Tanjiro, a young coal seller is thrust into the life of a Demon Slayer when his family is slaughtered and his sole surviving sister becomes a demon.
Tropes associated with Final Selection Arc:
- Alas, Poor Villain: The Hand Demon is given this treatment as he dies at Tanjiro's hands.
- Chekhov's Gunman: The other Demon Slayers graduating the Final Selection.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: Tanjiro's family.
- Cynicism Catalyst: Urokodaki has lost all of his students (excluding Giyuu) to the Hand Demon, which made him not want to take any more students for fear of them getting killed.
- Dead All Along: Sabito and Makomo, killed many years ago by the Hand Demon.
- Death of a Child: Tanjiro's younger brothers and sisters are not spared by the Demon attacking their home.
- Death by Origin Story: Tanjiro's entire family, excluding his younger sister Nezuko.
- Eat the Camera: This happens right when Nezuko (now as a demon) starts to attack her brother, although the shot is super quick.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: This is how Giyu presents himself. He does make it clear that since Nezuko's now a demon, she must be put down, rejecting Tanjiro's pleas. However, Giyu gives an Internal Monologue on how he understands Tanjiro's pain and regrets not coming sooner to stop the demon that killed his family. The instant it becomes clear that Nezuko is not a mindless beast like most demons, Giyu acts to spare her.
- Horror Hunger: Nezuko, a newborn demon, tries to eat Tanjiro but is stopped by him after he tries to talk her down.
- "I Know You Are in There Somewhere" Fight: Tanjiro manages to talk down Nezuko from eating him. Giyuu, the demon slayer dispatched to his location notes how rare it is.
- Off with His Head!: How Demons are dispatched excluding sunlight. It must be noted that the material required to do this is specifically enriched with sunlight.
- The Power of the Sun: Sunlight upon Demons means instant death for the Demon.
- Revenge by Proxy: To punish Urokodaki for imprisoning him, the Hand Demon (Teoni) took it upon himself to kill all of Urokodaki's students to break him. He succeeded, till Tanjiro showed up.
- Small Role, Big Impact: The kindly old man sheltering Tanjiro, who sheltered him and inadvertently saved him from getting killed.
- Seppuku: Urokodaki tells Tanjiro that if Nezuko ever eats or kills any human, he must put her down, and then disembowel himself and die.
- So Proud of You: Urokodaki when Tanjiro returns from the Final Selection alive.
- Starter Villain: The Temple Demon.
- The Reveal:
Tanjiro: Nezuko, are you okay? You don't have to walk, let me carry you to town, all right? Nezuko!
Nezuko: (Growls)
- Time Skip: The story cuts 2 years during Tanjiro's training with Urokodaki.
- Took a Level in Badass: Tanjiro goes from a meek coal seller to slaughtering the demon responsible for murdering his teacher Urokodaki's former students
- Van Helsing Hate Crimes: Giyuu originally wanted to kill Nezuko before she kills Tanjiro, but her protecting Tanjiro from him changes his mind..
- Wham Line:Urokodaki: Tanjiro...how did you know the names of those dead children?
- Wham Shot: In-universe, Nezuko moving to protect a downed Tanjiro. Giyu is stunned; as a new demon, and a wounded one, Nezuko has to be starving, but she's completely ignoring her hunger to guard her brother.
