Hotaru Haganezuka
Hotaru Haganezuka is a blacksmith affiliated with the Demon Slayer Corps.
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Appearance
Hotaru wears a sunflower-patterned robe and a large woven hat with floral bells hanging from it. Her head is wrapped in spotted fabric, and her face is hidden by a Hyottoko mask (wooden festival mask), similar to Sakonji Urokodaki.
During the Swordsmith Village Arc, she is seen to be more muscular compared to her initial appearance.
When unmasked, Hotaru reveals long black hair paired with sharp eyes and thick, distinct-shaped eyebrows. However, after being attacked by Upper Rank 5, Gyokko, Hotaru now bears multiple deep scars and demon wounds all over her body, including one in the shape of an X on her face, and has lost the use of her right eye.
Personality
Hotaru is a hot-blooded individual. He seems to pay little attention, if any, to anything other than the swords he creates. His passion for swords is so strong that he could talk about them for long periods, a unique trait even among the people of the Swordsmith Village.
The same passion that gives him extreme enthusiasm and dedication in swordmaking is also the reason why he gets easily enraged (usually in a comical manner) at sword-wielders who break his creations, especially Tanjiro Kamado, regardless of the circumstances.
When he gets angry, he usually calms down by eating mitarashi dango or asking others to tickle him. It is later shown that his immense skill and focus on swords are such that he would lose customers because of his eccentric and unsociable behavior, and he is actually happy that Tanjiro still trusts him to forge his swords. His concentration also prevents him from paying attention to his surroundings when making a decent blade, even when a demon is attacking him.
Synopsis
Final Selection Arc
Hotaru first appears at Sakonji’s house to deliver Tanjiro’s Sun Blade after the latter passes the Final Selection. Despite Tanjiro’s frequent requests for him to come inside, Hotaru ignores him and sits in front of the door, describing the blade he forged.
After suddenly lifting his eyes to Tanjiro, he comments on his red hair and eyes, stating that it is good fortune. Excited, Hotaru enters the house while noticing how the Nichirin swords change colour and how his sword could turn bright red. However, after seeing the blade turn black, Hotaru shows clear disappointment and becomes angry with Tanjiro.
Natagumo Mountain Arc
During his fight against Upper Rank 5, Rui, Tanjiro breaks his sword. An angry Hotaru is briefly seen in Tanjiro’s thoughts as he internally apologizes to him and to Sakonji.
Recovery Training Arc
After Tanjiro heals at the Butterfly Mansion, he and Inosuke Hashibira greet their blacksmiths, but they encounter an angry Hotaru attacking Tanjiro with a knife, furious that he broke his already damaged blade. After chasing him off and calming him down, Hotaru and Kozo Kanamori reforge their swords for the two Demon Slayers.
Infinity Train Arc
Hotaru appears when Tanjiro returns from the Rengoku house, enraged by the loss of another sword, and once again chases after Tanjiro.
Red-Light District Arc
After Tanjiro awakens from his coma, Kiyo Terauchi shows him angry letters that Hotaru sent after his sword was chipped.
Swordsmith Village Arc
His true face is revealed during the attack on the village by two Upper Rank demons. He played a crucial role in defeating Hantengu, successfully finishing Tanjiro's blade just in time for the Slayer to kill him. He sustained serious facial injuries during the battle, even losing the use of one eye.
Skills & Abilities
As a blacksmith, Hotaru does not demonstrate any special abilities like those of the members of the Demon Slayer Corps. However, after Tanjiro repeatedly broke his Sun Blade against demons, Hotaru underwent special training to forge a stronger blade for him.
Natural Abilities
- Enhanced Strength: After training in the mountains, his increased strength apparently surpassed even Tanjiro’s.
- Master Blacksmith: Hotaru is a skilled blacksmith, capable of forging a Sun Blade and repairing it multiple times whenever it breaks against a Demon Moon. After Tanjiro lost another sword by impaling Akaza, Hotaru further trained to make a stronger blade. Hotaru demonstrated his professionalism and expertise when he polished and sharpened the 300-year-old blade left in Yoriichi Reishiki, completely ignoring the injuries he sustained from Gyokko.
- Tantōjutsu Expert: Hotaru is an expert in using a Tantō, in the form of a clover. He usually showcases his skills by attacking Tanjiro after damaging his swords.
Anecdotes
Hotaru's surname contains the kanji for "steel" (鋼 hagane), a reference to his profession, and his first name means "firefly" (蛍 hotaru).
He despises his first name due to how "cute" it sounds.
Hotaru's favorite food is mitarashi dango, and he buys it every time he gets angry.
Hotaru has wind chimes attached to his hat because he has loved them since childhood. Whenever he would have a fit of anger, the adults used the chimes to calm him down.
As a child, Hotaru was so difficult to handle that his parents fell into mental depression, and Tecchin Tecchikawahara had to raise him.
Tickling his sides is the only way to break his concentration, after which he becomes soft and humorous for several minutes.
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