Demon Slayer: What is the significance of Tanjiro's Hanafuda earrings?

Famous shonen anime and manga series Demon Slayer has garnered attention from animanga fans all over the world. This series is set in a world where demons are a threat to the lives of humans. The story is about a boy named Tanjiro who swears to kill every last demon and save the world from their tyranny.

Tanjiro’s earrings have sparked a lot of conversations among anime-only Demon Slayer fans. This article will explain the significance of those earrings worn by Tanjiro in the series.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga.

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About Tanjiro’s earrings in Demon Slayer

In Demon Slayer, Tanjiro wears a unique set of earrings that even Kibutsuji Muzan could identify. These Hanafuda (Flower cards) earrings are worn by Tanjiro’s ancestors and passed down to their children every generation.

These Hanafuda earrings were also worn by the first person to create a breathing style in swordsmanship. Yoriichi Tsukiguni wore these earrings too which is why Muzan was absolutely terrified when he saw Tanjiro with the same earrings.

Tanjiro Kamado was the descendant of Sumiyoshi who was a close acquaintance of Yoriichi Tsukiguni in Demon Slayer. Sumiyoshi was saved by Yoriichi when a demon was about to attack him.

In the Demon Slayer manga, Sumiyoshi would intently watch Yoriichi perform all the forms of the Sun Breathing technique. Just before Yoriichi left, he gave his Hanafuda earrings to Sumiyoshi who promised to keep them and pass them down to every generation.

This is the reason why Tanjiro’s father was insistent on passing the earrings and learning the Hinokami Kagura. The Demon Slayer protagonist is able to perform the Breath of the Sun since it was taught to the children and this became a tradition. This is the reason why Tanjiro wears Hanafuda earrings and the history behind it.

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Demon Slayer plot overview

In Demon Slayer Tanjiro’s family is attacked by a vicious demon with only two family members surviving the onslaught. Tanjiro along with his sister, who was turned into a demon, managed to stay alive. Since then, Tanjiro vowed to become a demon slayer and save humans from their attacks.

He promised his younger sister, Nezuko, that she would become human again and would not stop until he found a cure. With this as his goal, he forged a dangerous path in the hopes of curing his younger sister and avenging his family.