Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8: Every difference between the manga and anime

Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8 was released this last weekend and, like any other episode in this hit series, it generated a lot of discussions. While the episode itself was quite good, manga readers noticed that there were some differences from what was shown in the source material. This, in return, leads to some really significant discussions.

Here are, in no particular order, some of the biggest differences between the events of the manga and Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8, and how that impacts the story as a whole.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8.

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Differences between manga and anime in Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8

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1. Muichiro getting out of the water

Muichiro coming out of the water has a different result in Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8 (Image via Ufotable).

The Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro, was fighting the fifth Upper Moon, Gyokko, and was trapped in his water prison, which kept him out of commission for a couple of episodes. Now that he is back in action, a lot of manga readers noticed that there are some key differences in what Muichiro had to do after he was set free.

In the manga, the second Muichiro is released, he runs towards Kotetsu and slashes the only fish that is there. However, the anime runs a bit differently: here the viewer can see that Muichiro is still weakened after being set free and he has to fight with several fishes, with the former having a motivational speech from his father so he can keep fighting.

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2. Muichiro and his parents

Muichiro Tokito's father (Image via Ufotable).

Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8 was a pivotal moment for Muichiro’s character as his backstory is shown, giving the viewer a greater understanding of who he is and why he ended up becoming a Hashira.

In that regard, it can be argued that the anime did a much better job than the manga in showing his childhood and his life with his parents.

The manga only gives the reader a couple of panels with Muichiro narrating how he used to help his father with woodwork, and the story then keeps pushing forward. However, the anime took its time and showed a lot more scenes of his time with his parents, mainly his father, to give viewers a greater sense of understanding of what his life was like.

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3. Muichiro and his brother Yuichiro doing woodwork

Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8 gave more spotlight to the Tokito brothers (Image via Ufotable).

While this isn’t that much of a bigger change from the manga, it does help to emphasize what Muichiro’s family meant to him and the kind of life he had before becoming a member of the Demon Slayer Corp.

Both the manga and the anime show Muichiro doing woodwork with his father and his brother, but he is also shown struggling physically when doing the heavy lifting, which later on works as a contrast to his freakishly strong abilities as a warrior.

However, the anime just adds a bit more to this scene to make it last longer, emphasizing how much this impacts Muichiro.

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4. The death of his brother

The death of Muichiro's brother (Image via Ufotable).

Perhaps the most notorious difference between the manga and the anime in Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8 is how Muichiro’s brother dies at the hands of a demon.

In the manga, the demon seems to go straight to Yuichiro, killing him right in front of Muichiro. However, the anime decided to make the demon go towards the future Mist Hashira and his brother sacrificed for him, taking the hit and dying in the process.

This, of course, helps to cement the tragedy in Muichiro’s life and the element of survivor’s guilt he has endured ever since.

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Final thoughts

Demon Slayer season 3 episode 8 proved to be one of the best moments of the Swordsmith Village arc, showing Muichiro’s backstory and handling it with precision, quality, and adding elements that made it a much more complete experience.

It also respected the source material when it came to the changes, which is something worth taking into account.

Overall, these changes added to the story and didn’t stir away from the source material, and that is worth praising.