The main character of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is Kamado Tanjiro. He's a hot-blooded protagonist, as you'd expect from a Jump protagonist, but he's also a very kind boy who cares about his friends. However, he's also a bit absent-minded, and sometimes too serious that others can't keep up with him... But Tanjiro is growing more and more with each battle! In this article, we'll introduce you to this growing main character, Tanjiro!
Tanjiro Was Originally a Young Charcoal Seller
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
Although Tanjiro now fights demons as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, he was originally a young boy selling charcoal in the snowy mountains. Having lost his father and leaving his many younger siblings, Tanjiro seems to have worked hard as a father figure despite being a young boy. Although his life was by no means easy, he felt happy and lived a peaceful life.
Tanjiro's sense of smell is quite extraordinary!
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
One of Tanjiro's strengths is his ability to distinguish between various things! Not only can he distinguish between pleasant and strange smells, but he also seems to be able to distinguish between demon and human scents. This allows him to quickly detect the approach of demons, and when Nezuko transformed into a demon, he was able to detect the change by her scent.
By the way, the "sound" is so gentle it makes you want to cry.
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
Tanjiro is known for his excellent sense of smell, but his fellow comrade, Zenitsu, has extraordinary hearing. According to Zenitsu, Tanjiro makes a gentle sound that makes him want to cry, and as you can see from this gentle smile, there's no doubt that he's a kind boy at heart.
Tanjiro is surprisingly good at cooking, adept at controlling the heat.
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
This photo shows the Demon Slayer corps members eating, and Tanjiro is skillfully making rice balls and serving them to them. Although what he is eating is just a rice ball, it seems that the rice cooked by Tanjiro has a reputation for being incredibly delicious. When Tanjiro was praised for his skill at grilling fish, he smugly replied, "Cooking is all about the heat!" (lol)
Tanjiro and the Mist Pillar's Relationship with Tokito
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
Although Tokito is known as a genius among the Pillars, for a while after his first appearance, he was an unsociable, expressionless character. He also treated the swordsmith coldly, and often showed signs of not fully understanding what Tanjiro was saying.
After surviving life-threatening situations together, Tokito and Tanjiro quickly became close friends!
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
However, after the battle with the Upper Rank demons, Tokito's expression changed completely as he acknowledged Tanjiro! Even during training with the Hashira, Tanjiro passed and was told to move on to the next Hashira earlier than planned. He had a beaming smile he'd never seen before. Seeing this, the other corps members tried to join in, but... they continued to treat the other corps members the same as before.
Tanjiro and Nezuko are always together! Tanjiro will protect Nezuko!
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
When Tanjiro attended his first Pillar Meeting, many of the Pillars expressed their disapproval of his bringing along Nezuko, a demon. However, Tanjiro strongly retorted to the Pillars, and even though it ended up being a surprise attack to protect Nezuko, he still managed to headbutt the Pillar.
On the other hand, Nezuko also tries to protect Tanjiro.
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
Of course, Nezuko isn't always protected by Tanjiro. When Tanjiro reached his physical limit during Hinokami Kagura and was unable to move, he transformed into a demon and fought Daki, and after the battle he looked after Tanjiro and used his Blood Demon Art, Explosive Blood, to remove the poison from Tanjiro and his comrades' bodies.
The Secret of Tanjiro's Earrings
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
Tanjiro wears some unusual earrings, and a person wearing the same earrings appears in Tanjiro's dreams. Who is this person, and what is their relationship to Tanjiro? He's a mysterious character, but since he's wearing the same earrings as Tanjiro and giving him some kind of advice, it's possible he's someone we've met before.
What's his back view like?
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
One thing is intriguing about the swordsman who appeared in this dream. His back view is identical to that of Kokushibo, the Upper Rank One. Although he's not wearing earrings, his hairstyle and haori coat are identical. Since demons are originally human, it's highly likely that the swordsman in Tanjiro's dream is Upper Rank One.
What is the true nature of the birthmark that appears on Tanjiro's forehead?
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
Another commonality between Tanjiro, the swordsman who appeared in his dream, and Kokushibo is the bruise on the left side of their foreheads. Not only is the location, but the shape of the bruise is almost identical, suggesting they share some commonality. Incidentally, this birthmark also appears to have appeared on the users of the Breath of Beginning who came so close to cornering Muzan, so this could be an important point.
Incidentally, Tokito and Kanroji also have birthmarks.
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
It's said that once this birthmark appears on one person, it will manifest itself on others, and Tanjiro, Tokito, and Kanroji all have birthmarks. In Tokito's case, although the shape was different, it appeared in the same place as Tanjiro's, on the left side of his face.
The breathing technique Tanjiro uses is Water Breathing!
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
Zenitsu uses the Thunder Breathing technique, and Inosuke uses the Beast Breathing technique, which are perfect for each of them. However, Tanjiro uses the Water Breathing technique, just like the Water Pillar, Tomioka. It seems like Water Breathing doesn't really suit Tanjiro's hot-blooded personality... but this is probably because the master introduced to him by Tomioka was Urokodaki, a former Hashira who taught him Water Breathing.
After reaching the limits of his Water Breathing technique, Tanjiro uses a new technique: Hinokami Kagura.
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
While Water Breathing is a breathing technique he learned from Urokodaki, Hinokami Kagura is a technique he learned from his father at a young age. The Water Breathing technique was indeed not suited to Tanjiro's nature, but the Hinokami Kagura technique was too powerful for Tanjiro's body to handle... So Tanjiro decided to find a breathing technique that suited his body.
The protagonist continues to grow. Tanjiro Summary
Source: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba © Koyoharu Gotouge/Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable
So far, I've introduced Tanjiro's charm, but as the protagonist, he's a character with plenty of room for growth. His strong will to stick to what he believes is right. And his slightly goofy side. I think you can experience Tanjiro's charm in many different ways, so I encourage you to look at him from various angles.
