- —Tagline
Tanjiro VS Jonathan Joestar is the 158th episode of Death Battle, featuring Tanjiro Kamado from the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba series and Jonathan Joestar from the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series in a battle between sun-breathing anime monster slayers. Tanjiro was voiced by Zack Maher and Jonathan was voiced by Benji Buckley.
Interlude
 |
Wiz & Boomstick by Brandon Yates  
|
Wiz: Tanjiro Kamado, the Sun Breathing Demon Slayer swordsman.
Boomstick: Jonathan Joestar, the very first JoJo who ever... Joj'ed.
Wiz: These two anime monster hunters are as deadly with a blade as they are infinitely good-natured.
Boomstick: But don't cross 'em, or else they might leave you breathless.
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
Tanjiro Kamado
|
Wanokuni by Yu Namikoshi 
|
Wiz: Taisho Japan, an era of unparalleled progress and imperial domination. But this empire had a sickness, a rot at its core: demons. This race of superhuman cannibals originated from one being: their all-powerful progenitor, Muzan Kibutsuji.
Boomstick: Who spent his evenings slaughtering families and eating them... including the Kamado clan.
Wiz: Though one of them fatefully survived. The eldest son: Tanjiro.
|
Kill Order by Xiang Tsih Chen
|
Boomstick: Well, the good news is your sister Nezuko is alive, too. Bad news is she's a demon now, so, sorry champ, I'm chalkin' this day up as an L.
Wiz: But Tanjiro possessed the golden heart of an anime protagonist and he devoted his life to curing Nezuko's curse and ending Muzan's evil once and for all.
Boomstick: So, he joined the Demon Slayer Corps, a secret group of badass demon hunters with badass swords. Forged from a unique sunlight-absorbing ore, the Nichirin blade is one of the only weapons that can decapitate a demon and end their unholy existence for good, especially when combined with the Slayers' fancy-pants katana magic.
Wiz: It isn't "katana magic"... Okay, well it's totally katana magic, but that's not what it's called.
Boomstick: Yeah, it's... breathing, which is so lame! Anybody can do that.
Boomstick takes a deep breath and then immediately coughs.
Boomstick: Oh god! (coughs) I was wrong!
We cut to Wiz, who has a small monitor out with a visual of lungs to display breathing. There is also a sticky note below that reads "organs + stuff".
Wiz: The use of breathing is crucial to real life martial arts. Deeper breaths massage the organs below the diaphragm, relaxing your body and lowering its energy requirement while simultaneously giving you more energy to use.
Boomstick: Tanjiro mastered this breathing shit so well, he could do it in his sleep, literally 24/7!
We cut back to the analysis.
Wiz: This is Total Concentration Breathing, a technique developed by the Demon Slayers in order to massively increase their physical abilities to match their blatantly superhuman foes. Through the measured intake of oxygen, users can boost their concentration, reactions, and even manipulate the flow of their blood. This can help in slowing down poisons or speeding up the coagulation of wounds.
|
|
Boomstick: Which means he can use it to quickly recover in case of injury or fatigue, and Demon Slayers can combine their Breathing with their blades for, well, katana magic!
Wiz: Each Breathing Style is a separate form of sword combat. The first form Tanjiro mastered was Water Breathing, a flexible defensive style where a user's blade summons water to slice like a raging current.
Boomstick: Tanjiro's literal bone-headed stubbornness made him a prodigy Demon Slayer in no time.
Wiz: He proved to be a tactical genius in combat, able to discern an opponent's weaknesses and exploit them in the heat of the moment. It was almost as if demon slaying was in his very blood.
Boomstick: Because it was! Hundreds of years ago, the creator of the very first Breathing Style taught this knowledge to Tanjiro's ancestors, who passed it down to Tanjiro himself.
Wiz: This was the Dance of the Fire God, the Hinokami Kagura: Sun Breathing.
Boomstick: With Sun Breathing, Tanjiro's sword bursts into god-like flames that slow a demon's healing factor and can turn into a wicked fire dragon!
|
Highest Order by Xiang Tsih Chen
|
Wiz: Sun Breathing increases Tanjiro's speed and power, but at a cost. It will quickly tire him out, and overuse could severely debilitate him.
