The anime provides a more detailed look at these elite Pillars, the Hashira, than the Demon Slayer manga, which introduced us to this powerful force of demon hunters. This article compares and contrasts the Demon Slayer manga and anime, focusing on the Hashira Training arc from season 4.
These animation sequences help us understand the Hashira better by revealing more information about their histories, personalities, and ways of fighting that were left out of the manga.
Exploring Filler Content in Anime
Episodes or sequences not directly adapted from the original material, usually manga, are called filler in anime. There are several reasons why these episodes are made. Filler episodes are included when the anime comes up to the manga plot to provide a buffer and enable the manga to continue producing additional content before the animation runs out of material. The filler sequences in the Demon Slayer anime enhanced Hashira’s character growth and increased the tension between the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan Kibutsuji’s demonic forces.
Differences between the 4th season of Demon Slayer manga and anime
We’re talking about completely new content that wasn’t included in the manga, which is the filler sequences. We are simply highlighting the new scenes that manga fans may not be familiar with, even though some episodes don’t match the manga’s sequence in time.
Demon Slayer Season 4 Hashira Training arc
The preview involved every member of Hashira save Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira. Fans will be able to see the actions of Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa, Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima, and Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro in the future season. Demon attacks have stopped ever since Nezuko Kamado’s immunity to sunlight was made public.
The Demon Slayer Corps is aware that a fresh and deadly conflict is coming since Muzan Kibutsuji is preparing to kidnap her. All of Kagaya’s members—including the Hashira—are subjected to strict training in the quiet before the storm, and Tanjiro uses the strict training program to improve himself and get some further knowledge about the group’s strongest members Demon Slayers.
Episode 1 – To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji
A scene from the fourth season premiere episode is missing from the manga. The scene, which took place between the third-season finale and the start of the fourth, saw Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro and Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa go on an assassination and rescue operation.
Their mission is to track down a demon that has been kidnapping people close to a community. They discover an abandoned castle that doubles as a demon stronghold as a result of their inquiry. The two Hashira, horrified by the demons’ excesses, storm the castle and quickly vanquish the attacking demons.
A demon attempts to break free by jumping from the castle’s edge, giving rise to a brief view of the Infinity Castle in flight. But before Shinazugawa and Iguro can arrive at the Infinity Castle, it disappears. The opening scene of the To the Hashira Training arc, which translates chapters 128 through 131 of the manga, takes place in the episode after this special scene.
Episode 2– Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka’s Pain
This episode follows the manga quite well. Obanai Iguro and Sanemi Shinazugawa began the episode chasing a monster and arriving at Muzan Kibutsuji’s Infinity Castle. In a different scenario, Tanjiro and Genya are shown recovering from their fierce battle in Swordsmith Village with the more powerful demons. In the Butterfly Mansion, Haganezuka gives Tanjiro his sword. After the episode, the protagonist receives a letter informing her that Giyu Tomioka will not be participating in the Hashira training.
Episode 3 — Fully Recovered Tanjiro Joins the Hashira Training
Chapter 129 of the manga’s Hashira Training arc is comparable to the scenario in which the previous Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui challenges the weaker demon hunters. The viewpoints of the demon hunters, who characterize the training as hell, are used in the anime to further elaborate on this. Anime-only content includes Tanjiro’s demonstration of his superior power, ability, and endurance over the other demon hunters as well as Tengen’s three wives individually praising Tanjiro for saving them during the second season’s Entertainment District arc.
These scenes clearly show Tanjiro’s bonds with his season 2 friends and give the Demon Slayer Corps more depth. Although it appears more frequently in the anime, the manga has the scene where the two demon hunters go on guard. The two most important scenes from episode 3 that aren’t in the manga are Tengen’s challenge to Tanjiro and all the demon hunters to battle him in the mountains, and the challenge made at a temple by the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, and the Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro.
Episode 4 — To Bring a Smile to One’s Face
Several fresh scenes in Episode 4 are only seen in the anime. These include thoroughly examining Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito’s difficult sparring sessions, which have a big impact on Hashira’s character development. Tokito reveals that he is giving the demon hunters the best instruction possible because he expects them to defeat Muzan and enjoy long lives.
Along with the paper airplane competition after the episode, another new element comes when Mr. Kanamori from Swordsmith Village is asked to assist in enhancing the Nichiren blades used by the Demon Slayers. Finally, the scenes in which Tokito, Iguro, and Shinazugawa engage in hidden fighting are unique to the anime.
Episode 5– I Even Ate Demons
Almost all of episode 5’s scenes are faithful to the manga, especially chapter 132. Its deeper look at Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro’s training program is what makes it different. Scenes of Tanjiro and the remaining demon hunters recovering from every training session with Iguro are also shown.
Episode 6 – The Strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps
The events of chapters 135 and 136—which were carefully copied from Koyoharu Gotouge’s original manga—are the basis for Episode 6. The anime and manga were identical in every way, except for Tanjiro’s relationships with the other demon hunters, whereas the anime had additional information. These additional scenes enhanced the friendship among the Demon Slayer Corps members and gave the series’ supporting characters greater character.
Episode 7 — The Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima
Following chapter 136 exactly, episode 7 recreates well-known moments from the original manga by Koyoharu Gotouge. Two important scenes—the fighting between Giyu and Sanemi and Muzan confronting Kagaya Ubuyashiki—are also beautifully covered in detail in Season 4, Episode 7.