Qiuqa highlights 10 key points from Demon Slayer Episode 3.
1. Slayers vs. Demons
The Demon Slayer Corps comprised hundreds of members, though their existence was never officially recognized by the government. This organization had operated from ancient times into the modern era, yet the identity of its leader remained a closely guarded mystery.
On the other hand, Demons had long been known as man-eating creatures. The origins of their existence, or when they first appeared, were entirely unknown. Demons possessed extraordinary physical strength and incredible regenerative abilities, allowing them to easily reattach or regrow severed limbs.
Some Demons could even alter their physical forms or wield unique, rare powers. However, they could only be killed by exposure to sunlight or by decapitation with swords forged from a special metal.
Demon Slayers faced these creatures head-on, despite their own mortal limitations—slow healing and the inability to regenerate lost limbs. Even so, they fought tirelessly to protect humanity from the Demonic threat.
2. Rigorous Training
Urokodaki informed Tanjiro that he was a trainer of swordsmen. He explained that many trainers were scattered across various locations, each using distinct methods to instruct aspiring Demon Slayers.
Urokodaki told Tanjiro that to join the Corps, he had to survive the Final Selection held on Mount Fujikasane. Before that, however, Urokodaki would assess his readiness and decide if he was fit to take the exam.
Every day, Tanjiro trained grueling hours, sprinting down the mountain at breakneck speeds while dodging tripwires designed to snare his feet. This relentless routine sharpened his reflexes. He nimbly bent his body to evade logs swinging suddenly from the side, and vaulted over rope traps without breaking his stride. Consequently, his stamina grew, and his keen sense of smell became even sharper at detecting the scent of the traps.
The purpose of this brutal regimen was to ensure Tanjiro could survive the Final Selection. Day by day, the traps grew increasingly lethal, as if genuinely designed to kill him. For instance, he swiftly dodged four blades that shot out from the underbrush mid-sprint. Even when he nearly plummeted into a pit lined with spikes, he managed to catch himself just in time. This harrowing training relentlessly honed both his physical skills and his resolve.
3. Katana Training
The next day, Tanjiro resumed his descent down the mountain, this time wielding a katana under Urokodaki’s watchful eye. Sprinting at high speeds with a blade broke his concentration, causing him to miss a tripwire. The rope hoisted him into the air, leaving him dangling upside down.
After the descent, Tanjiro practiced swinging the katana 1,000 times until his arms nearly gave out. To his shock, Urokodaki coldly ordered 500 more swings.
Urokodaki then lectured Tanjiro about the nature of the katana. He explained that the blade was fragile; it was remarkably strong when striking head-on, but highly vulnerable to lateral force. A strike must be delivered straight toward the target, with the blade’s edge perfectly aligned with the force of the swing. Urokodaki threatened to snap Tanjiro’s bones if he ever damaged the borrowed sword.
Deep in the forest, Tanjiro stood with both hands gripping his katana, facing his master. Urokodaki launched an unarmed strike that didn’t even make physical contact, yet the sheer force of it sent Tanjiro collapsing to the dirt. He fell time and time again, but pushed himself to recover and stand back up faster each time. When Tanjiro finally lunged with the intent to strike, Urokodaki effortlessly threw the boy barehanded, sending him crashing face-first into the ground.
4. Water Training
The following day, Urokodaki began teaching Tanjiro the ten forms of Water Breathing. He instructed the boy to take a deep breath until oxygen flooded every cell in his body. The goal of this technique was to enhance physical strength, accelerate healing, and stabilize the mind. Urokodaki also told him to relax his upper body while bracing his lower half firmly.
Tanjiro stood tall and attempted to inhale deeply as instructed. Without warning, Urokodaki punched him hard in the gut. Urokodaki furiously scolded him for his improper stance and weak abdominal muscles. He unleashed a barrage of relentless blows to Tanjiro’s stomach as the boy cried out in pain.
Later, Urokodaki led Tanjiro to a cliff overlooking a roaring waterfall. He ordered him to “become one with the water.” Standing at the edge, Tanjiro stared down at the raging torrent in fear. But before he could hesitate, Urokodaki kicked him off the cliff, sending him plunging into the freezing water below.