Boomstick: Which can also turn on this really distracting birthmark on his forehead.
Wiz: Through intense stress and exertion, Tanjiro can activate this Demon Slayer Mark, which boosts his already crazy strength and speed even further.
Boomstick: And gives him access to the See-Through World. Basically it slows down time for Tanjiro and gives him x-ray vision.
Wiz: This allows him such a precise understanding of his opponent's muscle movements that he can predict their future actions, sort of like a Spider-Sense. He can even do the same with just his sense of smell, no Demon Slayer Mark needed. Not only can his nose detect people from hundreds of yards away, it lets him find an opponent's opening in battle even easier than before.
Boomstick: You'd think being an anime swordsman would make Tanjiro even edgier than his blade...
|
Samurai Palace by James Nathan Jeremy Jones
|
Boomstick: But he's basically the group mom, with an innocent little cherub sweetness matched only by his raw badassery.
Wiz: Tanjiro is tough enough to survive being stabbed in the stomach, fast enough to dodge lightning, and strong enough to slice through and derail a literal demon train.
Boomstick: That demon turned himself into a train, Wiz! Funniest shit I've ever seen. And this demon, Doma, was able to freeze the air into this giant ice statue in only a few seconds. That takes a lot of energy!
Wiz: And Tanjiro's managed to keep up with similarly powerful demons like Hantengu, Akaza, and eventually the strongest of them all, Muzan himself.
Boomstick: With the help of his friends of course!
Wiz: It would take all their efforts and countless sacrifices, but Tanjiro and the Demon Slayers would continue to fight to realize their dream of a world that is safe for humanity... and whatever Inosuke is.
Jonathan Joestar
|
A Love Match by John Keane
|
Boomstick: (in a stereotypical British accent) Victorian England, an infamously shit-tastic time to be alive.
Wiz: Whether you were a lowly street rat or a wealthy noble. Okay, well, that last one probably wasn't so bad.
Boomstick: That is unless your dad, in all his infinite wisdom, decided to adopt the single greatest asshole in human history and make him your brother. That'd make ya one unlucky schmuck.
Wiz: That would make you Jonathan Joestar.
Boomstick: Haven't you heard, Wiz? Everybody just calls him JoJo.
Wiz: In an effort to take the Joestar fortune for himself, Jonathan's new brother, Dio, dedicated his life to breaking Jonathan emotionally, turning him into a docile puppet. But after being bullied, beaten, and thoroughly traumatized, something awakened deep in Jonathan's heart: the raging fire of a gentleman.
Boomstick: I don't think beating the living piss out of Dio was gentle, but it sure was satisfying! Too bad it didn't last forever, because only a few years later, Dio got his revenge when he turned into a vampire and killed Papa Joestar. Hehe, classic Dio.
Wiz: With Dio now bent on world domination, Jonathan would need more than his righteous fists to save the day.
Boomstick: Yeah, he needed a creepy, floating Italian man that punches frogs with the power of the Sun.
|
|
Wiz: It wasn't just any creepy, floating, Italian man. It was Will Anthonio Zeppeli, a practitioner of Hamon, an ancient martial art designed specifically to do battle against vampires like Dio. Through their breaths, Hamon users can blast a hot, electric ripple out of their bodies and flood it into their opponents. Huh.
Boomstick: That's what Hamon means in English: the Ripple. Man, if I had a nickel for every anime protagonist who killed monsters with the power of breathing, well, that'd be two nickels, but let's agree, it's weird that it happened twice.
Wiz: Hamon energy massively increases a user's physical abilities and allows them to disintegrate vampires with a single punch. In order to fight Dio, Zeppeli taught Jonathan everything he knew.
Boomstick: Like the Zoom Punch, where Jonathan stretches his arm and punches an opponent from far away like he chomped on a Gum-Gum Fruit. He does this by using the Ripple to dull the pain of dislocating his shoulder before snappin' it back.
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
|
|
Boomstick: That might sound crazy, but there are real life examples of breathing basically giving people superpowers.
Wiz takes out an Ice Flower and freezes Boomstick with it.
