‘Demon Slayer’ Season 2 Hinted at Tanjiro Becoming a Hashira Sometime in the Anime’s Future

Demon Slayer Season 2 has officially come to a close, with the anime’s Entertainment District Arc tying up Tengen Uzui’s mission in the Yoshiwara district. And although the finale doesn’t reveal what’s next for Tanjiro, Demon Slayer suggests he could become a Hashira in the future. Of course, he’ll have some obstacles to overcome first.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for episode 11 of Demon Slayer Season 2’s Entertainment District Arc.]

‘Demon Slayer’ Season 2 leaves openings for 2 new Hashira

Demon Slayer Season 2 ends with another opening in the ranks of the Hashira, this time due to Tengen Uzui retiring. The Sound Hashira receives some pretty grievous injuries during his fight with Upper Moon 6 demons Daki and Gyutaro. Although Nezuko uses her Blood Demon Art to heal him from Gyutaro’s poison, Tengen leaves the battle missing an eye and a hand.

When the Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro, arrives in the red light district, Tengen announces his plans to leave the elite group of Demon Slayers. And with Kyojuro Rengoku perishing during the anime’s Mugen Train Arc, that marks the second departure from the Hashira in a very short time.

Could Tanjiro and his friends come to fill those openings in future seasons of Demon Slayer?

‘Demon Slayer’ Season 2’s finale suggests Tanjiro could join the group

Obanai isn’t pleased to learn of Tengen’s retirement, lamenting that there are now two openings among the Hashira — a worrisome prospect for anyone counting on the Demon Slayer Corps to take down Muzan Kibutsuji.

Still, Tengen stays optimistic in the face of Obanai’s concern. He points to Tanjiro as someone who could eventually join the group. After all, the anime’s lead survived an encounter with an Upper Rank demon. That already puts him leagues ahead of his peers.

And after Inosuke’s recitation of the various ranks in the Demon Slayer Corps, moving up seems the natural progression for Tanjiro and his friends. They’ve got a ways to go before they claim the same level of power as characters like Tengen and Rengoku. But if they can overcome the obstacles in their way, they’ll follow in their mentors’ footsteps.

Tanjiro has obstacles to overcome before becoming a Hashira

Demon Slayer teased Tanjiro becoming a Hashira during its finale, but it also highlighted an obstacle for him. In addition to increasing his strength and stamina, Tanjiro will need to work on his relationships with the other Hashira. Those who watched season 1 will recall that they didn’t get off on the best foot. Many members of the group disapprove of his decision to let Nezuko live.

And Obanai’s reaction to Tengen’s words suggests he’ll try to prevent Tanjiro from joining the group. Hopefully, the series’ lead can convince Rengoku and Tengen’s comrades of his worth — perhaps by embarking on more missions.

All episodes of Demon Slayer‘s Entertainment District Arc are streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu.