Zenitsu and Inosuke did not travel to the Swordsmith Village with Tanjiro, so fans missed out on the goofy trio’s ramblings. Season 3 of Demon Slayer focused on other characters like the Mist and Love Hashira. The presence of Tanjiro’s friends would have overcrowded the season with no development of Zenitsu and Inosuke.
Thus, it was best to keep them aside for narrative reasons. Season 4 of Demon Slayer has already begun airing, and fans will soon notice that there is a lack of another integral character.
Nezuko’s Upcoming Absence in Demon Slayer Season 4
Episode 1 of Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc has just been released, and it has several fun moments. Nezuko has finally conquered the Sun and can also speak. Zenitsu was overjoyed to hear her talk but flew into a murderous rage when he realized Inosuke taught her to call his name.
However, the episode also carried a grave sense of foreboding. It was a given that Muzan would hunt Nezuko with renewed strength. The absence of a demon at present simply means Muzan is planning a huge attack.
Nezuko’s huge success, followed by some light-hearted moments, is the last time you will see her for a while. As the season progresses, She will only be mentioned by others but never appear herself.
Why Doesn’t Nezuko Appear in the Hashira Training Arc?
Nezuko’s absence from the Swordsmith Village arc is scarcely explained in the manga. In chapter 136 of the manga, Tanjiro reminisces about Zenitsu and Nezuko and how he left them at the start of the Hashira Training. He believes that she is lonely and misses him.
Nezuko will be in a dormant state inside her box during most of the arc. Since she does not consume human flesh and spent a lot of energy during her last appearance, she needs to recuperate. She cannot regain her power as easily as other demons due to her choice of diet.
She was probably left behind in safe hands so that Tanjiro could train. You can imagine how inconvenient it is to always move around with a big box on your shoulder. Having to worry about Nezuko constantly will also hinder his improvement.
The decision to temporarily remove Nezuko from the narrative probably stemmed from the fact that there was less room for her in the arc. Nezuko has already reached a milestone in the last arc, so there is very little development she needs afterward.
The different Hashiras, on the other hand, need room to develop, and the series needs to portray their backstories as well as ambitions. Coupled with Tanjiro’s loud friends, the arc is full of characters who need to develop their strategies and power.
However, Nezko’s complete absence from the anime is not confirmed since there might be some original scenes that show her resting.
You can read Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
