‘Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc’ Episode 6 Recap & Ending Explained: Was Tanjiro New Technique Enough to Kill Hantengu?

Welcome to the Ending Explained for Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc, Episode 6, titled, “Aren’t You Going to Become an Hashira?” The title refers to Genya’s backstory, which would be the focus of this episode. The Swordsmith Village Arc is in full swing, and our heroes are fighting not one but two Upper-Rank Demons simultaneously. So far, the arc has mainly focused on the battle against Hantengu, a strange demon that can divide itself into four different powerful forms that fight in different ways.

In the previous episodes, Tanjiro discovered that to kill Hantengu once and for all, they needed to destroy all its heads. If even one head remains in place, the demons will just shrug off the attacks and keep regenerating, which is a big problem. By the end of the last episode, Tanjito created a new sword-breathing technique that builds up his speed and power to new levels. In one of those hyped animation moments, Tanjito cuts four demons’ heads while Genya cuts the head of the fourth.

The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc, Episode 6. Read at your own risk.

Was Tanjiro New Technique Enough To Kill Hantengu?

Demon Slayer keeps the rhythm on a high note as we continue the fight against Hantengu, the Upper Rank 4 Demon. This demon has been quite complicated to fight because it has divided itself into four different forms. Each form has a different ability; one can control lightning, another can attack with blood attack, another can attack with air, and the last can even fly. It doesn’t seem like a fair fight. However, Tanjiro, alongside Nezuko and Genya, managed to give the demon a fight.

In the previous episode, Tanjiro cut three of the four heads, while Genya cut the fourth. However, the demons return to life, and Tanjiro realizes their efforts have been insufficient. Tanjiro then smells something that gives him a clue. Tanjiro’s smell sense is quite powerful, and so he smells that there is a fifth demon. If they can’t find it, then the demon won’t die. Genya arrives and threatens Tanjiro saying that he will be the one who will kill the demon because he needs to become a Hashira.

Tanjiro disarms the violent Genya by saying that he and Nezuko will support him in becoming a Hashira. You need to kill an Upper-Rank Demon by yourself to achieve that rank. Tanjiro informs Genya about the fifth demon and tells him that he needs to hold the other four demons for a while; Nezuko will help him. Tanjiro looks for the fifth demon, but he is quite evasive. Later, Tanjiro gives the task to Genya while he fights the demons, as his new technique really does damage to their bodies.

Tanjiro guides Genya through the forest while he fights the other demons, who are still as strong as ever. Nezuko also fights. One of the demons acknowledges that Tanjiro has endless potential and could easily become a Hashira. Meanwhile, Genya finally finds the fifth demon. This last demon is Hantengu in miniature form. It is afraid and runs for its life. Genya catches it, but his sword breaks when trying to cut its head, and his shotgun also does no damage. The lightning demon catches up to Genya and is about to kill him by attacking his head.

Why Does Genya Want To Become An Hashira?

This episode focuses a lot of its time on exploring the character of Genya. So far, he has displayed a very hostile attitude toward the rest of the surrounding characters. Tanjiro has made progress in making him a friend, but it is difficult. Genya doesn’t want any friends, but Tanjiro uses the fact that they are of similar age and became hunters during the same exam to force their friendship. This episode reveals why Genya wants to become a Hashira and why he is the way he is. What moves him forward?

Genya begins to reflect on his life when he is about to be stricken by the lightning demon. He starts talking about his mother. She was a very small woman who worked from morning to night. Genya never saw her sleep even once. On the other hand, his father was a big man but a good-for-nothing individual. Even so, his mother protected him and the rest of his siblings when their father would become violent. His father got stabbed by some criminals, and her mother became their sole parental figure, which was okay.

However, one night, her mother fails to arrive home when she usually does. Genya and his older brother Sanemi, the future Wind Hashira, start to get worried. Sanemi decides to go and search for their mother, while Genya stays and protects the rest of his siblings. Genya assures her younger siblings that their mother will be fine. There is a knock on the door, and the younger siblings all go to open it, thinking it is their mother. Genya’s instinct tells him it is not, but it is too late. A demon comes through the door, killing the small children.

Sanemi manages to save Genya at the last minute. And then, Genya runs to the street in search of his older brother. When he finds him, he sees her mother’s corpse and Sanemi standing above it. Genya calls him a murderer. We go back to Genya in the present. He regrets saying that to his brother. He knows it must have been hard killing their beloved mother, as she has transformed into a demon. Genya can only meet his brother again if he also becomes a Hashira. Tanjiro arrives, saves Genya, and tells him he cannot give up.

However, Genya knows he has no chance; he cannot use breathing techniques, so he defends Tanjiro from one of the demon’s attacks and tells Tanjiro to go and kill Hantengu. Tanjiro does, and the episode ends with Tanjiro starting his new technique as he follows the pathetic little demon through the forest.