Inosuke stole the spotlight in the latest episode of Demon Slayer. When things were looking dire, he took control of the situation. With the help of Zenitsu and Tanjiro, he was able to close the distance on Daki and sever her head. Inosuke even quickly came up with a plan to make sure that she wasn't able to reattach her head while the others fought her brother.
It's hard to imagine that the same Inosuke who was introduced in Episode 11 would be able to trust his comrades enough to execute a plan that required teamwork. Out of every character in Demon Slayer, Inosuke has demonstrated the most development out of anyone. He has been transformed from the belligerent wild man he was before into a competent member of the Demon Slayer Corps. A lot of this change is because of Tanjiro.
What Was Inosuke Like Before Tanjiro?
Before Inosuke was a part of the iconic Demon Slayer trio with Tanjiro and Zenitsu, he was a loner whose personality naturally pushed people away. His only focus in life was to prove his strength by fighting powerful opponents. This mindset made it nearly impossible for him to make friends or even trust allies, and he constantly attacked those around him.
Inosuke joined the Demon Slayer Corps purely by accident. He met a Demon Slayer member by chance and beat him in a fight, then took his swords and decided to become a member. He wasn't motivated to join the Corps because he wanted to protect the innocent from demons or rid the world of evil. Instead, Inosuke joined because he learned that demons were powerful, and he wanted to prove that he was stronger.
Inosuke even showed that he was willing to attack humans in order to reach his goal. He fought both Zenitsu and Tanjiro when he sensed Nezuko's demonic presence in her box. During his debut, Inosuke showed that he was single-minded, arrogant and entirely focused on his own glory. However, spending time with Tanjiro slowly changed Inosuke for the better.
Tanjiro's Positive Effect on Inosuke
Tanjiro is possibly the most pure-hearted person in all of Demon Slayer if not all of anime. The sheer beauty of his soul convinced a person to give up his evil ways. Tanjiro's purity has had a major effect on Inosuke as well. Because Inosuke was raised by boars and has had very limited human contact, he has an extremely anti-social personality.
This did not stop Tanjiro from showing Inosuke kindness and complimenting him when he did something impressive. The affection that Tanjiro showed Inosuke made him feel good, as showed by his constant blushing. Tanjiro is also not afraid to criticize Inosuke when he does something bad. When a human almost killed Tanjiro, he was able to convince Inosuke to still save his life.
This positive reinforcement and earned criticism have clearly affected Inosuke. He seems eager to make Tanjiro proud, which has caused a shift in his personality. He isn't as self-focused as he was before and he recognizes the worth of other people. Inosuke is still brash and wants to prove his strength, but when the situation turns serious, he can put all that aside and focus on what really matters.
How Has Inosuke Changed?
One of the biggest changes in Inosuke is that he prioritizes the lives of the innocent. When he and Tanjiro were fighting Corps members who were being controlled by a spider demon, Inosuke just wanted to kill them at first. Now he focuses more on saving lives than killing demons. When he tracked Daki's belt underground and saw the victims trapped inside, his first thought was to save them -- nobody had to tell him to do it.
Inosuke is also willing to follow the instructions of others now. When Inosuke and Tanjiro first fought together, he was very competitive. He would always try to kill more demons than Tanjiro or outperform him at other tasks. Tanjiro had to convince Inosuke to cooperate with any plan. However, when the two of them and Zenitsu were fighting Daki, Inosuke synergized with them without issue. It wasn't about proving that he was better than his friends, but instead about working with them to accomplish a common goal.
He has also learned that he doesn't always need the spotlight. In the beginning, Inosuke was insistent that he had to be the one to defeat the strongest demons, but that has changed. During the "Mugen Train" arc, Inosuke was perfectly fine with creating an opening for Tanjiro to get the finishing blow on the demon. After he had decapitated Daki, he also volunteered to run away with her head while Tanjiro and Zenitsu helped Tengen fight the stronger demon. He is allowing others to shine because he knows it's their greatest chance at victory.
