Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 3) Episode 4: The latest episode of the third season of Demon Slayer continues the battle versus Hantengu’s clones which began in the last episode. The protagonists – Tanjiro, Nezuko, Genya, and Muichiro – are all fighting their own battles and are thus unable to put up a united front against the Upper-Rank demon. This episode is clearly in no hurry to conclude the fight, instead considerably escalating the danger the demon slayers are in. However, despite all these positives, the episode could have been better-paced, but it is a strong episode overall.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 3) Episode 4 Recap:
Picking up right where last week’s episode ended, Muichiro cuts off the fish demon’s arm to save Kotetsu. Muichiro tells him to run away so as not to get in the way of his fighting, and the young swordsmith retreats to a safe distance but close enough to continue watching. The demon heals itself and tries to attack Muichiro, who quickly beheads it. However, he is taken aback to still see it moving and quickly regrowing its head.
Noticing an out-of-place vase on the demon’s back, Muichiro destroys it with his blade, and the demon is dead, which confirms his theory of the demon being a Blood Demon Art. Kotetsu runs up to the Hashira, tearfully and comically, thanking him for saving his life as he thought he would die at the hands of the fish demon.
Kotetsu says he doesn’t hate him anymore while Muichiro tries to go to the village. But Kotetsu asks him to save Kozo Kanamori and Hotaru Haganezuka, the latter of whom is also working on polishing the three hundred-year-old blade from the previous episode. Kotetsu genuflects before Muichiro, begging him to save the two wordsmiths.
Despite being on the verge of leaving and ignoring the heartfelt request, Muichiro suddenly recalls something told to him by Kagaya, the leader of the Demon Slayers. As he recovers from a demon attack, Kagaya tells him he will get himself back. He continues that Muichiro should only focus on surviving for now, and his memories will return to him eventually. Kagaya concludes by saying Muichiro should take his chance when he gets it, as even the smallest things can bring back his memory and clear the mist in his mind.
Changing his mind because of this brief recollection, Muichiro carries Kotetsu and sprints through the forest, which terrifies Kotetsu. He asks himself if he is doing the right thing, as doing this will no doubt endanger the village even further. He reiterates to himself that he will succeed since Kagaya made him the Mist Hashira of the Demon Slayers.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro is about to be attacked by another sonic scream attack from the winged demon, and he reflexively slices it in half. The two halves form new mouths, but not whole bodies or personalities, and they unleash their sonic attack, which stuns Tanjiro. At the same time, he realizes that the attack is weakened, signifying the limited power of Hantengu’s clones. He further notices that written on the tongue of each demon is an emotion, and the demon before him currently is the demon of Hantengu’s joy. The winged demon, Urogi, launches another sonic scream attack which Tanjiro manages to dodge.
Urogi successfully wounds Tanjiro in quick succession before Tanjiro finally manages to slice his head, which slows the demon down when Tanjiro runs towards it, though the demon is ready for another sonic attack. Tanjiro quickly cuts off his head again, but the demon flies out of range after regrowing just as quickly. As he is unable to return to Nezuko and Genya, Tanjiro internally pleads with them to stay alive.
At the building where the action started, Nezuko is fighting Karaku, and Genya is unable to move as a spear–like weapon belonging to Aizetsu has stabbed him through the chest. Sekido commands Karaku to kill Nezuko quickly, but he refuses as he wants to play with her some more. Aizetsu decides to kill Nezuko. However, he finds his weapon is stuck in Genya’s chest, and Genya uses the opportunity to destroy his head by shooting it off. Aizetsu, though, heals himself as he pulls his weapon free when Genya surprises him by starting to recite the Amida Sutra.
Aizetsu attacks Genya but misses as Genya reappears behind him and goes for his head, but is stopped in his tracks by Sekido’s electricity attack. Despite being shocked, Genya manages to fire his shotgun at Sekido, blowing off his right hand. Aizetsu then hits Genya with his weapon, sending him flying into another room.
No longer wanting to play with Nezuko, Karaku kicks her in the chest and shares his plan to kill her with Sekido. Nezuko surprises him by kicking him in the face, destroying some of his head, and ripping her hand off to free herself. Nezuko then uses her Blood Art to set him on fire and uses his own leaf–like weapon on him to send him flying far away with a gust of wind. She tries the same with Sekido, but he stops her and stabs her through the neck, and keeps her immobilized with his electricity.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro is struggling against Urogi when he notices that the building is closed and thinks of a dangerous plan which he doesn’t want to carry out, but he has no other choice. He pleads with Genya and Nezuko to stay alive once again. At the building, Genya keeps chanting the Amida Sutra despite Aizetsu thinking he is dead, and Genya tells him his name, saying he will be the one to kill him.
Tanjiro’s dangerous plan is to use Urogi’s speed to carry him to the building and baits the demon by sprinting in the building’s direction. When he comes close to ground level to attack, Tanjiro attacks him, penetrating his body with his blade. Tanjiro notes that Urogi’s body is light in order to fly fast like he does, as he endures the pain of the talons in his back. He manages to take them to the building where Nezuko is paralyzed by Sekido, who is shocked to see two demons (Karaku and Urogi) down for the count.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 3) Episode 4 Ending, Explained:
How does Tanjiro counter Sekido’s lightning?
Sekido summons a new staff and attacks Tanjiro, who stops the attack with Urogi’s severed foot, which prevents the flow of electricity as Sekido and Urogi share the same cells, leaving Tanjiro unharmed. He cuts the demon’s tongue, as he had previously realized that cutting their tongue where their emotions are written causes them to take longer to heal. Furthermore, he uses Urogi’s foot to free Nezuko from being impaled by the lightning staff. Sekido, who has healed himself, attacks Tanjiro but is stopped by a freed Nezuko, who also uses her Blood Demon Art on the demon.
Karaku suddenly reappears and immobilizes Tanjiro and Nezuko with another powerful gust of wind. The floor collapses, and the two fall down, having lost consciousness. Sekido, Karaku, and Urogi gather above them, wanting to finish them off.
Meanwhile, in the Swordsmith Village, several fish demons are attacking as the alarm for the same starts ringing. The swordsmiths, despite their best efforts, are unable to hold them back. The episode ends with Mitsuri Kanroji sprinting toward the village to save the villagers.
