Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 3 Episode 2
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 3 Episode 2 (Swordsmith Village Arc) titled “Yoriichi Type Zero” opens with Muichiro, Mist Hashira beating up a small swordsman. Tanjiro enters as he is upset that Hashira looks down on the swordsman when he says his time is much more valuable.
Hotaru hides nearby and hears Tanjiro stand behind the swordsmen as he says that without them, the demon slayers would not have the swords needed to kill the demons. Muichiro just knocks him down and leaves. Hotaru comes to check on Tanjiro, but runs away when he wakes up. The child swordsman thanks Tanjiro for his help, but still ends up giving the key so Muichiro can leave.
Tanjiro notices that the second demon slayer with the Hanafuda earrings is also missing. The kid says it’s Yoriichi Type Zero, the prototype of a real demon slayer, and he needs a key to control it. He hears the fight and runs to find Muichiro training with Yoriichi, who has six arms. The child says that the real demon slayer was so remarkable that the doll could not follow his actions without six hands.
Tanjiro finds the doll familiar, but can’t remember why. The child says the doll is from the Sengoku period, which is 3 centuries ago, and they still can’t replicate it. He didn’t want to give the key because if the doll breaks, he can’t fix it. They watch in awe as Muichira fights the doll, and Mitsuri’s crow suddenly appears and says that Mist Hashira is the descendant of a Sun Breathing user.
Tanjiro notices that he is not using this technique and the crow attacks him for sullying his name. The child suggests that it might be a hereditary memory when he recalls the demon slayer from his dream out of the blue. He says that the dream must be Tanjiro’s ancestors while the crow just laughs at him. Tanjiro addresses the child as Kotetsu and thanks him for the information.
Just then, he sees Muichiro break the doll’s armor and the child cries and runs away. He hides in a tree and Tanjiro encourages him to work hard and become a good swordsman to carry on his family’s legacy, just as he does what he can to take down Muzan. As Kotetsu cheers up, Muichiro walks past them and they are surprised by his nonchalant behavior.
He says his sword broke so he took the doll’s sword and showed it. It is attached to one of the doll’s arms that he broke off. Tanjiro notices that there is no malice in him and he is just apathetic. Before Kotetsu and Tanjiro discover the broken doll on the floor, it is pouring with rain. He turns the key and the doll still moves even though it has 5 arms.
Angry, Kotetsu says he will work hard and help Tanjiro become strong and defeat Mist Hashiru. The young assassin is shocked when a child drops a doll on him to immediately begin his training. When the doll continues to beat him up over the next few days, Kotetsu either curses the doll or Tanjiro to become a stronger fighter. He points out that Tanjiro moves by habit and should move according to his opponent.
He scolds Tanjiro every day and does not give him any food or water. Tanjiro marvels at his analytical and teaching techniques, but resents having to survive on rainwater. One day he blacks out and falls under water in his dream and sees a shiny stone. He comes and can suddenly guess the doll’s next attack. His defense is weak, but he still gets hit and Kotetsu gives him food. Tanjiro finally senses which direction the doll is about to attack.
She jumps and is about to cut off his head, but stops because she doesn’t want to break the doll. Kotetsu encourages him, saying that he will work hard to repair the doll and that Tanjiro should complete his training and complete the strike. Tanjiro falls and Kotetsu goes to check on him. Suddenly, he sees the doll fall, and it is revealed that Tanjiro cut off its head. As the head falls, he sees a 300 year old sword stuck inside her body.
In the epilogue, Tanjiro and Nezuko wear swordsman masks. Tanjiro reveals that there are rumors that Kotetsu’s face looks like the mask he wears, and so many villagers have told him that he doesn’t need to wear the mask. Tanjiro says he has a sharp tongue but is a nice boy. Just then, Kotetsu looks for him to continue his training and berates him as Tanjiro and Nezuko run away.
Episode review
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 3 Episode 2 was entertaining to watch even if it’s kind of a filler episode. The truly unique ways Tanjiro is trained by his various masters, whether it’s Sabito or Aoi, is quite amusing. Well, this time he got a 10 year old swordsman whose words are as sharp as his sword.
