Does Tanjiro Become a Demon In Demon Slayer? (2024)

On his quest to avenge his family and find a way to save his younger sister Nezuko, Tanjiro Kamado—the main character of Demon Slayer—grows stronger with every story arc. Considering he's been faced with the brutal murder of his entire family and people trying to kill his demon sister before he can find a way to cure her, Tanjiro has had no choice but to home his prodigious skills. Whether that strength is enough to keep him alive and slaying demons until the last one has been destroyed is yet to be determined onscreen, but for those itching to find out how Tanjiro fares in the end, the manga has all the answers.

The manga completed its run in 2020, but the anime adaptation of Demon Slayer had only just begun a year earlier, which means it's going to be a while before the anime reaches its climax. This anticipation of what will happen next has many anime-only fans waiting with bated breath. The most important of these question is whether Tanjiro becomes a demon himself.

Updated by Timothy Blake Donohoo on December 26, 2023: Demon Slayer remains one of the most popular modern shonen manga and anime, with the latter still being lauded for its beautiful animation. Even though the series' manga has been completed for a while, those who only watch the anime can't wait to see where it will take the story next. Chief among these potential developments in Demon Slayer involves Demon King Tanjiro, which is a state that comes into existence when Tanjiro turns into a demon.

What Chapter Does Tanjiro Become A Demon?

During its run in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, Koyoharu Gotouge's Demon Slayer manga produced 23 volumes and completed 12 exciting story arcs that saw Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps in constant battle with Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji and his neverending host of demons. In a secret war that's endured for centuries, there are bound to be beloved characters that fall prey to Muzan's scheme, including Tanjiro.

Being turned into a demon isn't as difficult as it might sound, and with Tanjiro and his friends regularly fighting demons, it wouldn't be surprising if he was himself turned into a demon. In Demon Slayer Chapter 201, Tanjiro and Muzan enter into an epic final battle that leaves both of them on the brink of death. Before dying, Muzan turns Tanjiro into a demon. Tanjiro quickly becomes the Demon Slayer Corps' most brutal enemy, even if he was their friend and ally in life. That said, he doesn't get the time to settle into this new identity.

How Does Tanjiro Become A Demon?

Believe it or not, creating new demons is surprisingly easy in Demon Slayer. Though it seems mystical, there's actually nothing supernatural about the process. Muzan exposes a living human to his unique blood, and a biological transformation occurs—much like that of a vampire—at a cellular level. Muzan is the only one capable of doing this. Similarly to vampires, if Muzan dies, all demons created with his blood will also perish.

Bearing that in mind, Muzan has been trying to turn Tanjiro into a demon for years by the time they enter into their final battle. After sustaining brutal injuries that would inevitably kill Tanjiro, Muzan (who was also dying) gave the Demon Slayer his blood. With Muzan's essence flowing through his body, the hero becomes an incredibly powerful demon. Not only did Tanjiro become the new Demon King, but he was also immune to the harmful effects of sunlight just like his sister. Combined with Tanjiro's Sun Breathing Technique, he was primed to become the most powerful demon to ever walk the earth, and he instantly turned on his former allies and began to attack. With Muzan whispering to his soul, it was a struggle to resist the allure of power and domination. Fortunately, Tanjiro was cured by ingesting wisteria.

Does Tanjiro Die?

Tanjiro's final battle with Muzan was brutal, with both of them teetering on the verge of death before all was said and done. In fact, Tanjiro did technically die because of the severity of the injuries his Sunbreathing technique caused. He lost an arm, broke multiple bones, and suffered a debilitating head wound that allowed Muzan to inflict him with poison. Muzan used the last of his power before dying to bring Tanjiro back, but he was no longer human.

Once the main story is finished and Tanjiro is cured, there is a time jump that reveals the descendants of all the survivors. This includes Tanjiro's future family line, which confirms that although he did eventually die, he had plenty of time to start and raise a family all his own.

What Episode Does Tanjiro Become A Demon?

The anime has yet to adapt Demon Slayer's final story arc. Tanjiro's death and transformation will not occur until "The Sunrise Countdown Arc," which is potentially still a few seasons away. The series has adapted up to the "Swordsmith Village" story arc, with the demonic form of Tanjiro still quite a bit away. At this point, given his desire to eradicate demons, it seems almost impossible to anime-only viewers that Tanjiro turns into a demon, much less the Demon King—and yet, shonen anime series are filled with surprise plot twists just like this one.

Does Tanjiro Become The Demon King?

The Demon King in Demon Slayer is more than just a title, and it is only given to someone of immense power. Given how he starts out in the series, it's actually shocking that Tanjiro becomes the Demon King. Neverthess, Tanjiiro turns into a demon, but the title didn't stick for long. It's important to understand exactly what a Demon King is. For centuries, Muzan was the Demon King because he was the first of his kind, and it was through him that all other demons were created. As Muzan was dying, he passed his essence into Tanjiro, granting him more than just incredible power.

This would allow him to become the new progenitor of demonkind in Demon Slayer, spreading his unique ability to withstand sunlight onto any new demons he created from his blood. Fortunately for the world, Tanjiro's reign as Demon King was incredibly short because he was cured. Had he been allowed to continue as Demon King, it would have had a devastating impact on human society. Demons would have the power to walk in daylight, just like everyone else, making it easier for them to hide among their prey and feast on their blood.

Demon Slayer can be streamed on Netflix, Hulu, Funimation and Crunchyroll.

Demon Slayer

TV-MA

Anime

Action

Adventure

When Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family was attacked and killed by demons, he discovers his younger sister Nezuko was the only survivor. As Nezuko slowly becomes a demon, Tanjiro sets out to find a cure for her and become a demon slayer so he can avenge his family.

Release Date

April 6, 2019

Cast

Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Yosh*tsugu Matsuoka

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

4

Studio

ufotable