In this article, we will find out about the identity of Tanjiro’s dad and his role in the entire Demon Slayer series.
Who is Tanjiro’s Dad?
At the very start of Demon Slayer, we see the family of Tanjiro Kamado. We see his mom, the eldest and hero Tanjiro, Nezuko, and four younger sisters and brothers.
However, the Kamado patriarch remains an enigma. Aside from the fact that he got sick badly, which is why he passed away, we don’t know a lot about Tanjiro’s dad.
In the story, we only see Tanjiro’s dad through the memory of our protagonist. The first time we see him is in Episode 19 of the anime from 17:34 to 19:13, when Tanjiro fights with Lower Moon 5, Uki. That’s only 103 seconds throughout season 1 of the series!
But the role of Tanjiro’s dad is so important in the development of our young hero.
Tanjiro’s Father: What We Know
The full name of Tanjiro dad is Tanjuro Kamado.
He died even before the first scene of Demon Slayer started, although we do not know the exactly when. But based on Tanjiro’s memory, we can assume his father died when he was just a kid.
With that said, Tanjuro could have passed away 3 to 4 years before the timeline of Demon Slayer. Tanjiro was 13 when we first met him, so his dad might have died when he was just 9 or 10 years old.
Tanjuro followed the traditional business of the Kamado family: selling coal. The trade was passed on to Tanjiro when he died. When he had free time, he used it to teach his kid about sewing and everything he knew about the culture of the family in order to keep it alive for the next generations.
What Role Does Tanjiro’s Dad Play in Demon Slayer?
Despite the rare time he appears, his role is crucial in the Demon Slayer series. Tanjuro taught Tanjiro everything needed to defeat the final boss of the Demon Slayer world, Muzan Kibutsuji.
Dance of the Fire God
No matter how weak Tanjuro was, he always spent time with Tanjiro and taught the young boy about the traditional culture of the family. He taught his oldest son how to be a man, how to sell coal, and how to dance the Dance of the Fire God.
The Dance of the Fire God is used for the new year’s ritual. They dance to the Fire God for a year without calamity and unlucky since Kamado often works with fire.
Its Japanese name is Hinokami Kagura. The origin can be traced from the legendary swordsman Yoriichi Tsugikuni. The Dance of the Fire God is the Kamado family’s version of Sun Breathing, passed down from generation to generation, from father to son.
When Tanjiro was a kid, Tanjuro showed him this dance and taught him about it. This carved the dance into the mind of Tanjiro and gave the boy a powerful technique to fight against the King of the Demons at the end of the story.
Transparent World and Selfless State
Besides the Dance of the Fire God, Tanjuro taught his son about the Transparent World and Selfless State. These, too, helped Tanjiro when he fought with Akaza and Muzan.
With the lessons from Tanjuro, Tanjiro escaped from the scythe of Death so many times throughout the story. With that said, despite the little time he appeared on the show, Tanjuro remains essential for the development of his son. If Tanjiro’s dad were not there, the series had probably ended way earlier, possibly ending in a different way.
What is the Kamado Family’s Relationship with the Demon Slayers?
We know that Kamado is a clan that had a coal-selling tradition for many generations. And in that long time, no one joined the Demon Slayer Corps for sure, even Tanjuro Kamado.
The first person to thwart this tradition is our main character – Tanjiro. He is the first person to wear the uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps. But why does the family know about the Dance of the Fire God or Sun Breathing? It makes the story more mysterious since Sun Breathing is the origin of other modern Breathing techniques used by Demon Slayers.
After joining the Demon Slayer Corps, Yoriichi, through Sun Breathing, caused an earthquake and built the golden time of Demon Slayers. He was so strong that almost killed the two strongest demons: Muzan, the King of Demons, and Michikatsu, an Upper Moon 1 demon.
Why Does the Kamado Family Knows Sun Breathing?
Well, why is an austere coal merchant like Tanjuro using the technique of the strongest Demon Slayer who had died for decades?
The answer is in Chapters 99 and 192 of the manga.
For a reason, Yoriichi saved the life of Sumiyoshi – a member of the Kamado family. Sumiyoshi was so thankful for Yoriichi and wanted to know more about him. With that, he could tell Yoriichi’s story for generations. But Yoriichi is a modest guy. He refused and went away.
After that time, he usually came to Sumiyoshi’s house to talk and relax. One time, the wife and kid of Sumiyoshi wanted to see the fire in the circus. Yoriichi happily indulged their wish. He performed Sun Breathing to the family of Sumiyoshi.
Sumiyoshi used that chance to watch Sun Breathing carefully. After finishing the performance, Yoriichi left and gave Sumiyoshi his earrings. Sumiyoshi promised Yoriichi that he would pass down the performance and the pair of earrings to the next generations.