Wiz: Like the Dutch adventurer Wim Hof, who can survive being nearly totally submerged in ice water for almost two hours. Through forced exhalation, Hof drops his oxygen levels in order to supercharge his body's thermal regulation and release euphoric chemicals to numb the pain, just like the Zoom Punch.
Boomstick: HAAA-
He breaks out of the ice using Hamon.
Boomstick: -MON is basically just like the Eastern idea of chi. Voila! Which is circulated through the body by, what else, breathing. And just like chi, it can do lots of crazy shit.
We cut back to the analysis.
|
|
Wiz: Like walking on water, magnetizing plants, or controlling an enemy's muscles. It can even be transferred through solid surfaces like metal.
Boomstick: And he can catch his fists on fire and slam you senseless with his patented Sunlight Yellow Overdrive! It'll leave any monster smilin' and satisfied.
Wiz: Uh-huh... Jonathan took these skills as he, Zeppeli, and the definitely-not-just-there-for-exposition Speedwagon invaded Dio's domain and waged war against an army of bloodthirsty zombies.
Boomstick: Including Dio's right-hand monsters, Bruford and Tarkus. Tarkus was strong enough to rip entire boulders out of the ground and slice through a cliff with one swing. He could even snap JoJo's neck and cut our old pal Zeppeli in half. Oh, rest in peace, creepy floating Italian man. Sorry you had to be born the mentor. Hope none of your relatives die horrifying deaths, too!
Wiz: Before succumbing, Zeppeli's last act was to pass his Ripple onto Jonathan, not only allowing him to heal his own broken neck, but also combined their energies together.
Boomstick: And making JoJo strong enough to cut through Tarkus' giant arm. NOT with his nifty new sword Pluck, with his bare goddamn hand!
Wiz: With this power boost, Jonathan faced Dio once and for all, and fisted him with his raging, hot Ripple! ...Wait.
|
Beat Detective by Paul James Cuddeford
|
Boomstick: Now, fistin' Dio was pretty impressive, considering Dio could later fight faster than light Stands like Star Platinum. Hell, even other Ripple users like Joseph can dodge beams of light, too!
Wiz: But more than his strength or speed or even Hamon, Jonathan's greatest strength was always his intelligence and unstoppable determination. It was that burning drive for justice that defeated Dio all those years ago, and the same one that defeated him again, but this victory... was bittersweet.
Boomstick: He may be built like a brick shithouse, but Jonathan's got the personality of a golden retriever. Even after everything Dio did to him, all the lies and abuse and dad murder, Jonathan still loved him like a brother, and still cried those hot, wet, '80s manime tears.
Wiz: And even after Dio returned on Jonathan's wedding night to murder him and steal his body, Jonathan sacrificed himself so his wife and unborn child could escape. But he did not die in vain. His bloodline would continue throughout the ages, spawning a line of illustrious and bizarre heroes who would crush Dio's plans and save the universe.
Boomstick: And they all had one thing in common, his name: JoJo!
|
Roundabout by Yes
|
Boomstick: Wait, is the Ripple his di—
Boomstick is cut off by the music as the JoJo "To Be Continued" screen appears.
Prelude
Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. We've run the data through all possibilities.
Boomstick: IT'S TIME FOR A DEATH BATTLEEE!!!
Death Battle
|
Breathless Blades by Therewolf Media
|
In a luscious rolling blue field surrounded by pink trees, two swordsmen are seen staring each other down. On one side, the Demon Slayer Tanjiro Kamado, standing protectively in front of his sister Nezuko, Nichirin Blade drawn. On the other, the Hamon Master Jonathan Joestar brandishing the Luck and Pluck sword. With anger in his voice, Jonathan orders Tanjiro to step away from his sister.
Jonathan: Step aside! I've sworn to slay all of Dio's demonic minions.
Tanjiro signals Nezuko to run away. As she disappears from the scene, Tanjiro readies himself against Jonathan.
Tanjiro: I don't know who you are, but you better leave her alone.
Misunderstanding the relationship between the two, Jonathan vows to "help" him.
Jonathan: You poor wretch! Shackled by the chains of this harpy's insidious mind control. On my honor, as a gentleman, I will free you!
The two prepare to clash but Tanjiro notices Jonathan's confusion.
Tanjiro: Oh! I'm sorry, sir! Did you bump your head?
