The amazing and innovative visuals of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba have quickly made Tanjiro a highlight character on the anime scene, along with his Demon Hunter friends and even a few of his foes. Right from the introduction, the series wastes no time throwing its viewers into the breathtaking world of demon-slaying — and without slacking even a bit on character development!
So in light of DSKNY’s display of the beautiful struggle that is humanity, here is a list of facts you might not know about the show’s star swordsman, Tanjiro Kamado.
10 The Nearly Indestructible Forehead
If there’s any one trait that makes Tanjiro exceptionally unique, it’s his ultra-hard forehead. The interesting part is that Tanjiro’s hardheadedness is as prominent in his personality as it is for him physically.
The genuine kindness that Tanjiro shows even to the murderous demons clawing for his jugular is downright stubborn, if nothing else. But it’s that same steadfast quality that bashes right through the skulls, embittered attitudes, and hardened hearts of demons and other humans he comes into contact with.
9 Righteous Anger
Despite suffering the loss of his family and becoming a trained and established demon decapitator, Tanjiro is probably the most lovable guy you’ve ever seen. His unyielding kindness is also a powerful fuel to his anger, which functions as a key to his strength as a swordsman.
No matter how frightening the power of his enemy, Tanjiro persists and challenges the evil of the demons, reminding them to acknowledge their humanity. Many of his bloodthirsty opponents are able to find peace after crossing paths with Tanjiro, settling the unresolved heartache of the once-human monsters before they dissolved into dust.
8 The Nose That Knows
The ability to tell more than whether or not someone needs a shower might be a great weight to carry, but Tanjiro handles his exceptional sense of smell gracefully. Not much about an individual is hidden from Tanjiro’s nose, as he can recognize someone’s emotional state by their smell — even if they’re a demon.
This heightened awareness works for him in the heat of battle as well, signaling his enemy’s intent to attack, and revealing openings for him to strike.
7 Honesty Is The Policy
Although he isn’t very upfront with everyone he meets about carrying a demon around on his back, Tanjiro is very transparent and is pretty much honest by default. In his fight against Kyogai the Drum Demon, Tanjiro made sure to call out to the preoccupied monster, letting his opponent know that he was about to attack. The warning may not have been a move for survival, but Tanjiro’s sense of honor struck the heart of the Drum Demon, as well as many others he encounters in his travels.
6 Kimetsu No Barber
Tanjiro’s hair stays fairly well kept, but there isn’t much evidence of a professional hairdresser tending to his scalp. In fact, Tanjiro’s first haircut in the series wasn’t at all by choice. When the Demon Hunter Giyu Tomioka appeared, Tanjiro jumped to fight for his own and his sister’s lives. During the encounter, Tanjiro just barely gets himself and Nezuko out of the way of Giyu’s blade but gets his ponytail chopped in the process. Later, Tanjiro decides to maintain the look and trims his hair himself.
5 Adaptation
What good is learning without applying the knowledge to real life? Another key trait of Tanjiro’s is his ability to evaluate situations and think on his feet, allowing him to seize victory in his battles, and in his everyday life.
To begin with, Tanjiro was taught 10 forms of the Water Breathing techniques by the Demon Hunter Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki. As his swordsmanship improved, Tanjiro was able to assess other Breathing Techniques by watching and with a few explanations from his comrades, adding some variety to his arsenal.
4 A Calculated Risk Taker
Tanjiro is very daring but not at all reckless. In his battle with the Swamp Demon, Tanjiro jumps right into the pool of shadows, but not before pulling the kidnapped girl from out of it first. His dive into the swamp could be considered excessively daring, but the kidnapped girl coming out of the swamp still alive was for sure an indication of the possibilities. Tanjiro also understood the nature of the Water Breathing Techniques enough to have an effective plan of attack while in the swamp — a plan which happened to be a winning strategy.
3 The Motivational Swordsman
The immortal, man-eating demon population in the DHKNY world having the ability to increase their strength with every meal can most certainly cause thoughts of futility for those charged with fighting them (just ask Zenitsu!).
Many times throughout his Demon Hunter training and missions, Tanjiro confronted his fear and discouragement head-on. Quite a few of his victories were won in spite of injuries that should’ve lessened his chances, but through his positive self-talk, Tanjiro overcomes the mental obstacles and perseveres time and time again.
2 The Ultimate Big Brother
Born the eldest of 6 siblings — and in a family with a deceased father — meant Tanjiro had a whole lot of work and responsibility on the table for him. The circumstances of the household made Tanjiro the man of the house, equipping him with perspective, insight, and other life skills that allowed him to deal coolly and progressively with Inosuke’s wild tendencies, Zenitsu’s cowardice, and a whole lot of other idiosyncrasies of the people he came into contact with.
1 The Kamado Heritage
The Kamado family proves to be a strong one despite the unfortunate events that found them. As such, Tanjiro’s fighting style, the hanafune earrings, clothing patterns, and even the scar on his forehead are traits shared between him and his ancestors.
Tanjiro’s scar changes as he journeys as a Demon Hunter, but it was initially from a burn he received as a result of having saved one of his siblings from toppling a lamp over and burning himself on the forehead instead. Tanjiro’s father also had a scar in the same spot, which also is the location of the flame mark that appears once Tanjiro remembers what his father taught him.