Tanjiro Kamado
Kanji
竈門 炭治郎
Rōmaji
Kamado Tanjirō
Characteristics
Race
Human
Gender
Male
Age
13 (Chapter 1)
15 (End of Chapter 5)
16 (End of Chapter 204)
Affiliation
Affiliation
Demon Slayer Corps
Occupation
Coal Burner (Formerly)
Demon Slayer
Combat Style
Water Breathing
Sun Breathing
Debuts
Anime Debut
Episode 1
Manga Debut
Chapter 1
Portrayal
Japanese VA
Natsuki Hanae
English VA
Zach Aguilar
"In order to soothe the spirits of those it killed, and to make sure it claims no further victims... I will swing my blade down and lop off the head of any demon without mercy! But... I will not belittle those who regret their actions and suffer over the things they did as demons. Because demons were once human. Because they were like me."
-Tanjiro Kamado's ideology about demons in To Hell
Tanjiro Kamado (竈門 炭治郎Kamado Tanjirō) is the main protagonist of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. He is a Demon Slayer in the Demon Slayer Corps, who joined to find a remedy to turn his sister, Nezuko Kamado, back into a human and to hunt down and kill demons, and later swore to defeat Muzan Kibutsuji, the King of Demons, in order to prevent others from suffering the same fate as him.
Before he became a Demon Slayer, Tanjiro was a coal burner before his entire family was slaughtered by Muzan while his younger sister, Nezuko, was turned into a demon.
Appearance
Tanjiro is a young boy of average height with fairly tanned skin and an athletic, muscular physique. He has ruffled, black hair with burgundy tips, combed back to expose his forehead, and wide, dark red eyes with white pupils that appear lighter around the lower section of his irises. He also has a scar on the top left of his forehead, first seen when his mother brought him to watch his father perform the Hinokami Kagura dance. The scar originally looked somewhat like a graze until his fight with the Hand Demon during the Final Selection, after which it develops into a flame-like pattern as his Demon Slayer Mark. It is noted that his hands are visibly rougher for someone his age, as a result of his rigorous training under Sakonji Urokodaki. Tanjiro looks remarkably similar in appearance to his ancestor Sumiyoshi, possessing the same facial structure, eyes, and hairstyle as him, although Sumiyoshi's hair was longer, about shoulder-length and would be tied in a ponytail behind his head.
Tanjiro first appears wearing a checkered, black-and-sea-foam-green haori over a white robe and black pants. He occasionally sports a turquoise scarf and is seen with circular, white bands looped around his calves. He also wears a distinct pair of hanafuda earrings, with the image of the rising sun over a mountain. His hair is also kept tied back in small ponytail or bun; as he trains with Sabito and Makomo, his hair grows to his shoulders.
During the Final Selection, Tanjiro wears a blue, cloud-patterned samue-styled kimono and black pants, nearly identical to Sakonji's outfit. He still wears his hanafuda earrings, but his hair is cut extremely short and remains the same length since. Similar to the rest of the apprentices that were trained under Sakonji, Tanjiro wears a hand-carved fox mask crafted from his master on the left side of his head. The mask has red accents on the eyes, ears, and spots on each corner of its mouth. On the upper right corner of the mask, there is a sun-shaped design that likely symbolizes the scar on his forehead.
After becoming a Demon Slayer, Tanjiro wears the standard Demon Slayer uniform, a dark-brown gakuran jacket, a white belt, baggy chocho zubon pants that extend into tabi socks, a pair of zōri with red straps, and bands of white cloth wrapped tightly around his calves resembling kyahan, all beneath his signature checkered haori. He carries a large wooden box on his back (which was a gift to him from Sakonji Urokodaki), where his sister sleeps as they travel during the day.
During his second encounter with Muzan Kibutsuji, he injures his right eye in the Infinity Castle. As the battle progresses, Tanjiro suddenly collapses and his wound begins to form a large mass over his right eye due to the poison inflicted on him by Muzan. Later on, when Tanjiro wakes up, he is described as looking 'repulsive' by Muzan. Later in the battle Tanjiro's left arm is severed by Muzan.
