The 13 best episodes (and THE worst one) of Demon Slayer, ranked

What is the worst episode of Demon Slayer?

“The Love Harisha” – Season 3

Demon Slayer has built its reputation on deep character backstories, often entrenched in tragedy, to explain the driving forces behind its warriors. The episode that delves into the backstory of Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji, unfortunately, fails to follow suit and instead presents a narrative that is disappointing, to say the least.

As a woman who has many accolades in different Martial Arts (including three World Champion titles), I was beyond excited to see Mitsuri’s backstory and training. Well, that excitement quickly turned into annoyance.

Contrary to her fellow male Hashira, who all have transformational encounters with demons fueling their metamorphosis into the brave warriors they are today, Mitsuri is portrayed primarily as a woman in search of a man’s love. The beauty and prowess she has displayed as a companion to Tanjiro and Nezuko and in battles feel extremely undermined when her past is reduced to a narrative about an “unlovable” woman due to her extraordinary physical strength and unusual hair color. The real tragedy that befalls her isn’t an encounter with a demon but the rejection of a marriage proposal over her unique traits.

Like…… are you kidding me?

The episode goes on to depict Mitsuri’s past as steeped in sexism, severely undercutting her strength and the complexity of her character. Her incredible muscular density and insatiable appetite, traits that make her stand out, are instead portrayed as off-putting to the men around her. Her entire purpose of joining the Demon Slayer Corps, as per this narrative, is to find a man stronger than her – the “obvious” solution to her “unlovability.” It’s hard not to gag typing that.

Mitsuri’s aspirations are further trivialized when she is shown to believe that the only viable role for a woman is to get married and become a wife. While this might have been a prevalent belief in the era the show is set in, it really doesn’t sit well with the era we currently live in. The absence of a personal motive for fighting demons makes Mitsuri’s character feel superficial, especially when compared to other Hashira. The origin of her hair color – the result of consuming a vast quantity of sakura rice cakes – feels far-fetched and undermines the gravity of the show.

The simplistic and stereotypical portrayal of Mitsuri’s past, in comparison to the intricate and profound origins of other characters like Muichiro Tokito and Genya Shinazugawa, marks this episode as the most disappointing one in Demon Slayer for me, and it kind of ruined the badassness contained in all of season 3.

You can watch all of Demon Slayer on Crunchyroll! Which episodes make your ranking?