Demon Slayer: Will Tanjiro Become a Hashira?

Kamado Tanjiro is the most loved and admired protagonist of the manga and anime Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge.

Never did he imagine that his normal life as a charcoal seller would turn upside down after his family was slaughtered by the demon king Muzan Kibutsuji.

To add to this tragedy, Tanjiro’s sister Nezuko was transformed into a demon and was left to live at the cost of humanity.

To avenge the brutal murder of his family and search for ways to turn Nezuko into a human, he joined the Demon Slayer Corps.

The Demon Slayer Corps is an organisation established to ward off demons created by Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji and the demon king himself from the face of the world and protect humanity from their threat.

They recruit young men and women and train them in swordsmanship, combat skills, and specialised breathing techniques, Breathing Styles, to enhance their physical abilities.

Within the organisation, there are several ranks. It includes the Hashiras, or Pillars, the top-ranked, elite group of Demon slayers and the ones lower than them.

Only the Kinoe-ranked slayers are eligible to become Hashira.

These Hashiras led the Corps because they had proved their exceptional skills by slaying powerful demons, completing assigned missions, proving their allegiance to the Corps, and protecting civilians from the demons.

Each Hashira specialises in a specific breathing style and is responsible for undertaking the duty of training the recruited members.

Tanjiro received his initial training from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki, passed the Final Selection of Demon Slayers, and became one of the members of the Corps. He held the fourth rank of Kanoe and trained rigorously and extensively under the guidance of the Hashiras to become the mightiest of the swordsmen so that he could kill Muzan Kibutzi to quench his vengeance.

He was soon assigned to go on missions that involved intensive fights against the Upper Moons of Muzan. With more real-time experience within a few months of joining the Demon Slayer Corps, he soon undergoes a prominent and extraordinary transformation.

From Water Breathing, he shifts to Sun Breathing, the one he was destined to use. His Demon Slayer mark manifested with every fight he fought against the Upper Moons.

Kamado Tanjiro shared his breathing style with none but the legendary and strongest demon slayer to have ever existed, the inventor of the first breathing style, the Sun Breathing, Yoriichi Tsugikuni. The mark he develops also resembles the scar Yoriichi had on his face.

One could argue that Kamado Tanjiro, as he matures and develops, becomes more and more like Yoriichi Tsugikani.  We can see the striking resemblances of Yoriichi in Tanjiro gradually proving himself to be the carbon copy of him.

Tanjiro takes on the responsibility of carrying his legacy of defeating and slaying Muzan, which he was not able to accomplish.

In the Hashira Training Arc, Tanjiro undergoes arduous and vehement training under each Hashira. He trained to enhance his combat skills, endurance, and swordsmanship in every possible way to give a tough fight to the demons.

He practised rigorously, accentuating his breathing style to increase his durability by working on the weaknesses he observed while fighting the demons.

Over time, Tanjiro’s strength and skills underwent remarkable growth, which enabled him to surpass his previous limits and evolve as an exceptionally powerful demon slayer.

As the battle against Muzan approached, he finally mastered the only breathing technique that Muzan dreaded to the core of his heart and brain. He was on his way to finally achieve the title of Hashira.

Will Tanjiro Become a Hashira?

However, with a twist of fate, if it can be called that, the Demon Slayers soon faced the wrath of the Demon King.

The one thing for which Tanjiro was training relentlessly for years finally showed up.

In the Final Battle Arc, the Hashiras and the other demon slayers have a face-off with Muzan Kibutsuji.

Explosive battles, fatal injuries, death, failure, and blood baths were intrinsic parts of the fight.

The fight against Muzan was an extremely daunting endeavour where everyone had to push their limits to fight the invincible King of Demons. It cost the lives of many Hashiras.

But Tanjiro, with his indomitable spirit, went all out against him despite suffering numerous fatal wounds.

He gave a tough fight to Muzan, which was proved when Muzan acknowledged him as his perfect successor who could become the next demon king.

Tanjiro’s demonstration of his combat skills, endurance, and expertise in Sun Breathing proved that he was more than ready to become a Hashira.

In the end, on the brink of his death, Muzan bonds with Tanjiro, thereby creating the Demon Tanjiro for a brief moment. Even then, he fought back and defeated him from within.

He harnessed the actual true power within him that was originally possessed by Yoriichi and ultimately slayed him from within, finally putting an end to the tyranny of demons and Muzan Kibutsuji.

Now the question arises: if he was able to kill the Demon King, then why did he not become a Hashira?

We know that Tanjiro had unlocked all his powers by this time and had proven himself worthy of getting promoted to the rank of Hashira.

However, it is disheartening to know that Tanjiro never becomes a Hashira.

The moment Muzan was killed, it meant the extinction of demons from the world.

The sole purpose and the ultimate goal of the Demon Slayer Corps were fulfilled, and in the final Hashira meeting, attended by only Giyu and Sanemi, Ubuyashiki announced the disbandment of the Corps.

The Corps worked on hunting down demons and slaying them to ensure a world without demons. With the death of Muzan, there is no question of any demon appearing and creating havoc in society. The demon slayers now had no reason to fight. Therefore, keeping the Demon Slayer Corps active made no sense.

With the disbandment of the Corps, Tanjiro never gets a chance to become a Hashira, despite being eligible for the post.