Demon Slayer – Episode 3: “Sabito and Makomo” – Story and Review

30 March 2025

When the hero's path is tinged with sweat, tears and… fox masks.

So, here we are at the third episode of Demon Slayer, and I have to say that things are starting to get really tough for our Tanjiro. After deciding to take the path of the demon slayer, the boy finds himself immersed in a training that to call exhausting is an understatement.

Training with Urokodaki: The Baptism of Fire

Under the stern but fair guidance of Urokodaki, Tanjiro undertakes a series of exercises that would test even the most determined of aspiring heroes. We are talking about dodge deadly traps, Tackle obstacle courses worthy of a ninja and obviously, hone the art of the sword. All this seasoned with learning the Breathing of Absolute Concentration, a technique that, it seems, is essential for anyone who wants to have a chance against the demons.

The Encounter with Sabito and Makomo: Mysterious Masters

Just when you think Tanjiro is starting to understand how training works, along comes Sabito and Makomo, two enigmatic figures with fox masks. Sabito is direct, almost brutal in his criticism, while Makomo offers softer but equally incisive support. These two are not there to be friends: Their goal is to push Tanjiro beyond his limits., so that it can face the Final Selection with a real chance of success.

The Harsh Reality of Training: Pushing Your Limits

Tanjiro finds himself having to face Sabito in duels to the death, where every mistake could cost him dearly. And, let's face it, he gets a good beating. But it is precisely through these defeats that our protagonist begins to understand the depth of his potential and the importance of a a clear mind combined with impeccable technique.

Conclusion: The Weight of Determination

This episode shows us that the path to becoming a demon slayer is not a walk in the woods. It's a arduous journey, full of physical and mental obstacles, where Tanjiro's determination is tested at every moment. Meeting Sabito and Makomo adds an almost mystical dimension to the training, leaving us curious to find out more about these two characters and their role in Tanjiro's fate.

In short, if you thought that becoming a hero was just a matter of good will, this episode will make you think again. The road is long and full of pitfalls, but with the right guidance and a will of steel, perhaps Tanjiro has a chance to make it.

**Review - Demon Slayer Episode 3: “Sabito and Makomo”**

Training the soul first comes through the body.

The third episode of Demon Slayer marks an important moment in Tanjiro's journey: the moment when the desire to save Nezuko begins to transform into discipline, technique and real growth. “Sabito and Makomo” is one of those episodes that seems slow, but works in depth, planting seeds that will blossom much later in the series.

There is no real fight to the death yet, nor a demon to defeat, but there is a continuous, silent battle between Tanjiro and his limits. And this, if you think about it, is one of the most difficult duels to win.

✅ Pros – The episode's strong points

📌 A workout that has real weight

We are far from the “clock” shonen training: here the training is dirty, tiring, repetitive, even frustrating. Tanjiro trains for a whole year, and you really feel it, episode after episode. Every bamboo cut, every trap avoided, every fall: everything makes sense and builds tension towards the moment of truth.

📌 Sabito and Makomo: two mysterious but essential presences

Sabito and Makomo's entrance is handled with delicacy and charm. We don't know much about them, and that's why they're fascinating. Sabito is stern, hard, almost cruel. Makomo is sweet, melancholic, but full of firmness. Together they represent two aspects of training: the drive to improve and the comfort when you fall.

📌 Direction and atmosphere

The scenes are directed with that aesthetic care that is becoming the signature of the Ufotable studio: the light of the sunset, the silences between the dialogues, the beauty of the movements in the practice of the sword. Everything creates a suspended, almost ethereal sensation, which reinforces the idea that Tanjiro is going through a rite of passage, not only physical, but also spiritual.

📌 Tanjiro's Evolution

The episode does something rare and precious: It makes you experience the passing of time. Tanjiro doesn't get better overnight. We see him try, fail, try again, break down, and finally get up a little stronger each time. It is a patient type of narration, but precisely for this reason it is rewarding.