After being turned into a demon by Muzan, Tanjiro is able to heal the growth on his face as well as regenerate his lost arm and other smaller injuries. He obtains eyes with slit pupils, fangs and flame-shaped marks over his left forehead and right jaw that are reminiscent of those of Kokushibo, in addition to a third, smaller flame-shaped mark coming down from the right side of his head down to his eyebrow after he conquered the weakness to sunlight. His scar turns into a flame-pattern as if it were a permanent Demon Slayer Mark, has become longer and is the largest of the three, and all three marks vaguely point towards his nose, though only his scar-mark reaches it. He still dons his bloodstained corps uniform, one sleeve ripped off where his arm was severed, but loses his checkered haori and the Nichirin Sword at his hip.
After returning to his human form, Tanjiro loses the ability to see from his right eye, the iris of which is now a dull pink-gray color and the pupil black rather than its original white. His left arm, which he regrew as a Demon, now takes the appearance of that which an older person may have, becoming wrinkled and skeletal, and he loses all feeling in it below the elbow and thus the ability to move it from his forearm down.
Personality
Tanjiro is very kind by nature and has been described by others as having very gentle eyes and a compassionate persona. He exhibits a great deal of determination and will not give up once he has a goal to achieve; the best example of this being his relentless quest to find a cure for Nezuko. Even though he is relatively strong on his own, Tanjiro isn't opposed to asking others for help when he needs it. He is very protective of his friends and even more so of his younger sister. However, despite his kind and understanding nature, Tanjiro does have a limit to his tolerance and has a distaste for rudeness and cowardice as he easily becomes annoyed by Zenitsu Agatsuma's constant whining, and angered by Inosuke Hashibira's barbaric actions.
Tanjiro is direct and very honest, taking everyone's words with sincerity and seriousness. Upon hearing Tengen Uzui claim he is a god, he asked what area is he the god of. He has difficulty lying and doing so causes his face to contort severely, as his honest nature clashes with the insincerity of his words. Having grown up in the countryside of Japan, Tanjiro has no experience of life in large urban areas. During his missions to Asakusa and Yoshiwara, he stared in wonder at the bright lights enveloping the cities. He naively believed the Mugen train was perhaps the land's guardian spirit and, just like Inosuke, he does not know what a red-light district is.
Under Tanjiro's rather kind and friendly shell, is a person with a growing fire of rage and vengeance inside of them. This side of him leaks out when Tanjiro first confronts Muzan, ready to take out his sword and attack him. When Muzan escapes, Tanjiro releases his frustration and declares he will be the one to kill Muzan. On Mount Natagumo, when the captured Demon Slayers had their necks snapped by the Mother Spider Demon's threads, Tanjiro shows noticeable anger that even Inosuke senses. Upon seeing Daki smirking after witnessing her slaughter three people indiscriminately with her sashes, he seethed with rage and confronted her alone. This side of Tanjiro is fully exemplified after Muzan's speech where he compares himself to a natural disaster. Tanjiro responds to that by calling Muzan "a being that should not exist." In the face of irrational evil. Tanjiro shows a more cold and terrifying side of him, acting more violent towards his opponents as a result.
Tanjiro's most notable attribute is his ability to empathize with anyone, even demons, which often makes him hesitate before delivering the final blow. Tanjiro has a unique ideology regarding demons, believing that those that have committed evil should be killed without mercy, but those that regret their actions should not be belittled after their deaths, showing great nuance and maturity in Tanjiro's thinking, probably brought about by his sister. However, as Tanjiro gains experience over the years of his service, he becomes more calculating and strict in his decisions. His courage to protect the weak commits him to face his enemy with respect and dignity, whether versus good people or evil demons. Tanjiro is adamant about serving justice to the evil, by any means necessary, even declaring to cut off the heads of demons who have committed heinous crimes and confronting them about their inhumane mindset and their criminal deeds.
As a demon, Tanjiro appeared to be mindless, like most initially are following their transformation. He acted like a feral beast, attacking anyone in sight without any hesitation. Not even his friends and comrades were safe. The one exception was Nezuko, who he refused to harm even after tasting her blood; a possible sign that he was fighting his transformation. His hostility towards the Demon Slayers might also have been due to his mind being affected by Muzan's desire to kill all Demon Slayers.
