Why Can Genya Turn Into A Demon In Demon Slayer? (2024)

Early on, the Demon Slayer anime establishes its combat system as humans versus demons. These two well-defined sides rarely blur the line that divides them. Demons are supernatural creatures with abilities like flesh regeneration, Blood Demon Arts, and overhwelming strength and speed. Accordingly, the members of the Demon Slayer Corps require special swords and breathing techniques to even these intimidating odds. The exception to this rule is Genya Shinazugawa, a Demon Slayer Corp Hashira who never learns any breathing techniques, but instead taps into his dark side to gain greater power.

Genya first appears early on in Demon Slayer, but he doesn't show his true strength until season three's Swordsmith Village Arc's final battle against Gyokko and Hantengu. To Tanjiro's shock, Genya doesn't just use a shotgun in his unorthodox fighting style -- he transforms into a half-demon, all thanks to his special training and constitution. Genya's metamorphosis, while dangerous, is also layered in thematic meaning and symbolism.

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How Genya Shinazugawa's Demon Transformation Works In Demon Slayer

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Unlike Tanjiro's little sister Nezuko Kamado, Genya does not truly morph into a demon due to the crucial detail that he never consumes Muzan Kibutsuji's blood. Instead, Genya's demonic "transformation" is a demon analog where Genya borrows key traits and strengths of demons to fight like creatures on even terms. This is how Genya becomes a pseudo-demon half-other in Demon Slayer. Unfortunately for Genya, he never masters any particular breathing styles or total concentration breathing techniques. Alternatively, Genya trains under the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, to master the art of Repetitive Action. This allows Genya to successfully mimic demonic characteristics and the effects of total concentration breathing at the same time.

Genya must tap into intense concentration during battle to maintain this form, so he recites a series of Buddhist chants, in particular the Amida Sutra's prayers, to better focus his power. Repetitive action can even suppress pain, which allows Genya to concentrate even harder during battle. Genya's transformation is complete after he bites a demon and consumes a sample of its flesh. This grants Genya black scleras, prominent veins, fangs, and even new colors in his hair. Repetitive action is what makes Genya tough enough to stay in the fight, while his demon flesh consumption is what grants him demonic toughness and regeneration traits, which are foreign to other Demon Slayers. Genya speed also receives such an increase while he's in this transformed state that he's even able to keep up with the likes of the Upper Moon Demons. That being said, there's no evidence that Genya's demonic transformation comes with a hunger for human flesh, like in Nezuko's scenario where she becomes a full-blooded demon.

How Genya Uses His Transformation In Demon Slayer Season 3

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Demon Slayer's third season marks the first time that Genya Shinazugawa is seen using his demonic transformation, but it quickly becomes clear why he has trained so hard to learn a technique of this caliber. Hantengu, the Upper Moon 4, is too strong even for Tanjiro's best techniques, Nezuko's kicks, and Genya's shotgun. Hantengu soon puts Demon Slayer's heroes on the defensive. Tanjiro grows convinced that Genya has fallen in battle, only to find a demonic Genya waiting for him. At demon Genya's first opportunity, he bites off a piece of Hantengu's flesh and eats it. This completes Genya's transformation, which fools Tanjiro into thinking that Genya has become an actual full-blooded demon, like Nezuko. Fortunately, the battle-loving Genya's mind remains rational and human, so he's able to restrain any urges to attack his non-demon allies.

Genya demonstrates the full extent of his transformation's powers in this battle. Genya even bites through Hantengu's tree-like defenses to better bolster his own power. Genya keeps himself in the fight thanks to his demonic endurance and flesh regeneration, which buys the heroes enough time to discover Hantengu's weakness while Muichiro Tokito fights Gyokko elsewhere. In the end, Genya isn't strong enough to outright kill Hantengu. This duty falls upon Tanjiro, as the sun begins to rise for a new dawn. Still, Genya does his part and it's likely that Hantengu would have claimed the lives of both himself and Tanjiro if not for Genya's transformation powers.

What Genya's Demon Transformation Represents In The Anime

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Genya's demonic transformation can be taken at face value in the Demon Slayer anime due to Genya's need for a special combat technique in lieu of a conventional Demon Slayer breathing style. However, Genya's unusual technique doesn't feel like a cheap or convenient plot contrivance that helps him survive his fight against Hantengu in season three's Swordsmith Village Arc, nor is it done for shock value. Genya Shinazugawa, even more so than the underdog protagonist Tanjiro Kamado, represents the entire Demon Slayer Corps' creative desperation. The Demon Slayer anime establishes many thematic differences between sword-wielding humans and bloodthirsty demons, including how their power or lack thereof affects their battle tactics and mentality.

Demons are humans who gain supernatural power via Muzan's blood, which usually goes to their heads and causes corruption. Demons are co*cky, arrogant creatures who let themselves get sloppy in battle, since they can heal their flesh and outlast any human foe in the process. By contrast, even the best-trained Demon Slayers are merely humans who are limited by their mortal bodies and finite strength and speed. The Demon Slayer Corps has been the perpetual underdog in the centuries-long war against Muzan and they're the ones who often lose key members during any major altercation. As a result, the Demon Slayers rely on superior tactics, resourceful thinking, and even sheer desperation in order to survive when they've got their backs to the wall. Techniques like Tengen's ninja moves and Tanjiro's Hinokami Kagura are just the start of the Demon Slayer Corps' robust rehabilitation.

Genya is the ultimate dark hose Demon Slayer who lacks standard breathing techniques, but he proves himself through the unthinkable decision to mimic the very demons that he's devoted his life to destroying. Genya's controversial power boost makes sense for him on a personal level. However, this gambit also meshes with the Demon Slayer Corps' increasingly desperate tactics. The Demon Slayer Corps will lose this war if characters like Genya and Tanjiro don't color outside the lines. Tanjiro understands the heroes' dire odds, which is why he justifies Genya's gruesome transformation and appreciates how far his ally will go to fight demons on his own terms.

Demon Slayer

TV-MA

Anime

Action

Adventure

When Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family was attacked and killed by demons, he discovers his younger sister Nezuko was the only survivor. As Nezuko slowly becomes a demon, Tanjiro sets out to find a cure for her and become a demon slayer so he can avenge his family.

Release Date

April 6, 2019

Cast

Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Yosh*tsugu Matsuoka

Main Genre

Anime

Seasons

4