The “Entertainment” District Arc had been a close call for Tanjiro and friends. Tengen had tasked them to find his wives after they went missing. Thankfully, the Sound Hashira knew where they were. The wives had been on a scouting mission before communications died. So, he made the three protagonists do what they do best. Cross-dress, act as women, and infiltrate the Red-Light District!
A whole bunch of shenanigans happened, but the three were able to accomplish the task. The wives were found, lives were saved, and Tanjiro won a fight. Nezuko experienced a power-up to aid her brother against the Demon siblings. In a grueling battle between the two pairs of siblings, Tanjiro and Nezuko came out on top.
These were the events we know of from the previous season. Now people are to ask, what happens next? If you are like me and want to know but do not want to read the entire thing, look no further! Here is the Swordsmith Village Arc summary you are looking for. Spoilers ahead!
Swordsmith Village Arc Main Characters
The main characters in this story are as follows: Kamado Nezuko, Kamado Tanjiro, Shinazugawa Genya, Love Hashira Kanroji Mitsuri, and Mist Hashira Tokito Muichiro. Inosuke and Zenitsu would be absent for this arc.
Swordsmith Village Arc Summary
Long story short, Tanjiro went to the Swordsmith Village to get a sword. Instead, he was trained and killed Upper-Rank Four. He didn’t get his sword until the last battle. On the other hand, he also met the Love and Mist Hashiras. Both helped put down the two Upper-Rank Demons who invaded the village.
Swordsmith Village Arc Explained
Prologue
The death of an Upper Ranked Demon forced Muzan to summon the remaining Upper Ranked Demons. The “Man in the Mirror” singer look-alike goes on a tangent about how he hates change. He prefers the world to be unchanging so only the strong can remain. He then dismisses the group under a not-so-subtle threat. If the Upper-Rank Demons were to fail him more, he would be the one to put them down.
Tanjiro’s Awakening
Meanwhile, the main trio fell into a two-month coma. Their previous fight left them drained and weak. The poison affected their organs to a certain degree despite Nezuko’s aid. During Tanjiro’s rest, he recalled a distant memory. His ancestor had met Kokushibo at one point! They owed their lives to him but found him a lonely person. The man had been dead-set on living alone. Such a sentiment woke Tanjiro from his slumber.
This event is what is called an “Inherited Memory”. This is explained later on by Kotetsu. In Tanjiro’s case, he had relived his ancestor’s memory of meeting Kokushibo. His awakening shocked Kanao and Goto and called the others. In no time, Tanjiro’s room was crowded with people from the Butterfly Mansion.
The trio was being taken care of inside the Butterfly Mansion. Inosuke was the first to wake, followed by Zenitsu. Tanjiro was the last; hence people crowded his bedside the most. It took another week for Tanjiro to recover. By that point, Inosuke and Zenitsu were already active on the field. Only Tanjiro wasn’t, but without a katana, he couldn’t fight. Tanjiro chipping his sword in the last fight was the final straw for Haganezuka. The three younger assistants advised him to go to the Swordsmith Village. Through plot armor, he was granted permission to go there within a short time!
The Swordsmith Village
After a rather complicated journey, he made it to the village. He met the chief Tecchin-Tecchin Kawahara and talked to him. The latter commented on Haganezuka’s inability to create swords. Their brief conversation ended with an invitation to stay for Tanjiro.
Tanjiro was then escorted to the hot spring, where he met Love Hashira and Genya. He caught up with them and mostly spent his time with the former. With Kanroji, he knew a bit about her backstory and her motivation. She joined the Demon Slayer Corps to find a husband! Such a revelation left Tanjiro dumbfounded. Regardless, Kanroji thanked Tanjiro with a tiny bit of information. There was a secret weapon in the village, and she wanted Tanjiro to find it.
Tanjiro went on to look for said weapon. In his journey, he found the Mist Hashira. The man had been harassing a boy to hand over the key he was guarding. Tanjiro stepped in to protect the boy but was taken out. Muichiro had planned to use the key to train with the mechanical doll the boy was hiding. Since Muichiro got the key with ease, he managed to find and defeat the doll. Tanjiro recovered enough to deal with the aftermath.
He is shocked by the doll’s appearance. It looked similar to the man he dreamed of during his coma.
The Swordsmith Village: Training
Later on, Tanjiro and Kotetsu came over to check the doll’s condition. Muichiro had taken one of its swords as he left them be. To their glee, the doll still worked. Immediately, Kotetsu put it to work and had Tanjiro train with it.
Tanjiro could have had a better time. He went through a grueling training session where he hadn’t had any food, water, or sleep for seven days. Eventually, he was able to get a hit in. He was able to celebrate with Kotetsu through food and tea! The experience turned out to be great for him in the end. Tanjiro gained his version of Clairvoyance and was able to predict the doll’s movements. Until finally, he got one solid hit.
The Swordsmith Village: Secret Weapon
Destroying the doll’s head would reveal a secret weapon hidden inside. A katana had been embedded inside the doll. It waited for someone to bring it out and it was Tanjiro who did. The katana had been 300 years old by this point, and it was completely rusted. Haganezuka would be there to see the katana and proposed he fix it. The man had been training in the mountains for a while and came out with Terminator’s muscles! Entrusting the sword to him, Tanjiro returned and hung out with Genya. However, that wouldn’t prove to be fruitful as the latter refused to socialize any further.
