The only official Demon Slayer Tsugoku is stronger than other recruits, and it's not Tanjiro

Modified May 23, 2024 19:00 GMT

Understanding why Kanao Tsuyuri is one of the strongest recruits in the Demon Slayer Corps (Image via Ufotable)

Demon Slayer season 4 is well underway and the second episode focused quite a lot on the likes of Giyu Tomioka and Shinobu Kocho. These episodes don’t pack as much action as some of the older story arcs. However, the episodes are quite enjoyable nonetheless since they focus quite a lot on the character development.

Kanao Tsuyuri was a character who didn’t receive much screen time and was sidelined in the anime for quite some time. This episode didn’t particularly focus much on her, but it gave fans a hint about her potential and just how good she is in comparison to other demon hunters.

She is one of the select few who is a Tsukugo. One could technically consider Tanjiro to be one as well since Giyu took him under his wing and the two trained together and also had the same Breathing Technique. But, the recent episode showed us that Kanao was a cut above the rest, and perhaps better than Tanjiro as well.

Understanding why Kanao is better than all the other recruits in the Demon Slayer Corps

Kanao Tsuyuri as seen in the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

It might seem odd to say that Kanao Tsuyuri as a demon hunter is better than all the recruits that passed the Final Selection. Alongside her, were Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Genya who passed the test. These are undoubtedly some of the strongest demon hunters and those who have read the manga will say the same.

Expand Tweet

That being said, there are a couple of observations that one can make, which will confirm Kanao’s superiority in her overall physical and combat abilities. One of the first signs of her brilliance was her performance during the Final Selection. While her battles weren’t shown, she was the only one among the lot who didn’t sustain any visible injuries. Her uniform was incredibly clean and she had no bruises, which is an indication that every single demon she came across was slaughtered with ease.

Another observation that one could make was her progression in the training routine. In the second episode, she had already progressed to the second-last stage of the Hashira Training while Tanjiro was resting. Once again, she didn’t seem tired and was quite composed when she was talking to Shinobu Kocho. There were a total of six stages, and Kanao breezed past all of them. She was about to train with Sanemi Shinazugawa after her conversation with her master.

Expand Tweet

Another observation was the Demon Slayer season 4 opening. There is a sequence where we can see demon hunters like Zenitsu and Genya run with other members of the Corps. Kanao sprinted past them while Inosuke was desperately trying to catch up with her. In the manga, it seemed like Tanjiro took longer to progress to the fifth stage of the training routine.

There is no doubt that Tanjiro evolves as one of the strongest demon hunters among non-Hashiras, but Kanao certainly has an edge over her comrades at the time being. These are some of the reasons why Kanao is currently one of the best if not the best recruits in the Corps.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.

Related Links: