Demon Slayer: What Do We Know About Muichiro's New Mark?
Demon Slayer Season 3 continues to surprise, and Episode 8 featured a milestone change for the Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito!
Demon Slayer's Swordsmith Village Arc continues to see to powerful Upper Rank demons (Gyokko and Hantengu) launching an all-out ambush against the home of the Demon Slayer Corps' blacksmiths and master sword crafters. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and some powerful Hashira have been making the stand, and even the Demon Slayers' most powerful warriors are being tested to the limit (and beyond) against the most powerful level of demons out there.
Gyokko had Muichiro on the ropes with his Blood Demon Art, trapping the Mist Hashira in a vase full of water that nearly drowned him. Even after he escaped, Muichiro was poisoned and dying – leading a life flash that explains his tragic origin, losing his parents to illness and accident, then his older brother Yuichiro to a demon attack. Those traumatic memories caused Muichiro to re-awaken with a scarlet mark on his face, and his Slayer powers supercharged to new levels of strength and speed.
What Is Muichiro's New Mark & Powers? Explained
Muichiro tokito being the first hashira to manifest the demon slayer mark #鬼滅の刃 #demonslayer #muichiro pic.twitter.com/B3CFAjNwgI
— Lin (@shniazugawa) May 28, 2023
As fans have pointed out (see the thread above), Muichiro's mark is clearly tied to the mark that Tanjiro has manifested on his own face, both in previous fights and during this current battle in the Swordsmith Village. The power boost effect it has on a Demon Slayer is obvious; what is more unique is the distinctive form the mark takes. On Tanjiro, the Demon Slayer mark resembles embers of fire, tied to his Sun Breathing technique; on Muichiro, the mark looks like the mist (or smoke) that is tied to his particular breathing technique.
The same can be said of the powers that the mark brings out: with Tanjiro, his Hinokami Kagura is a fiery display of power, while Muichiro's boosted powers make him as quick and quiet and ethereal as the mist. However, we've also seen the energy cost of the moments when Tanjiro unleashes the Kagura, so the next episode of Demon Slayer Season 3 may reveal that Muichiro has a similar cost to his own mark manifesting.
The mystery and lore of Demon Slayer's unique power levels system continues to be one of its biggest and most exciting draws. Just when we thought we were seeing the heights of Demon Slayer badasses with the likes of Muichiro, Genya, and Mitsuri joining the battle, we now know that even the Hashira has more powerful forms and techniques to show us.
Good time to be a Demon Slayer fan.