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Does Tanjiro Become a Hashira in Demon Slayer? Discover his power level and ultimate fate at the end of the series.
Even after almost 5 years following the manga’s conclusion, Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer is still one of the hottest topics in the anime world – thanks to the overwhelming popularity of its anime adaptation brought to life by Ufotable Studio. In fact, one of the most common questions anime-only fans often ask is whether Tanjiro Kamado, the series protagonist, ever officially became a Hashira.
After all, Tanjiro is the main character and has plot armor that rivals even the Demon King Muzan’s regeneration. Surprisingly, however, the answer to this frequently asked question is no. Although Tanjiro arguably became stronger than almost every other Hashira by the end of the series, he never officially became a Hashira. With that in mind, let us further explore why Tanjiro never became a Hashira in Demon Slayer and if he survived the final battle against Muzan.
What Does It Take To Become a Hashira in Demon Slayer?
For those unaware, Hashira is the rank that is given to only the strongest members of the Demon Slayer Corps. In other words, it’s the highest rank that a Demon Slayer can obtain in the Demon Slayer Corps. The ones that are powerful enough to hold the title of Hashira are regarded as the strongest and most skilled combatants of the corps. They wield unparalleled mastery of swordsmanship and their respective Breathing Styles.
A Demon Slayer can prove that they are worthy of becoming a Hashira in two ways – they can either have a kill count of at least 50 Demons, or they must singlehandedly slay a member of the Twelve Kizuki, aka the Twelve Demon Moons.
Another way to become a Hashira is by becoming a Tsuguko (successor) of a Hashira, which is no easy task. It requires an immense amount of talent and strength. Furthermore, the Tsuguko will only be promoted to the rank once the Hashira retires or dies.
Was Tanjiro Powerful Enough To Become a Hashira?
By the end of the series, Tanjiro was indeed strong enough to become a Hashira. He was perhaps stronger than almost every single Hashira in Demon Slayer. His final stand against Muzan Kibutsuji is a testament to this. In fact, he had a bigger role in slaying Akaza, the Upper Rank Three Demon, than Giyu Tomioka, an actual Hashira.
Even before the final battle, Tanjiro battled Upper Moons alongside several Hashira, including Kyojuro Rengoku and Tengen Uzui. At the time, it was clear that there was a considerable gap in their power. However, the fact that Tanjiro fought alongside the Hashira in battle, that too, against some of the strongest Upper Moon Demons while managing to contribute to the fight, is an impressive feat in itself.
By the time of the final battle, Tanjiro had mastered all the forms in Hinokami Kagura. It allowed him to awaken the legendary Sun Breathing Style and fight on equal footing against Muzan all by himself. In addition to that, Tanjiro was able to access the Transparent World, and subsequently achieved Selfless State prior to his battle against Muzan. All of this, combined with his enhanced physical abilities awakened through his Demon Slayer Mark, made Tanjiro quite possibly the strongest Demon Slayer of all time, second only to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
It’s also worth mentioning that Tanjiro was by far the biggest contributor in defeating Muzan. He lasted almost an hour fighting the Demon King, which is especially impressive when you consider that Tanjiro fought against Muzan all alone while even the likes of Giyu, Gyomei, Sanemi, and Obanai were all knocked down in a single attack. What’s more, even Muzan wasn’t able to tell Tanjiro’s movements and techniques apart from Yoriichi’s, which further illustrates his incredible growth.
Why Tanjiro Never Became a Hashira in Demon Slayer
In spite of all his strength, Tanjiro never officially became a Hashira in Demon Slayer. The reason for this is simple – there was no need for the Hashira, or even the Demon Slayer Corps, at the end of the series.
The Demon Slayers were victorious in their final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, despite suffering heavy losses. With Muzan’s defeat, the entire reason for the Demon Slayer Corps’ existence vanished. They had successfully fulfilled their purpose, and the Hashira were no longer needed as there were no more Demons left to fight. As such, even though Tanjiro had officially earned the title, it wouldn’t have lasted very long.
Let’s also not forget that Tanjiro went through absolute hell in the final battle. After fighting and killing the Upper Rank Three Demon, Akaza, Tanjiro was immediately thrust into an all-out battle for survival against Muzan. By the end of the battle, Tanjiro lost an arm, went blind in one eye, and was also recovering from being turned into a Demon.
As we can see, Tanjiro barely made it out alive. It’s safe to say that even if the Demon Slayer Corps hadn’t been dissolved and Tanjiro was actually made into a Hashira, his injuries wouldn’t have allowed him to continue being an active combatant. That said, Tanjiro never really wanted to become a Hashira in the first place. All he cared about was turning back his sister, Nezuko, into a human and avenging his family—which he did.
Did Tanjiro Survive the Final Battle Against Muzan in Demon Slayer?
Answering this question is a bit complicated. To put it simply, it’s both a no and a yes. At first, Tanjiro actually did pass away shortly after defeating Muzan. He had no pulse, as he likely succumbed to the injuries he suffered while fighting Muzan.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Muzan used the last bit of his power to bring Tanjiro back to life by turning him into a Demon. He entrusted the role of the Demon King to Tanjiro, instructing him to carry on his will by annihilating the remainder of the Demon Slayer Corps. For a brief moment, it looked like it was all over for the Demon Slayers, as Tanjiro, in his Demon King form, managed to conquer the Sun.
Fortunately, he managed to fight back against Muzan and took back control of his body, thanks to Nezuko and the others. In the end, he managed to survive the events of the final battle. However, he suffered irreversible injuries that made it impossible for him to continue fighting as a Demon Slayer, which he obviously didn’t need to anymore.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Tanjiro Kamado never officially became a Hashira in Demon Slayer. That said, he didn’t really need to. By the end of the series, he had already surpassed their power level. Moreover, he played a bigger role in ending Muzan than any other Hashira did.
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