Demon Slayer: Who Is Tanjirō’s Grandfather?

When one decides to talk about Demon Slayer, one usually talks about the demon slayers themselves or the demons. But, the series has offered us a variety of other intriguing characters who do not belong to the two aforementioned groups. Tanjirō Kamado is, as we know, the protagonist of the Demon Slayer manga and demon-themed anime. A young boy struck by tragedy, Tanjirō overcame his horrid fate and became a Demon Slayer, but not to avenge his family – he did it to find a way to return his sister, Nezuko, to a human once again. Tanjirō’s family will be the topic of this article as well, as we will tell you about Tanjirō’s grandfather and who this guy is in the story.

The identity of Tanjirō’s grandfather is not known in Demon Slayer. An unnamed grandmother was mentioned, but neither his maternal nor paternal grandfather have been mentioned. We know that his father’s name was Tanjurō Kamado, that his mother was named Kie, and that he had an ancestor named Sumiyoshi, who lived during the Sengoku era.

The rest of this article will focus on Tanjirō’s family, specifically his grandfather, and their role in the story and their influence on the plot. Tanjirō’s grandfather might be a mystery, but we can nevertheless tell you a bit about his family in the story. Be careful, though, as the article will be filled with spoilers.

Tanjirō’s grandfather is an unknown character in the series

Tanjirō is the firstborn of the Kamado Family, whose components were his father, Tanjurō, his mother, Kie, and his younger siblings: Nezuko, Takeo, Shigeru, Rokuta, and Hanako. Nezuko was the oldest daughter in the family, and she was born a year after Tanjirō. His family made a living selling charcoal in neighboring villages. Tanjurō Kamado married Kie at some point in the past, and the couple had six children in total. But, Tanjurō Kamado was of frail health, and while Tanjirō was still a child, he died. Tanjirō was left as the head of the family and had to care for his mother and younger siblings until tragedy struck them.

One winter day, when Tanjirō was 13 years old, he went down to the nearest village to sell his products in preparation for the New Year festivities, and when he was about to return home, a snowstorm forced him to take refuge in a nearby cabin. There, its occupant, Saburo, tells him a strange story about creatures that attack people at night and devour them.

Tanjirō at first does not believe in the story and just falls asleep. Still, when he returns home, he notices a disturbing smell of human blood: upon entering his house, what he finds is a nightmare scenario: all his brothers and his mother were brutally murdered, and their sister Nezuko, the only survivor of such a massacre, was seriously injured so desperate.

He takes her sister for someone to help them. However, during the tour, Nezuko wakes up, but unfortunately for Tanjirō, she is no longer the same: she became a Demon, and she suddenly increases in size and pounces on Tanjirō, intending to devour him. We all know what happens later and how their story develops, so we won’t be going deeper into that, but we can draw some conclusions from this set of facts.

The first one is that the author never really went too deep into the history of the Kamado family, and save for his parents and siblings, not many members have been revealed. A grandmother was mentioned but never named, although we do not know whether she is his maternal or paternal grandmother, and we know that he had some descendants later on, as well as a centuries-old ancestor by the name of Sumiyoshi.

Sumiyoshi is an ancestor of the Kamado family, so it only makes sense that he plays an important role in Tanjirō’s history, especially because of his relationship with Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the most powerful Demon Slayer in history. Namely, Demon Slayer fans will know that Yoriichi Tsugikuni considered Sumiyoshi to be his only true friend. After his banishment from the Demon Slayer Corps for reasons we have already discussed, Yoriichi went to Sumiyoshi’s house to enjoy their company and because he needed someone to talk to.

Yoriichi got unhappy as he reflected on the misfortunes that had befallen him and expressed remorse for having left Muzan alive when they first met, as well as the countless deaths that would occur, including those caused by his brother Michikatsu, who was transformed into the Demon Kokushibo.

While he was there the final time, Sumire, Sumiyoshi’s daughter, walks up at that moment and asks him for a hug; encouraged by Sumiyoshi, he picks her up, making her laugh and scream in delight, forcing him to start crying and then kiss her. Soon later, Sumiyoshi’s wife, Suyako, consoles him while providing supper.

How much Sumiyoshi cared for Yoriichi and his legacy, but also how much Yoriichi trusted Sumiyoshi and his family, is best observed in relation to the Hinokami Kagura, the dance that embodies the Sun Breathing Style, the only Breathing Style able to defeat Muzan and the first Breathing Style ever. Yoriichi saved Sumiyoshi, presumably from a Demon, and the two became very close friends, so close, in fact, that Yoriichi considered Sumiyoshi to be his only true friend. And that is why Sumiyoshi is so important to Tanjirō and his family history and why we have mentioned him in this article.

And that brings the story to an end, really. The Kamado family has a longstanding tradition, but few of its members have been revealed. We know about Tanjirō’s parents, his siblings, three of his ancestors, and some of his descendants from the present day, as well as an unnamed grandmother. Everything else is a mystery, including Tanjirō’s grandfathers, who did exist, but we know nothing about them.