Demon Slayer Originally Wanted Tanjiro to Be Super Dark

There is no denying that Demon Slayer is one of the biggest franchises in anime. From its TV series to its films, it is hard to navigate the fandom without hearing about Tanjiro. Luckily, the hero is easy to love as Tanjiro manages to stay hopeful in even the worst situations. But if you did not know, well – Demon Slayer did not always intend for Tanjiro to be so bright.

In fact, the manga banked on the exact opposite. During development, Demon Slayer creator Koyoharu Gotouge had a different vision for the series as a whole, and it would have made Tanjiro a dark protagonist.

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The whole thing came to light on social media as an interview with one of Demon Slayer’s editors resurfaced. It was there Tatsuhiko Katayama spoke at length about the first days of the manga. It turns out Gotouge had a vision for Demon Slayer in mind thanks to their one-shot Kisatsu no Nagare. The project was born from another story drafted by Gotouge named Kagari, and you can find visuals from that project above.

However, Kisatsu no Nagare turned out a bit too dark for Shueisha’s tastes. “Due to its serious tone, lack of comic relief, and dark story, it didn’t make the cut for serialization,” the editor shared. “I thought it wouldn’t be able to get through unless the main character wasn’t switched out, so I asked Gotouge-sensei if there wasn’t a brighter, more normal character in the world he created. That’s how Tanjiro and Demon Slayer came to be.”

As you can see, Katayama is the first to admit Demon Slayer was a bit too dark to draw in fans. Tanjiro ended up doing a total turnaround to fit Shonen Jump’s request, and the rest is history. It is hard to imagine a manga under Shueisha being turned away for being dark given the popularity of Chainsaw Man, but Demon Slayer made its debut in a different time. So for better or worse, the manga industry’s guidelines forced Tanjiro to become the protagonist that fans across the globe now love.

If you have not experienced Tanjiro in the Demon Slayer manga, you can read the complete series courtesy of Viz Media. As for the anime, Demon Slayer season 3 is currently in progress. The show is working through the manga’s Swordsmith Village arc, and Tanjiro is continuing to wow with weekly bangers. 

What do you make of Demon Slayer’s original pitch? Can you imagine Tanjiro being this dark…? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.