Abilities
Overall Abilities: From the beginning, Tanjiro was shown to be a prodigious fighter, having a strong natural aptitude for combat, especially in swordsmanship. Tanjiro was already introduced to have superhuman characteristics, like extraordinary senses, a heightened sense of smell, immense willpower and great intellect. His naturally obtained abilities go so far as to allow him to outsmart and catch Giyu Tomioka, one of the most powerful Demon Slayers, off guard and nearly land a fatal blow on him despite being clouded with intense emotions. Moreover, in his first encounter with a demon, Tanjiro managed to slash the neck of the Temple Demon and impress him, later being able to fend the demon off with a regular hatchet and come up with unique solutions such as using his durable head to headbutt the Temple Demon and also using his hatchet to pin him down and prevent him from moving.
While on Mount Sagiri, Tanjiro managed to impress Sakonji Urokodaki, the former Water Hashira, evading dozens of traps hidden all over the mountain to a certain degree of success through the use of his sharp sense of smell and ultimately managed to get accepted as his student. When tasked to cut a giant boulder, Tanjiro met the spirits of Makomo and Sabito, who trained him to properly utilize Total Concentration Breathing and hone his swordsmanship skills. After half a month of extremely intensive training, Tanjiro was able to surpass Sabito in a swordsmanship skill, awakening the ability to see the 'opening thread' as well as being able to slice the boulder in two, a boulder bigger and harder than any student before him had cut before. During the Final Selection, he was able to easily take down numerous low-level demons while using the Water Breathing Breathing Style without the help of others. Tanjiro eventually met the Hand Demon, a heavily mutated demon which has eaten 50 humans compared to the average of two to three humans that demons on the mountain consume, making him the most fearsome demon Tanjiro has encountered so far, further proven by the fact that he had killed both Sabito and Makomo. Through his acrobatic skills, swordsmanship prowess and sense of smell, Tanjiro managed to successfully decapitate the demon.
After officially becoming a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjiro faces numerous more powerful and skilled demons, most of which utilized Blood Demon Arts. Against the Swamp Demon, Tanjiro and Nezuko managed to subdue the demon and its clones, saving the life of an innocent woman in the process. When faced with the likes of Yahaba and Susamaru, more skilled and fearsome demons, Tanjiro's tactical intellect and swordsmanship skills allowed him to behead Yahaba on his own, while also managing to hold his own against Susamaru. During the Tsuzumi Mansion Arc, Tanjiro encountered Kyogai, a former member of the Twelve Kizuki, an organization of the twelve strongest demons in existence, and was capable of analyzing and adapting to his unorthodox mansion-shifting Blood Demon Art and defeat him. Despite still being the lowest rank in the organization, Tanjiro could hold his own against demons who shared the powers of an actual member of the Twelve Kizuki, namely the Mother Spider Demon and Father Spider Demon, and later held his own against the member himself, Rui, who held the position of Lower Rank Five. After recalling the Hinokami Kagura, a Breathing Style he learned from his father as a child, he almost defeated the Lower Rank demon, a feat which many believed only a Hashira, the strongest swordsmen in the entirety of the Demon Slayer Corps, could pull of.
During the Rehabilitation Training Arc, Tanjiro recovered from injuries and also trained with Kanao Tsuyuri, an extremely talented Demon Slayer and the Tsuguko of the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, managing to match her at the end of the arc. After mastering Total Concentration: Constant, which further enhanced his physical abilities, Tanjiro was capable of fighting and beheading Lower Rank One, Enmu, on his own, even managing to come up with a countermeasure to the demon's spells in the midst of battle and possessing enough willpower to commit suicide in his dreams in order to follow through with his plan. Later, with the help of Nezuko, Inosuke, Zenitsu, and Kyojuro Rengoku, Tanjiro decapitated the strongest Lower Rank demon. With the death of Kyojuro at the hands of Upper Rank Three, Akaza, the Flame Hashira's dying words served as a major incentive for Tanjiro to push on, serving as a major factor in his growth as a Demon Slayer.
After the battle, Tanjiro could keep up and fend off attacks from Daki, an Upper Rank demon, beings that have lived for over a century who has eaten 7 Hashira during her lifetime, although it was implied she was toying with Tanjiro during their battle. After Daki awakened and her power was amplified, an enraged Tanjiro managed to easily overpower her, coming as close as slicing off her neck albeit he ran out of stamina and nearly died before he could behead her. While injured, Tanjiro managed to assist a poisoned Tengen Uzui against Gyutaro, the true Upper Rank Six, and later outsmarted and decapitated him whilst awakening the Demon Slayer Mark momentarily. Thus, Tanjiro became one of the first Demon Slayers to ever kill an Upper Rank, a feat that hasn't been accomplished for the last century. Additionally, Mitsuri Kanroji later stated that surviving a battle against an Upper Rank demon equates to around 5 to 10 years of intensive training.
