Demon Slayer Fans Are Beyond Glad This Didn't Happen To The Hashira

"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" sprung from the pages of its popular Shonen Jump manga and landed into a record-breaking movie and hit anime series. The show's "Entertainment District Arc" adaptation may have wrapped up earlier this year, but fortunately, Season 3 is already in production. The next arc will cover Tanjiro Kamado's adventure into the mysterious Swordsmith Village to repair his broken blade. That seems like a simple enough task, but if the series has taught us anything, it's that nothing comes easy in a world with ruthless demons.

The show's fantastic balance of emotional storytelling and stylish action will likely continue in the upcoming season. In addition, "Demon Slayer" fans can also expect the show to give more spotlight to the remaining Hashira. In the Demon Slayer Corps, the Hashira are considered the strongest warriors within the group, having learned and mastered various breathing techniques. We got to see some of them in action –  Kyojuro Rengoku and Tengen Uzui – in gruesome battles during Season 2. Fans who already read the manga were treated with more of the Hashira showing their top-tier prowess at dealing with demons. Yet, fans also received a pleasant surprise about the elite group that had them buzzing with happiness on Reddit. Beware of major spoilers ahead for those that are only keeping up with the anime.

The concept of a betrayal in anime is so common that it's far surpassed trope territory and crashed into the world of memes. That's primarily the fault of numerous anime storytellers, as a seemingly good-hearted character betraying their comrades is now an overused plot crutch. That's why when the Hashira first made their notable appearance together in Episode 22 of "Demon Slayer," the red flags went up. It's quickly established that they're on another level especially compared to Tanjiro Kamado. And they quickly show how much they believe in the rules and order of the corps. It's the perfect setup for at least one of them to act as a double agent for Muzan Kibutsuji as the series progresses. However, as fans on Demon Slayer Reddit discussed, despite being faced with brutal battles, severe injuries, and even death, none of the Hashira turn out to be evil by the time the manga ends.

"I think it's great they all turned out to be noble people tbh [smiley face]," u/mandemango posted. "[I] was worried a little about Sanemi and Obanai, but I'm glad it's not what I thought it was." 

Sanemi Shinazugawa is a prime example of why the Hashira's dependable goodness is surprising. In the previously mentioned episode, Sanemi is presented as the most sociopathic, even going so far as trying to cruelly bait Nezuko into attacking him to prove she's just a mindless demon. However, he never turns evil and is seen during the Final Battle Arc bravely fighting against Muzan's forces. And at the manga's end, he is much kinder to Nezuko, as she reminds him of his own younger sibling (via Viz).

The Demon Slayer Corps didn't have any current heroes betray their own. But the same couldn't be said about someone from the organization's past. With the deaths of Gyutaro and Daki in the finale of Season 2, we'll see some more of Muzan's Upper-Rank Demons next season. And one of them is the closest the show has to a double agent. Kokushibo, aka Michikatsu Tsugikuni, is the Upper-Rank One Demon who makes his first appearance in the series in Manga Chapter 99 (via Viz). Without giving too much away, let's just say that he is deserving of his rank. He provides the Hashira with their toughest fight during the Final Battle Arc. But what makes him intriguing is his link to the Demon Slayer Corps.

His backstory from the manga reveals that during the Sengoku Period in Japan, he was one of the founders of the Demon Slayer Corps with his twin brother. However, jealousy overtakes him, and the former hero becomes a demon. For centuries he has hunted down and killed so many demon slayers. The manga explores his evil change through a flashback, but as one fan pointed out, it could use the prequel treatment. "That's why a Sengoku-era Demon Slayer spin-off would be so cool," u/IndicationCreative64 posted. "It could have a story like that, about Mitchikatsu's betrayal."