The Swordsmith Village: Appearance of Upper Ranked Demons 4 and 5
Unfortunately, the peace would come to an end. Gyokko and Hantengu would find the village in an attempt to stop sword production. Unfortunately, Hantengu would intrude on Nezuko, Tanjiro, and Muichiro’s conversation. The three would leap to action and fight the Demon. Haganezuka had given Tanjiro a sword in the meantime for him to use. Muichiro cut its head, but that only created another body. The headless body on the other side grew a head. With a blow of its fan, Muichiro is blown away.
The two new Demons identified themselves as Karaku and Sekido. They were created from Hatengu’s decapitated body. But while they were talking, Genya came to ambush. With his sawed-off double-barreled shotgun, he tried to blow off the heads of the demons. Unfortunately, in Genya’s haste, he only created two more bodies. Now there were four Demons they have to face.
The Swordsmith Village: Battling and Finishing the Upper Ranked Demon 5 Gyokko
Meanwhile, Muichiro was trying to run back. He came across Kotetsu being attacked by a Demon. Caught in indecision, he helped the child after being touched by Tanjiro’s kindness. Through the power of friendship, Muichiro’s heart grew ten sizes that day! He saved the boy and fought off the demon.
Muichiro eventually came across a swordsmith. It was Kanamori, his new swordsmith. The man had already prepared a sword for the Mist Hashira, but they would be interrupted. The Upper Ranked Demon 5 appeared to fight. In what was a battle of attrition, Muichiro found his speed being matched. Through “Zerg Rush” tactics, Gyokko got the upper hand with his creations. He had used the two swordsmiths as collaterals for Muichiro to protect. Muichiro was then trapped in a water pot to suffocate to death while poisoned.
Thankfully, Gyokko was the type to play with his food. He left Muichiro to favor killing the rest of the swordsmiths. He erupted into the hut, where he found Haganezuka polishing the sword. He was threatened by the latter’s artistic soul and attempted to kill him. Even then, Tanjiro’s chad swordsmith kept grinding! Taking advantage of the confusion, Kotetsu moved to help Muichiro. In the boy’s “last breath,” he gave enough air for Muichiro to use his breathing.
Muichiro broke free of his prison. Rushing into the hut, he got his hands on Kanamori’s and Tetsuido’s creations. Along the way, he gained an “awakening” of sorts. Marks and patterns appeared on his face, signifying his power up. With his newly brandished katana, he was able to beat Gyokko with ease and style. With trash-talking that would make Dante proud, the Mist Hashira cut off Gyokko’s head. As Muichiro took a break, it is revealed that Kotetsu was alive all along!
The Swordsmith Village: Battling the Upper Ranked Demon 4 Hantengu
Tanjiro’s heightened battle sense keyed him in on Hantengu’s ability. As the man divided into more bodies, he got weaker. He preyed on this and began hacking away at the body as much as he could. Nezuko and Genya also fought off the others and managed to get a few solid hits. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t succeed yet. Tanjiro and Nezuko are both taken out by one of the bodies with a well-placed wind blast.
The two siblings would, fortunately, recover in seconds. They were in time to escape being crushed by the building. But Nezuko was still stuck in debris. Thinking fast, Nezuko cut her hand and imbued Tanjiro’s sword with her blood. Setting it aflame, the man now carried a katana that can beat Hantengu. By utilizing his Sun Breathing, he was able to cut the Demons apart. The Demons are struggling to regenerate, but they weren’t beaten. Genya had taken out one on his own, but they still weren’t beaten.
This is when Tanjiro realized something was up. His nose keyed him in that there was a fifth one that was hiding. He sent Genya and Nezuko out to find the fifth Demon. Genya eventually did find it, but his sword broke when he tried cutting its head. His failure allowed one of the bodies to strike at him. Mere moments from death, Genya’s life flashed before his eyes. Literally, as we are sent into a flashback!
Eventually, he was taken out of his thoughts as Tanjiro arrived in time to rescue him.
The Swordsmith Village: Finishing the Upper Ranked Demon 4 Hantengu
After protecting Tanjiro from a fatal attack, Genya let Tanjiro have the glory. This time, Tanjiro is the one to strike at Hatengu with his flaming sword. However, of course, the fight wasn’t that easy. It’s not a Shounen battle without the villain powering up! Hatengu had one Demon absorb the rest of the bodies, creating a younger version. The newly formed Demon body was strong enough to make everyone tremble. They were overwhelmed until the Love Hashira showed up.
The Love Hashira was able to keep the body busy while the three of them looked for Hantengu. Similar to Muichiro, Kanjiro gained a power-up. A mark appeared on her body which let her last longer in the fight. A collision course would separate them with Nezuko and Tanjiro stuck with Hatengu. The latter had powered up and overpowered both siblings. He would be walking off, but his efforts are soon thwarted. Muichiro arrived in time after beating Gyokko. He would throw another sword to Tanjiro who used it to finish Hantengu off.
However, the body would prove to be false. Since the sun was rising, Tanjiro moved instead to save Nezuko instead. His sister would burn in the sun since she was a Demon. However, she was the one to choose for him. Throwing him off, Nezuko accepted her fate. Tanjiro moved to kill Hantengu and end the battle once and for all.
The Swordsmith Village: Finale
It is revealed that Nezuko’s sacrifice wasn’t a sacrifice at all! She was now able to adapt and walk under the sun. Unlike other Demons, she has escaped Muzan’s influence. Her blood had modified itself to make her almost like a human. She could now speak normally, no longer needing her bamboo gag. Unfortunately, Muzan would find out about this.
The First Demon would prepare himself for war to kill and eat Nezuko.