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The entire Demon Slayer fanbase is aware of Tanjiro’s scar and its importance in the series. However, those who have read the manga couldn't understand why his scar constantly changed during the course of the series. This phenomenon has been discussed across various online forums and social media platforms.
Most anime and manga series do not explicitly mention or explain every single element in the plot. The same can be said for Demon Slayer, where Tanjiro’s scar is one such factor that demands attention. However, if we take a look at some of the events and understand the underlying themes used in the shonen series, we will understand why Tanjiro’s scar changed over time.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the Demon Slayer manga.
Looking at the evolution of Tanjiro’s scar in Demon Slayer
The assumption was that this scar phenomenon was hereditary within the Kamado family, as we see in the series that his father also had the same scar on his forehead. However, when Tanjiro was young, he didn’t have any scar on his forehead.
But, this changed when he saved his younger sibling from a falling kettle filled with boiling water. This burnt Tanjiro’s forehead and left a small scar. This was when Tanjiro first received his scar on his forehead.
When his entire family was slaughtered, and his sister was turned into a demon, Tanjiro resolved to become a demon hunter and trained under Urokodaki’s tutelage. To become a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, he had to clear the Final Selection. During this event, Tanjiro received a massive blow to his head from the Hand Demon that killed many of Urokodaki’s students. This increased the size of his scar and changed the color as well.
The scar changed again during the Entertainment District arc when Tanjiro fought against Gyutaro and Daki. Towards the end of that fight, he developed the Demon Slayer Mark that increased his strength in order to cut Gyutaro’s head with his Nichirin blade. This mark was bigger than the scar on his forehead.
If we look at Yoriichi, he was born with this mark, and many fans wondered if Tanjiro was his descendant. However, later in the manga, it is explained that Tanjiro was not Yoriichi’s descendent.
Concept of destiny in shonen anime and manga series
One could look at Tanjiro’s scar as a foreshadowing technique to illustrate that the protagonist was destined for greatness. This is a common theme in most shonen anime and manga series, including Demon Slayer. One method of showing this is by giving the new character a visual element that is similar to the person who achieved greatness.
In this case, it was Tanjiro’s scar that was quite similar to Yoriichi's. To amplify this, the Entertainment District arc also featured an interaction with the Kyojuro Rengoku’s father. He looked at Tanjiro’s scar and instantly asked him if he was a user of the Breath of the Sun.
Final thoughts
Specific incidents have been present throughout the series that account for the change in Tanjiro’s scar. However, the reason for this transformation could be looked at from a script writer’s perspective. This could have been done to foreshadow the fact that he was destined for greatness, which Tanjiro went on to prove by mastering all the 13 forms of Sun Breathing that played a huge role in taking down Muzan.
