Demon Slayer: Is Kanao Tsuyuri in love with Tanjiro? Explored

Demon Slayer’s popularity skyrocketed when the anime adaptation first aired. While most shows are story-driven, this particular series is driven by characters. The characters are incredibly well-written and have a lot of personality depth. The backstory also greatly humanizes the characters, making them more relatable to the audience that watches them.

Two popular characters from the Demon Slayer series, Kanao Tsuyuri and Tanjiro Kamado, the protagonist, have been discussed among many fans. Across various social media platforms and forums, fans have asked one question that appears to be quite common: Is Kanao Tsuyuri in love with Tanjiro Kamado?

Yes, there is a slight chance that Kanao was in love with Tanjiro. While the manga didn’t confirm this, some chapters are laden with clues pointing towards a potential romantic relationship.

Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers from the Demon Slayer manga chapters.

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Demon Slayer: Clues that hint at a romantic relationship involving Kanao Tsuyuri

Demon Slayer doesn’t explicitly show romantic moments between the two characters because of the setting. The setting is such that demons constantly terrorize humans and threaten the very existence of humanity. When such a problem exists, members of the Demon Slayer Corps are consistently shown to be fighting evil. There is very little relief from the action, pain, and agony that people feel since death is constant.

When there is relief, it is usually done with comedy. If that’s the case, then why do we say with certainty that Tanjiro and Kanao liked each other?

One of the most notable interactions between these characters is when Tanjiro is undergoing rehabilitation in the Butterfly Mansion. As someone who has endured assault and abandonment, she could never make her own decisions. Tanjiro’s gentle demeanor helped her overcome this barrier, and she could make her own decisions from that point onwards.

When Tanjiro was gravely injured after his fight with the Upper Moon 6 demons, one could see the concern in Kanao Tsuyuri’s eyes. It was clear that Tanjiro meant a lot to her and that she would do anything to take care of him. Kanao also decided to risk losing her vision to inject Tanjiro with the medicine when he turned into a demon.

That being said, she would have risked her life for any member of the Demon Slayer Corps for a good cause. However, Tanjiro and Kanao shared a beautiful moment under a blossoming tree.

Tanjiro and Kanao spend time together after beating Muzan (Image via Shueisha/Koyoharu Gotouge)

They enjoyed each other’s company and were happy that Kibutsuji Muzan was dead and that the tyranny of demons had ended. In the series's last chapter, we see Tanjiro and Kanao's descendants.

The siblings looked precisely like the duo; therefore, it was implied that Kanao and Tanjiro married and had kids at some point in the Demon Slayer series. The manga didn’t mainly confirm that Kanao was in love with Tanjiro.

But the fact that they had children proves that Kanao, at the very least, cared deeply for Tanjiro. These pieces of evidence are why we believe Kanao Tsuyuri was in love with Tanjiro in the anime and manga series.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2023 progresses.