In Demon Slayer, one can argue that more than one main character steals the spotlight, notably Tanjiro Kamado and Inousuke Hashibira. Both display distinct qualities that many protagonists and 'anti-heroes' share in Shōnen series.

RELATED: 10 Anime To Watch If You Love Demon Slayer

To most, Tanjiro being the protagonist seems a no-brainer, however, taking into account the traits and backstory of the reckless and loud Inousuke, he doesn't seem too far off either. In reality, these two characters have much in common and share a similar life goal. In this post, we will take a look at both of these very different yet very similar characters to see which should be named the true principal hero of this popular series.

10 Inousuke/His Mother's Death

inosuke mom

Both Tanjiro and Inousuke share a grim reality in that they have family that has been killed by demons, namely under the command of or by the hands of Muzan Kibutsuji. Kibutsuji was once a human himself but is now a very powerful demon who turns other humans into demons with his tainted blood. The link connecting Inousuke's mother's death to Muzan is one of his members of the Twelve Demon Moons, Doma. Inousuke had a harsh childhood and due to this father's abuse, his mother took infant Inousuke and ran from home where they ended up joining the Eternal Paradise Cult ran by Doma. However, the group was not as they seemed, and it was found out that Doma inevitably devoured his followers. Upon realizing this, mother and child fled but were pursued. Having been trapped on a cliffside, Inousuke's mother threw her son into a river in an attempt to save him from being eaten and was then eaten herself.

9 Tanjiro/His Family's Death

As with Inousuke, Tanjiro's family met their demise by the hand of demons. And it was indeed by the same exact demon, Muzan Kibutsuji. After Tanjiro's father's death due to illness, he became the bread-winner and would work during the day selling charcoal to support his mother and many younger siblings. One day, on his way back, his keen sense of smell noticed the stench of blood. The source was his entire family, slaughtered by demons. One of his sisters, Nezuko, was still breathing and so he grabbed her in an effort to find help. It turned out that Nezuko had turned into a demon herself and it was due to the demon Muzan using his 'Demon Blood Empowerment.' This unique ability, due to his special blood, upon being ingested by humans, would make them transform into demons themselves with access to many abilities derived from the 'Blood Demon Arts.'

8 Inousuke/Traits

inosuke in demon slauer

Inousuke is very hot-headed with a gung-ho attitude that lands him in trouble most times, especially with strong enemies. However, as he spends more time with Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Zenitsu, he starts to develop desirable traits such as discovering friendship and teamwork. Instead of continually challenging stronger enemies on his own, he becomes more inclined to ask for help, even though it damages his pride. Inousuke's character is typical but has depth at the same time which adds to his allure. As with other protagonists, fans cheer him on and genuinely want him to succeed, even though his path to victory at times can be brass.

RELATED: Demon Slayer: 5 Reasons Inousuke Is Best Boy (& 5 Reasons It's Zenitsu)

7 Tanjiro/Traits

Tanjiro is a character that many can relate to and strive to be. To avenge his family and turn his sister back to a human, he trained immensely, gaining strength and resolve. Even with this immense strength and his work with the Demon Slaying Corps, he has not lost his kind heart and helpful nature. He also displays a huge sense of empathy, for humans and demon alike, sometimes casting aside all hatred and achieving clarity and calm, treating all with respect and dignity regardless of what they have done. With his immense strength and skills, he can easily be ruthless but even in this cruel world, he chooses to be kind above all.

6 Inousuke/Fighting Style

inosuke injured closeup

No pun intended Inousuke can be quite 'pig-headed' at the best of times. He is constantly looking for a fight and often causes bodily harm to himself by dislocating limbs and ramming his head into things, just because he can. His fighting style can be classified as 'Berserker' in nature since he goes into complete frenzies with his state of mind being overshadowed by bloodlust, putting him in many situations where he could easily die. He has come to the realization that he is indeed not the strongest fighter in the world which makes him more cautious.

5 Tanjiro/Fighting Style

With his newfound strength and abilities due to his training, Tanjiro went from being strong-willed to actually quite strong physically. His sense of pride and compassion towards others can be reckless in that he holds others' lives higher than his own. Many look up to the fact that even though a situation might seem hopeless, he never gives up or backs down. However, Nezuko, who as a human, was physically weak, has embraced her 'gifted' demon abilities and has surprisingly helped Tanjiro in protecting her on multiple occasions, emerging from the artfully crafted box that she slumbers in.

4 Inousuke/Has One Of The Five Enhanced Senses

Inosuke headbutt Tanjiro Demon Slayer

Another attribute to add to his arsenal is Inousuke's stronger than normal sense of touch. Most likely developed due to his boar upbringing in the mountains, he can detect if enemies are nearby from the vibrations in the air around him. This ability also helps his execution of his multiple Breath Style techniques, which helps his extreme stamina and strength. For example, due to this technique, he was able stand his ground all his own against the father of the Spider Family in Natagumo Moutain.

3 Tanjiro/Has One Of The Five Enhanced Senses

Tanjiro's ability makes him one of the strongest demon slayers in the series and he can thank his father for it. Along with his 'Breath of Water' techniques, he also uses 'Dance of the Fire God' which was passed down within his family from generation to generation. This strengthens his endurance and to visibly see an opening in his opponent's attacks via a red thread. With just two years of training added to this array of special skills, he has become a formidable opponent for any demon.

RELATED: Demon Slayer: 10 Facts You Didn't Know About The Nichirin Blade

2 Inousuke/Character Development

At first, Inousuke appears to be a loner who is constantly looking for a fight, not caring who the opponent is. His takes on the world alone, with no empathy for others, which is most likely due to his childhood in the mountains apart from civilization. Once he meets Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Zenitsu, his demeanor develops into more human than boar and he goes from wanting solitude to seeking out help and friendship. There have also been more than one occasion where he actually wished Tanjiro was there to help him, which is a thought that would never cross his mind in the past.

1 Tanjiro/Character Development 

Lastly, even though Inousuke has shown to be a formidable candidate for the protagonist spot, Tanjiro continually shows that he is indeed the one. He shares almost all of the key traits in many anime series, some being strength, resolve, loyalty, empathy, and sheer will. From the very beginning, before any proper training, he used what he had available to him to fend off demons from his surviving sister, near death. He made it his life goal to avenge his family's murder and turn his kid sister back into a human by going above and beyond, through intense, back-breaking training. He became a member of the Demon Slayer Corps and fueled by his hardships, developed a taste for vengeance.

As with many other series, Demon Slayer is one that can arguably have more than one protagonist, one secondary, the other main, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Both Tanjiro and Inousuke are equal in their resolve to slay demons. Even though they both come from different walks of life, they meet in the middle to share similarities that bind them. In this way, both feed off of/complement each other and make for an interesting debate.

NEXT: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Movie Gets New Teaser, Release Window