You may hate me for this, but how Demon Slayer's Hashira died is the true tragedy of their passing

The Demon Slayer manga concluded in 2020, marking the end of an epic saga created by Koyoharu Gotouge. While in the final chapters of the manga, Tanjiro finally defeated Muzan, it came at the tragic cost of several deaths in the series.

While all the deaths were sad, some of the Hashira deaths were too much to handle. The way Gotouge portrayed the young warriors who gave everything so that victory could be achieved made their deaths even more unbearable and brought tears to the fans' eyes then and does so even now.

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

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The Hashira deaths in the Demon Slayer manga were the emotional breaking points for many readers

With the Infinity Castle arc films nearing release, many Demon Slayer readers are bracing themselves to witness some of the most important fights of the series. While these fights would be the most significant point of the series, they also bring in some of the Hashira deaths that deeply affected fans.

To begin with, Shinobu's death during her fight with the Upper Rank Two demon of the Twelve Kizuki-Doma, showed fans the true epitome of sacrifice. While she had been waiting all her life to exact her revenge on Doma, the ending she got was unexpected and very tragic.

Despite getting her collarbone and ribs broken, and her lungs being pierced so she was unable to use her Breathing Form, Shinobu kept fighting until she was left with no other choice than sacrificing herself. She laced herself with poison and let Doma consume her completely. This, in turn, weakened him and let Kanao and Inosuke land the final blow to finish him.

The youngest Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira from Demon Slayer, was only 14 years old when he fought the Upper Rank One demon Kokushibo. He also died a tragic death but didn't stop fighting till the very end. Muichiro didn't stop fighting the demon, despite losing his hands. legs, and even after his body was cut in half, he continued fighting the demon and preventing it from healing.

In the end, while Kokushibo was defeated by the joint efforts of Muichiro, Sanemi, Gyomei, and Genya, Muichiro and Genya lost their lives in the fight. Muichiro's body was also never recovered after the Infinity Castle collapsed with Nakime's death, burying him with it.

Mitsuri and Obanai's final moments in Chapter 200 of the Demon Slayer manga (Image via Shueisha)

One of the most tragic deaths as a result of the final fight was that of Mitsuri Kanroji and Obanai Iguro. After the pair fought off against the Upper Rank Four demon Nakime, and she was eventually defeated, they were crushed under the collapsing castle. Even though they made it out of there alive, Mitsuri eventually died in Obanai's arms, while confessing her love. Obanai followed shortly after.

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Final thoughts

The death of several Hashira in Demon Slayer was the saddest part of the series, as several fans have expressed how emotionally breaking it was for them. What makes it even more tragic is that most of them were barely in their 20s, and Muichiro was just 14 when he died. As the Infinity Castle arc films are set to be released, the unfolding of these tragic deaths is to be seen in the anime.

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