Tanjiro Kamado

Tanjiro Kamado is the main protagonist of the manga and anime, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

He is a Kanoe ranked Demon Slayer and a member of the Demon Killing Corps. He is hunting down the Demon who is responsible for the murder of his family and his sister's transformation into one.

Appearance
Tanjiro has burgundy hair combed back and dark eyes with a scar on the top left of his forehead. He wears long rectangular earrings with a sun symbol and a checkered black and green patterned haori over the standard Demon Hunter uniform.

He carries around a wooden box where his sister sleeps during the day.

Personality
Tanjiro is kind by nature and has been described by others as having very gentle eyes. He has a great deal of determination and will not give up once he has a goal to achieve; an example is finding a cure for Nezuko. Even though he is relatively strong on his own, he 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. His most important attribute is his ability to empathize with anyone, even demons. This often makes him hesitate when killing demons. However, this trait also could make some Demons to redeem themselves moments before death, albeit rarely.

For the years of his service and amount of experience he faced, he became more calculating and strict in his decision. His courage to protect the weak committed him to face his enemy with respect and dignity whether good or evil demons.

Nezuko Kamado
Nezuko is the younger sister of Tanjiro and his only remaining family alive after they were attacked while he is away selling charcoal. As such, Tanjiro who is usually calm and polite will become enraged and attack anybody who harms Nezuko. He is extremely protective of her, but that doesn't prevent him from getting her help during battles that he cannot handle alone.

Giyu Tomioka
Tanjiro first met Giyu after he tried to kill Nezuko who had just been turned into a demon. After seeing his determination Giyu instructed Tanjiro to go to and find Urokodaki which leads him into the path of becoming a Demon Hunter.

While not trusting him at first, Tanjiro comes to respect Giyu a lot later on. They were both students of Urokodaki and are users of the Breath of Water Style. Giyu himself grows to care enough for Tanjiro and Nezuko that he promises to commit seppuku (ritual suicide) alongside their master should Nezuko resort to eating humans (as he had allowed her to live and he would have failed his duty as a demon hunter by letting her go). Tanjiro is the one who allows Giyu to open up and realize he needs to step up to being the inheritor of the Breath of the Water Style and not let his past losses and feeling of inadequacy prevent him from realizing this. The two actually have more in common than they think, thinking on similar wavelengths. In some ways, Tanjiro is his closest friend (aside from his late friend Sabito and to some extent fellow pillar Shinobu).

Zenitsu Agatsuma
At first, Tanjiro was annoyed with Zenitsu as their first encounter involved Zenitsu pestering a girl to marry him when she was clearly against it. He quickly remedied the situation by pulling him away from the girl to the girl's gratefulness. Zenitsu was in denial that the girl didn't like him and immediately blamed Tanjiro for his failed proposal, causing Tanjiro to look at him in disgust. Despite this, Tanjiro understood that Zenitsu must have been strong to pass the test and that the two can rely on each other during battles against powerful demons. Though Tanjiro can be annoyed by Zenitsu's tantrums and womanizing, he cares for Zenitsu as a close friend and is very patient with him. Zenitsu tends to be the one to inform Tanjiro of the city life and occasionally explain things due to Tanjiro's naivety. Zenitsu cares for Tanjiro as a close friend and admires his strength and kindness. He also tries to kiss up to him as a possible future brother in law (due to his crush on Nezuko).

Inosuke Hashibira
Initially, despite both being demon hunters and needing to kill a demon, Inosuke was amazed by Tanjiro's strength and tried to fight him, not caring about the bigger picture. Even after the demon was defeated, Inosuke would not let up. Tanjiro for his part can be annoyed with his insistence for a fight but is extremely patient with him. Ironically Tanjiro's naivety and kindness allows him to unwittingly manipulate Inosuke or annoy him. Despite this, Tanjiro manages to be a positive influence on Inosuke as he convinces Inosuke to start using his head and think during battle. The two tend to be naive about city life. Ultimately the two get along as good friends and close allies.

Sakonji Urokodaki
As his master, he was incredibly strict in his training with Tanjiro. Despite this, he does care for him and cried when he saw Tanjiro return from the exam alive, as he had lost many students during the exam.

Shinobu Kocho
She helped train him and while she initially could not understand wanting to protect his sister Nezuko who had become a demon due to her past, she does grow to care for him. Though she trained Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke, she seems to be the closest (or is at least the least irritated) with Tanjiro because unlike Zenitsu and Inosuke, he took his training seriously from the start. She even divulges her past where her sister was eaten by a powerful upper moon. He was shocked by her death.

Tsuyuri Kanao
The two do not have much interaction but get along. He met her while he was training with Shinobu. He was curious as to why she needed to flip a coin to make decisions and convinced her to make decisions for herself and follow her heart. It is implied she might have feelings towards Tanjiro, as shown in an extra chapter.

