In the Swordsmith Village Arc, Demon Slayer provided us with an in-depth look at the upper demon four, Hantengu. He has the appearance of a spooky old guy, but despite his terrifying blood demon art, he always has tears in his eyes. So, why does Hantengu cry so much in Demon Slayer?
Hantengu is one of the most powerful demons in Muzan's upper moon, having a one-of-a-kind blood demon art.
Killing him would be challenging because the demon slayer would have to find Hantengu's main body as well as deal with his formidable clones.
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What’s the Story Behind Hantengu’s Past?
Hantengu's backstory is complicated and intriguing. It was revealed in the Demon Slayer fan book that Hantengu had some mental problems back when he was still a human being.
This might explain why Hantengu’s main body cries so much in Demon Slayer.
At such a young age, Hantengu has been branded a liar. He doesn’t acknowledge his crimes or all of his wrongdoings.
Instead, Hantengu chooses to blame what he has done on others, and he will go to any length to make others look guilty on his behalf. He lied to everyone so many times that he no longer knows what was real.
Hantengu has committed numerous crimes over the years, including stealing and murdering people.
Whenever he is caught in the act, he always denies it and claims that he has no recollection of doing it.
In fact, Hantengu would rather blame his hands for his sins than himself. He feels that his hands have their own minds and that he has nothing to do with them.
Despite this, Hantengu had a lot of wives and children. He was a family man, but every time he senses his family is going to abandon him, he kills them all.
Hantengu was eventually apprehended by a magistrate and sentenced to death by beheading for all of his crimes.
Nonetheless, Hantengu denies his involvement in any of these heinous deeds, claiming that he has no recollection of doing them.
No one believed Hantengu because everyone wanted him killed or imprisoned.
After all, that was the simplest and most convenient method to deal with Hantengu.
Muzan showed up while Hantengu awaited his punishment. Muzan was already scouting for possible demon moon members at the time, and he had taken an interest in Hantengu.
The Demon King helped Hantengu and turned him into a demon. Afterward, Hantengu broke out of prison, and he dealt with the magistrate who sentenced him to death.
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So, Why Does Hantengu Cry So Much?
Hantengu cries so much due to his extreme paranoia, anxiety, fear, and delusion that affect his mental well-being.
His main body dreads the demon slayers, and he believes they are out to murder him for crimes he is unaware of.
To this day, Hantengu still believes that he hasn't done anything wrong that will attract the attention of demon slayers.
He also believes that the demon slayers are the villains, as Zohakuten believed of Tanjiro, Genya, and Nezuko when they were hunting down Hantengu's main body.
Most likely, Hantengu's twisted history had a significant impact on his main body, as evidenced by his four-emotion demon clones.
This implies that Hantengu may have had multiple personality disorders when he was still human.
Hantengu's demon art exemplifies this, as each of his clones possesses its own personality, trait, and emotion.
But one thing is certain: Hantengu's tears do not indicate that he sympathizes with his victims. He doesn't cry because he is ashamed of all the sins he has committed.
Instead, Hantengu laments solely for himself. His tears have nothing to do with his victims, which is why Tanjiro is strongly offended by Zohakuten's mindset.
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