In the climactic battle of Demon Slayer with the Demon Slayer Corps having an all-out war against Muzan and his last remaining Demon Moons, it should come as no surprise that several sacrifices have to be made for Muzan’s ultimate downfall to become a reality.
During the entirety of the Infinity Castle Arc, which preludes the final arc, the Sunrise Countdown Arc, we see different members of the Demon Slayer Corps get killed as a result of their war against Muzan, especially after the former was pushed to his wit’s end due to a drug that was specifically developed to take him down.
We see how different Hashiras attempt to take down or even stall Muzan with the last of their strength, only to fall short against Muzan due to his superior traits as the Demon King and abilities that can catch anyone by surprise.
Tanjiro and Giyu were fighting Muzan in their weakened state, as they had already fought against the powerful Upper Moons. They could barely hold their ground against Muzan, who was toying with the remnants of the Demon Slayer Corps, with Giyu looking out for Tanjiro while fighting Muzan and relying solely on instinct to avoid any lethal hits.
The Fight Between the Demon Slayers vs. Muzan Kibutsuji
The fight between the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan immediately happened after the destruction of the Infinity Castle. The original drug developed to kill Muzan wasn’t able to finish the job properly, but it was able to subdue him to some extent for the last remaining members to put up a fight.
The plan to finish off Muzan was through the conventional weakness that every demon has, even the Demon King. This weakness is their weakness against the sunlight.
Muzan was fully exposed to the outside world while fighting the Demon Slayers, and it was almost time for the sun to rise. The Demon Slayers made a last-ditch effort to keep Muzan busy till daybreak.
The fight took the combined forces of all the Demon Slayers and Hashiras to hold Muzan off and prevent him from retreating, which made all the sacrifices until that point in vain.
Tanjiro played a central role in all of this as he made a huge contribution to subduing Muzan. This is thanks to having learned, improved, and subsequently mastered the Sun Breathing Style after watching his dad perform it in front of him through a memory.
It took the combined efforts of Tanjiro, together with his close allies, Zenitsu and Inosuke, and several Hashiras, such as Giyu and Obanai, to hold off Muzan and prevent his escape before sunrise.
Despite their attempt, however, Muzan was still able to live on through Tanjiro as he was able to turn him into a demon through the last remnant of his power as the former was knocked unconscious and seemingly dead due to the fight as a result of Muzan’s poison and his injuries.
The Aftermath of the Final Battle Against Muzan
Despite being knocked unconscious and having his heart stop breathing, Tanjiro could be brought back to consciousness after the fight. However, at this point, Tanjiro was no longer human due to Muzan pumping all of his blood into Tanjiro, which turned him into a demon and allowed him to inherit Muzan’s powers and abilities.
Fortunately, Tanjiro regained his humanity through the help of the same medicine used to cure his sister and his unwavering will to resist Muzan’s will and constant urging to become the perfect being. The battle between Tanjiro and the remnants of the Demon Slayer Corps had minimal deaths but left others more severely wounded than they were initially.
Although Tanjiro had died at the hands of Muzan, being turned into a demon saved his life. It managed to heal Tanjiro of Muzan’s poisoning and even regenerate his lost arm and eye, a testament to his regenerative abilities as a demon. His arm and eye become withered and blind, respectively, towards the end of the story, which resulted from his return to humanity.
In the series finale, we skip 3 months ahead after the fight with Muzan, with Tanjiro and his friends about to finish their recovery. Nezuko stated that Tanjiro had been asleep for two months due to the fight, which she jokingly said to Sanemi during their brief encounter.
The story ends with Tanjiro and Nezuko, together with Zenitsu and Inosuke going back to the sibling’s home and living together while still being connected with one another in the future with Tanjiro passing down his sword, earrings, and picture to his descendants.
So, Does Tanjiro Die in Demon Slayer?
Technically, yes. Tanjiro is dead by the time Demon Slayer’s story concludes. But he doesn’t die in the fight against Muzan. He dies just like any other human would; he dies in a world where demons no longer exist.
He lives as a normal human, marries Kanao Tsuyuri, and even has children with her, as shown by the appearance of his descendants in the final chapter of the manga!