Upon receiving intensive training in the Swordsmith Village, Tanjiro's swordsmanship skills was greatly polished and refined while also awakening the ability to "smell the future", giving him the movements and reflexes comparable to that of the Hashira. Later, Tanjiro faced Upper Rank Four, Hantengu, and his clones, being able to fend off Urogi while also correctly deducing their abilities. Sekido also noted that Tanjiro undergoes explosive growth in the midst of battle, more apparently under critical moments. After awakening his Demon Slayer Mark for the second time along with the Bright Red Nichirin Sword, Tanjiro was fast enough to blitz three of Hantengu's clones simultaneously. When all four of Hantengu's clones combined to become Zohakuten, Tanjiro, with the help of Genya Shinazugawa and Nezuko, managed to hold their own against him. With the help of marked Mitsuri Kanroji, Tanjiro, Genya, and Nezuko managed to chase down the main body and successfully put an end to him, with Tanjiro dealing the final blow.
During the Hashira Training Arc, Tanjiro underwent gruelling training meant to bolster every member in the organization, targeting many fields such as stamina, flexibility, speed, and swordsmanship. When the final battle against demon-kind began, Tanjiro displayed skill comparable to that of a Hashira according to Giyu himself. Tanjiro, along with Giyu, made quick work out of dozens of demons that were designed to have the strength of a Lower Rank demon, and later when facing Kyojuro's assailant, Akaza, Tanjiro managed to surprise both Giyu and the Upper Rank by dodging his attacks and slicing off his arm. As the battle progressed, Tanjiro was able to fight on equal ground with a casual Akaza, causing the latter to praise his inhuman growth. After deducing Akaza's abilities and remembering his father's words, marked Tanjiro awakened the Transparent World and Selfless State, greatly amplifying his abilities, to the point where Tanjiro managed to slash off Akaza's arm before he could process what happened, dodge his most powerful technique, and later successfully decapitated him.
After the fight, Tanjiro and Giyu encountered the Demon King himself, Muzan Kibutsuji. Working together, both Demon Slayers managed to barely fend off the strongest demon who was casually fighting them, with Tanjiro losing an eye and being severely poisoned as a result, nearly causing him to lose his life. As he received treatment for his injuries, Tanjiro viewed the memories of Sumiyoshi, his ancestor that met Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the strongest Demon Slayer in existence and the creator of the Breathing Style that would eventually become the Hinokami Kagura. Through his memories, Tanjiro realized the slight differences between his and Yoriichi's wrist angles, footwork, and breathing rythm. Through this, Tanjiro was able to correct his own useless movements and deduced how to use the rumored thirteenth form of Sun Breathing. After waking up, Tanjiro saved Kanao and was later able to fight against Muzan by himself, who had just singlehandedly blitzed Giyu, Sanemi, Gyomei, Obanai, who were all marked, as well as Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Kanao who were invisible thanks to Yushiro's Blood Demon Art. Muzan expressed feelings of unease towards Tanjiro due to the similarities between him and Yoriichi, further showcasing his incredible abilities. With one eye alone as well as his fatigue becoming more and more pronounced, Tanjiro was able to keep up with and fend off Muzan on his own, cutting off limbs and parrying attacks, which the combined efforts of the aforementioned Demon Slayers couldn't achieve. With the help of Obanai Iguro, Tanjiro managed to drive the Demon King into the corner and battle him for more than hour to stall for sunrise, the both of them constantly having to chase him down to make sure he doesn't escape. As dawn approaches, Muzan grows desperate and anxious, morphing into a gigantic fetus-like form that swallows Tanjiro whole. As Muzan is about to escape, Tanjiro with his Bright Red Nichirin Sword deals one final slash to the Demon King, exposing him to the sun, disintegrating him and putting an end to Muzan as well as all of demon-kind once and for all.
