Demon Slayer: Did Tanjiro Surpass Yoriichi?

Tanjiro and Yoriichi are very similar characters in Demon Slayer. Even though they lived centuries apart, they both had the Demon Slayer Mark, shared many techniques and even resembled each other a bit.

Yoriichi is portrayed as the greatest swordsman of all time, and an unmatched Demon Slayer who almost defeated Muzan once — and only didn’t because he hesitated for a moment, giving Muzan time to escape, giving Muzan time to escape. Tanjiro, on the other hand, becomes strong and quite skilled. With so many similarities to Yoriichi, was Tanjiro ever able to surpass him in the series?

Related

Is Demon Slayer’s Animation Carrying the Series?

Demon Slayer’s animation is stunning, but its simple narrative, relatable characters, and emotional depth also contribute to its massive popularity.

Who is Yoriichi Tsugikuni?

Yoriichi Tsugikuni was a legendary Demon Slayer from the Sengoku period, 500 years prior to the main events of the story (which takes place during the Taisho Era). He is regarded as the most powerful Demon Slayer and the creator of Breathing Styles, including the Sun Breathing technique, the first style to ever be invented.

Just like Tanjiro, he had a brother who was turned into a Demon, Kokushibo — in this case, they were twins, but Yoriichi was the younger one. Yoriichi also lost his wife to a demon that killed her and the unborn baby she was pregnant with.

Despite being the strongest warrior depicted in the story, Yoriichi was a calm and collected person who could keep his composure even when fighting Demons and Muzan himself.

The Relation Between Tanjiro and Yoriichi

Yoriichi was friends with Sumiyoshi Kamado, who is an ancestor of Tanjiro (and looks remarkably similar to him). Sumiyoshi’s family was once attacked by Demons, and Yoriichi saved them — Sumiyoshi was especially grateful because his wife, Suyako, was in the last month of her pregnancy.

Anyway, they ended up becoming friends, and Yoriichi eventually told him all about his life, his dead wife, Muzan and how he failed to defeat him.

Since Sumiyoshi had an incredible memory, he could memorize Yoriichi’s Sun Breathing and pass it on to his children. Thus, Sun Breathing became a secret technique of the Kamado family.

To sum up, although Tanjiro and Yoriichi both have the Demon Slayer Mark and look fairly similar, they are not directly related. They also wear Hanafuda earrings, but that’s because Yoriichi gave them to Sumiyoshi and the earrings have been passed down through generations. His mother, Akeno Tsuginuki, was the one who made them. However, some fans speculate that either Tanjiro or his father, Tanjuro, were the reincarnation of Yoriichi.

Why Tanjiro Never Surpassed Yoriichi

Some fans wonder: who is stronger, Tanjiro or Yoriichi? Tanjiro would be a good candidate to surpass Yoriichi’s power. However, the series has a straightforward answer to this question: even though he became powerful, Tanjiro has never surpassed Yoriichi.

Yoriichi is considered as a legendary man and an impeccable warrior, the strongest ever to be a part of the Demon Slayer Corps. While that may seem hard to match, honestly, it wouldn’t be enough to prevent another character from eventually becoming stronger story-wise. After all, “poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master,” as Da Vinci once said.

However, Muzan himself, who fought both Tanjiro and Yoriichi, makes it clear that Yoriichi’s techniques were still unmatched, and Tanjiro was far behind him.

Demon King Tanjiro vs. Yoriichi

Well, if normal Tanjiro is behind Yoriichi, what about Demon King Tanjiro? After all, Demon King Tanjiro is resistant to sunlight, so he must be resistant to Bright Red Blades as well.

Well, we can only speculate here. While Yoriichi is depicted as someone who is on a different level than everyone else when it comes to skills, speed and strength, Demon King Tanjiro seems to be in the catbird seat. There is a good chance that Tanjiro could win because he is too overpowered. But, Yoriichi may be faster and find a way to use his skills to quickly defeat him, just like he almost did with Muzan.

In terms of power, it is hard to decide who will win. However, if we add Yoriichi’s character to it, then there’s a chance that he would end up giving an opening to Tanjiro, like he did with Muzan when he was looking for answers, and would be defeated.