Positioning himself directly beneath the crushing waterfall, Tanjiro tried to stand firm, arms raised like an ascetic monk bearing the heavy cascade on his back. However, his body was not yet strong enough; he buckled beneath the overwhelming pressure and collapsed into the water.
5. Nezuko’s Illness
Every night before bed, Tanjiro faithfully wrote in a journal detailing his training. Afterward, he would gaze at Nezuko sleeping on the futon beside him, reminding himself that she was the sole reason he fought so hard.
Each morning before heading out, he checked on her again, watching her sleep with the small bamboo muzzle firmly in her mouth. Urokodaki constantly urged Tanjiro to focus on his training, leaving him little time to drown in his worries.
Months passed, and Nezuko remained in a deep slumber for half a year. Urokodaki even brought in a doctor to examine her, but the physician found nothing medically wrong.
Despite this, Tanjiro could not hide his anxiety. He lived in constant fear that he might wake up one morning to find her gone forever. But he knew he had no time to dwell on these dark thoughts; he had to keep moving forward and continue his training.
6. Splitting the Boulder
Tanjiro continued his daily descents, conditioning his body to the mountain’s thin air. He scaled sheer cliffs to perfect his balance, narrowly avoiding fatal falls into the ravines below.
He also advanced his weapons training, using his katana to deflect falling traps. When a volley of knives rained down on him, Tanjiro parried them all flawlessly, ensuring not a single blade grazed his skin.
After a full year of training on Mount Sagiri, Urokodaki informed Tanjiro that he had taught him everything he could. The rest, he explained, was entirely up to Tanjiro—whether he could apply what he had learned to ascend to the next level.
In the snow, Urokodaki led him to a massive boulder. He promised that Tanjiro would be allowed to enter the Final Selection only if he could slice the boulder in half. Inwardly, Tanjiro felt it was an impossible task; he was certain his katana would shatter first.
Urokodaki then walked away, leaving the boy in silence. From that day forward, Urokodaki gave him no further instruction. Relying on sheer willpower, Tanjiro struck the boulder with his blade. But with every swing, a jarring, agonizing shock resonated through his entire body, as if rejecting the impossible challenge.
7. Sabito
Tanjiro practiced Urokodaki’s swordsmanship daily by striking bamboo stalks. He diligently drilled his breathing techniques, agility, and fundamentals—everything he had meticulously recorded in his journal.
Half a year passed, and Tanjiro still hadn’t split the massive boulder. His hands were blistered and torn from the endless practice. Frustration crept in, convincing him he would never succeed.
Terrified of failing to save Nezuko and failing to become a Demon Slayer, he fell into despair. He slammed his forehead repeatedly against the stone, yelling at himself, “Keep trying! Do better!”
Suddenly, a voice called out, complaining about the noise. Tanjiro looked up to see Sabito, a young man wearing a fox mask, sitting atop the boulder. Strangely, Tanjiro hadn’t picked up his scent at all. Sabito harshly called Tanjiro pathetic, stating that a real man shouldn’t whine. No matter how agonizing the trial, a man had to overcome it.
Sabito leaped down and attacked with a wooden sword. Tanjiro hastily blocked the strike with the hilt of his katana. Sabito followed up instantly with a vicious kick to the face, sending Tanjiro stumbling backward. Taunting him, Sabito called him slow, weak, and inexperienced, concluding that Tanjiro wasn’t fit to call himself a man.
8. Sabito vs. Tanjiro
Sabito demanded to know how long Tanjiro planned to stay on his knees. Spurred into action, Tanjiro stood and gripped his katana, ready to fight. However, he refused to strike, pointing out that Sabito only held a wooden sword. Sabito laughed, thanking the boy for his misplaced concern.
In a flash, Sabito charged, and Tanjiro barely blocked the heavy blow. Sabito told him to cast aside his naive kindness, declaring that he was far stronger and had already successfully split the boulder.
Sabito launched himself into the air, bounded off a tree, and attacked from behind. Tanjiro managed to parry the strike. Sabito moved like lightning, circling Tanjiro with speed the eye could barely track, until he finally knocked the boy flat on his face.