Demon Slayer Mark: Tanjiro's Demon Slayer Mark takes the form of a flame-like pattern replacing the scar on his forehead. After the Hashira Training Arc his scar is replaced with a permanent flame mark, and when he activates his Demon Slayer Mark it grows in size, reaching past his eyebrows. Interestingly enough, Tanjiro's mark is exactly that same as the marks of Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Kokushibo. The mark drastically enhances all of Tanjiro's natural abilities, such as his strength, speed, and reflexes.
Tanjiro awakens his mark for the first time while fighting Upper Rank Six, Gyutaro, which granted him the physical strength needed to behead the Upper Rank and later awakened it while unleashing the Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance technique against Hantengu's clones. Later, the mark reappears during his rematch against Upper Rank Three, Akaza. The drawback to his marked state is that Tanjiro can only enter it on rare occasions, and he can only use it for a very short period since it causes exhaustion to his body as proven in his battles against the Upper Ranks.
Enhanced Accuracy: Even before he trained to become a Demon Slayer, Tanjiro possessed impeccable aim and precision. This was shown when he outsmarted Giyu and threw his hatchet into the air at a perfect trajectory such that he it would strike his head. Later on, as Akaza was escaping into the forest, Tanjiro flung his katana with incredible precision over a long distance until it pierced the Upper Rank's body. Tanjiro also displayed his great precision against Muzan, where Tanjiro was able to aim and throw a barrage of swords at the Demon King with perfect accuracy on two occasions.
Enhanced Smell: Tanjiro possesses an extremely sharp sense of smell. Before becoming a Demon Slayer, Tanjiro was known in a village as the boy who has an extremely strong sense of smell. He is able to pick up even the most subtle of scents and track their location with terrifying accuracy over long distances. It is strong enough for him to smell the 'opening thread', the slight pause in an enemy's movement which allows him an opening in which to strike. His sense of smell is so keen that he can perceive his surroundings through scent alone.
Enhanced Strength: After his training at Mount Sagiri, Tanjiro has gained superhuman arm and leg strength and has demonstrated a great use of it, jumping over the humongous Hand Demon, and leaping over buildings effortlessly. Tanjiro also casually broke Genya's arm and shattered Inosuke's ribs and sent him flying all with a single punch. With his katana, he could slice through gigantic boulders and entire trees. While training, Tanjiro is capable of doing hundreds of push-ups at once along with a plethora of other strength-related exercises. When he was posing as a courtesan, he was shown to carry dozens of large boxes easily and when he was angered, he ripped off an Upper Rank's leg. When he was training with Gyomei Himejima, he was tasked with lifting 3 enormous logs on his back and push a boulder through town. He later managed to cut off Akaza's head, a feat which even Kyojuro couldn't accomplish.
Genius Intellect: Tanjiro is incredibly analytical and sagacious, as well as showing a natural aptitude and innate intuition in many varied areas. Even against opponents that heavily outmatch him in multiple categories, Tanjiro is capable of creating strategies to beat an opponent on the fly and in danger even if it results in his own death. Upon seeing a fighting style once, Tanjiro can analyze it, and it's even possible for him to accomplish such a feat even in the midst of a constantly shifting location where he lacks any environmental advantage or benefit.
Tanjiro has been noted to be very adaptive against any opponent as well as explosive growth rate. Furthermore, he is an expert at using his opponent's abilities against them. Even if the opponent offers no real details or specifics on their power, Tanjiro can pick up subtle phrases and words used throughout their fights to deduce the ability in a short amount of time, as he had done in the battle against Akaza. He's even conjured new abilities, even new Breathing Styles and utilized them effectively upon using them once, even able to combine techniques despite not being fully proficient in either of them, such as when he combined Water Breathing and Hinokami Kagura together in order to save Hinatsuru from Gyutaro, and later used once again during the Infinity Castle Arc to slay dozens of demons.
Hard Skull: Tanjiro has an innately strong skull, which the Temple Demon compares to a rock. During certain situations, he can headbutt the opponent hard enough to stun them or knock them out completely, in some situations even cause their head to bleed upon impact. Managing to hit the Temple Demon twice in a row without being stunned shows he is capable of doing it more than once. The full power of this attack is shown to give Inosuke a delayed concussion while Tanjiro suffered no backlash from it. Tanjiro also head-butted the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, having temporarily stunned him, leaving the other Hashira impressed by its durability. Tanjiro also used this to temporarily stun Gyutaro, Upper Rank Six, and used the opportunity to gain an upper hand over him. Furthermore, he caused Akaza, Upper Rank Three, to bleed when Tanjiro headbutted him.
