The Demon Slayer: Mugen Train film was one of the most successful anime films ever, thanks in no small part to its guest star, the Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku. Fans who want a little more time with Rengoku after the movie are in luck, as the expanded version of the film gives Rengoku a whole spotlight episode, set just before the film.

After the movie finished its run in theaters, it was decided to break the film up into episodes and air them on Japanese TV to help bring anyone who had been watching the series on TV and didn't see the film in theaters up to speed. When they decided to do that, though, they also created a new Demon Slayer episode focused on Rengoku to give the character a little more development and help to establish his situation just before boarding the eponymous train.

Demon Slayer's Anime Gives Rengoku More Time to Shine

The episode's beginning establishes that another demon had been haunting the Mugen Train, one known as the Slasher for his tendency to slice up his victims--or at least, the ones he doesn't eat. As a Demon Slayer, Rengoku makes it his personal mission to see to it that this Slasher is dealt with, and so buys up a lot of meals from a girl selling boxed lunches, who was worried about the danger the Slasher posed. He uses these meals to sneak into a maintenance building where the Mugen Train is being repaired and discovers the demon there. The enemy is quite fast, making it a difficult target, especially with a hostage in tow.

While the content of the episode's plot is a bit monster-of-the-week, to think about it in that way would be to miss the point. The episode's real purpose is to provide Rengoku with more characterization, and it explains how he ended up with so many boxed lunches when Tanjiro and the others found him aboard the train. Rengoku establishes his family's legacy as Demon Slayers, and in particular as the Flame Hashira. There's even a segment at the end of the episode where a crow relays to Tanjiro and Zenitsu how the other Hashira feel about Rengoku, and surprisingly they have nothing but praise for him.

From the episode, it's easy to recognize that Rengoku is skilled, kind, positive in the face of danger, and has a way of making everyone around him feel good--a fact which carries over into the movie with his behavior towards the young slayers. For any Demon Slayer fans itching for a little more time with Rengoku, this episode ought to be exactly what they're looking for. It's only a shame that Rengoku's time in the spotlight was so short, as he clearly had a lot to offer the series overall.