And that’s why a coal merchant family knows about Sun Breathing. The dance and earrings went through many generations and was passed down to Tanjiro.
And with that said, Tanjuro Kamado WAS NOT a Demon Slayer.
2 Secrets About Tanjiro’s Dad
Why Do Tanjiro and His Dad Have the Same Scar?
It is just quick, but we can see a scar on the forehead of Tanjuro when he first appears. And on the forehead of Tanjiro, we can see the same scar. Actually, Tanjiro did not have that scar when he was a kid. In the memory of Tanjiro (7:14 of Episode 1), he sat in the arms of his grandmother. At that time, he didn’t have any scars on his forehead.
Later, we know that Tanjiro got that scar after saving his young brother from a burn. That would be a reason because we know that the Kamado family is working with fire for a living. With that said, the scar of Tanjiro and his father might be just because of an occupational accident.
Tanjuro and Tanjiro are the men of the family, of course, they have to take all the heavy stuff of the family, like cutting wood, making coal, and selling it in the town. So it’s not weird when they had to stay close to the fire and get burned. But if we follow the story of Tanjiro, we know that the scar on his forehead has more meaningful than just the above reason.
After many near-death experiences, Tanjiro’s scar slowly changes and grows. From a normal scar, it has become a mark, or more specifically, a Demon Slayer mark.
When a Demon Slayer activates this mark, that person will increase a lot of power and speed, making that person strong equal to an Upper Moon demon level. But on the opposite, those who unlock this mark will die when they reach 25 years old.
From the case of Tanjiro, we can see that the scar of him and his dad is not just simple as the scar from an occupational accident.
In fact, the Kamado family has the potential to become super powerful Demon Slayers. Let’s take Tanjuro, for example. He can dance the Dance of the Fire God, get into Transparent World, and the scar on his forehead might prove that power.
With that said, the scar on Tanjuro’s forehead represents the potential that he held. But because he was never in a near-death experience when fighting with demons, it didn’t have a chance to unlock during his lifetime.
How Did Tanjiro’s Dad Die?
He died because of sickness. Not a very special reason. When we first saw Tanjuro, he was skinny and weak. His skin was pale, with sunken cheeks. But the exact disease he got is still in the mist.
Before he died, he spent all the time teaching Tanjiro everything he had and hoping the son would continue the culture of the family.
Why is Tanjiro’s Dad One of the Strongest People in the Demon Slayer World?
Tanjiro’s dad is super super super strong. This important thing needs to be emphasized thrice. We know that Tanjuro died because of sickness, but even in that state, he was still incredibly strong.
He can dance the Dance of the Fire God.
That dance is a traditional culture of the Kamado family. And Tanjuro was also a part of its culture. He learned the Dance of the Fire God and performed it when the new year came, but the performer must dance from dusk until the morning. It’s around 12 hours.
Even when Tanjuro was sick, he danced 12 forms of the dance and repeated them constantly from dusk to dawn on a snowy winter day.
The Dance of the Fire God or Sun Breathing requires the user to break the limit of a human. That’s when a Demon Slayer Mark appears. And that user can put the first step to learning Sun Breathing. Before the generation of Tanjiro, Demon Slayer Mark and Sun Breathing were things just in the myth.
Even when Tanjiro has Demon Slayer Mark and performs Sun Breathing, he still gets huge side effects from it like hard breathing or freezing, and he couldn’t master it when the series ended.
Well, Tanjuro used Sun Breathing all 12 forms of it and repeated it for a long time in a weak body!
He can enter the Transparent World.
That state is when a person erases every thought in their mind, making the mind empty. All left is blank. From that, the user can enter Transparent World.
The Transparent World allowed Tanjuro to have an incredible sense which slowed down time in his vision, and his eyes could see clearly the muscles, blood vessels, and the upcoming attack of the enemy.
This state will push your power to the limit. That’s why it also brings pain to the user.
And, according to Tanjuro’s story, he learned about the Transparent World and the Dance of the Fire God from his father, Tanjiro’s grandfather.
Finally, before Tanjiro gets into this state, no one of the Demon Slayer Corps can enter this state. But Tanjuro could use this state for a long time like a piece of cake.
He killed a two-meter bear with an axe.
In chapter 151, Tanjiro remembered his father. That was ten days before he died. His dad woke up and told Tanjiro to follow him. He and his father went to a bear even before it rang the bell. Tanjiro’s father entered the Transparent World and killed that bear with just a chop.
Actually, it’s two chops, but he did it so fast that it’s so hard to realize what happened. Once again, he did that incredible thing when he was sick and dying.
One more thing, if you look carefully at the house of Tanjiro. It is located on a mountain far from other people and has no Lycoris around. With that said, it should be a place where so many dangerous animals and demons, but how the Kamado family lived peacefully through that time?
If it was not because of Tanjuro, there’s nothing we can say to explain it.