The impact Rengoku had on Tanjiro’s life is oftentimes difficult to understand, but Demon Slayer, time and again brings out the opportunity to make it clear for fans. Season 4 episode six, The Strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps takes a different turn in showing Tanjiro’s stance. While he gets along very well with some Hashira and not at all with others, there are still some, or rather one, whom he doesn’t even have a relationship with.
Forcing a relationship where there isn’t one would make things awkward and uncomfortable, so Ufotable chooses not to touch on that subject, making the sixth episode the first in which the main character has no direct interaction with a Hashira. The focus of the episode, after a long series of episodes focusing on Hashira alone, takes a step back and looks at the protagonist and those surrounding him.
Demon Slayer Puts Tanjiro’s Strength to the Test
Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc episode 6, The Strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps dives directly into the story by pushing Tanjiro through the harshest of trainings. First, to sit under a waterfall for at least two hours, then, to pick up three gigantic logs with each, and finally, to push a massive boulder to a distance of one Cho, or 358 feet. The episode is more focused on Tanjiro gaining and controlling his strength alongside the now-reunited Zenitsu, Genya, and Inosuke.
The training is unsurprisingly testing their limits. The conditions they are forced to work in are horrible, sitting under freezing cold water in heavy winters. On top of that, the force of the water is impossible to stand under without giving away, so much so that the tough protagonists also find themselves weak and a mess under the Stone Hashira’s training.
Interestingly enough, we also get to learn about how as the training progresses, members of the Demon Slayer Corps reduce, unable to keep up with the increasing difficulty. To help out the remaining, Tanjiro takes up a more maternal role, with many even referring to him as a mom.
Muzan Won’t Rest No More
This episode takes two different sides of the story. One from Tanjiro’s perspective and one from Muzan’s. With only two more episodes remaining for the season, it makes sense to wrap up or at least progress toward the other areas of the series as well. Muzan, using Nakime’s eyes is looking around for as many members of the Demon Slayer Corps as he can. So much so that almost 60% of the corps had already been located by him and the newly appointed Upper Moon 4.
His hunt is not just for Nezuko but also for Kagaya Ubuyashiki. On one hand, the antagonist is giving his all to find his demon who conquered the sun and on another, Tanjiro is learning to control his own emotions and through it, his strength. His biggest challenge is not to stand under the waterfall or pick up the logs, but to move the boulder.
No matter how much he tries, Tanjiro is unable to move the massive rock. No amount of strength can account for the task he wishes to complete. This becomes an even bigger problem when he comes to learn that Genya, who doesn’t even have a breathing technique, can move the boulder. So it comes to understanding that it isn’t about strength but power over oneself.
Warmth and Enlightenment Through Turbulent Times
Genya teaches Tanjiro that it is not about the amount of pressure you put on the boulder but how you put it. There has to be motivation, a driving force. The more heightened one’s emotions are the better the impact. Strength is directly proportional to emotions and how one can control them. That is something seen in many different shows, movies, and books. It is not Demon Slayer alone that uses that belief. However, what is important is Tanjiro’s mastery of it.
This is where the symbolism and metaphors come into play. When diving into the episode, Zenitsu and the other Demon Slayers focus on how in the tough winter time, when the rivers are freezing cold, it is a boulder that offers them warmth. The irony of this situation is the fact that despite him being the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima is emotional and warm at heart. That doesn’t make him any less strong either.
At the same time, sunlight plays a big role in the episode using it as a form of enlightenment. Only when Tanjiro manages to move the boulder, after thinking of his family and of the wise words spoken by Rengoku does he literally set his heart ablaze. It is at that moment the sun shines on him, signaling the end of an era and the start of one. The dawn of his strength and control over his own powers creates a balance. In the process, he also manages to manifest his Demon Slayer mark at will.
Rating: 8/10
Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