Standing over him, Sabito declared that Tanjiro hadn’t mastered the Total Concentration Breathing taught by Urokodaki. He noted that Tanjiro merely remembered the steps, but his body didn’t truly understand the technique. With sharp criticism, Sabito questioned what exactly Tanjiro had been doing for the past year and a half.
Tanjiro scrambled up and desperately parried Sabito’s relentless flurry of attacks. Though he held his ground, he was completely overwhelmed. As their blades clashed, Sabito commanded him to engrave Urokodaki’s teachings into his very marrow, so his body would never forget them.
Tanjiro cried out that he had been trying with all his might every single day, but was crushed by his lack of progress—especially his failure to split the boulder.
Sabito sternly replied that as a man, there was only one choice: move forward. He landed several brutal strikes on Tanjiro’s body, but the boy stayed on his feet, enduring the onslaught.
They squared off again. But Sabito fluidly pivoted away from Tanjiro’s slash and struck upward, catching Tanjiro flush on the chin. The blow lifted Tanjiro off the ground before he crumpled to the dirt, unconscious.
Looking down at the defeated boy, Sabito announced he would leave the rest to Makomo. From the shadows, Makomo’s gentle voice answered, “Yes.”
9. Makomo
When Tanjiro awoke that evening, he found a young girl named Makomo sitting beside him. Eagerly, he asked if she had seen Sabito’s swordplay. He marveled at the technique, calling it extraordinary because it lacked a single wasted movement.
He wondered aloud if he could ever master such skill. With a warm, gentle smile, Makomo assured him he absolutely could, as she had been watching his progress all along. Tanjiro was momentarily stunned by her beautiful smile.
Makomo then began correcting the flaws in his swordsmanship. She helped him eliminate unnecessary movements and fix his bad habits. Curious, Tanjiro asked why she was helping him and where she and Sabito came from, but Makomo quietly declined to answer.
She frequently mentioned how much she and Sabito loved Urokodaki. However, she clarified that they were not biological siblings; they were simply orphans whom Urokodaki had taken in and trained. She even added that many other children were watching Tanjiro from afar—a statement that left him feeling slightly unnerved.
Makomo then explained the true nature of “Total Concentration Breathing.” She taught him that the technique accelerated blood flow, spiked the heart rate, and raised the body’s core temperature. By doing this, a human could generate the physical strength of a Demon.
Expanding the lungs allowed maximum oxygen to enter the bloodstream. As the blood pumped furiously, the bones and muscles reacted, resulting in an explosive surge in power.
Excited, Tanjiro asked how he could learn to do this. Makomo answered plainly: he had to train until he felt like he was going to die.
10. Tanjiro Splits the Boulder
Tanjiro collapsed, sweat pouring down his face, gasping for air. He had pushed his body so hard his limbs felt like they would tear off, his lungs and heart burning like fire. He swung his katana with everything he had, yet he still couldn’t defeat Sabito and his wooden sword.
Six more months passed, and snow blanketed Mount Sagiri once again. That night, Tanjiro—his hair now grown past his shoulders—faced Sabito for another duel. This time, however, Sabito carried a real katana.
Sabito praised him, noting that Tanjiro finally had the face of a true man. With unshakable resolve, Tanjiro declared that today he would win. Makomo stood nearby, watching them intently.
Tanjiro centered himself and drew in a deep breath of Total Concentration. Both warriors dashed forward, swinging their blades with maximum force. But for the very first time, Tanjiro’s blade reached its target faster than Sabito’s.
The clash was brief but absolute, and Tanjiro emerged the victor. Sabito’s fox mask split neatly down the middle, revealing a soft, proud smile. Looking at Sabito and Makomo, Tanjiro felt an overwhelming wave of emotion—a bittersweet mix of sorrow, joy, and profound relief.
Glancing over, Makomo praised him for fighting so well. She urged him to never forget this moment and to use it as his strength to defeat the Demons.
When Tanjiro turned back, Sabito had vanished into thin air. In his place, Tanjiro stared forward in pure shock. The katana he had used to cleave Sabito’s mask had actually sliced straight through the massive boulder Urokodaki had given him.
