In Demon Slayer, we have seen several demon slayers and Hashiras awakening a mark either on their foreheads or their cheeks. This mark helps these individuals to get stronger and more capable compared to the ones who haven’t manifested these mysterious marks on their bodies. So, what is this exactly? Well, let’s find out about the Demon Slayer mark and its meaning below.
What Is the Demon Slayer Mark?
When we met Tanjiro in the first episode of Season 1, the boy had a burnt scar on his forehead, but with time, the scar changed its shape after his confrontation with the Hand Demon. Well, that was the demon slayer mark that many of us failed to notice at the time. However, with the story moving forward, we learn the true nature of that mark.
Demon Slayer Mark comes as a reward to the demon slayers/ hashira, who grow in terms of power and experience. The first person to have this mark was Yoriichi, the first demon slayer. Surprisingly, he was the one to have this mark on his forehead since birth. That can be one of the reasons why he was such a powerful entity from the very beginning.
How Can One Awaken the Demon Slayer Mark?
For someone to awaken the Demon Slayer Mark, they have to go through a rigorous situation. As clarified by the Mist Hashira in Season 4, when he manifested the mark, his body temperature went over 39 degrees Celsius and his heartbeat started pumping very fast. These things cannot be tolerated by every individual, as these can be deadly in some cases.
Advantages of the Demon Slayer Mark
The demon slayers or the Hashiras with the demon slayer marks go through massive enhancements in their speed, durability, and strength. Their extraordinary speed lets them catch up with that of the Upper Moons, and the sudden increase in their arm strength helps them give the Upper-ranked demons in Demon Slayer a tough time in a battle.
The Bearers of these special marks can also predict the movements of the opponents, as they can keep track of a person’s body movements, blood flow, and muscular contractions just by looking at them. Furthermore, the mark enables the bearer to transform their normal Nichirin Sword into a bright red one by holding it with full force. The bright red Nichirin Sword can then not only help to fight a battle but also slow down the demons’ regenerating abilities.
The Curse of the Demon Slayer Mark
While the mark is a blessing for the Demon Slayer Corps warriors, it has also proven to be a curse for them. That being said, anyone who awakens the Demon Slayer mark cannot live for more than 25 years. However, Yoriichi lived for 80 years, and there’s no explanation for that. Several theories suggest that it might be because he didn’t awaken it by going through the conditions we mentioned above; instead, he was born with it.
If you’re curious about all the characters who have awakened the Demon Slayer mark in the series, we have listed them in a dedicated post.
The first demon slayer, Yoriichi, was the first to unlock the mysterious mark. However, he did not have to struggle to manifest it as the demon slayer mark appeared on his face when he was born. Besides him, Tanjiro Kamado was the first to manifest the mark while fighting Gyutaro and Daki.
Even though Rengoku was a powerful Hashira, he didn’t reach the part where he could have manifested the demon slayer mark.
Rengoku was able to stand toe-to-toe against Akaza without the demon slayer mark so he could have very well defeated him if he had manifested one.