Natural Abilities
Enhanced Sense of Smell: Tanjiro has a heightened sense of smell even before he underwent sword training. It is strong enough for him to smell the 'line of interval'-- the slight pause in an enemy's movement-- and distinguish between species, as well as their approximate position. After training, he can smell emotions as well as track objects, humans and demons over long distances.

Fighting ability: This trait of Tanjiro's was pointed out by Giyuu Tomioka during their first encounter in which Tanjiro skillfully laid out a plan to attack Giyu by surprise by charging towards him not showing he was unarmed and plan to have brought down Giyu with an axe he had thrown in the air beforehand.

Enhanced strength: After training, Tanjiro gained immense strength and speed and has demonstrated a great use of it (i.e., Jumping over twice his height during the Final Selection arc when fighting the Demon who killed Urokodaki Sakonji's disciples. His forehead is sturdy as well, although this ultimately become one of the running gags in the series.

Swordsmanship
Breath of Water Style (の): Taught to him by Urokodaki Sakonji, the Water Pillar before Giyu. The user can increase the amount of oxygen in one's blood by controlling his breathing pattern. This increases his strength and agility to equal a demon's. Tanjiro has now learned to do full focus breaths at all times, further increasing his base strength, speed, and stamina. With this enhanced strength and ability to find the 'line of interval,' Tanjiro can utilize ten different moves:
 * 1) First Style: Water Surface Slice (ノ り): A single concentrated slash
 * 2) Second Style: Water Wheel (ノ): Tanjiro jumps and spins his body while slashing.
 * 3) * Second Style Modified: Horizontal Water Wheel (ノ・) -
 * 4) Third Style: Dance of the Rapid Current (ノ い): Tanjiro swings his blade at his opponent in a way that mimics the movement of waves on the surface of water.
 * 5) Fourth Style: Striking Tide (ノ ち) - The swordsman makes multiple consecutive slashes while twisting their body in a flowing fashion similar to a harsh tide.
 * 6) Fifth Style: The Merciful Rain of a Dry Day (ノ の): A "sword strike of kindness" that beheads the target with little to no pain. Used when the enemy surrenders him/herself willingly.
 * 7) Sixth Style: Twisting Whirpool (ノ ねじれ): Tanjiro fiercely twists his upper and lower body, which creates a whirlpool that cuts anything caught in it.
 * 8) * Sixth Style: Twisting Whirpool - Current (ノ ねじれ・) -
 * 9) Seventh Style: Piercing Rain Drop - A fast and accurate stab. The fastest Breath of Water technique.
 * 10) *Seventh Style: Piercing Rain Drop - Curve (ノ き・) -
 * 11) Eight Style: Waterfall Jar (ノ): Tanjiro cuts the target vertically.
 * 12) Ninth Style: Water Splash (ノ)
 * 13) * Ninth Style: Water Splash - Chaos (ノ ・): Minimizes the landing time and surface needed when landing, allowing the user to move without limits. Ideal when fighting in a place with no solid foothold.
 * 14) Tenth Style: The Dragon of Change (ノ): A constant attack that increases in power with each rotation, creating a strong slash.

Dance of the Fire God (ヒノカミ): Taught by Tanjiro's father. A breathing technique that increases the user's strength and endurance. When Tanjiro get himself enraged, this style becomes more lethal, and becomes Dance of the Sun God. Ability to See-Through: Like his father, he finally gained the ability to foresee the opponent's attack while showing no battle spirit and sense of blood-lust, empowering his opponent with no rust.
 * Waltz: A single concentrated slash.
 * Blue Heaven (の): A similar attack to "Water Wheel" in which Tanjiro spins his body to create a 360-degree slash.
 * Flame Waltz: A two-combo strike which starts with a vertical slash and then a horizontal one right after.
 * Waltz Flash: Tanjiro utilizes Zenitsu Agatsuma's "Thunderclap flash" and combines it with his "Flame Waltz" by pumping air through his entire body, focusing it on the legs, and releasing it all and ending with a flaming slash.
 * Solar Halo Dragon Dance: A combination attack utilizing Nezuko's Blood Burst, Tanjiro's sword adopts a crimson red colour and is coated in flames. While in this state, he circles the enemy in a pattern resembling a flaming dragon and slashes them multiple times and ultimately beheading them. He first used this on Urogi, Sekido, and Karaku.
 * Scorching Crimson Mirror: Tanjiro unleashes two horizontal slashes that defend him from attacks from the front or side.
 * Parhelion Rainbow: Tanjiro uses this technique to evade techniques using high-speed twists and rotations. It works most effectively on enemies with good vision as they will attack an afterimage of him and not his actual body.
 * Fire Chariot: Tanjiro uses this technique in quick succession with Parhelion Rainbow and attacks the enemy while they are distracted.
 * Shining Sun Stab: A single thrust attack with the sharp blade.
 * Burning Sun: A circular slash that defends from imminent frontal attacks.

