Darker themes are present throughout the story of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba. Many of the characters have heart-breaking backstories. Also, the events that unfold throughout Tanjiro and Nezuko's journey in the series pull at the viewer's heartstrings as well.
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Since demons run rampant throughout the night, there are plenty of deaths in the world of Demon Slayer, making it a common occurrence in the show. Demon Slayer is set in a fantasy world where a person can be turned from a human into a demon, but the unfortunate part is that there isn't a power to bring them back to life. Once a character has been killed, it's the end of their story, making each loss even more heartbreaking.
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10 Tanjiro Kamado Finds Out That Sabito Was Always Dead
Season 1, Episode 3, "Sabito and Makomo"
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One of the first challenging training exercises Tanjiro had to go through was slicing a boulder with his sword. Training under Urokodaki, he spars with his student who helps him improve his sword swing. As time passed, it was noticeable that something was off about his sparring partner. It's revealed that Sabito has been dead the entire time and that he lost his life to the Hand Demon a long time ago when he risked his life to save other candidates in the Final Selection. With his help, Kamado is able to cut through the boulder and take the Final Selection Exam.
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To get revenge, he takes down the Hand Demon that killed Sabito, Makomo and many other demon slayer candidates. Later on, he finds out that Sabito was best friends with Giyu when they were younger and his death took a huge toll on him. Passing away at such a young age with incredible potential, the kind of demon slayer he would have become remains a mystery which puts it at the last spot on the list. Since Tanjiro doesn't have a strong connection with him, this entry takes the last spot on the list as there are heart-breaking moments that take place between loved ones and close friends.
9 Tanjiro Calms Nezuko Down By Singing Their Childhood Lullaby
Season 2, Episode 14, "Transformation"
Considering that Nezuko is a powerful demon, it's easy to forget how much weight she is carrying on her shoulders. Even though she is no longer human, she still has feelings. When she was going through a rage in her demon state, Tanjiro tried to calm her down by singing her a lullaby that their mother would sing to them as children.
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Up until this point, she wasn't able to mourn the deaths of her family. She misses her mother, which is evident when tears are brought to her eyes. Even Tanjiro was caught off guard by this emotional scene. It is easy to forget that deep down there is still a little girl down in her soul trying to live. It's unfortunate to see these moments come and go as she is always fighting for control between her human side and demon side.
8 Tanjiro Says One Final Goodbye To His Family
Season 2, Episode 3, "Should Have Been"
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Even though Enmu wasn't an Upper Rank Six, it doesn't make his Blood Demon Art any less frightening. During the Mugen Train Arc, the demon slayers were stuck on a train with this demon who has the power to enter people's dreams and manipulate their dreams however he sees fit. He put multiple characters through this torturous ability, but the worst of it was Tanjiro's actual nightmare.
In Tanjiro's case, he experienced a dream where he was reunited with his younger siblings, and he starts bawling and apologizing as he hugs them. However, he soon realizes that he isn't awake. He had to come to terms with saying a final goodbye to his family and face the brutal reality even with his younger brother running after him and crying for him not to leave. It was not easy for him to mourn the death of his family at such a young age, but to see them once again and parting ways was even worse.
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7 Rui Burns His Sister Alive As Punishment
Season 1, Episode 19, "Hinokami"
Family is a theme that is explored throughout Demon Slayer, and it is a big part of the Mount Natagumo Arc. Having a toxic family dynamic as a human, Rui decided to start his own family when he was transformed into a demon. Be that as it may, his idea of how family members should treat one another is warped. In the process of gathering members for his family, he would force humans to turn into demons.
The Spider Family would have to abide by his rules, or he would abuse them. An example of this is when two of his sisters decided to run away. As they escape into the forest, the two of them encounter Rui and the one sister finds out that the other betrayed her by ratting her out to him. As punishment, he strung up her body in a spider web so she slowly and painfully burned to ash when the sun came up.
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6 Daki And Gyutaro Are Inseparable From Birth To Death
Season 2, Episode 18, "No Matter How Many Lives"
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Besides Tanjiro and Nezuko, Daki and Gyutaro are second in line for the most unbreakable family bond. As demons, Gyutaro remains in Daki's body and comes out when she feels like her life is truly in danger. Once he emerges, he attacks anyone who tries to hurt his sister. Likewise, if her brother is in danger, she will rush in to fight for him. When they were human, he constantly made sure to protect his little sister, despite the terrible living conditions they grew up in.
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Their family was very poor, and the village ostracized them, with the duo only having each other to count on. Even in the afterlife, Daki chose to go to hell with her brother so she could stay by his side despite having the choice to go to heaven. This one moment shows how dedicated the duo are to each other. Moreover, the close bond the two share stands the test of time -- they will always be together, whether as humans or demons, or in heaven or hell.
