The cast of Demon Slayer is full of colorful characters, both literally and figuratively. One of the characters who has managed to catch the attention of the viewers despite their limited screen time is the swordsmith of Tanjiro’s Nichirid Sword: Hotaru Haganezuka. Here are all the questions answered about Hotaru Haganezuka in Demon Slayer.
Table of Contents
Hotaru Haganezuka in Demon Slayer
| Name | Hotaru Haganezuka |
| Race | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 37 |
| Status | Alive |
| Ability | Master Swordsmith |
| Fighting Style | Tantōjutsu |
Haganezuka is a swordsmith from the Swordsmith Village who makes Nichirin Swords for demon slayers. After Tanjiro qualifies in the Final Selection, Haganezuka is assigned to be his swordsmith and makes a Nichirin Sword specially for the boy. Thanks to Tanjiro’s intense battles, the swords break pretty often, which creates some hilarious interaction between the enraged swordsmith and the repentant demon slayer.
I. Past
Hotaru Haganezuka was born to a swordsmith family of the Swordsmith Village. Ever since he was a child, he’s had a bad temper. In fact, he was so horrible as a child that his parents had a mental breakdown trying to deal with him. Fortunately, the village chief, Tecchin Tecchikawahara, took in the child and raised him as his own.
Tecchikawahara was also the one who gave the boy his name, Hotaru, which means firefly in Japanese. However, Haganezuka hates this name because according to him, the name is too cute to be his. That’s why he sometimes yells at the village chief for giving him such a name.
II. Voice Actors
In anime, characters come alive not only because of the animation, but also because of the voice acting. Voice actors contribute a lot to how impressionable a character is to viewers.
In Demon Slayer, Hotaru Haganezuka is voiced by Daisuke Namikawa. Namikawa is a popular voice actor known for his roles as Hisoka in Hunter x Hunter (2011), Shouta Kazehaya in Kimi ni Todoke, Tooru Oikawa in Haikyuu!! among others.
In the English dub, voice actor Robbie Daymond portrays Haganezuka. Daymond is also the voice behind Megumi Fushiguro from Jujutsu Kaisen, Mitsuki from Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Gilthunder from Seven Deadly Sins.
III. Appearance (With & Without Mask)
The reveal of Haganezuka’s appearance is one of the most memorable parts of the Swordsmith Village Arc of Demon Slayer. Initially Haganezuka appears as a tall man who wears loose hakama with a haori, and has a cloth wrapped around his head. Like other swordsmiths from the village, he also wears a Hyottoko mask to hide his face.
After Tanjiro breaks his sword for the second time, Haganezuka is frustrated and angry with the boy, but also is remorseful for not making a stronger sword. To make a more powerful sword for Tanjiro, he goes through brutal training and becomes incredibly fit and muscular.
In Swordsmith Village Arc, he is decidedly in a better form than before. And when Gyokko breaks his mask, his face is finally revealed. Turns out Haganezuka is a very good-looking man with long swept-back black hair falling over his shoulders and intense orange eyes. His eyebrows are prominently arched and his features are well-shaped. He is one of the most attractive characters in the series.
IV. Relation with Tanjiro
Hotaru Haganezuka is Tanjiro’s assigned swordsmith in Demon Slayer. He makes Tanjiro’s Nichirin Swords and repairs them when they are damaged or broken. Due to the demon slayer’s dangerous battles against the Twelve Kizuki, his swords often get damaged badly, and sometimes even break.
This is why Haganezuke is often angry with him and gets violent despite the boy’s numerous apologies. However, under all the exaggerated anger and violence, Haganezuke really is devoted to being Tanjiro’s swordsman, and even trained himself vigorously just to make a stronger sword for Tanjiro that wouldn’t break even if he fights strong demons.
Haganezuka also takes Yoriichi’s sword and repairs it for Tanjiro, even at the threat of his own life. He may be rough around the edges, but he’s a committed swordsmith to Tanjiro.
V. Abilities & Fighting Style
Haganezuka is a master swordsmith, but he has no extraordinary physical prowess as the demon slayers do. However, he is proficient in using Tantō and other types of blades. His fighting style is known as Tantōjutsu.
Other Questions
What Happened to Hotaru Haganezuka?
After the Swordsmith Village Arc, Haganezuka keeps working on Yoriichi’s sword before giving it to Tanjiro. Though he still gets mad at Tanjiro for harming the sword in any way, he remains the latter’s swordsmith at the promise of Tanjiro bringing his Mitarashi dango for the rest of his life.
After demons perish from the world for good, there isn’t any need for demon slayers and Nichirin blades. But the swordsmiths, including Haganezuka, might have kept making swords, probably normal ones instead of Nichirin Swords.
Who Killed Hotaru Haganezuka?
Nobody killed Hotaru Haganezuka. He’s still alive in the story. During the Swordsmith Village Arc, Gyokko attacks Haganezuka when the latter is busy repairing Yoriichi’s word. He’s so engrossed in the task that he doesn’t even notice Gyokko’s attacks and is badly injured because of this. However, the wounds are not life-threatening and he keeps on living.
Who Is Hotaru’s Wife in Demon Slayer?
In Demon Slayer omake, Haganezuka is said to be married and have a wife. But according to the manga, he is still an unmarried man, and there is no mention of his wife.
Does Hotaru Hate Tanjiro?
Hotaru doesn’t hate Tanjiro. He just gets angry at the boy because he keeps damaging or breaking the swords that Hotaru painstakingly makes.
Who Is Hotaru’s Crush?
Hotaru Haganezuka doesn’t have a crush on anyone in Demon Slayer. The man is entirely devoted to his craft and rarely has eyes for anything but swords.
Is Hotaru Good or Evil?
Hotaru might have a terrible temper, but he’s a good man underneath it.
Why Does Hotaru Haganezuka Refuse to Make a Sword for Tanjiro?
Hotaru Haganezuke refuses to make a sword for Tanjiro because he keeps damaging or even breaking the Nichirin Swords that Haganezuka makes for him.
VII. Conclusion
We’ll conclude our discussion about Hotaru Haganezuka in Demon Slayer by saying that he’s a very entertaining character, and never fails to draw laughs from viewers with his over-the-top anger towards Tanjiro. He’s got a terrible personality, but he’s not a bad guy. It’s no wonder Tanjiro likes him so much.
Do small things with great love.
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Anamika loves words and stories and putting them to pages. She also loves anime, manga, books, movies and everything fantasy. She has been a fan of anime since childhood and her admiration for it only grew with years. Her passion for writing is even more elevated by writing about the things she loves.