Jonathan Joestar pays him no heed and brings down Luck and Pluck. Tanjiro manages to easily deflect his strikes, but Jonathan swings once more to knock him back. Tanjiro recovers and presses his attack against him. Jonathan blocks the blows and prepares to deliver an overhead strike. Tanjiro is undisturbed and breathes deeply in concentration.
Tanjiro: (thinking) Total Concentration! Water Breathing!
He delivers a circular swing accompanied by a strong current with his second technique, knocking Luck and Pluck out of Jonathan's hand and into the air.
Jonathan: (thinking) Most unorthodox!
Jonathan recovers from his surprise and switches to hand-to-hand, throwing a punch that Tanjiro dodges. He continues his assault, throwing punch after punch at Tanjiro who barely manages to avoid them.
Jonathan: You fight with valor, noble swordsman. But I know the burning passion of my heart will carry me through!
Tanjiro jumps back to avoid Jonathan's final blow and continues to wonder why his opponent is the way he is.
Tanjiro: (thinking) Awww! He's kind of adorable, like a puppy! I wonder if he has a caretaker nearby?
Unfortunately, he fails to notice Jonathan taking a breath before he extends his arm for a Zoom Punch. He blocks the strike with his sword but still ends up being knocked away. Jonathan retracts his arm before catching a falling Luck and Pluck from out of the air and readies his stance. Tanjiro starts spinning away until landing on the nearest trunk of a tree. He hops off and uses his third technique to charge at Jonathan until he attacks from behind.
Tanjiro: You're mine!
To his surprise, Jonathan uses Hamon to block Tanjiro's blade with his bare hand, though Jonathan takes the time to compliment him nonetheless.
Jonathan: Valiant footwork!
Tanjiro seizes the opportunity to headbutt him and stab him in the gut with the seventh technique, but Jonathan responds with a swift kick to the face. Dazed and once again deprived of his sword, Jonathan instead uproots an entire tree. He slams it against Tanjiro's sword before swinging at his feet.
Jonathan: You will fall!
Tanjiro jumps to dodge it but is caught by a follow-up that knocks him back. When he regains his footing, Tanjiro sees the tree being hurled right at him. Realizing that he needs more power, he calls upon his second sword style.
Tanjiro: Hinokami Kagura!
Bright flames surround his Nichirin Blade as he slices the tree to pieces. Tanjiro uses his keen sense of smell to track JoJo...
Tanjiro: Nice try!
...and blocks an attempted attack by Jonathan from behind. Locked sword to sword, JoJo continues to compliment his ability.
Jonathan: Incredible! You could teach me a thing or two!
Tanjiro is the first to break the stalemate, assaulting Jonathan with repeated flaming slashes. Jonathan uses this to his advantage.
Jonathan: Scarlet Overdrive!
He surrounds his hand with Hamon and fire to punch Tanjiro hard in the chest, sending him flying back. JoJo takes another deep breath to rejuvenate himself and charges at his foe. A curious Tanjiro uses the See-Through World to peer into his opponent's lungs, seeing Hamon energy rippling throughout Jonathan's body with each breath.
Tanjiro: (thinking) His breathing is carrying some kind of energy. (out loud) Like me. And that means I know how to stop him.
Before Jonathan can attack, Tanjiro renews his assault with a flurry of fierce, fiery slashes aimed at JoJo's neck. As Jonathan blocks his strikes, he realizes Tanjiro's strategy.
Jonathan: (thinking) He's focusing on my neck! Does he know?
Undeterred about this as the two lock blades once more, he channels his Hamon again.
Jonathan: Metal... Silver... OVERDRIVE!!!
The Hamon technique is channeled through the Nichirin Blade directly into Tanjiro, whose vision goes blank, but he was not done yet. Taking another deep breath to recover, he swings his sword with enough force to shatter Luck and Pluck. Growling from exertion, he slashes at JoJo once more and sets his sights directly on his target, his opening thread finding Jonathan's chest.
Tanjiro: I've got you!!
Jonathan leaps back repeatedly to avoid Tanjiro's Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance technique but is caught off guard when Tanjiro catches up and feints an attack at his neck and aims at his chest instead with the Sunflower Thrust.
