Demon Slayer Episode 20

Demon Slayer Episode 20

Pretend Family

Last week I questioned whether or not the spider demon clan were truly related by blood. This week we got an answer to that question, and the answer is no — sort of. They aren’t actually related by blood, but they do have a special bond forged by blood which I’ll get to in a bit.

The Spider Silk Demon was building a “family” of demons to surround himself with for one reason. He thought that if he could truly feel the bonds of a family that it would help him remember his life as a human. But the question remains, why?

What does he get out of remembering his life as a human? And why did he forget it in the first place? Do all demons tend to forget their lives as humans? Has he been a demon for so long that he forgot? And, is remembering his human memories something Kibutsuji would want him to do?

I don’t really see what benefit would come from remembering his human past. If anything, it would make him no longer want to be a demon, which could prompt him to take his own life. This seems like something Kibutsuji wouldn’t want one of the Twelve Demon Moons to do, so why does he allow it?

There are two scenarios I can think of. The first is that Kibutsuji simply doesn’t know what the Spider Silk Demon is after, but this seems unlikely. The second is that Kibutsuji knows that even if he does feel the bonds of a family, it won’t make him remember.

Perhaps Kibutsuji allows him to indulge in this search for familial bonds so that he’ll remain loyal while knowing he’ll never find the answers he seeks.

Demon Blood Ritual

I’m glad we got to see the ritual which the Spider Silk Demon used to add new demons to his family. I had been wondering why all these demons looked similar and had spider-like abilities if they weren’t actually related in some way, and we now have the answer.

It doesn’t seem like the Spider Silk Demon can turn humans into demons with his blood, but he can alter those who are already demons. By drinking a mixture containing his blood, they develop their signature Blood Demon Arts and begin a physical transformation to look similar to him.

The Onee-chan Demon from the anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
The Onee-chan Demon

So is this how Blood Demon Arts are acquired? Do certain demons have the ability to pass along Blood Demon Arts to others? It seems this is one possible way, but with Nezuko it seems this wasn’t the case. Nezuko’s Blood Demon Art seems to stem from her bond with Tanjirou.

Anyway, once the demons have undergone the ritual, the transformation doesn’t appear to be permanent. One of the things the Spider Silk Demon hates the most is when the other demons in his family allow their appearances to revert. I can only assume because it “breaks the illusion.”

But, what does this mean for their powers? If, for example, the Onee-chan Demon allowed her appearance to fully revert back to its original state, would she lose her Blood Demon Art too? And do these demons need to continuously undergo the ritual to stay in these forms?

Giyuu Tomioka

Let’s move on from discussing the demons to discussing the demon hunters. Giyuu Tomioka is the man who initially confronted Tanjirou and Nezuko at the start of the series, and is the one who sent a letter of introduction to Sakonji Urokodaki on their behalf.

Since then, we haven’t actually seen all that much of him. He’s been shown in a few scenes, but until the previous episode he was never really doing anything. So, although we’re bound to learn more about him in the future, let’s go over what we know so far.

Giyuu Tomioka from the anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Giyuu Tomioka

We know Giyuu uses the Water Breathing Technique like Tanjirou and Sakonji, but he seems to be better at it than both of them. I assumed he was Sakonji’s student at one point due to his use of this technique, but I’m starting to think that isn’t the case. He may just be someone else who uses it.

And the reason I say he’s better than both of them is that he actually knows more forms of it than they do — or at least than Tanjirou does. Sakonji only taught Tanjirou 10 forms of Water Breathing, but Giyuu knows an 11th, Dead Calm.

I don’t know how exactly this technique works because we don’t see him do anything, but it’s represented by a calm body of water without any ripples. I like to think that this is the final form of Water Breathing that comes with a complete mastery of the rest.

Shinobu Kochou

The other high-level demon slayer featured in this episode is Shinobu Kochou. You may recall seeing a girl with a similar butterfly hair clip at the end of the Final Selection, but these are two different characters. Perhaps that girl is a student of Shinobu or is related to her in some way.

Also, Shinobu is the best girl of the series. Sorry, Nezuko fans. I’m not really into girls who don’t talk and sit inside a box all day.

Everything about Shinobu is based on insects, butterflies in particular. Her hair clip is a butterfly, her robe looks like butterfly wings, and her sword has a butterfly-shaped tsuba (hand guard). The shape of her sword could also be seen as proboscis-like, which fits her overall theme.

Shinobu Kochou from the anime series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Shinobu Kochou

But what about her abilities? For one, it appears that she can either fly or glide in some way thanks to the wings of her robe. I’m not exactly sure how she does this, but it may have something to do with her Insect Breathing Technique. I’m also assuming this is the same breathing technique used by that girl at the Final Selection.

This is the perfect technique for Shinobu. Rather than relying on physical strength, something she doesn’t have, it relies on a flurry of smaller slashes. She even admits that she’s unable to decapitate demons, but she still manages to make the most of her technique.

Her blade works like a hypodermic needle and injects a poison into her opponents with every slice. It’s unclear exactly what goes into this poisonous cocktail, but at the very least we know it includes wisteria extract, which is deadly to demons.

Conclusion

What did you think of this week’s episode of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba? I, for one, think this was a great way to end the spider demon arc — at least I assume it’s over. This arc was definitely the best of the series so far, and I’m looking forward to what else this series has in store for us.

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My review of the next episode is available here.

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