Giyu's metamorphosis is the true tragedy of Shinobu's death in Demon Slayer

With the Demon Slayer manga concluding in May 2020, fans of the manga started exploring beyond the main series. Among the several notable official side issues by Shueisha, the most intriguing are the Kimetsu no Yaiba Fanbook series. The two-part fanbook series covers mostly events after the final battle and miscellaneous side stories, providing some depth to the main story.

The Kimetsu no Yaiba Fanbook 2 contains a brief about Tanjiro's Status Report, on the life of the Slayer after the battle ended and the Corps dissolved. Within those panels, Giyu Tomioka, the former Water Hashira, could be seen smiling and talking, which is completely ironic to his character from the main series, even mentioned by Shinobu, the late Insect Hashira.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions.

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Giyu finally showed the change Shinobu always wanted from him in Demon Slayer

Giyu's change in personality after the final battle (Image via Shuiesha)

In Demon Slayer Fanbook 2, which follows the story after the end of the final battle against Muzan, specifically after the Corps was dissolved, after chapter 204. The specific portion called Tanjiro's Status Report is a one-shot panel written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge.

The panels discuss Tanjiro's status report on events following the battle against Muzan and the disbandment of the Demon Slayer Corps from his point of view. Tanjiro provides an update on the changes in the lives of everyone who survived and was involved in the battle.

While the one-shot series was about every individual present in the aftermath of the battle, an interesting revelation came from Giyu's character, who has been seen to have completely changed in terms of personality and physical appearance. While his haircut was a new addition, in Tanjiro's words, he had become more open to conversations and socialization.

In his letters to Tanjiro, Giyu also reveals that he went to the hot springs with Suma, Makio, Hinatsuru, and Uzui. This shows how much socially active Giyu has become after the incident, interacting with others and having constant letter exchanges with Tanjiro.

This drastic change in Giyu's character in Demon Slayer often reminded the fans of his interaction with Shinobu during the Mount Natagumo arc. While the relationship between them was ultimately not romantic, despite several fans' attempts to ship them, Shinobu wholeheartedly cared about Giyu and wanted him to socialize with others more.

While Shinobu died in the series, by the time this change occurred, she would genuinely be happy for Giyu to finally open up to others and adapt a happy and social relationship with the people who cared about him.

Shinobu, as his true closest friend, would've loved to see Giyu change from a stoic and emotionally guarded person to a more open person, and she would have cherished him if she were alive. Maybe her death also has something to do with the drastic change in Giyu's personality, which has not been confirmed by the series and is just a speculation by the author.

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Final thoughts

Giyu's change in personality shows his relief after the end of Muzan and his duties as a Demon Slayer. While Shinobu could've finally been able to get close to Giyu, her tragic yet significant death in the series prevents her narrative in doing so. They could've finally shared some moments, and there might have been an opening for a romantic angle further down the line.

With the Demon Slayer manga concluded and no additional series or side stories announced at the time this article was written, it is highly unlikely that an alternate scenario will occur in which Shinobu finally gets to see the changes in Giyu.

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