Hantengu, an Upper Rank 4 Demon, was so powerful that it needed the combined efforts of several slayers to eventually defeat him.
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The third season of Demon Slayer centres around Tanjiro and Nezuko’s most powerful opponent yet: the Upper Moon 4 Demon, Hantengu. Knowing how important the Village of the Swordsmiths is to the Slayer Corps’ operation, Muzan sent his henchmen to wreak havoc and try to eliminate one of his greatest threats.
Hantengu not only penetrated the Swordsmith Village, but he was supported in his task by the Upper Rank 5, Gyokko. The hamlet should have been easily destroyed by the two of them, but happily, there were multiple Slayers in the region at the time, and Tanjiro and Nezuko were among them. While Tanjiro wielded the blade that severed the Upper Rank 4’s head from his neck, the fight was clearly a team effort that could not have been won without the combined might of everyone engaged.
Who Fought the Upper Rank 4 Demon?
When Hantengu first emerged, he attacked Tanjiro, Nezuko, Tokito, and Genya when they were least expecting it. Tanjiro was able to detect that Hantengu was an extraordinarily powerful demon who had slain many people despite his appearance as a weak and decrepit elderly man. Hantengu separated his body into three new forms once his head was removed, each of which was incredibly powerful in its own right. Tokito became separated from the others during the fray due to the turmoil that erupted, and he was then halted by Gyokko in the forest on his way back to the others.
This unexpected turn of events left Nezuko, Tanjiro, and Genya to fend for themselves against the many forms of Hantengu. Mitsuri Kanroji arrived just as things were starting to seem bad for the three-person crew. This freed up Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya to seek out and pursue Hantengu’s main body, which ultimately led to Tanjiro’s defeat of the Upper Moon 4.
Why The Upper Rank 4 Was So Difficult To Kill
Hantengu’s strength comes from a variety of sources. For one thing, whenever his head is removed, he is able to split himself into a different creature with unique skills. While doing so, his primary body shrinks to an exceedingly small size that is nearly impossible to detect, while also becoming extremely swift.
Hantengu has seven forms, each of which represents an expression of his deepest feelings. Sekido, Karaku, Aizetsu, and Urogi signify anger, pleasure, sadness, and joy, respectively, while his main form signifies cowardice. When these four latter forms are combined, they produce Zohakuten, the expression of hatred and Hantengu’s most powerful form. When all else fails, Hantengu can create Urami, a representation of his resentment, whom he can hide inside to avoid danger. Hantengu’s forms are not only exceedingly quick and powerful in their own right, but they each have their own distinct Blood Demon Art that revolves around a different element in nature. For example, Zohakuten’s Blood Demon Art allows him to control wood, whereas Karaku’s focuses on wind control. Sekido can even perform electrical attacks. Urami has access to all of the other forms’ Blood Demon Arts, as well as the power to grow greatly in size.
Even if a Slayer manages to fight their way through all of Hantengu’s other forms and find his primary body, they must cut his neck, which is far more difficult than it seems. Most would be unable to cut through Hantengu’s neck at all, as witnessed when Tanjiro used Zenitsu’s Thunder Breathing to catch up with him only to fail to cut through the demon’s neck. Hantengu more than lives up to his position as the fourth-strongest demon in Muzan’s elite Upper Moon ranks, given his array of skills and the fact that he is so difficult to destroy.
How Hantengu Was Finally Slain
Hantengu, Tanjiro, and Nezuko each found themselves in a terrible situation after fighting all night until morning. As the sun rose, Nezuko was trapped in the middle of a field with no shade, slowly burning away in the sun. Hantengu, on the other hand, fled across the field to escape and was in search of three Swordsmith Village residents who, if he could just consume them, would provide Hantengu with enough energy to make it through the field and survive to see another day.
Tanjiro was caught between the two circumstances, huddled over Nezuko to shield her from the sun but couldn’t stand by and watch as Hantengu pursued down and killed more people right in front of him. Tanjiro was forced to choose between saving the one person he loves about most in life and saving three individuals he doesn’t know. Tanjiro couldn’t force himself to abandon his sister and let her die there, no matter how much he wanted to help the locals. Recognising her brother’s untenable condition, Nezuko made the decision for him and kicked him off her and into the direction of the villagers and Hantengu.
Recognising his sister’s honourable sacrifice, Tanjiro quickly decapitated the Upper Rank 4 demon with the least sorrow shown by Tanjiro in the series thus far. While Tanjiro was the one who ultimately beheaded and killed the Upper Moon 4 monster, Tanjiro was only able to do so because to Nezuko’s noble actions. Not only that, but Nezuko and her brother only had that golden opportunity because of the joint efforts of Genya, Mitsuri, and Tokito.