5 Nezuko Loses Control When She Becomes A Demon
Season 1, Episode 1, "Cruelty"
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The Demon Slayer universe is coated in darkness. Right at the beginning of the series, Tanjiro's entire family is wiped out by demons, except for his little sister, Nezuko. Sadly, she was transformed into a demon and tried to kill her brother out of hunger and her new demonic mind. As he frantically attempted to save her, he came to the realization that she had become a demon.
Pinned down on his back, he blocked her attack with a stick and begged her to not lose herself completely as he sobbed. Droplets of tears begin to hit his face and Nezuko is shown crying. Although she had been turned into a demon, her human soul was still inside of her trying to fight back. Landing midway on the list, she learns to control her demon side with time and Tanjiro becomes closer and closer to finding a way to turn her back into a human.
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4 Kagaya Ubuyashiki Dies For A Greater Purpose
Season 4, Episode 8, "The Hashira Unite"
Under the impression that he could kill Kagaya with ease, Muzan approached his mansion with ease. Viewers thought that this would be the moment that the Ubuyashiki family would be wiped out for good. The tables turned quickly on the Demon King as he wasn't expecting a surprise attack. Even though Kagaya died, he did so on his own terms by planting explosives throughout the mansion that erupted in one big explosion causing Muzan's flesh to burn off.
To add on to that, Ubuyashiki had spikes appear with Nezuko's blood that disrupted his regeneration abilities. This allowed for enough time for Gyomei to swoop in and slice off his head with one clean swoop. After he hits Muzan with an assault, the Hashira arrive to deal more damage to the demon. Hopefully, Kagaya's selfless actions will result in the death of the Demon King.
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3 Sanemi Shinazugawa Kills His Own Mother
Season 3, Episode 6, "Aren't You Going to Become a Hashira?"
Seeing a family member pass away is hard enough. Having to kill one is even worse. One night, Sanemi's mother went missing, and he left the house to look for her. To his surprise, he found out his mother had been transformed into a demon. Deciding that she was behind saving, he took her life. When he returned home, he found all of his siblings slaughtered by his mother except for his brother, Genya.
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To make matters worse, Genya blamed Sanemi for their mother's death, even though he had no other choice. It's obvious why Sanemi has such an intense hatred towards demons. Even when he was first introduced, he stabbed Nezuko through her box despite not harming him whatsoever. The resentment he has towards demons will never truly fade away after what he went through.
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2 Watching Nezuko Nearly Burn To Death Was Tanjiro's Worst Nightmare
Season 3, Episode 11, "The Connected Bonds: Daybreak and First Light"
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Sacrifices are never easy to make, especially when it's a person's own life. Out of kindness, Nezuko gave up her life for a few civilians she never met before, which was heart-breaking for the viewers. During the Swordsmith Arc, Tanjiro had to make the decision to either rescue the innocent people by killing Hantengu or save his sister from burning alive.
In a turn of events, Nezuko is the one to make the decision for him as she kicks him off of her, launching him towards the civilians. This act displayed her selfless nature, which humanized her as a character, showing that demons can feel emotions. It was heart-wrenching to see the person Tanjiro cared about the most slowly being scorched by the sun. When Tanjiro thought that all hope was lost, it was discovered that Nezuko could survive in the sunlight.
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1 Kyojuro Rengoku's Death Was Heart-Breaking
Season 2, Episode 7, "Set Your Heart Ablaze"
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As one of the most popular characters in Demon Slayer, Rengoku's death hit fans the hardest. After finally defeating Enmu on the Mugen Train, he encounters Akaza. Despite his mastery in Flame Breathing, he couldn't defeat the Upper Rank Three Demon. Kyojuro's death was a major part of Tanjiro's character arc as it reinforced his desire to protect the ones he cares about. All the way up to his passing, the Flame Hashira was optimistic and positive, sacrificing himself to save the other demon slayers.
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Unlike the other Hashira, he humanized Nezuko even though she was a demon and was kind to the brother-sister duo. Similiarly to Rengoku, Kamado would humanize demons that he felt bad for such as Daki and Gyutaro. Even though he has passed away, the fire of the Flame Hashira will continue to burn on and inspire others to shield the world from evil. Securing the number one spot on the list, Kyojuro was a fiery character with a happy soul that will never be forgotten.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
TV-MA
Animation
Action
Adventure
Where to Watch
streamrentbuy
Not available
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*Availability in US
Release Date April 6, 2019
Cast Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Main Genre Animation
Seasons 5