Welcome to another episode of “What If…?” where we explore the wildest and craziest
scenarios in the anime world. Have you ever wondered what could happen if
Muzan Kibutsuji, the demon king himself, stayed behind at the cabin a few minutes longer to
feast on the blood of Tanjiro Kamado’s family and then spotted Tanjiro on his way out? There is no doubt that this chance encounter
would have had huge ramifications for how the rest of the story unfolds, but the first
thing that Muzan would have noticed, as he does in a later episode, is Tanjiro’s hanafuda
earrings that have the image of the rising sun over a mountain. In Japanese folklore, hanafuda cards are associated
with good luck and are often used to represent hope and perseverance. For Tanjiro, the earrings are an heirloom
passed on from his father and are a symbol of Sun Breathing. For Muzan, however, the earrings are a reminder
of defeat at the hand of the one man he ever truly feared - Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the creator
of the Sun Breathing style of swordsmanship. At the sight of the slaughter and the shrouded
image of Nezuko behind Muzan, Tanjiro loses control and flies into a blind rage, charging
at the demonic invader, who, meanwhile, is faced with a snap decision: to kill the boy
with the hanafuda earrings here and now? His mere presence is an insult to the demon
lord! Or would Muzan opt for a symbolic humiliation
of the memory of Yoriichi that still haunts him 500 years later by transforming Tanjiro
into a demon? Muzan, blinded by his own arrogance, decides
to take the petty symbolic victory over Yoriichi and injects a dose of his own blood into the
boy’s neck… and so we’re left with a very different and much darker version of
Tanjiro. As a newborn demon, Tanjijro has lost all
of his previous emotions and compassion, and his new powers have made him much stronger
and faster than before. Tanjiro and Nezuko’s strong bond creates
a unique and powerful duo, as they find themselves on the opposite side of the battle. They may even be forced to carry out Muzan’s
orders and participate in his evil schemes, which would have made Tanjiro and Nezuko an
immediate threat to the Demon Slayer Corps. Despite all of these changes, there is still
a glimmer of hope. Tanjiro’s transformation would have incorporated
a more complex dynamic into the series and created an interesting new plot line. It could have allowed the writer of the series
to explore Tanjiro’s inner struggle between good and evil in his fight for redemption. He would be faced with countless moral dilemmas
on his journey — such as whether or not he should consume human flesh to become stronger
in order to defeat Muzan or to protect Nezuko — and this would have added a fascinating
layer of depth to the protagonist as he struggled to maintain his humanity. Even though the demon versions of Tanjiro
and Nezuko are special, in that they have the potential to be the only demons to walk
in the sun (and are the key to Muzan achieving complete immortality), Muzan is not aware
of that fact. The entire incident of him slaughtering Tanjiro’s
family is pure chance. He mentions much later in the series that
being killed by him “is the same as encountering a great calamity. You don’t need to think so hard about it. Rains, winds, volcano eruptions, earthquakes. You can’t get revenge on a natural disaster,
no matter how many lives it takes away.” So having just turned them both into demons,
Muzan unleashes Tanjiro and Nezuko on the local population, just as he would with any
other demons. With demon slayer Giyo just moments away,
he rushes in to decapitate Nezuko, but Tanjiro is always ready to defend his sister. The three of them battle it out in the first
episode! Giyo being an adept demon slayer, relying
on his years of training and mastery of Water Breathing, quickly lops off a few limbs and
leaves them immobile in the snow. Tanjiro is then encouraged by the memory of
his family to awaken from his demonic bloodlust and see that his sister is about to be diced
up by Giyo’s Nichirin blade. A part of him is certainly tempted to return
to the darkness and permanently shut off the part of him that is hurt and grieving, but
the desire to see his sister Nezuko live to become human again, along with the desire
to avenge his family, would be the pillars that help Tanjiro uphold his dignity as a
human. Desperate, he falls to his knees and begs
Giyo to spare their lives, explaining that the only thing he wants is to find and eradicate
the monster that tore apart his family. Giyo is reluctant to negotiate with demons
but curiosity gets the better of him. He tests Tanjiro then and there by spilling
his own blood and seeing if the siblings can resist their nature. Nezuko is weaker and rushes at Giyo, but is
stopped by Tanjiro just before Giyo’s cold steel can slice her neck. Giyo concedes that these two have the potential
to be great assets in the endless struggle against demons. He sends out his raven messenger to HQ to
send out a team for the collection of two exceptional demons, who may or may not be
the key to ending the ancient war once and for all. This demon version of Tanjiro may not be able
to master the Sun Breathing technique — or even be able to efficiently wield a Nichirin
sword for that matter — as this technique is specifically designed for demon slayers
and is based on harnessing the power of the sun. That being said, he would certainly manifest
a unique set of demonic powers, also known as Blood Demon Arts, just as Nezuko does later
in the series when she discovers her pyrokinesis: a Blood Demon Art that allows her to generate
and manipulate special pinkish demonic flames created from her own blood and that is harmless
to humans and only effective against demons and objects of demonic origin. As the series progresses, one or both of the
siblings, at some point in the story, become swayed to the side of evil by the influence
that Muzan’s potent blood has over them. The Demon Slayer Corps is forced to come up
with new and innovative ways to defeat some of the upper-rank demons. This would also put Tanjiro at odds with other
demon slayers, who would view him as a major threat and seek to stop him. The battles between Demon Slayers and Tanjiro
and Nezuko would be intense and action-packed, the two sides enclosed in epic battles that
would have left the audience on the edge of their seats, with the fate of the world hanging
in the balance. Assuming Tanjiro mastered his demonic powers
— whatever they may be — by the end of the series, the final battle between him and
Muzan Kibutsuji would definitely be intense and filled with powerful and explosive attacks
from both sides. Tanjiro’s demon-enhanced strength, sipped,
and sword skills would be a formidable match for Muzan’s own abilities, and the battle
would be one of strategy and cunning as well as raw power. However, despite Tanjiro’s powers, it is
difficult to predict the ultimate outcome. Tanjiro has come a long way, but Muzan has
centuries of experience and has survived countless battles. On the other hand, Tanjiro has a strong sense
of justice and a willingness to do whatever it takes to protect others, which could give
him an edge in the battle. Imagine the tension in the air as Tanjiro
and Muzan face off, their eyes locked in a deadly stare, their muscles rippling with
power. The demon slayers stand on the sidelines,
their hearts pounding with excitement and fear, and while they may want to help, they
might be better off by staying out of Tanjiro’s way. This is the boy’s moment to truly shine
like the sun and unleash his ultimate Blood Demon Art! Muzan charges forward, clawed tentacles outstretched,
but Tanjiro is lightning fast. He dodges each attack, his movements graceful
and deadly. Muzan’s eyes widen with shock as Tanjiro
lands blow after blow, each one sending waves of energy rippling through the air. But Muzan isn’t down yet. With a roar, he summons a massive spiral of
dark energy, for which Tanjiro is ready. He focuses all his power, channeling it into
his final attack. In a blink of an eye, the two demons collide
in a blast of light and sound. When the dust settles, Tanjiro lies on the
ground, exhausted but triumphant. Muzan has been defeated, and the remaining
demon slayers rejoice. As the sun rises, Tanjiro and Muzan both turn
to ash, their epic battle forever remembered in the annals of history. Muzan is alone with no one by his side during
his final moments, but Tanjiro is surrounded by his friends and his beloved sister. The demon slayers mourn the loss of their
hero, but they also celebrate his bravery and the victory he fought so hard to achieve. Tanjiro’s sacrifice will never be forgotten,
and his legacy will live on.
