Let’s take a fresh look at the latest Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba episode, cleverly dubbed “Awful Villain”. On the surface, the title seems simple enough. However, once you scratch beneath the surface, it starts to question if maybe our heroes, Tanjiro and Nezuko, might actually be the bad guys.
Demon Slayer never shies away from action-packed scenes and dramatic plot shifts. This episode not only offers a hearty serving of both but also pushes the envelope a bit further. It boldly suggests that knocking off Upper Rank demons, Hantengu and Gyokko – some of the toughest bad guys Tanjiro’s ever crossed swords with – isn’t such a bad thing. It even insinuates that our heroes could be part of the problem.
The series has a knack for making its audience feel a little sympathetic for its villains, but this time it’s a tougher sell. Hantengu and Gyokko have crossed a line that makes it hard to tug at the audience’s heartstrings. Add some repetitive battle scenes to the mix, and you’ve got an episode that doesn’t quite hit the mark.

The episode before, “Aren’t You Going to Become a Hashira?”, hinted at a big step up for the Hashira. But then “Awful Villain” feels like it’s stalling a bit. Tanjiro’s up against Hantengu’s smallest yet strongest form, Zohakuten, which feels like we’re stuck in the same old “villain unveils a secret transformation” loop. There are still plenty of wow moments and cool visuals, but how the series wraps up this four-against-one demon showdown is anyone’s guess.
Demon Slayer tries to go deep, throwing in a philosophical debate about what makes a villain. But without any real guilt or doubt on the part of our heroes, it feels a bit hollow.
On the side, we’ve got Muichiro Tokito’s never-ending battle against Gyokko, which isn’t offering much new. But then there’s a twist: Tokito has a vision of Tanjiro that gives him a much-needed boost. This underscores the idea that our futures aren’t fixed, and there’s always hope, even when things look grim.

Hantengu and Gyokko going all out against our heroes certainly cranks up the tension. But, at the same time, Demon Slayer seems to be treading water, fixating on one battle for an entire season. This feels like a departure from the show’s usual approach of throwing multiple obstacles at our heroes, and runs the risk of making the action sequences feel less impactful.
Demon Slayer has a rep for awesome visuals, but the repetitive fight scenes are starting to wear a bit thin. Not to mention sidelining Zenitsu and Inosuke for a whole season, which limits the variety in the battle scenes.
Taken on its own, “Awful Villain” is a decent watch. But it’s pretty clear that it could have been merged with the previous episode. Cutting down the showdown with Hantengu and Gyokko to a handful of episodes could amp up the drama and excitement.
With the stakes getting higher, Demon Slayer needs to mix things up to keep its audience interested. Just like Tanjiro and Muichiro need to change their battle tactics, the series needs to try out some new ideas, beyond the usual monster-hunting, to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.