Past
Tanjiro grew up on a mountain alongside his younger sister, Nezuko, the rest of his siblings, and his mother. He is the eldest son of the Kamado family. He was very loving towards his brothers and sisters and would go out of his way to care for them, and was admired for it. He was responsible for things like selling firewood in the nearest town in order to earn money for the family.

After a demon killed his family aside from Nezuko, he realized that Nezuko had become a demon. After being confronted by and proving his resolve to Giyu Tomioka, Tanjirou was guided towards the goal of becoming a demon slayer. Since then, he has traveled with his sister in order to find a way to turn her human again.

Final Selection Arc
During the Taisho Period. Tanjiro Kamado is living a modest but blissful life in the mountains with his family.

After coming home from an overnight trip selling charcoal, Tanjiro returns to find his entire family slaughtered by demons, save for his younger sister Nezuko. Tanjiro picks Nezuko up and attempting to carry her to the nearest doctor, he discovers that she has been transformed into a demon and is attacked by her.

While Tanjiro is struggling to fend off the attack from his Demon-turned sister Nezuko, Giyu attacks the latter from behind, only for his attempt to fail as the former moves his target out of the way. Recovering quickly, the swordsman asks the youth why he protects the Demon. Tanjiro tells him it is because the creature is his sister. Looking at the maddened Nezuko, Giyu questions this statement, before swiftly removing the girl from her brother's grip.

As Tanjiro called out to his sister in alarm, Giyu told him not to move, stating that it is his job to kill Demons like Nezuko. The swordsman then listens to Tanjiro's attempt to defend his sister and explain their current predicament, commenting that her change in demeanor is simple to explain: any open wound bathed in Demon blood causes that person to become a Demon themselves, thus increasing their overall numbers. Tanjiro exclaims that his sister hasn't eaten any people, Giyu reminds him of what had just transpired, shortly thereafter bluntly commenting that there is no way to cure a person once they are turned into a Demon, despite Tanjiro's plea to the contrary. As Tanjiro continues pleading, Giyu brought his sword up to Nezuko's throat.

Tanjiro then prostrates himself before the swordsman, begging for his sister's life, Giyu grew angry, stating that the youth has no authority over who lives or who dies, as he was too weak to protect his family, and that all of his talk about finding a cure for his sister's condition and finding his family's killer is ridiculous. Stating that neither he or the Demon Lords would have any respect for such a miserable display, Giyu demands that Tanjiro prove his dedication to protecting his sister by drawing his axe. As the youth pondered these words, Giyuu silently encourages him to find the resolve necessary to accomplish all of the lofty goals he had placed upon himself. He then stabs Nezuko in the chest, causing Tanjiro to throw a stone at him in fury.

Giyu blocks the stone with the hilt of his sword, avoiding another of the projectiles as Tanjiro charged at him empty-handed. Seeing the attack attempt as only a simple act of emotion, the swordsman angrily drove the hilt of his sword into his attacker's back, knocking him to the ground. Staring down at the fallen youth, Giyu wonders where his opponent's axe was. Looking up, he sees the weapon spinning towards him through the air, and narrowly dodges it. He then mused over Tanjiro's clever strategy, realizing that the youth's plan had been to take him out even though he would have perished as well. Distracted, the swordsman is attacked by Nezuko, dodging backward from her kick. Cursing himself, Giyu watches as the girl reached for her brother, certain that she was going to devour him. To his surprise, she instead stood protectively in front of his prone body, before charging at him in rage. Giyu recalled Tanjiro's previous assertion that Nezuko wouldn't eat humans, noting that somebody a long time ago had said the same thing and had been killed regardless. He further reflected on the nature of Demons, in particular, the high amount of stamina lost during the transformation process, and what they do to alleviate the lost stamina and prevent starvation: eat humans, even those closest to them. Seeing that Nezuko was not following this example, Giyu sheathed his sword, incapacitating the unusual Demon with a barehanded blow to the neck.

While Tanjiro and Nezuko were unconscious, Giyu wraps the latter in a clean cloth and straps a bamboo muzzle-like tube across her mouth. When Tanjiro regained consciousness, the swordsman instructed him to visit Urokodaki Sakonji, and also to not take his sister out in the sun, before leaving swiftly.

Trivia

 * Kamado, without the second kanji (竈, かまど) is a traditional Japanese wood or charcoal-fueled cook stove/furnace.
 * Do, the second kanji of his family name, (門, ど) means door.
 * Tan (炭, たん) means charcoal.
 * Ji (治, じ) can mean 'to heal'.
 * Rou (郎, ろう) is a common Japanese name suffix for boys. It also means male.
 * Tanjiro was ranked in 1st place as of the first character popularity poll with 6,742 votes.

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Танджиро Камадо