Zenitsu might be the clown character among the Tanjiro-Zenitsu-Inosuke trio, but he does not disappoint in battle. While Tanjiro has shown some incredible development in Demon Slayer, Zenitsu is not too far behind in the skill department.
However, there is one aspect in which Zenitsu is superior to both of his peers, and that is the usage of his katana. While his thunder breathing technique is strong, it is empowered even more due to Zenitsu’s nichirin blade.
Zenitsu Never Once Broke His Sword in Demon Slayer
Tanjiro had established early on in the anime that when a sword chips or breaks, it is the fault of its wielder. In other words, if the user has not perfected their usage of a specific breathing style or holds the sword in a flawed manner, it results in the sword receiving damage. However, an experienced wielder can even cut a rock with their blade while causing zero damage to it.
In Demon Slayer, Tanjiro broke his first sword against Rui, and his second sword was broken after he targeted Akaza with it. While he did not break it a third time, his katana did get chipped against Daki. Inosuke, on the other hand, chipped his sword intentionally to adapt it to his fighting style. Inosuke’s unconventional attacks needed a modified weapon, and the man took it upon himself to create it.
But not once in the anime has Zenitsu broken or chipped his sword. A theory explains that part of the reason is his exceptional control over the Thunder Breathing style. It is also generally believed that his sword was crafted by an exceptional blacksmith.
Why Zenitsu Never Broke His Sword
Zenitsu might seem cowardly from the outside, but his strength awakens when he is asleep. During this time, his nervous demeanor takes a backseat as the real demon hunter inside him takes over. His sleeping form makes him calmer and more precise in combat, and he can decapitate almost any enemy in an instant.
The greatest extent of his powers awakens when Zenitsu learns to fight while he is awake against the Upper-Rank Six demon, Kaigaku. Zenitsu is mostly known to kill his opponents in a single slash once his powers have been awakened, despite his nervousness. Thus, his sword does not go through nearly as much stress as those of others.
However, the core reason behind never breaking a sword is his exceptional control over his breathing style. The swords of Hashiras don’t break because of their enhanced control, and the same is true with Inosuke. He is a master swordsman, to the point that he can stay precise and create offshoots of the main technique even when he is asleep. Given that he could battle the Upper-Rank demons as well as a weakened Muzan later in the series, his swordsmanship skill is considered to be equal to that of a Hashira.
You can read Demon Slayer on Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
