Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka's Pain

This is the fifty-seventh episode of the anime and the second of its fourth season. Kagaya's crow invites the demon Tamayo to the Corps headquarters to help study Nezuko, and she decides to accept. Following Kagaya's request in a letter, Tanjiro visits Giyu Tomioka, who refuses to take part in the training. Tanjiro keeps trying despite repeated rejection, and Giyu eventually relents and shares why he holds back.

Tamayo learns that the Corps wants her knowledge of demon physiology to examine Nezuko and defeat Muzan, and she tells Yushiro they will move to the Ubuyashiki residence. Tanjiro arrives at Giyu's home and is turned away, but he leaves onigiri and shadows the Hashira for days through every part of his routine. Worn down, Giyu confesses he believes he never truly passed Final Selection.

He recounts befriending a peach-haired boy named Sabito, who singlehandedly killed nearly every demon at the selection and died in the process, allowing the others to survive. Wounded and helpless, Giyu was saved by Sabito and feels unworthy of the title of Water Hashira. Tanjiro, moved to tears, recognizes the same survivor's guilt he felt over Kyojuro Rengoku. He asks whether Giyu will carry forward what Sabito entrusted to him, prompting Giyu to recall Sabito slapping him for his self-pity and reminding him to honor the life his sister gave him. Giyu apologizes to their memory and finally agrees to take part. Elsewhere, Shinobu tells Kanao of her plan to kill the demon who murdered Kanae.

The episode adapts chapters 130 and 131. It expands the flashback of Giyu and Sabito training under Sakonji Urokodaki and reveals that Murata took part in the same Final Selection. Anime-original touches include Aoi giving Tanjiro a bag of onigiri, extra scenes of Tanjiro pestering Giyu, and a brief talk about Shinobu's absent role in the training program. Both eyecatchers loosely echo the cover artwork of chapter 131.