Demon Slayer: Why did Obanai Iguro hate Tanjiro?

Demon Slayer has excelled in creating an incredible set of characters that fans adore. Their interactions on screen are quite entertaining and organic. The demon hunters, in particular, share complex relationships with their peers. Despite being teammates and putting their lives on the line, they’re not always on the best of terms. One such relationship is shared between Tanjiro Kamado and Obanai Iguro. Fans who are new to the series often have this question in particular: why does Obanai hate Tanjiro?

Obanai doesn’t particularly hate Tanjiro, and any semblance of animosity stems from his feelings toward his sister and Tanjiro’s relationship with Mitsuri Kanroji. It’s quite common for newer fans to mistake Obanai’s feelings for hatred. However, that isn’t the case. During their first interaction in Demon Slayer, all the Hashira doubted Tanjiro because of his connection to Nezuko. They believed that he let his emotions get in the way, which was why he saved Nezuko and stopped Giyu from killing her.

That being said, the Water Hashira himself, along with Sakonji Urokodaki, vouched for Nezuko and even offered to give their lives should she harm a human being. Each and every Hashira had gone through some of the most traumatic events, turning their pain into strength.

Obanai Iguro, too, looked at every demon with disgust, and he hated the idea of letting a demon live. He didn’t truly believe that Nezuko was an outlier or that she was the only demon who didn’t consume human flesh. Slowly, Obanai started to trust Tanjiro as Demon Slayer progressed. Every Hashira who spent time with the protagonist witnessed his pure intentions and eventually acknowledged him.

However, Obanai seemed a lot more aggressive toward Tanjiro during the Demon Slayer Hashira Training arc. Some fans mistook this for hatred. Obanai didn’t like the fact that Mitsuri spoke highly of Tanjiro. He was jealous of the time that Tanjiro and Mitsuri spent together. This wasn’t hatred, but a small bout of jealousy displayed by the Serpent Hashira.

Disclaimer: The following section contains spoilers from the Demon Slayer manga series.

Obanai Iguro’s role in Demon Slayer

As mentioned earlier, Obanai Iguro is the Serpent Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps. He plays the role of an important side character in the series. While he is exceptionally powerful, Obanai doesn’t play a crucial role in the progression of the plot. In fact, we don’t see Obanai partake in many fights. It’s a shame that this character fought only a handful of demons because his Breathing Style is a pleasure to watch.

His movements are extremely dynamic and fluid, making him incredibly hard for his opponents to land an attack. Furthermore, Obanai pulled off some of the most incredible feats in the manga, which anime-only fans will witness toward the concluding stages of the story. Obanai managed to quite literally fight Muzan while he was completely blind. He relied on Kaburamaru’s communication, which allowed him to slither past Muzan’s attacks. That being said, Obanai Iguro isn’t very important to the plot’s progression. In fact, his first major fight is in the penultimate story arc of the Demon Slayer series.

Trending

In summation, Obanai Iguro does not hate Tanjiro in the Demon Slayer series. In fact, we can see that he respects Tanjiro for his abilities. The initial tension was due to Tanjiro’s relationship with Nezuko and the fact that he let a demon live. In the Hashira Training arc, the aggression stemmed from his lover’s perception of Tanjiro. Mitsuri didn’t stop appreciating him, and that aggression was just Obanai’s jealousy on display.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback