Tanjiro's actions in Demon Slayer call back to Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist in more ways than fans think

The Demon Slayer series has introduced some of the most memorable characters in modern anime. Koyoharu Gotouge’s character writing stands out as some of the best among contemporary Shonen anime titles. Naturally, the series' protagonist has received substantial screen time, allowing the series to explore this character thoroughly.

Usually, most Shonen protagonists end up becoming one of, if not the strongest characters in the series. However, Demon Slayer was quite refreshing in that sense. Tanjiro Kamado didn’t particularly become the most powerful character.

Despite his abilities, Tanjiro never became a Hashira. However, there is a rather wonderful callback to the Elric brothers from the Fullmetal Alchemist series. Let’s take a look at the protagonist's fate in the series and understand how he shares similarities with the Elric brothers.

Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers from the Demon Slayer manga chapters.

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Tanjiro’s fate in Demon Slayer manga

Towards the end of the manga series, Tanjiro Kamado plays a crucial role in defeating Kibutsuji Muzan. By this point, he has mastered most of the techniques in the Breath of the Sun, giving the demon hunters a fighting chance against the King of Demons himself. However, this victory came at a massive cost. Giyu Tomioka and Sanemi Shinazugawa were the only Hashira left alive by the end of the series. Furthermore, Muzan turned Tanjiro into a demon that conquered the sun.

Luckily, Kanao Tsuyuri had an extra vial of the Anti-Kibutsuji drug, which reverted Tanjiro to his human form. Despite the massive improvement in his abilities, he never became a Hashira.

Some netizens would have loved to watch a story arc that covered Tanjiro Kamado becoming a Hashira. However, the Demon Slayer Corps was disbanded, and there was no longer a need for demon hunters. As a result, no one got promoted to the title of Hashira in the anime series. A closer analysis of his circumstances creates an interesting parallel to the Elric brothers.

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How is Tanjiro related to the Elric brothers from the

Fullmetal Alchemist series?

Tanjiro Kamado decided to become a demon hunter after Muzan turned his sister into a demon. His only goal was to kill every demon and revert his sister to her human form. Similarly, if we take a look at the Elric brothers, they lost their mother and tried bringing her back from the dead through alchemy. That backfired instantly, which led to Alphonse losing his entire physical body, while Edward lost an arm and a leg.

Edward, being the elder sibling, wanted to find a way to get Alphonse his body back and therefore decided to go after the Philosopher’s Stone. Tanjiro Kamado achieved his goal but didn’t really become the most powerful character in the series. Similarly, Ed and Alphonse succeeded in their mission but lost the ability to perform alchemy. Despite this, they were happy with their lives. Ed confessed to being in love with Winry, while Demon Slayer implied that Tanjiro and Kanao became a couple.

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Conclusion

Tanjiro’s ending and his circumstances in the anime are quite similar to the Elric brothers in the Fullmetal Alchemist series. Both these series didn’t resort to an ending that’s common in most Shonen anime titles. Both sets of protagonists didn’t become the strongest in their respective series. However, they achieved their goals and lived fulfilling lives.

Stay tuned for more Demon Slayer anime and manga news as 2025 progresses.

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