Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… in Japan, during the Taishō era (1912-1926) during the growing blend of Japanese traditionalism and modernism. Tengen fits right in. Being the Sound Hashira, Tengen has a love for flashiness and flamboyance, mixing his background of being a shinobi with the glamor of the growing modernism of the era.
Profession… Sound Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Considered a master swordsman, Tengen is on a mission to combat exceptionally deadly demons. He uses Sound Breathing, a Breathing Style that he invented himself. During the Entertainment District Arc, Tengen takes Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu under his wing to track down and eliminate a demon that is suspected to lurk within the entertainment district of Yoshiwara.
Interests… fashion and festivals. Tengen has a great interest in style, wearing a headband adorned with gemstones and golden bands around his upper arms, and sporting striking makeup around his left eye. Tengen differentiates himself from the other Hashira by wielding two Ninchirin Cleavers attached together by a chain, instead of the typical Ninchirin Sword that most other Demon Slayers wield. He enjoys festival-going and all things flashy.
Relationship Status… married to three wives named Makio, Suma, and Hinatsuru. They are all his faithful partners as well as allies on the battlefield, often doing reconnaissance and acting as support for Tengen on his missions. Despite his often-boastful façade, Tengen cares deeply for all three of them, often telling them to value their own lives over all else, even if it could cost them their missions.
Challenge… going into the Entertainment District. Tengen already suspects that there is trouble afoot after he loses contact with his wives, who had gone undercover in the area in an attempt to track down the suspected demon that lurked amongst the humans. Fearing for their safety, Tengen must lead his team of relatively new, but not inexperienced, Demon Slayers into an environment where both their enemy and hundreds of innocent humans reside. Hoping to use Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu to infiltrate the district, Tengen has them masquerade as normal civilians and undertake jobs within the district to gather more information. The longer it takes for them to find the demon, the more human lives that are at stake, putting pressure on Tengen to keep his wives, and the unsuspecting people within the district, safe.
Personality… boastful, unconventional, and a bit harsh. Tengen is an exceedingly eccentric man who is the self-proclaimed god of flashiness and festivals. His brash and borderline harsh treatment of Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu are on full display as Tengen prepares the three for their mission under his leadership, telling the three: "I am a god! You three are trash! That's the first thing you need to pound into your heads! Drive it in! You're to turn into dogs if I tell you to! Turn into monkeys if I say so! Hunch over and rub your hands together, constantly pander to my every whim and suck up to me with every fiber of your being! And let me repeat! I am a god!” Though this treatment is harsh, Tengen ultimately hopes to condition the three into following his orders to make their mission go as smoothly as possible. Tengen’s bombastic exterior may make it seem like he doesn’t care about those around him. But in reality, Tengen cares deeply for his wives and sees himself as responsible for the lives of Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu as they undergo their mission together.