Immense Speed & Reflexes: Tanjiro possesses superhuman speed and reaction time, being able to travel faster than the eye can see and even move faster than Sabito, an extremely skilled sword master who was able to easily move faster than Tanjiro can process. Furthermore, he can react to the blistering movement speeds of demons even before he started using Total Concentration Breathing. After a few months of training at the Butterfly Mansion, his speed and reflexes could match those of the strongest members of the Lower Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki. When angered, he was able to move faster than Daki, an Upper Rank demon, could even react.
Immense Stamina & Endurance: Tanjiro has incredible stamina and endurance, even before he became a Demon Slayer, showed when he had to train in a mountain with oxygen levels lower than that of a thick bog, dodging booby traps, running up and down the mountain constantly, and improving his swordsmanship skills and physique all while under these harsh conditions for around two years. His stamina and endurance was further improved having mastered Total Concentration: Constant, allowing him to stay in the Total Concentration Breathing state 24/7. His stamina was increased even further after he mastered the Hinokami Kagura, the same Breathing Style which allowed his sickly father to dance from dusk till dawn in the snow while barely clothed. Through he use of Recovering Breathing, Tanjiro can quickly recover from fatigue and was able to subdue berserk Nezuko despite crossing his stamina limit and nearly losing his life a few moments prior. Despite having his jowl stabbed by Gyutaro's Kama, Tanjiro barely showed any signs of pain at all.
When training with Kotetsu, Tanjiro was able to endure an extremely intensive training session for seven days non-stop with no food, no sleep and barely any water which he obtained when it was raining while also getting constantly injured and beaten. He was also in battle with Lower Rank-level demons for 5 hours in the Infinity Castle and was still able to hold his on and defeat Upper Rank Three, Akaza, and later went on to engage in a skirmish with the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, for 1 hour and 30 minutes till dawn. Furthermore, he lasted one of the longest out of all the other Hashira and Hashira-level combatants, while still being able to tolerate all the damage and injuries he sustained from Muzan Kibutsuji's fatal poison and physical attacks. Nearing the end of the battle, Tanjiro didn't seemed to be bothered when his arm was torn off by one of Muzan's attacks.
Indomitable Will: Tanjiro possesses an undaunted will and spirit, being able to fight and engage in battle against enemies stronger than him with his sheer will alone to kill Demons and protect his sister even when he sustained severe injuries and wounds. The death of his family also played a big role in his insurmountable willpower, his visions of his family members urging him on during times of crisis, allowing him to pull through any hardship.
During the Mount Natagumo Arc, Tanjiro was willing to sacrifice his life for his sister, relying on nothing but sheer determination to fight through Rui's attacks to kill him. When he was in a battle with Enmu, he displayed his supernatural willpower by committing suicide relentlessly in his dreams in order to awake from the demon's sleep spell, a feat which even Enmu thought was insane. After Kyojuro passed on, his final words and actions had a major impact on Tanjiro's mindset and willpower, increasing it to unprecedented levels, shown when he didn't give up no matter how hopeless a situation is, in the face of Upper Rank demons, no less. His spirit also played a big role in the final moments of Muzan's death, where his will allowed him to overcome his blood and return to becoming human.
Repetitive Action: A technique practiced by few members in the Demon Slayer Corps, it allows a person to achieve the same effects as Total Concentration Breathing by using repeating pre-set movements or remembering intense feelings to open the five senses and raise their concentration, drawing out the physical powers of the body for a long extended period. It is possible to use both Repetitive Action and Total Concentration Breathing simultaneously, granting the user immense strength able to rival Upper Rank demons. Tanjiro learned this technique after consulting Genya Shinazugawa. He raises his concentration to its maximum limits by remembering the faces of his loved ones and repeatedly recalling Kyojuro's phrase "Set your heart ablaze."
Selfless State: As he unlocked the Transparent World, Tanjiro also learned the ability to completely erase his presence like his father did, including all of his Fighting Spirit. This technique can also mask one's intent to kill and malice, allowing them to fight undetectable on against enemies' that rely on sensing one's intention to fight. This ability allowed Tanjiro to completely negate/bypass Akaza's Compass Needle technique and decapitate him.