Jonathan: (thinking) A feint! He's going for my lungs!
With all his might, Tanjiro thrusts his blade at JoJo's exposed chest. The screen turns black, and the opening thread snaps as it's revealed that Jonathan has been pierced through by his opponent's blade. JoJo screams in pain as Tanjiro channels a flaming dragon through the wound that emerges from Jonathan's back, but Tanjiro realizes that Jonathan moved his lungs at the last second.
Tanjiro: (thinking) Two inches off. Did he dodge?!
Unable to wrest his sword from Jonathan's chest, he is sent flying when JoJo transmits another wave of Hamon through the blade. Separated from his weapon, Jonathan charges towards his midair enemy with a strong kick to his face before hitting Tanjiro with his signature move.
Jonathan: Sunlight Yellow OVERDRIVE!!!!!
Jonathan lands a powerful Sunlight Yellow Overdrive barrage on a now defenseless Tanjiro before sending him flying into a rock, striking a pose in victory. However, his celebration is short-lived. As Tanjiro lays dying in the rubble, he uses what little breath he has left to finally clarify to JoJo:
Tanjiro: She's... (cough) my... sister...
Finally understanding the truth behind the bond of Tanjiro and Nezuko, Jonathan is horrified knowing it is too late and bursts into tears of shame and regret over the result of his actions, grabbing Tanjiro and holding him while making a new vow.
Jonathan: On my honor... as a gentleman, I will protect her with my life!
Tanjiro can only utter the silent words of "Thank you" and gives one last smile of relief, knowing his sister will be in good hands. Jonathan finally uses his Hamon to shut down Tanjiro's heart, putting his life at a peaceful end in an act of mercy. Nearby, Nezuko peeks out from behind a tree, silently grieving over her brother's fate. Acting on his vow to protect her in his late opponent's stead, Jonathan reaches a hand out to her. The young Nezuko reaches out as well but suddenly pulls her hand back in hesitation as the screen suddenly cuts to black on a somber note.
Results
|
Breathless Blades by Therewolf Media
|
Boomstick: (crying) I'm not crying. I'm only... crying really hard, holy shit, hold me, bro!
Wiz: Please don't touch me. On paper, Tanjiro did initially seem to have more advantages in this bout.
Boomstick: Ugh, for sure. He'd been training for way longer than Jonathan, and with way more experienced teachers. Tanjiro's Demon Slayer journey took place over a couple of years, while Jonathan's Ripple training was less than a month.
Wiz: Tanjiro was obviously a superior swordsman with a variety of powerful techniques and... katana magic, while Jonathan really only improvised as a swordsman.
Boomstick: But that's where the advantages stop. Sure, Jonathan wasn't a natural swordsman, but he more than made up for it in hand-to-hand combat, while Tanjiro was pretty much out of options without a blade.
Wiz: Jonathan also had an edge in strength. Comparing Tanjiro to Doma and JoJo to Tarkus, Jonathan was over twice as strong, and while Tanjiro later fought the more powerful Muzan, Jonathan did the same with Dio.
Boomstick: He was way faster, too. While Tanjiro and his pals could dodge lightning, we can compare Jonathan to other Ripple users like Joseph, who could dodge light, which is over 3,000 times faster. That might seem crazy, but in Part 3, Dio was able to keep up with Stands like Star Platinum, which can move faster than light. Dio did this on his own, and that was while using Jonathan's body!
Wiz: Even with multiple ways to predict Jonathan's movements and see the flow of his Ripple with X-ray vision, Tanjiro would not have been fast enough to keep up.
Boomstick: Especially with the Ripple backin' him up. Sure, the water and fire Tanjiro generates is impressive, but Jonathan was tough enough to power through it. Tanjiro, though, had no way to defend against the Ripple bypassing his durability and directly messing with his organs.
Wiz: Such as manipulating his muscles like a puppeteer, or directly shutting off his brain or heart, something other Ripple users have done to ordinary humans with a single zap. And Jonathan had the opportunity to do this literally every time Tanjiro blocked his blade.
Boomstick: Sure, Tanjiro could recover himself with a breath, but that'd be a breath spent healing, and not, y'know... fighting.
