Gyutaro is Tanjiro's perfect foil in Demon Slayer, and their relationships with their sisters explain it

Modified Jul 12, 2024 19:16 GMT

Taking a look at why Gyutaro is Tanjiro's foil in the Demon Slayer series (Image via Ufotable)

The Demon Slayer series, despite being a shonen title, focuses heavily on character development. The premise of the story is rather simple, which has led to mixed opinions within the community. Some criticize it, while others appreciate it. Despite the divide in the community, there is one thing that is the absolute truth - characters drive the narrative.

The likes of Tanjiro and his comrades drive the narrative forward. This cannot be done without the help of other antagonists in the series. One antagonist that stands out is Gyutaro. He was the Upper Moon 6 demon who was defeated in the Entertainment District arc of the series.

When we take a closer look at the character, he serves as someone who is the perfect contrast to Tanjiro, while sharing a few similarities. Let’s take a look at this character in detail and understand what makes him Tanjiro’s foil in the series.

The parallels and contrast between Tanjiro and Gyutaro in the Demon Slayer series

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Tanijro Kamado is introduced as someone with an extremely pure heart, who wouldn’t even hurt a fly unless it was necessary. He loved his family and used his athletic abilities to sell coal in a neighboring village. He has a great deal of adoration for his younger sister, Nezuko Kamado, who was the only family he had left after Muzan killed the others.

This bond with Nezuko cannot be broken. Every decision he took was in service of reverting his sister to a human. Gyutaro was born in the Yoshiwara district, where looks were the only asset. He was poor, not loved by his own mother, and berated by everyone in the village. He had a younger sister who was exceptionally beautiful. They adored each other, and he would do anything to keep her safe.

However, there is a massive contrast between these characters. Their circumstances dictated their fates to a considerable degree. Gyutaro is someone who wouldn’t hesitate to let go of his humanity for Daki’s sake. Gyutaro’s actions are always dependent on Daki, and there isn’t a line he’s not willing to cross to make sure he’s safe.

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In a way, Gyutaro and Tanjiro are two sides of the same coin. Gyutaro is the darkness that Tanjiro doesn’t have in him. Furthermore, Tanjiro was forced to decide to choose between his sister’s life and his duties as a demon hunter. While he was unable to make that decision in time, he is someone who would risk his own life to save a human being.

While Gyutaro and Tanjiro have incredibly similar bonds with their siblings, they are vastly different. Tanjiro is empathetic while Gyutaro is ready to kill hundreds, if not thousands of people in order to keep his sister safe. When Daki and Gyutaro were on the verge of dying, there were a lot of hurtful words exchanged. This interaction is another point that differentiates Gyutaro and Tanjiro.

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Edited by Shubham Soni