Fighting Style
Master Swordsman: Tanjiro was always shown to be a sword-fighting prodigy, starting out with skill rivaling Sabito, one of Sakonji Urokodaki's strongest students and surpassing him in half a year's time and avenging his death by defeating the Hand Demon. Despite being Mizunoto-ranked, his skill with the sword was superior to many of his seniors, even to the point of defeating two Lower Ranked members of the Twelve Kizuki. His improvement in swordsmanship is also exceptional, shown when he could take on Upper Rank demons months after recovering from injuries and not having experience in fighting enemies of that caliber in the past. This is evident as he managed to keep up and defend from Daki's fierce onslaught of sash attacks as well as Gyutaro's attacks, despite the latter being immensely skilled in wielding his pair of Kama and posessing over a century of experience in wielding it. Mitsuri Kanroji commented that accomplishing such feat was equivalent to 5 to 10 years of harsh training.
With intensive training in the Swordsmith Village, his skills and prowess with the blade could match that of the Hashira, the most powerful sword wielders in the entirety of the Demon Slayer Corps. Tanjiro later managed to match and surpass Akaza, who is a martial arts prodigy with over a century worth of experience in hand-to-hand combat. Despite not being as skilled as Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he was still able to fight on equal ground with Muzan, showing his immense proficiency in the blade, thus making him one of the strongest swordsmen of the current generation.
Breathing Style
Water Breathing: (水の呼吸 Mizu no kokyū):Taught to him by Sakonji Urokodaki, a previous Water Hashira and Water Breathing Cultivator, this was Tanjiro's initial Breathing Style. He became extremely proficient in it, enabling him to take on two members of the Twelve Kizuki, namely Rui and Enmu. However, due to his body not being suited to Water Breathing's techniques, Tanjiro decided to switch to the Hinokami Kagura as his main Breathing Style. Despite this, Tanjiro has not abandoned what he was taught, combining Water Breathing with the Hinokami Kagura, due to the strain Hinokami Kagura placed on his body, in order to have stronger strikes than when he used Water Breathing alone and move for longer periods than if he used Hinokami Kagura alone. He did this to save Hinatsuru from Gyutaro, and later used it once again during the Infinity Castle Arc to slay dozens of demons.
Hinokami Kagura: (ヒノカミ神楽 Hinokami Kagura) During his near-death experience in his battle with Rui, Tanjiro awakened this in a memory of his father teaching him this Breathing Style. As his body was more suited to the Hinokami Kagura, he quickly overpowered the Lower Rank demon. However, the sheer force and fatigue it place on his untrained body caused him to collapse and weaken significantly when using it, thus he only saved it for last ditch attempts to beat his adversaries.
After the Mugen Train Arc, Tanjiro trained more so that his body could take the strain of its techniques, and was capable of using multiple forms in succession in his battle against Daki, although the whiplash from doing so became quickly apparent. Still, through battling Hantengu and undergoing intense training during the Swordsmith Village Arc and the Hashira Training Arc, Tanjiro finally managed to master all the forms in the Hinokami Kagura, using it to its full potential against Akaza. When Tanjiro fully witnessed all the forms performed by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he realized his own Hinokami Kagura had unncessary movements, different wrist angles, footwork and breathing rhythm. Removing them enabled him to awaken the legendary Sun Breathing, and he was able to temporarily battle on equal grounds with the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, to the point that Muzan saw Yoriichi's visage overlapping with Tanjiro's own when he was performing the techniques against him.
Equipment
Standard Nichirin Katana: As a Demon Slayer, Tanjiro carries around a standard sized and shaped Nichirin katana. His first katana was forged by Hotaru Haganezuka. Originally it has standard metallic color, but changed to deep black the first time he held it. It can also become bright red either with Nezuko Kamado's Blood Demon Art or when he actively turns it bright red through his Demon Slayer Mark. His original hilt is a black ring connected to its core by lines with a border of the same color, which heavily resembles a wagon wheel in appearance. Along with his katana, Tanjiro has a standard sword sheath that is deep black in color. Tanjiro damaged or broke his sword a total of 3 times: the first in his fight with Rui when the latter's thread cut it in half, the second when Akaza punched it into pieces in a fit of rage, and the third during the fight with Daki when he chipped the blade after clashing with the Upper Rank.
