Does Tanjiro become a demon in Demon Slayer?

In the world of demon slayers, only those that prove to be the strongest of their kind are asked to become demons. Though the show follows Tanjiro on his quest to become a demon slayer, fans are unsure what his connections to the demon world might mean for his own future.

With season 3 offering up more answers, here’s everything we know about whether Tanjiro really will become a demon – and warning: there are Demon Slayer manga spoilers ahead.

Does Tanjiro become a demon?

The short answer is yes, but it’s not for long. Though the storyline hasn’t been properly visited in the anime yet, the original Demon Slayer manga holds all the answers.

Towards the final arcs of the manga, Tanjiro is mortally wounded and dies during a fight with the Demon King Muzan. Though Muzan is also seriously injured, he uses the last of his powers to turn Tanjiro into a demon. It’s supposedly his plan all along, though demon-Tanjiro is pretty quick to try and attack everything around him.

Thankfully, Tanjiro is able to turn back to normal after eating some medicine that’s made from wisteria. He’s as good as normal, even though he still has a bit of Muzan living inside of him. It’s this reference to fighting “inner demons” that fans will come across in the anime, meaning this part of Tanjiro’s story is definitely on the way.

What type of demon slayer is Tanjiro?

While the type of demon Tanjiro briefly turns into is unknown, he’s better known as a Kanoe-ranked demon slayer.

In order to find a way to turn his sister Nezuko back into a human, Tanijro became a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Even before becoming a demon slayer, Tanijro’s powers made themselves known and included having a hard skull, a strong sense of smell, enhanced strength and intense stamina and endurance.

Tanjiro awakens his demon slayer mark during his first fight with the Upper Rank Six, gaining the ability to use the bright red Nichirin Sword, foresee his opponent’s attacks and completely erase his presence from the battlefield. He’s also well-known for using a repetitive action and switching to a water breathing style.

Does Tanjiro become evil in Demon Slayer?

Yes and no. In the final Sunrise Countdown arc of the Demon Slayer manga, Tanjiro’s brief time as a demon does make him evil. He mindlessly attacks his former Hashira companions and grows tentacles from his back that cut the people around him to pieces.

After he returns to normal, Tanjiro’s main sense of evil is having to live with the spirit of Muzan inside him. Through everything he does, Tanjiro’s main aims are to cure his sister and avenge his family, which aren’t exactly goals that make him an evil villain.

However, just like everyone else, Tanjiro can’t be a hero all the time.

You can catch Demon Slayer on Crunchyroll. Check out the rest of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight.

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