Demon Slayer's final selection exam makes no sense (& it's obvious why)

Demon Slayer is a very straightforward series with a clear plot. However, that doesn't stop it from making mistakes from time to time, as evidenced by the mechanics of the Corps' final selection exam.

While it makes sense that the potential new members have to push their abilities and test themselves so they can become a part of the organization, the fact that they have to pass by fighting demons is illogical. It goes against the world's internal logic.

The entire point of the Demon Slayer Corps is to protect humanity from demons. Yet the organization puts characters like Tanjiro Kamado and Giyuu Tomioka in deadly situations against demons.

Even if they are not cut out for the role, exposing them to these monsters seems counterproductive to the goals of the Corps. This is a plot point that author Koyoharu Gotouge perhaps didn't think through.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime and reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Explaining why the Demon Slayer final selection exam makes no sense

Sabito died during the final selection exam (Image via Ufotable).

Most fans know that the final selection exam requires the candidates to enter a forest and deal with multiple demons. This is what happened to Tanjiro Kamado and several of the main characters during the main storyline. However, the logic of this exam seems to go against what the Corps stands for, especially considering how these candidates shouldn't have to give away their lives in a failed test.

It seems that Kagaya Ubuyashiki and his leadership wanted to focus on results and sought only the strongest fighters. This also makes sense to a degree, since the end goal was to finally put an end to the demons and their leader, Muzan Kibutsuji. The problem, though, is that this comes at the expense of a lot of innocent people losing their lives and only gaining a few strong new members.

There is also the issue that the demon Tanjiro faced, the one who took the lives of Sabito and Makomo. This demon had grown extremely more powerful than the average ones on the test, and no one in the organization took the time to take care of that. Even the weakest Hashira could likely have destroyed that monster, but that never happened.

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The ramifications of this

Tanjiro and Tomioka barely survived the final selection exam (Image via Ufotable).

The ramifications of this event in the Demon Slayer series are palpable, especially for characters like Giyuu Tomioka. While he became quite powerful and capable as the Water Hashira, the fact that his friends died to save him during the test left him with a sense of shame and insecurity. This also highlights a deeper issue: some individuals passed the test because others sacrificed their lives in the process.

As mentioned earlier, it is very likely that author Koyoharu Gotouge didn't fully think this concept through and simply might have wanted to add something to make this period of the story more exciting for the reader. However, the major consequence is that the final selection exam feels like a plot hole, particularly when it comes to the values of the organization.

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Final thoughts

The final selection exam in Demon Slayer might be one of the most bizarre concepts in the story when considering the Corps' goal and how this flies in the face of it. It is very likely that this idea was introduced just to keep things interesting during this portion of the story. However, that is something that only Gotouge knows for sure.

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