After the Swordsmith Village Arc, he switched to using the katana he found inside Yoriichi Type Zero that was sharpened and polished by Hotaru Haganezuka. His hilt was changed to the one used by the late Kyojuro Rengoku as well, which is shaped like a flame with a red core and orange border. The new blade was not observed to change color, being already in deep black but has more intricate pattern, with the word Slay(滅 Metsu)engraved on the side. It is implied to be stronger than the standard Nichirin Katana as Haganezuka mentioned that the steel was especially good quality. It is further implied that the previous wielder of this sword is the legendary Yoriichi Tsugikuni. While Tanjiro has notorious habit of damaging his swords during his encounters with demons, this sword broke only at the end of the final fight with Muzan Kibutsuji. The sword was implied to be subsequently repaired and displayed as a decoration in his descendants' house.
Abilities (Demon)
Overall Abilities: Tanjiro is later transformed into a demon by Muzan Kibutsuji as his last-ditch attempt at living on even after being killed by the Demon Slayer Corps; Muzan hoped to pass his feelings and abilities onto Tanjiro, deeming him capable of fulfilling his legacy and becoming the next Demon King.
It was later stated by Yushiro that Tanjiro's potential to evolve as a demon was a lot higher than his sister's, who was the first demon to develop a resistance to sunlight, and even Muzan's, the progenitor of all demons. This suggests that if Tanjiro reached his fullest potential, he would grow into a being stronger than the Demon King himself. And when combined with Sun Breathing, Tanjiro could possibly match Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the strongest Demon Slayer in existence.
Nigh-Absolute Regeneration: Upon assimilating the blood of the Demon King, a being who possesses the fastest and most powerful regenerative power out of all demons, Tanjiro's regenerative abilities surpassed that of all other demons that existed. Even Giyu Tomioka noted that this ability, coupled with his immunity to sunlight, makes him a being who is practically invincible to all forms of physical harm.
Sunlight Resistance: After he first transforms, Tanjiro is initially affected by sunlight as any normal demon would be, however he quickly develops a resistance to it and is soon able to move around in broad daylight without taking any damage. It's possible that he's able to do this because, as noted by Muzan right before his death, Tanjiro is of the same blood of Nezuko who overcame her weakness to sunlight as a demon. Due to his resistance to sunlight, all Nichirin weapons and even Bright Red Nichirin Swords lose their effectiveness. Giyu claimed that, with his immunity to the sun, along with his enhanced regeneration, Tanjiro is practically invincible.
Unlimited Stamina & Endurance: All demons have a shared physical trait of endless and limitless stamina and vitality, simply being unable to accumulate fatigue or get tired no matter how hard they try to exert themselves. Demons can also endure pain and discomfort much better than humans and even the likes of Hashira, taking on onslaught of attacks as if they were nothing, such that a severed arm or slashed neck wouldn't even bother them. It is also revealed that demons don't need to sleep. Giyu Tomioka stated that demons don't feel pain or exhaustion.
Fighting Style (Demon)
Short-to-Mid Ranged Combatant: With Tanjiro's Blood Demon Art, Tanjiro's fighting style focuses on unleashing attacks from a distance similar to Muzan Kibutsuji. Had Tanjiro used Sun Breathing along with his Blood Demon Art, like Muzan suggests he would, Tanjiro's fighting style would be a combination of melee ranged sword attacks as well as mid-ranged whip attacks similar to Muzan.
Blood Demon Art
Biokinesis: As Tanjiro assimilated Muzan's blood, he subsequently gained his Blood Demon Art which allows him to control various properties and aspects of his body. Tanjiro first displays this by protruding bladed bone-like whips and appendages from his back which he uses to extend his attack range. However, due to his feral state, Tanjiro hasn't displayed the same skill at wielding them as Muzan.
Techniques (Demon)
Shockwave Energy Blast: Similar to Muzan, Tanjiro can project a ball of lightning-like energy from his mouth that prouduces shockwaves strong enough to create craters on the ground where it was released. The technique is powerful enough to blow away Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Goto while they tried to restrain him, with only Nezuko able to hold on. Even then, Nezuko's arm was damaged to the point her nails and flesh were destroyed from the blast.