❌ Cons – Where the episode could have done better

⚠️ More contemplative than narrative pace

For some viewers accustomed to a faster pace, this episode may feel slow or even static. Much of the episode is devoted to training and building the atmosphere, and it can feel like a narrative “break.” But it is a necessary break.

⚠️ Mysteries remain too suspended

The nature of Sabito and Makomo is deliberately left in the shadows, but perhaps a further hint – a detail that fuels curiosity without taking away the mystery – could have made their intervention even more incisive.

⚠️ Urokodaki remains in the background

After an interesting start in the first two episodes, Urokodaki remains almost completely silent in this episode, handing over the baton to the two new characters. An additional point of view from him could have added a further nuance to the picture.

🎯 Conclusion

“Sabito and Makomo” is a delicate episode, full of meaning, which builds rather than shows. It does not focus on dramatic twists, but on daily toil. Not on triumph, but on tenacity. And above all, reminds us that true power comes not from talent, but from consistency.

Tanjiro is growing. Not just as a swordsman, but as a person. And he does it in the silence of the forest, in the sound of the sword cutting the air, in the voice of those who encourage him not to give up.

An episode that perhaps won't make you hold your breath, but that gets inside you. Slowly. Like a clean, precise, invisible cut. But one that leaves its mark.

🔸 Rating: 8,3 / 10
Little action, lots of substance. An authentic coming-of-age episode, with poetic tones and a slow but solid narrative pace. If you love character-building moments, this is your thing.

Demon Slayer Episodes

1 - Cruelty 「残酷」 – Zankoku
2 - The trainer Urokodaki Sakonji 「育手・鱗滝左近次」 – Iku-shu Urokodaki Sakonji
3 - Sabito and Makomo 「The wolf is a beast」 – Saturday to Makomo
4 - The final exam 「最終選別」 – Saishū senbetsu
5 - My Steel 「己鋼」 – Honor Hagane
6 - The swordsman with a demon 「鬼を連れた剣士」 – Oni or Tsureta Kenshi
7 - Kibutsuji Muzan 「The wolf is the beast」 – Kibutsuji Muzan
8 - A bewitching smell of blood 「幻惑の血の香り」 – Genwaku no chi no kaori
9 - The demon with the ball and the demon with the arrow 「手毬鬼と矢印鬼」 – Temari oni to yajirushi oni
10 - We will stay together forever "The wolf is a beast" – Zutto issho niru
11 - The Drum House 「The Little Mermaid」 – Tsuzumi no Yashiki
12 - The boar bares its tusks, and Zenitsu sleeps it off 「猪は牙を剥き、善逸は眠る」 – Inoshishi wa kiba o muki, Zen'itsu wa nemuru
13 - Something more important than life 「命より大事なもの」 – Inochi yori daiji in mono
14 - The house with the wisteria flower emblem 「藤の花の家紋の家」 – Fuji no hana no kamon no ie
15 - Mount Natagumo 「The wolf's wolf's wolf」 – Natagumo yama
16 - Someone other than me has to move on. 「自分ではない誰かを前へ」 – Jibun of wanai giveka or mae and
17 - An art refined to the end 「一つのこと極め抜け」 – Hitotsu no Koto Kiwamenuke
18 - A fake bond 「偽物絆」 – Nisemono no Kizuna
19 - The God of Fire 「火の神」 – Hi, no god
20 - An improvised family 「寄せ集めの家族」 – Yose atsume no kazoku
21 - Violation of the regulation 「隊律違反」 – Tairitsu Ihan
22 - The head of the family 「お館様」 – Oyakata-sama
23 - The Meeting of the Pillars 「柱合会議」 – Chugo Kaigi
24 - Rehabilitation training 「The wolf's ... Kinō Kaifuku Kunren
25 - The Heir, Tsuyuri Kanao 「継ぐ子栗花落カナヲ」 – Tsuguko Tsuyuri Kanao
26 - A new mission 「新たなる任務」 – Aratanaru ninmu