One of the biggest selling points of the Demon Slayer series is its characters. Although the series has a great action-packed storyline and a consistent plot, there is no doubt that its characters have a significant impact on how fans perceive the anime title.
One such character is Tanjiro’s father, who unfortunately didn't receive much screen time. During the initial parts of the anime, he was introduced as a frail man who bore a mark on his forehead and often performed a dance routine as a form of showcasing his devotion to the Fire God.
Those who have read the manga seem to have one question in mind: Is Tanjiro’s father a Sun Breathing user? The answer is more nuanced because there is a significant connection between the Dance of the Fire God.
Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers from the manga chapters.
Who is Tanjiro’s father in Demon Slayer?
Tanjuro Kamado is Tanjiro’s father in the animanga series. He was introduced as a frail man who was weak yet exceptionally kind and loving towards his family. Despite his lack of strength, he was able to perform Hinokami Kagura, also known as the Dance of the Fire God, for hours on end.
What many anime-only fans might not know is that Tanjuro’s Dance of the Fire God is connected to Sun Breathing. The dance he performed was a version of the Sun Breathing, which was passed on for generations.
This begs the question: is Tanjiro’s father a Sun Breathing user? No, since the moves he used are an altered version of the original techniques. While it might have given Tanjiro the base to perform the moves, Tanjuro’s dance wasn’t the same as the techniques developed to kill Muzan.
Furthermore, the moves were designed for combat, and Tanjuro didn’t particularly use them for combat. He might have been a Sun Breathing user if his Dance of the Fire God had worked well in battle. Therefore, there are reasons to believe that he is not a Sun Breathing user in the anime and manga series.
How did Tanjuro know the forms of Sun Breathing?
The dance Tanjuro performed was an altered version of the Sun Breathing Technique, passed down for generations in the form of a dance. The only reason Sun Breathing and Hinokami Kagura are not the same is because the latter was an imitation of the original technique developed by Yoriichi, which also has some flair and mild inaccuracies.
This was stated by Tanjiro when he realized that the Hinokami Kagura had some inaccuracies with the footwork and wrist angles, and there were wasted movements present in this form.
Sumiyoshi tried to imitate the Thirteenth Form of the Sun Breathing, which is a combination of all 12 previous forms performed one after another in quick succession. Since Sumiyoshi passed this dance down for generations, Tanjuro technically knew the slightly altered version of the Sun Breathing forms.
Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2024 progresses.
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