Tanjiro Kamado is one of anime's most beloved and compassionate shonen protagonists. From his love for his sister to his kindness to even the enemies, Tanjiro stands out amongst the crowd of powerful shonen heroes. While Tanjiro certainly shares many tropes with his counterparts, he is also unique in many ways.

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Fans first fell in love with Tanjiro because he defended his sister even when everyone else thought there was no hope for her, and he continued to take care of her and support her through everything. As he grows and becomes a more prolific demon slayer, fans still laud him for these ten things which make him so interesting and unique.

10 He Sympathizes With Demons And Hates To Kill Them

Temple Demon attacking Tanjiro in Demon Slayer

While Tanjiro was certainly going to do what it took to survive and to save his sister from her demonization, Tanjiro also felt bad when he had to kill. This was primarily because Tanjiro was so kind and soft-hearted, but also his sympathy for Nezuko might have been a factor.

Tanjiro is so unlike other shonen protagonists for this reason. Many shonen protagonists live for the fight (even if it is not for the kill), but Tanjiro does not take pleasure in hurting others, even demons.

9 He Took Care Of His Family And His Village Acquaintances

tanjiro with his family

Since they were left without a father figure, Tanjiro became an excellent caregiver and help around the house. He loved and cared for his family dearly. However, a lot of this was simply because he was a helpful person to start with. At the beginning of the series, fans watch Tanjiro help out a bunch of the townsfolk before heading home.

Other shonen protagonists often groan when they have to do mundane or domestic tasks, complaining that those jobs were not cool enough or a worthy use of their skills (like Naruto Uzumaki when he got D rank missions).

8 He Has An Amazing Sense Of Smell

Tanjiro smell

While many shonen protagonists have that one innate ability that allows them to become the strongest in the group, even if they were not previously, Tanjiro only has one innate ability, and it is not even unique to him. As opposed to characters like Asta from Black Clover, who obtains a special grimoire that no one else has, or like Naruto, who harbors the Nine-Tailed Fox within him, Tanjiro just has a good sense of smell.

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He is not the only one, either. His teacher, Sakonji, also did. Not having an ace in the hole inherent within him makes him a unique hero.

7 He Does Not Rush Into Fights

Tanjiro Water Breathing

While Tanjiro does rush in when a life is on the line and there is a time limit to saving someone, he never made a habit of blindly rushing in as many other shonen protagonists do. As a matter of fact, he is shown taking things more cautiously than others, and he is often treated as a foil to Inosuke in terms of temperament and energy.

This does not mean that Tanjiro does not do things quickly. He just is not as hotheaded about it. Characters like Naruto Uzumaki might charge in headfirst and spring many traps. Tanjiro was trained to sniff those traps out, make a plan, and tread lightly.

6 He Is Patient In Learning New Skills

Tanjiro and Shinobu talking on the roof against the night sky

Unlike many shonen anime protagonists, Tanjiro also has a healthy level of patience. Sure, he works all night and day for as long as it takes, as happens with many shonen anime training montages. However, he is much more patient about learning.

Meanwhile, Inosuke is constantly frustrated with the amount of time things take, and other shonen protagonists are the same way. Naruto got enraged when he couldn't make water spin within a water balloon, and Katsuki Bakugo got angry when he didn't immediately pass his provisional license exam. Patience is a rare commodity with shonen heroes.

5 He Takes His Sister With Him

Tanjiro And Nezuko (Demon Slayer)

Often, the hero loves to leave out their loved ones or the women. Sakura Haruno, Lucy Heartfilia, and Ochaco Uraraka are all female protagonists in shonen anime that are constantly left out of fights or find themselves in need of protection. However, Tanjiro does not leave his sister behind or make her sit on the sidelines.

Instead, Tanjiro allows Nezuko to help him from time to time, and he carries her everywhere he goes while she stays in a box on his back. Nezuko's intervention also saved Tanjiro on multiple occasions. In fact, many of the female characters in the show are proven to be incredibly strong, capable, and powerful.

4 He Does Not Take Joy In Fighting

tanjiro fighting with fire

While Tanjiro and his friends certainly want to get stronger to achieve their goals, Tanjiro himself does not take joy in fighting like many shonen anime protagonists. Even his in-show counterpart, Inosuke, enjoys fighting. Meanwhile, Tanjiro and Zenitsu prefer not to. Tanjiro fights only when he needs to, and Zenitsu runs when he can.

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This is a lot different from other shonen protagonists like Goku, and especially ones who love to test their skills with their rivals like Izuki Midoriya and Bakugo or Naruto and Sasuke. On the other hand, Tanjiro does not even have a true rival like that.

3 He Has A Clear And Simple Goal

Tanjiro angrily gestures towards Nezuko

Tanjiro's goal throughout the show is clear and simple: he wants to turn Nezuko back into a human, and he wants to save anyone he can from suffering a similar or worse fate along the way.

Gone are the days of trying to save the world from complete obliteration or trying to combat the embodiment of evil. The power creep found in a lot of shows that try to make the antagonists bigger and more complex as the series goes on is not found in Demon Slayer (yet). Having a more realistic hero with clear and defined goals is a nice change of pace.

2 He Stays Positive No Matter The Circumstance

tanjiro komado

After seeing his entire family killed, some of the Hashira killed, and seeing death on a regular basis at the hands of demons, it is hard to imagine Tanjiro would still keep his positivity and his kind-hearted spark, but he manages to keep this demeanor up even when the going gets tough.

While this is not necessarily unique to Tanjiro, it has become a common trope in shonen anime to have the main character fall into the role of anti-hero or just plain villain. Tanjiro's quiet kindness remains refreshing.

1 He Wants To Be A Normal Person

tanjiro kamadoddemon slayer

Tanjiro would have forgone learning the water breathing techniques and joining the Demon Slayer Corps if his family had not been killed. In fact, all Tanjiro wants is to live a normal life and to return his sister to normal. It was not his choice to leave his life and fight demons.

Other anime characters want to get stronger and to gain power, notoriety, and recognition, but Tanjiro does not care to be the strongest or the most renowned. He just wants to save his sister.

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