Wiz: And while Sun Breathing's overuse was dangerous to Tanjiro, JoJo's Hamon had no such drawbacks.
Boomstick: Which meant that JoJo could keep fighting for as long as he needed to.
We cut to Wiz and Boomstick.
Wiz: Tanjiro was never gonna go down easy, but Jonathan's speed, Hamon, and righteous gentlemanly fists carried him to victory.
Boomstick: Jonathan took Tanjiro's... breath away.
We cut to the "Winner" card.
Wiz: The winner is Jonathan Joestar.
Comparison
Tanjiro
- + Superior training, experience, & skill
- + See-Through World could discover Hamon
- - Slower & weaker overall
- - Nichirin Blade would conduct Hamon
- - Sun breathing takes a physical toll
Jonathan Joestar
- + Significantly faster & slightly stronger
- + Hamon offered more versatility
- + Better unarmed combatant
- + Potential insta-kill options
- - Less skilled swordsman
Original Track
|
Breathless Blades by Therewolf Media
|
Composition
The track for this fight is "Breathless Blades" by Therewolf Media. It is a dramatic orchestral rock track, reflecting the soundtracks of Demon Slayer and Phantom Blood. It also features very subtle motifs from Tanjiro's theme, Jonathan's theme, "Roundabout" by Yes (JoJo's' ending theme in both Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency), and the JoJo opening "Sono Chi no Sadame".
Title
The title references how both combatants are swordsmen that incorporate breathing into their techniques. It also references the Japanese title of Demon Slayer (鬼滅の刃; Blade of Demon Destruction).
Cover Art
The cover art depicts the star-shaped Joestar birthmark with Tanjiro's Demon Slayer Mark on it. Behind the star is Tanjiro's Nichirin Sword surrounded with his Water and Sun Breathing effects crossing in an X-formation with Jonathan's Luck and Pluck emitting Hamon energy.
Trivia
Production
- The connections between Tanjiro and Jonathan are that they are both anime protagonists and monster-slaying swordsmen who face undead, nocturnal creatures with healing factors that devour human flesh but have a weakness to the sun (Demons and Vampires, respectively). Both are known to be utterly pure-hearted, kind, respectful, and merciful, even to their enemies, and had lived their normal lives in peace until one night a tragic incident occurred in their home in which their sibling was turned into a powerful, undead monster (Nezuko became a Demon and Dio became a Vampire, respectively) while the rest of their family was killed, leading to both going on a quest to defeat the monster who killed their family (Muzan and Dio, respectively). Their sibling’s transformation would also reflect their relationships in contrasting ways (Tanjiro and Nezuko loved each other so much that Nezuko became a uniquely good demon, with Tanjiro wanting to turn her back into a human, while Dio’s newfound power made him even crueler towards Jonathan, leading to Jonathan vowing to stop him once and for all). Both would go on to meet an experienced monster slayer (Sakonji Urokodaki and Will Zeppeli, respectively) who trained them to utilize a specialized breathing technique meant to fight against the undead monsters of their world by channeling the power of the sun (Water/Sun Breathing and Hamon, respectively) and they would also gain a sword to wield (The Nichirin Blade and Luck and Pluck, respectively). Despite their optimism throughout their difficult lives, both would have their bodies stolen by their respective archenemies (Muzan possessed Tanjiro and Dio attached his head to Jonathan’s body) at the end of their storylines and tragically die at a young age (The Demon Slayer Mark curses Tanjiro to die before/at 25 and Jonathan died at 21), but not before getting married (to Kanao Tsuyuri and Erina Pendleton, respectively) and continuing their bloodline for several generations into the modern day, while they themselves lived in a relatively modern historical era (Taisho Era Japan and Victorian Era England, respectively).
- The two also have contrasting childhoods, as Tanjiro was poor but loved by his family and community, whereas Jonathan was rich but neglected by his father and an outcast.
- Demon Slayer's creator, Koyoharu Gotouge, has stated that JoJo's Bizarre Adventure has been an influence when creating Demon Slayer.[1]
- Liam Swan, the writer of this episode, confirmed that Nezuko would end up going with Jonathan after the fight.[2]
- This episode was initially teased and revealed as Jonathan Joestar VS Tanjiro, though the combatants' positions and episode name would later be reversed upon release for unknown reasons.
