Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 3), Episode 6: Recap & Ending Explained – What is Genya’s promise to his brother Sanemi?

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 3), Episode 6 Recap & Ending Explained: Focusing mainly on Tanjiro and Genya’s continuing battle with Hantengu’s clones, as well as Genya’s tragic past, this latest episode (also the series’ 50th) sees almost nothing of the Hashira. While it is a good episode overall, it does fall short on a  few counts, such as another poorly-timed flashback sequence, which completely breaks the momentum of the fight till that point.

It is worth noting that despite such flaws, the flashback greatly adds to Genya and his brother Sanemi’s backstory, explaining why they act the way they do now while indirectly drawing parallels between the siblings Tanjiro and Nezuko. This relationship between the brothers, though, seems somewhat predictable as to where it will head, as it is a fairly common trope in anime and manga.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 3), Episode 6 Recap:

Opening right where last week’s episode ended, Tanjiro is shaken by Genya’s obviously demonic appearance and is unsure as to whether he should approach him. Karaku, the demon, is complaining that he isn’t healing as expected but is reminded by an irate Sekido that they are healing, just slowly. Tanjiro notes that despite all four demons – Karaku, Sekido, Aizetsu, and Urogi – being beheaded, they are still alive and healing, making further attacks pointless, so he uses the time to free Nezuko, who is trapped underneath debris from the building. The siblings hug each other happily.

Also noting the brief appearance of the scent of a fifth demon, Tanjiro knows he must find its source somewhere in the area. Suddenly, Genya appears and grabs his throat, screaming that he should not get in his way and that he is the one who will kill the Upper-Rank Demon. He goes on to say that fighting with the support of other demon slayers is the only way he beats Gyutaro and Daki, and why he isn’t a Hashira himself. Tanjiro asks what happened to him and requests him to let him go, but Genya squeezes further and boldly states that he will become a Hashira.

To Genya’s disbelief, Tanjiro is comically happy upon hearing that and joyfully offers his and Nezuko’s support before telling him of the fifth demon. Genya doesn’t believe him initially, but upon seeing his earnest, light-filled gaze, he is convinced and is suddenly pushed aside by Tanjiro as Sekido attacks with his lightning, the demons having healed entirely. Tanjiro requests Genya and Nezuko to work together and hold off the demons while he goes in search of the fifth one, and Genya shoots at Urogi. At the same time, Nezuko engages Karaku, who attacks with a wind gust.

That proves to work to Tanjiro’s advantage, as the overwhelming smell of the hot springs’ sulfur has been cleared from the air, allowing him to sniff out the location of the fifth demon far more efficiently. He narrows the scent down to somewhere in the forest nearby, where it is shown that Hantengu is trembling and afraid, hoping that his clones will defeat the enemy. Tanjiro begins to head in that direction but is stopped by Urogi on Sekido’s orders; he then tells Genya to head northeast and that the demon is hiding low.  

After another lightning attack, Genya continues towards the forest as Tanjiro asks Nezuko to help him fight Sekido so as to prevent his lightning attacks. Karaku sends Tanjiro flying with a gust of wind, and he latches onto a tree stump to not fly further before stabbing the ground to strengthen his hold as Aizetsu’s spear stabs Nezuko.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Gyokko sadistically watches and enjoys watching Muichiro struggle to break free of his pot of water, ecstatically saying it is stimulating him creatively.

Outside the forest, Nezuko has been pinned to a tree by Aizetsu’s spear, and as Sekido is about to attack her with his lightning, Tanjiro suddenly cuts the demon’s hand off. Sekido realizes that Tanjiro is far faster and stronger than what the reports had said, and he even grows while fighting as Tanjiro attacks Urogi with ease.

At the same time, Nezuko grabs onto Aizetsu’s head and heaves herself forward on the spear, and then uses her abilities to set Aizetsu on fire. Karaku stops Tanjiro with another wind gust and moves to attack Genya. But Tanjiro suddenly manages to cut off his arm and gives Genya further instructions on the fifth demon’s location. Unfortunately, Genya is unable to find the demon.  

