Nezuko and breaking down
Tanjiro loves Nezuko dearly and unconditionally. The panic attack he had during the finale, when the sun was rising and Nezuko was dying with Hantengu trying to get away, was major proof of that. Tanjiro’s greatest strength is that he cares about people, and being forced into that leaves much of a sadistic choice to hurt him.
However, what really hurt for Tanjiro at that moment was that Nezuko is his only surviving family. The only reason they got that far was to save Nezuko from her demonism. So, to see her dying like that paralyzed Tanjiro while nobody took issues with that cause because it was an impossible choice.
Nezuko herself even kicks him toward the demon, causing him to slay Hantengu. His breakdown is calmed into happy tears upon seeing Nezuko alive and walking in the sun. Moreover, he was worried about Nezuko losing control again like in the Entertainment District arc, but she never went berserk again.
His boundless kindness and empathy
Tanjiro is kind, empathetic, and a good person, but he is no fool. The Entertainment DIstrict arc ended with him having the Upper Moon Six demons, Daki and Gyutaro, reconcile during their death, as the two were siblings and even thought he could’ve ended up like Gyutaro if things had been different.
He then warmed up to Genya, and that took work. However, what really made him worthy of the praise he got at the end of Demon Slayer’s third season was his kindness towards Kotetsu. Seeing that the young swordsmith’s interactions with demon slayers were the rude Muichiro and the hot-headed Genya, a little kindness went a long way.
Tanjiro made an effort to get to know everyone and was already good with kids, if his interactions with Kiyo, Naho, and Sumi was any indication at the beginning of the arc. Moreover, he never makes fun of Mitsuri’s backstory, his only annoyance had been with Zenitsu and Inosuke occasionally, and even that wears out eventually.
Valuing life is not weakness
The Incredibles has a quote describing what Tanjiro stands for:
“Valuing life is not weakness, and disregarding it is not strength.”
Tanjiro’s humanity is so pure that during the Mugen Train arc, it caused his human would-be killer to stop and weep and be at peace with himself.
In Demon Slayer, fundamentally about refusing to give in to the worst impulses: greed, ultraviolence, apathy toward innocents, etc. Tanjiro values every life he comes across. He may have rage that explodes, akin to a violent storm toward irrational evil, but he’s not going around and killing people en masse.
In short, Tanjiro always keeps to his ideals and principles even in the face of humanity’s evils. Moreover, he never really raises his sword against humans. The only time he tried lethality was against Giyu Tomioka in defense of Nezuko. All other times, including on the Mugen train, he’s incapacitated human opponents nonlethally.
To conclude this examination of Demon Slayer’s main protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, he is unfailingly kind and more human than most shonen protagonists. By the end of the Swordsmith Village arc, his humanity has been tested time and again and yet he always remains true to himself.
This is despite his injuries or the malice he’s faced with. This isn’t presented as a weakness, or something holding him back that he needs to overcome. On the contrary, the number of people he helped who return the favor many times over serves to show how incredible his humanity is in a world determined to suck it out.
If any readers have anything to add to Demon Slayer’s protagonist, they can do so in the comments.
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