Jujutsu Kaisen has a cool Demon Slayer reference you definitely missed

While Jujutsu Kaisen is pretty unsubtle about pop culture references, there’s one small Demon Slayer nod in the manga that’s gone under the radar.

Jujutsu Kaisen introduces a lot of new characters in the Culling Game Arc. One of them is Hagane Daido, who is the incarnation of an ancient master swordsman. Though he doesn’t have a big role in the series, he does use his screen time to make a cool reference about Demon Slayer.

In Chapter 195, while looking for katanas in modern-day Japan, Hagane finally stumbles upon a toy sword in a storeroom. The katana’s hilt looks exactly like Tanjiro’s Nichirin Blade and resembles the shape of Tanjiro unleashing his Water Breathing techniques.

What’s more, Hagane even announces: “First Form!! Water Surface Splash!!” Demon Slayer fans will recognize this technique as it’s the first form of Water Breathing. And while the technique looks different than the shape of Hagane’s katana, the reference is clear as day.

Gege Akutami/Shueisha

The reason many fans didn’t notice this small detail is that Hagane is a pretty unimportant character. But now that it’s come to their attention, they’re gushing about how awesome it is.

“That’s so cool! I never noticed because I read it before ever seeing Demon Slayer. I wonder how they’ll adapt this in the anime. It’ll probably be altered for legal reasons like Chainsaw Man’s cameo in MHA,” one fan wrote on Reddit.

Another joined, “Woah, that’s so cool! I love JJK too. I’m even more excited to read the manga once I finish season 2!”

“That’s actually a real toy, I think. I’ve seen one for Rengoku. It’s a plastic sword with the elemental effect around it and you push a button to hear the recorded lines,” shared a third.

A fourth commented: “I love how Gege references other series, it’s so cool to see.”

Other than Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen has also referenced other popular series like One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. Hollywood celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and Sebastian Stan have also found their way into Gege Akutami’s manga.

For more, check out fans’ opinion about Megumi’s return and which character will survive until the end. You can also learn more about the oncoming Jujutsu Kaisen manga ending.