As Karaku attacks Tanjiro, he yells new instructions to Genya, who finds the demon on the ground. Hantengu is revealed to be the size of a mouse, and Genya chases him through the woods, and after catching up, he slashes at Hantengu’s neck only to have his blade break in two. He then shoots at Hantengu, but that also proves ineffective, as Sekido suddenly appears behind him and is about to kill him by stabbing him through his head with his staff.

Unable to dodge due to there being no time, Genya thinks of his elder brother Sanemi who is a Hashira, and he himself wanted to become a Hashira so that his brother would acknowledge him and give him a chance to apologize. A flashback begins here, and their mother was a loving, hardworking woman while their father was an abusive drunk who was killed by someone he had a quarrel with.

While the rest of their younger siblings were asleep one night, Genya and Sanemi were worried that their mother was late coming back home. Sanemi decides to look for her, telling Genya to stay at home by reminding him of a certain promise he made, which isn’t revealed at that moment. After he left, their younger siblings were all shown as being awake after all.

Worried that their mother isn’t back home yet despite being assured by Genya, his siblings suddenly run towards the door, thinking their mother is back. Genya, with a feeling of dread, warns them not to, but the door is smashed through, and a figure appears, instantly killing all the children except Genya, who is injured on his face. He can’t see the figure clearly, assumes it to be a wolf, and it is suddenly tackled outside the house by Sanemi.

Going to find a doctor for his siblings, Genya comes across Sanemi in the street, standing over their mother’s disintegrating corpse as dawn approaches. Genya tearfully hugs her while Sanemi is frozen, and Genya calls him a murderer repeatedly. It is revealed that this is what he wants to apologize to his brother for, as what he mistook for a wolf was actually his mother turned into a demon. He laments at what Sanemi had gone through that night, wondering how he felt as events unfolded: killing their loving mother only to be labeled a murderer by his last surviving sibling, especially after their promise.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 3), Episode 6 Ending Explained:

What is Genya’s promise to his brother Sanemi?

One evening, before all this happened, the two brothers were walking down the street with a cart, and Sanemi stated that the two of them must protect the rest of their family. Thankful for their father’s recent demise, he nevertheless believed that everyone else would be lonely without a father figure. He reiterates that the two of them must protect their mother and younger siblings. Genya remarks that they have always done just that, causing Sanemi to break into a smile before laughing.

Genya’s internal monologue continues, as he believes he will perish before his apology to his elder brother and that he is without talent since he can’t use a breathing technique, without which he can’t become a Hashira. Wondering why his brother’s happy, smiling face is the last thing he will see, he also recalls an older Sanemi harshly rebuking him and saying they’re not brothers while telling him to quit being a demon slayer, again causing Genya to wonder as to the reason for the same.

Interrupted by Tanjiro’s shouting, Genya is saved from certain death by his intervention through an attack on Sekido, as the staff just injures him. Tanjiro encourages him, reminding Genya of his long-held wish of becoming a Hashira, and tells him never to give up.

At that point, Aizetsu appears and launches a powerful attack with his spear on Tanjiro, which he can’t dodge or block in time, but he is shielded by Genya just in time. However, Genya is deeply injured, with several chunks of his body gone, yet he is somehow still alive, acknowledges that he can’t behead Hantengu, and asks Tanjiro to do so; he will allow him to, just this once.

When Aizetsu approaches again, Genya shoots him, and Tanjiro speeds through the forest, narrowing down Hantengu’s position and catching sight of the tiny demon fleeing. Getting closer, Tanjiro is about to behead Hantengu with an ablaze sword as the episode ends.

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 3), Episode 6 Links: IMDb
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 3), Episode 6 Cast: Natsuki Hanae, Zach Aguilar, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

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