Warning: Demon Slayer manga spoilers until chapter 200 and for 205 at the end
If you’re like me and couldn’t sit still and patiently wait between seasons so you decided to delve into Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer manga to discover how the story concludes, you will surely know that the final arc (considering the Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown arcs to be the same) has no chill whatsoever. When you get to this point, Rengoku’s death is a somewhat distant memory. No one – of the main and secondary characters – died in the Entertainment District arc nor did they in the Swordsmith Village arc. Therefore, one may have felt some unconscious sense of security going into the final stretch of the narrative. Big mistake. Any false sense of security could only lead to a rude awakening.
If also like myself, you were really fond of most of the Hashira, the final arc is the equivalent of an emotional beatdown. Tragically, most of the highest-ranking demon slayers do not live to tell the tale of how they helped defeat Muzan Kibutsuji. Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira and a widely adored character amongst the fanbase, especially after the release of the animated adaptation of the Swordsmith Village arc, is among the ones who give up their lives for the cause, and her death is arguably one of the most emotional.
In another life, I will be your bride
Mitsuri Kanroji, like many of her fellow Hashira, dies due to injuries she sustains fighting Muzan. She’s thankfully alive to see the Demon King defeated – sort of, he still plays one last desperate card after she’s already gone but that does not take him far.
If we must find a silver lining to Mitsuri’s demise, is that, in chapter 200 of the manga, she dies in Obanai Iguro’s arms. She and the Snake Hashira, who perishes along with her, manage to convey their adoration for each other before the end. In tears, Mitsuri asks him whether, if they’re reborn as humans in their next life, she can be his bride – something which was always her dream. Obanai, in the first and only time we see him weeping, consents and tells her that, if he gets the chance to do things over, he’ll ensure she’s happy and that no harm comes to her.
Gotouge must have felt at least a bit sorry for fans because chapter 205 is one audacious attempt to bring closure. It shows, in one single panel, that Mitsuri and Obanai, as they promised one another before dying, were reborn in modern-day Tokyo and married, co-owning a diner with snake decor and massive servings.