When it comes to modern anime, no one can stop thinking and talking about the beauty of Demon Slayer. The anime is beautifully animated, the music score is top-notch, and the characters are quite incredibly designed. On top of everything, Demon Slayer introduces us to one protagonist who sees good in everyone, including the demons who want to eradicate humankind. Our hero, Tanjiro, fights many battles from the beginning, but the final battle against Muzan takes a toll on him, and he gets a demonic transformation. Here’s all you need to know about Demon King Tanjiro.
Spoiler Warning: This article includes major spoilers for the Demon Slayer manga by Koyoharu Gotouge.
Tanjiro’s Demon King Transformation
Tanjiro’s story begins when a demon slaughters his entire family, and his younger sister Nezuko is slowly being turned into a demon. The boy never thought in his wildest dreams that someday he would have to pick up a sword to fight the monsters that desire to invade human society.
However, Tanjiro didn’t get an option to choose another path. Well, among all the demon slayers and Hashiras in Demon Slayer, he was the one to empathize with everyone. Despite the darkness, Tanjiro never lost faith in light or good. He even doesn’t shy away from showing mercy to the demons after learning their backstories.
However, he never showed any softness toward Muzan Kibutsuji, who wanted to push humanity toward darkness and absorb Nezuko’s ability to conquer the sun. So, in his final confrontation with the Demon Lord, Tanjiro exerted himself to an extent that eventually brought him to the brink of death.
He also mortally wounded Muzan, and just when the demon was about to die, he transferred his blood to Tanjiro and made him his successor.
The Aftermath of Tanjiro’s Demonic Transformation
Muzan dies, and the Infinity Castle gets destroyed, but the clouds of danger don’t get cleared. And that’s because Muzan decided Tanjiro would inherit his will and feelings; mentioning that the boy would make the strongest Demon King and wipe all the Demon Slayers. Therefore, Tanjiro, who always helped others, turned into the new Demon King and started attacking his friends and sister.
The chaotic situation goes beyond every surviving warrior’s imagination. The one who was fighting for humanity against the demons a few minutes ago emerges as a new threat.
After coming back to consciousness, Tanjiro mindlessly attacks Giyu Tomioka, and when Inosuke tries helping the Water Hashira, the new demon king attacks him. Witnessing her brother causing chaos, Nezuko starts panicking, and when she tries to stop Tanjiro, she gets bitten on the shoulder.
Not only the physical damage, but Tanjiro also caused emotional harm to the ones he loved from the start. Let’s not forget how Tanjiro decided to become a demon slayer so that he could turn Nezuko back into a human. On the other side, he befriended Zenitsu and Inosuke, and together, the trio won several fights and gave us so many hilarious experiences.
No matter how hard the training was, Tanjiro never stepped back; instead, he always fought the external and internal fights bravely. Even though the demon slayers fight with Tanjiro’s demon king, deep down, they want to see the boy regain his humanity.
Tanjiro’s Demon King Form Surpasses Muzan
Muzan was the most powerful demon ever, as he was the one who created the blood-sucking monsters. But still, there was one thing that he couldn’t conquer, and that was the sun. He wasn’t resistant to the sun, and that’s why when Nezuko conquered the sun, he decided to come after her to steal the ability. Despite having tremendous powers, he is killed by getting exposed to the sun.
Before evaporating, he decides to pass on his legacy to Tanjiro because he believes Tanjiro is sun-resistant, like his sister. It seems he saw Tanjiro’s fate; after waking up, Tanjiro regains his lost eye and limb without getting burnt by the sun’s rays. In that way, Tanjiro, of course, surpassed Muzan in terms of abilities.
Tanjiro’s demon king avatar also gives him the ability to regenerate like no other demon. His scream can generate an amount of shockwaves that can throw away multiple opponents at once. However, with the efforts of his friends and his willpower, Tanjiro was able to overcome the darkness flowing in his veins.
He eventually turns back to being human without causing any casualties. So, in the end, it’s Tanjiro who ends Muzan’s legacy by killing him and not embracing his own demonic side.
