Tanjiro Kamado’s father is not seen much in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, the anime based on the manga of the same name. But, despite that, there are many questions surrounding his father and whether he was in fact a legendary demon slayer.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba starts with Tanjiro’s family being slaughtered at the hands of an unknown demon. One member of Tanjiro’s family, his sister, Nezuko Kamado, survives but transforms into a demon herself.
Tanjiro’s father is, therefore, dead at the very beginning of the story.
However, further on in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba as more is discovered about Tanjiro, there have been a lot of questions raised about Tanjiro’s father and, more specifically, his mysterious background.
These include the origin of Tanjiro’s Hanafuda earrings and where he learned the legendary breathing style, Sun Breathing – also known as Hinokami Kaguro.
In this simple guide, we explain who Tanjiro’s father was, whether Tanjiro’s father was a Demon Slayer, and if Tanjiro’s father was the mysterious figure seen in Muzan’s flashback.
For all the answers to these questions and more, make sure to read on.
Tanjiro’s father was Tanjuro Kamado. Their names are very similar, so make sure not to get these mixed up as you continue to read!
Even though we do not see much of Tanjuro Kamado in the anime adaptation of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, due to him being murdered by a demon in the first episode, Tanjuro is kind-hearted, compassionate, and strong-willed.
Tanjiro Kamado’s reaction to his death, and the death of his family, shows that Tanjuro was a good man and a good father to Tanjiro and his siblings.
Later on in the anime, we see a short flashback of Tanjuro teaching Tanjiro techniques related to the Dance of the Fire God. This is known as Sun Breathing and Himokami Kaguro, a certain Breathing Style that is only known by the Kamado family.
In addition to this, there is another flashback in the anime that shows Muzan, the main antagonist and leader of the demons, beaten by (and afraid of) a mysterious Demon Slayer wearing the same earrings that Tanjiro wears.
These flashbacks have led to the controversial questions mentioned above: whether Tanjuro Kamado was a demon slayer and whether he was the mysterious Demon Slayer in Muzan’s flashback.
Was Tanjuro Kamado a Demon Slayer?
Little is known about Tanjuro Kamado’s background, but since there is a flashback of him teaching Tanjiro techniques related to Sun Breathing, it is safe to say that he had some connection to the world of demon slaying.
Tanjuro Kamado might have been a Demon Slayer at some point, or at least knew about Breathing Styles, before putting it all behind him.
Either way, the manga does in fact detail how the Kamado family has a history associated with demon slaying. This is the reason Tanjiro Kamado inherited Sun Breathing, as well as the famous earrings he wears throughout the anime.
Tanjiro Kamado’s ancestors were taught Sun Breathing by a legendary Demon Slayer named Yoriichi Tsugikuni, known as the first-ever Demon Slayer who created Breathing Styles.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni also wore the Hanafuda earrings, the very same pair of earrings worn by Tanjiro Kamado throughout the anime. Due to this, both Sun Breathing and the Hanafunda earrings were subsequently passed down through the Kamado generations.
Who is the Person Muzan Sees in His Flashback?
The fact that the Kamado family is connected to Sun Breathing and the Hanafuda earrings has led many to believe that the mysterious Demon Slayer seen in Muzan’s flashback was a relative of Tanjiro – more specifically, his father.
The mysterious figure in Muzan’s flashback wore Tanjiro’s earrings and even bore the same Demon Slayer Mark that Tanjiro developed later on in the anime.
Despite this, the mysterious figure was not Tanjuro Kamado, Tanjiro’s father.
The mysterious Demon Slayer that stood over an afraid Muzan was actually Yoriichi Tsugikuni, who we briefly mentioned above.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was alive several hundred years before the events of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, season one. He was a legendary Demon Slayer who created Sun Breathing, the first-ever Breathing Style, and came close to killing Muzan.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni taught Tanjiro’s ancestors Sun Breathing, and even bequeathed his earrings, which are now in the possession of Tanjiro.
Is Yoriichi Related to Tanjiro Kamado?
So, we now know that Yoriichi Tsugikuni taught Tanjiro’s ancestors Sun Breathing, left them his earrings, and was the legendary Demon Slayer that almost slayed Muzan.
But is Yoriichi related to Tanjiro Kamado?
The short answer is no. Yoriichi Tsugikuni befriended one of Tanjiro’s ancestors, Sumiyoshi Kamado, which led to him teaching him his Breathing Style. So Yoriichi is not a relative, but a family friend.
Despite this, Tanjiro shares many similarities Yoriichi, which you have noticed throughout the anime adaptation.
The most obvious similarity is Tanjiro’s earrings, a gift from Yoriichi that was passed down through the Kamado family. The next similarly is Sun Breathing, which Tanjiro managed to harness in his fight against Rui.
In addition to that, Tanjiro also possess a similar Demon Slayer Mark as Yoriichi, as well as a black Nichirin Blade, the same colored Nichirin Sword that Yoriichi wielded.
These similarities are not just coincidence, however, and symbolize how Tanjiro is like an “heir” to Yoriichi, destined to finish Muzan off once and for all.
Conclusion
In short: Tanjuro Kamado, Tanjiro’s father, was not a “real” Demon Slayer. He had some knowledge of the very first Breathing Style, Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kaguro), which was passed down the Kamado family, but that was most likely his only connection to demon slaying.
Additionally, Tanjuro Kamado was not the mysterious figure seen in Muzan’s flashback. This was Yoriichi Tsugikuni, a legendary Demon Slayer who taught Kamado’s ancestors Sun Breathing and gifted them the Hanafuda earrings, which Tanjiro is now in possession of.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni is not a direct relative of Tanjiro Kamado, despite them both having the same Breathing Style, earrings, Nichirin Blade, and Demon Slayer Mark. Tanjiro is considered the successor of Yoriichi, set to slay Muzan once and for all.