Easter Eggs
- In Tanjiro's analysis, Boomstick says "That demon turned himself into a train, Wiz! Funniest shit I've ever seen." when discussing Enmu, a reference to the "He turned himself into a pickle, funniest shit I've ever seen." meme from Rick and Morty.
- This is the first episode to reference the meme, with the next two being Frieza VS Megatron and Rick Sanchez VS The Doctor.
- Boomstick's line about George Joestar adopting Dio into the Joestar family "in all his infinite wisdom" in Jonathan's analysis may be a reference to Wiz's infamous line from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Battle Royale, where he remarked in confusion in Michelangelo's analysis how "in all his infinite wisdom, the great master Splinter gave the most complicated weapon to the retard of the group."
- In Jonathan's analysis, Boomstick references the "If I had a nickel" meme from Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension when noticing the similarities between Hamon and Tanjiro's Breathing Styles.
- Wiz freezing Boomstick with an Ice Flower may be a call-back to Mario VS Sonic (2018), where the same thing happened in the post-analysis.
- The ending of Jonathan's analysis references JoJo's ending screen, which is also the "To be continued" meme, complete with "Roundabout" by Yes playing in the background.
- When Jonathan is stunned by Tanjiro, mushrooms from the Super Mario series briefly surround his head.
- When Tanjiro goes to stab Jonathan, the video changes to have a yellow tint on it. After Jonathan lands his final blow of Sunlight Yellow Overdrive against Tanjiro, the color switches from yellow to red. This is a reference to how color palettes consistently change in the JoJo anime during dramatic scenes.
- After finishing the Sunlight Yellow Overdrive, Jonathan strikes his iconic pose.
- When Jonathan learns that Nezuko is Tanjiro's sister, he cries similarly to Esidisi after his grandson, Joseph Joestar, cuts off his arm.
Errors
- When Tanjiro signals Nezuko to run off, she is suddenly next to him again in the next shot, restarting her sprint from the same location.
- As Tanjiro prepares to stab Jonathan through the chest for the last time, his blade is upside down. Afterward however, during the shot in which Jonathan is impaled and coughing up blood, said blade is right side up again.
- Adding onto the latter scene, Jonathan's left hand is also strangely dislocated from his arm; this is oddly not present in the behind-the-scenes shot showcase on Zack Watkins' Twitter[3].
- In the scene where Jonathan is holding Tanjiro, the latter's Demon Slayer mark is on the opposite side.
- In the comparison of both Tanjiro and Jonathan, the word "World" in See-Through World is misspelled as "Wolrd".
Other
- This is the 15th Anime-themed episode, after Zoro VS Erza, Natsu VS Ace, Lucario VS Renamon, Naruto VS Ichigo, Jotaro VS Kenshiro, Roshi VS Jiraiya, Sasuke VS Hiei, Mob VS Tatsumaki, All Might VS Might Guy, Gray VS Esdeath, Beerus VS Sailor Galaxia, Sanji VS Rock Lee, DIO VS Alucard, and Madara VS Aizen, and with the next four being Deku VS Asta, Gogeta VS Vegito, Killua VS Misaka, and Gojo VS Makima.
- This is the ninth Hitotsubashi-themed episode, after Naruto VS Ichigo, Jotaro VS Kenshiro, Roshi VS Jiraiya, Sasuke VS Hiei, Mob VS Tatsumaki, All Might VS Might Guy, Sanji VS Rock Lee, and Madara VS Aizen, and with the next three being Deku VS Asta, Gogeta VS Vegito, and Gojo VS Makima.
- This episode reached #3 on YouTube's Trending page.
- This is the fourth episode in which the winner shows respect for their fallen opponent (via Jonathan showing regret in killing Tanjiro and vowing to protect his sister before euthanizing him by using Hamon to shut down his heart), after Goku VS Superman 2, All Might VS Might Guy, and Korra VS Storm, and with the next seven being Magneto VS Tetsuo, SpongeBob VS Aquaman, Gogeta VS Vegito, Darth Vader VS Obito Uchiha, Guts VS Dimitri, Martian Manhunter VS Silver Surfer, and Goku VS Superman (2023).