Demon Slayer fans celebrate the “most underrated character”

As Demon Slayer marches on, fans are starting to appreciate some of the finer details in the story. Particularly, one character without whom nothing would be possible.

You may remember, when Demon Slayer started, Tanjiro encountered a man who warned him against going too far up a mountain at night. This one guy, who’s only ever appeared in the anime show once so far, indirectly saved Tanjiro’s life, spurring the entire narrative.

As Demon Slayer Season 4 continues, adapting the Hashira Training Arc on our way to the final fight with Muzan, fans are recognizing this man from the first episode for the hero he is. Named Saburo, he’s been dubbed the “most underrated character” on Reddit, with a slew of tributes.

“For real, that man saved the entire world because he didn’t want the child to be unsupervised,” reads one comment. “Man practically saved the world out of caution and kindness,” says another.

More than one commenter can’t even recognize the man’s face, spurring the argument of just how under-valued he is to the overall fandom. Without Saburo, who knows what would’ve happened. Tanjiro could’ve been a demon victim, and we wouldn’t have the story we know and love.

Tanjiro is the only full survivor of the attack on his family, which inspires him to join the Demon Slayer Corps. His sister, Nezuko, is partially turned into a demon, and he wants to find a cure. To do that, he has to join the efforts against all things demonic.

Saburo put all of that in motion. He’s like the exact opposite of Muzan, a regular person whose protective and empathetic instincts preserve the light in a world that’s often vanishingly dark. Without giving too much away, you may see him again towards the end of Demon Slayer, too — but that’s for another arc.

If you’d like to learn more about the franchise, we have breakdowns of every living Hashira and all six stages of Hashira Training.