Season 4 of the Demon Slayer anime is already in full swing, showcasing the charms of the corps’ highest-ranking combatants — the Hashira. Each Hashira is given a chance in the spotlight as they train their weaker companions for the final battle. Among them is the ever-so-angry Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa.
Sanemi Shinazugawa hasn’t made much appearance in the anime, unlike the fan-favorite Rengoku or the flamboyant Tengen. But despite his little screentime, he already made an impactful impression. After all, he’s the Hashira who adamantly wants to eliminate Nezuko, even stabbing her to prove a point. So who exactly is Sanemi, and why is he always angry?
Warning, this article includes spoilers from the anime’s latest season, the Hashira Training Arc, and the completed manga. Find out how to stream the latest episodes here.
Sanemi’s Tragic Backstory
Like many in Demon Slayer, Sanemi has a painful history with the demons. Sanemi and Genya grew up with an abusive father who is eventually murdered by an unnamed, begrudged character. As the eldest siblings, Sanemi and Genya took it upon themselves to support their entire family.
The true tragedy came when their mother didn’t return home for the night. Sanemi left the other siblings in Genya’s care and went looking for her, but she had already turned into a demon, finding her way back home and killing all her children except Sanemi and Genya.
When Sanemi caught up to her, it was already too late. He fought her and ultimately eliminated her by exposing her to the sun. While Sanemi knew the truth, Genya only saw his mother’s corpse lying under the bloodied Sanemi’s feet. Genya then blamed Sanemi for her death.
Why is Sanemi always angry?
After the death of their moth, Genya and Sanemi’s relationship only worsened. They ultimately went their separate ways, with Sanemi vowing to hunt demons as revenge, even doing so without a Nichirin blade. Instead, he would incapacitate them and let the sun do its job. Despite his unrefined combat methods, he managed to survive and meet a member of the corps, receiving proper training and rising to the rank of Hashira.
At that time, Sanemi and Genya’s relationship was far from their younger years, and it didn’t improve when Sanemi learned that Genya consumed demon flesh for power. Sanemi wanted to kill his brother for his idiocy despite still deeply caring for his brother.
Sanemi, after all, suffers from being a tsundere. He mostly keeps his feelings to himself, often showing the opposite of his true intentions. He keeps pushing Genya away to force him into living the dangerous life of being a Demon Slayer, but he really wants his brother to live a normal life and blames himself for failing to protect his brother again.
How strong is Sanemi?
Physically, Sanemi is one of the strongest and toughest Demon Slayers. He has immense stamina and endurance and can fight for prolonged periods of time, as proven by his unrelenting training regime. Sanemi wields a standard Nichirin sword and is a master of the Wind Breathing Style, which focuses on mimicking the wind by creating destructive torrents and whirlwinds.
Sanemi is also in possession of Marechi Blood, which is the rarest of blood types and acts like a drug to demons. It’s so potent that a slight whiff will make most demons lose focus. Sanemi would often injure himself to use his blood to an advantage in fights, resulting in his scarred body.
As the Wind Hashira, Sanemi is one the best combatants in the entire force. He was seen fighting on equal grounds against the other Hashira — specifically Muichiro Tokito and Obanai Iguro. Later on, he would join forces with the Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima to take on Upper Moon One Kokushibo. Kokushibo noted that Sanemi’s combat prowess is on par with the first Wind Hashira, who lived during the golden age of Demon Slayers.
