I relate to Tanjiro's anger towards Hantengu in Demon Slayer, and he deserved every bit of it

The Demon Slayer universe has always portrayed Tanjiro as a very forgiving and empathetic character. While it is very unusual for a Slayer, Tanjiro shows compassion towards demons, especially those who didn't have a choice and were turned against their will.

Tanjiro holds a very high moral compass of compassion and respect, even against demons, whom he deems worthy of earning it. However, all his compassion and respect were thrown out the window during the Swordsmith Village arc as he confronted the Upper Rank Four demon Hantengu, and his anger and resentment were rightfully justified.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions and contains potential spoilers from the Demon Slayer anime and manga.

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Tanjiro's hate towards Hantengu in Demon Slayer is rightfully justified

As per the Demon Slayer's narrative, Tanjiro is probably the most compassionate and empathetic character in the entire series. From the very beginning of the series, Tanjiro fished out the good in others and treated them likewise, even if they were demons.

One such prime example would be during the Mt. Natagumo arc, where, while beheading a demon, Tanjiro used the Fifth Form of Water Breathing- Blessed Rain after the Drought, a technique that causes little to no pain while beheading, which is also known as the “sword strike of kindness”. He also deeply cared for his fellow Demon Slayer's no matter how they treated him.

While Tanjiro showed extreme kindness and compassion throughout the series, even against some of his enemies, he held a high amount of resentment and anger for Muzan Kibutsuji, for murdering his family and turning Nezuko into a demon. While his infuriating anger was only limited to Muzan, it was also shown to be shared towards another demon during the Swordsmith Village arc.

The former Upper Rank Four demon of the Twelve Kizuki, Hantengu, was sent alongside Upper Rank Five demon Gyokko to infiltrate the Swordsmith Village and kill everyone. However, Tanjiro and several others were waiting for them at the village, and a conflict broke out as soon as the demons revealed themselves.

During the fight, as Tanjiro was facing off against Hantengu, the demon started acting cowardly and running from him rather than facing him head-on. Furthermore, Hantengu kept on saying how he was a victim, blaming others and holding no accountability for his actions, further enraging Tanjiro.

While Tanjiro has an extremely high threshold for tolerance and empathy, all Hantengu was doing was infuriating him even more. Hantengu, despite being an Upper Rank demon, kept insisting he was a coward and a pathetic old man, which did not correlate to his actions of killing several people. His pretentious actions did not fit well into Tanjiro's rationality and moral compass.

By the end of the season, Tanjiro was seen at the peak of his anger and resentment while he beheaded Hantengu. The expression on Tanjiro's face portrayed that it was all about frustration and anger, more than him performing his duties as a Demon Slayer. Even till the very end, Hantengu kept on with his act, to the extent of pushing someone like Tanjiro over the edge.

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Final thoughts

While it is very rare to see Tanjiro angry in the Demon Slayer narrative, the fans have got an early taste of the extent of his anger with the Hantengu fight in the Swordsmith Village arc. Tanjiro is like that one person who is very calm and collected, until someone does something that pushes him off the edge.

With the upcoming climax of the series with the Infinity Castle arc films and the Sunrise Countdown arc, his resentment and hate will again be on display as he fights Muzan in the final battle for the humans against the demons.

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