Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 6 Recap & Spoilers (2024)

Six episodes into the Spring 2024 anime season, Demon Slayer is still focusing on the Hashira training story arc, with Tanjiro going Plus Ultra almost daily to impress his Hashira coaches. As of Episode 6, Tanjiro has reached the final training phase, where he must marshal his full strength and endurance to clear Gyomei Himejima's three assignments for him. All the while, Muzan is still scouring Japan for Nezuko Kamado, and Genya Shinazugawa starts proving himself to be "main squad" material.

Episode 6 is largely the same as the last few that came before it, with Tanjiro and his friends struggling in this multi-phase training regimen while also making impressive progress despite their fears and hardships. It's impressive to see them get so far even if they doubt themselves sometimes, and it's just as well, because time is running out. Muzan is getting close to locating Nezuko thanks to the new Upper Moon 4, but at least Tanjiro has more friends than ever to support him and finish this training in time.

Gyomei Himejima's Training is About Inner Mastery, Not Dueling

Most of the phases in the Hashira training arc have involved sparring with the Hashira to emulate their fighting styles and strengths. Obanai Iguro challenged Tanjiro to fight him with a flexible and snake-like fighting style, while Sanemi Shinazugawa pressed his trainees to keep up with his rapid, aggressive movements as the Wind Hashira. Tengen Uzui's training in phase one was an exception, since he was simply boosting his trainees' endurance with long jogs and the like. Tanjiro Kamado is undergoing a similar but more specialized regimen. In the final phase of the Hashira training story arc, Tanjiro is not fighting anyone at all -- at least, not on the outside. He must master his inner self, which is not the kind of challenge he's used to.

Gyomei has always seemed rather monk-like with his peaceful aura and constant prayers, and his training style reflects that in Episode 6. He doesn't duel his trainees at all, declining to show them what Stone Breathing looks like in action. Instead, Gyomei focuses on the stable nature of his fighting style. Tanjiro and the others must achieve inner and physical stability alike, a firm foundation on which they can build up their prowess. Everything else they've learned from the other Hashira must rest atop this foundation, or at least, that's the implication.

Gyomei's training is divided into three tasks in Episode 6, with waterfall meditation being the first. It's almost a beloved cliche to see anime characters training under a waterfall, but in this Demon Slayer episode, it's neither a cliche or a meme. The training is intense and calls for a kind of strength Tanjiro didn't know he had. He and the other trainees must endure the cold, heavy water while also reciting mantras of their choice to focus their minds on hours of this training. Tanjiro finds himself overwhelmed at first, but he had a similar reaction to the other training styles too before he got used to them. Sure enough, Tanjiro soon gets the hang of waterfall training, and right after that, he lifts a trio of logs to prove his strength. So far, he's doing well to impress the tearful Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima, but fully clearing the third task will require more than one episode of work.

By the end of Episode 6, Tanjiro is still working on the third task, but he's making progress, much to Inosuke's and Zenitsu's shock. The final task is to push a large, spherical boulder almost 400 feet in one direction. At first, Tanjiro can't even make that rock budge. He seems to lack the physical strength and can't call on his demon slayer mark at will, so he feels stuck. That's when Genya Shinazugawa mentions that he's already gotten his boulder moving and uses repetitive action to make it happen. This is the fighting style Genya uses in place of conventional breathing styles, meaning Genya's apparent deficiency is now a strength. He struggled in combat due to lacking a breathing style, but breathing styles won't work on that boulder -- only the raw power of repetitive action will get the job done.

Following Genya's example, Tanjiro thinks about what stirs his emotions the most, with his family coming to mind. He pushes himself all night to boost his heart rate and body temperature to gain strength. It takes hours, but repetition and patience are the key, and Tanjiro knows it. By daybreak, Tanjiro makes a breakthrough with repeititve action and pushes the boulder a few feet. He still has a long way to go, but now that he's got the right tools for the job, it's just a matter of time. Tanjiro is on the cusp of completing the entire Hashira training regimen.

Inosuke and Zenitsu Don't Get Very Far in Episode 6

Even if Demon Slayer has a shonen trio of anime heroes, that trio isn't doing much in Season 4, nor did they do much together in Season 3, with Zenitsu and Inosuke never visiting the swordsmith village at all. Season 4 may have reunited these protagonists, but they're not actually doing that much with each other during Gyomei's training regimen. It's a shame, but it also makes sense, as Gyomei's training is about self-mastery and inner strength. The trainees can't help each othre much with that aside from encouraging words. In Episode 6, Inosuke briefly shines as a tough warrior who fears no waterfall, but even he is struggling with the boulder push, suggesting he hasn't tried repetitive action yet. The same is true for Zenitsu who, as usual, is spending more time complaining and worrying than advancing in the training.

This season has almost reduced Inosuke and Zenitsu to jobber characters, particularly the latter. They are evidently there just to make Tanjiro look good. It's almost inevitable that the shonen protagonist will stay ahead of the curve and succeed when they must, but having Inosuke and Zenitsu stand around saying "Wow, Tanjiro!" isn't much of a role for this arc. Neither of them even provides much insight into how to complete this training's tough challenges, so they aren't helpful with their actions or words.

Genya Shinazugwa is Becoming Tanjiro's New Best Friend

When the Demon Slayer anime first started, Genya Shinazuga was just some gruff punk on the fringes of the main story, only briefly standing out after Tanjiro passed final selection back in Episode 4 of the first season. Much later, Genya started resembling a true hero in the Swordsmith Village story arc, using his repetitive action and flesh-eating ways to become a bizarre half-other, impressing Tanjiro. In Season 4, Genya is using his repetitive action concept not just for his own sake, but Tanjiro's.

Genya is repaying Tanjiro for the latter's aid, offering much-needed insight into how to move that boulder. Genya and Tanjiro may not have a deep friendship just yet, but the two of them are becoming real friends, with Genya being more supportive and even-tempered than ever. In light of his brother Sanemi's antics, Genya is downright serene in Season 4, cleaning up his act a great deal compared to how he was after final selection. Tanjiro is a kind boy who can easily make friends, as his new friendship with Muichiro Tokito showed, and now it's Genya's turn to become one of Tanjiro's best buddies. That might pay off once again when the battle against Muzan resumes.

Muzan Kibutsuji is Scouring Japan to Find Nezuko Kamado

Muzan and his demons haven't been very active lately, but that's only because they're biding their time until they can zero in on their true target: Nezuko Kamado. Ever since Nezuko overcame her sunlight weakness in the Swordsmith Village story arc, she has been Muzan's #1 target, and Episodes 5 and 6 are proving it. Right now, Muzan the demon king is patiently waiting in his Infinity Castle as the new Upper Moon 4, Nakime, uses her countless eyeballs to sweep Japan for any sign of Nezuko. While she's at it, Nakime is also determined to find Kagaya Ubuyashiki for her boss, with Kagaya being Muzan's ultimate rival and nemesis.

By now, Nakime says she has found 60% of all demon slayers, and she's not slowing down. It's clear that time is running out for the Demon Slayer Corps, and before long, Muzan is bound to shatter the uneasy peace and make his final move to finish off Kagaya and seize Nezuko. No doubt the timing will be tight between that and Tanjiro finishing his training, which promises to make the next story arc an intense one as the two sides collide once again.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

January 22, 2021

Cast

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

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4