Warning: This article contains spoilers from the Demon Slayer manga!
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Demon Slayer’s manga reached its bittersweet conclusion in 2020 after several heartbreaking moments throughout the entire final arc. While readers have known how the story ends, it’s only now that the final arc begins rolling out with Infinity Castle’s theatrical release being merely the start of an epic trilogy. The fight against the Upper Moons and Muzan Kibutsuji was brutal, and the Demon Slayer Corps faced immense casualties to the point of almost being wiped out. Muzan lost his patience after the deaths of several Upper Moons and finally decided to get rid of the Corps once and for all. After Kagaya blew up his mansion, the Demon Slayers cornered the demon, not knowing that Nakime, the Biwa demon, would summon all the members inside the Infinity Castle to leave them with no way of escaping.
The 1000-year feud between the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons finally ended in the Sunrise Countdown Arc with the death of Muzan Kibutsuji. Although the world became a peaceful place to live in, it came at the price of countless sacrifices. Members of the Corps gave up everything to fight for a better future, but they didn’t even live to see the sun rising in a world without demons. The tragic battle killed almost everyone, even the majority of the Hashira, except Giyu Tomioka and Sanemi Shinazugawa. However, the manga ending never revealed a major question about their fates, presenting a unique opportunity for the anime to pick up the slack.
The Curse of the Demon Slayer Mark Is Still Unresolved
The world of Demon Slayer includes magical powers possessed by demons, people having superhuman strength, and many other things that don’t always have a proper explanation. In such a world, it isn’t too surprising to see that curses exist. Unfortunately, they end up harming those who are fighting against the demons. For example, the Hashira Training Arc unveiled that the Ubuyashiki bloodline has been cursed for being related to Muzan. The curse affects the children since they always die before reaching the age of 30.
While the girls can escape the tragic fate by marrying and taking on the surnames of their husbands, the boys will meet a painful demise after suffering from a strange illness for several years. However, it’s not just the Ubuyashiki family, but Demon Slayers who have awakened their marks, also suffer from a horrible curse. The Hashira Training Arc left this part untouched, but this is what Gyomei Himejima meant after the meeting when he asked, “What will happen to me?”
The truth behind the Demon Slayer Marks was lost in the annals of history because anyone who awakened it wouldn’t live past the age of 25. Whenever a Demon Slayer with a mark appears, everyone around that person also starts awakening them as if it’s some kind of chain reaction. During the Sengoku era, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was born with a mark, and everyone around him began awakening as well. Yoriichi even developed the Sun Breathing Technique, and the others came up with their own derivations, which finally gave the humans a chance to fight against these demons.
Giyu and Sanemi Awakened Their Marks, But the Manga Never Revealed Their Fates
The Sengoku era was known as the golden age of the Corps, but no one else awakened their Marks in about 500 years before Tanjiro Kamado, a user of the Sun Breathing Technique, joined the Corps again. As a result, all the Hashira except Kyojuro Rengoku and Tengen Uzui awakened, but out of them, only Giyu and Sanemi survived the final battle. Gyomei awakened his Mark despite being over the age of 25, so it gave some hope of the curse being lifted, but he eventually succumbed to his injuries and drew his final breath in the Sunrise Countdown Arc.
Even though Giyu and Sanemi survived the final battle, they were 21 years old at the time, which means they would only have four years left to live if the curse was still in effect. After Muzan’s defeat, none of the surviving Demon Slayers had any reason to pick up swords again, so they left after the Corps was disbanded and lived ordinary lives. Tanjiro eventually married Kanao Tsuyuri since the curse wouldn’t have taken any effect on him. However, we never learned about the fates of Giyu and Sanemi. Since the story never showed their deaths and skipped to the epilogue in the near future, the mystery was never resolved.
Although logically speaking, they didn’t have a chance of surviving, so we should just assume they died at the age of 25. However, Muzan’s death lifted the curse on the Ubuyashiki family, which means the Mark’s curse could also have a certain condition. Although both curses after different in nature, there’s no guarantee that Giyu and Sanemi couldn’t have broken it. Also, Gyomei awakening his Mark is a clear indication that not everything we know about it is true. The manga never delved deeper into this so-called curse and the reason behind it. The Infinity Castle trilogy will wrap up the entire story, so it’s a great opportunity to tie up some loose ends.
What do you think happened to these fan-favorite characters after the final battle? Could they have survived? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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