

The [answer to this question](https://anime.stackexchange.com/a/66238/48011)
says:

> The opening thread defines where is the best place to slash the sword that
> will behead them in a single swing. _The opening thread scene only happens
> during Tanjiro's fight as it represents the keen sense of smell he
> possesses_. This constantly reminds us how Tanjiro is different from others
> as others learn to do that through experience and training but he can do it
> just by sensing it.

From the answer, "Opening thread" determines the angle and position of the
sword needed to successfully kill a demon and the experienced demon slayer
just learns from experience but Tanjiro has an olfactory ability to sense the
"Opening Thread".

This was evident during the battle between Rui and Tanjiro. Tanjiro was
struggling to get hold of the "opening thread" and although he managed to
behead Rui using Hinokami no Kagura, Rui was surprisingly not dead and he
managed to sew himself. Later, Tomioka came and beheaded Rui with no effort
whatsoever. So, do experienced demon slayers look for an "Opening thread" or
do they just go by intuition? In other words, is Tanjiro the only one who can
sense an "Opening thread"?

And how do newcomers determine the perfect slash to behead the head of demons?
Is it from their individual ability like Inosuke throwing a full-blown attack
while Zenitsu becoming precise in sleep mode?


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question
demon-slayer
Is Tanjiro the only Demon Slayer to sense a "Opening Thread"?


Maybe this is more of a comment, or maybe an answer, but a disappointing one,
but I don't believe the story every explains this.

I imagine other demon slayers have something similar, or at least some
intuition about where to slice the neck, but the story never mentions that
anyone besides Tanjiro has this specific Opening Thread "ability."

The [Wiki](https://kimetsu-no-
yaiba.fandom.com/wiki/Special:Search?scope=internal&query=opening+thread&ns%5B0%5D=0)
even doesn't have any specific articles about "opening thread."

I guess the audience is supposed to fill in the blanks themselves.


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answer


The story might not explicitly mention anyone besides Tanjiro having the
Opening Thread ability (I'm only halfway through the manga so I'm taking
@pushkin's word for it in their answer) but I believe it's contextually
implied that Urokodaki has this ability.

As you quoted, Tanjiro's Opening Thread ability is enabled by his strong sense
of smell. In volume 1, Giyu sends his messenger bird to Urokodaki asking him
to train Tanjiro and says:

> "like you, the boy has a strong sense of smell. I believe that perhaps he
> could be worthy of carrying on your traditions."

Then, when Tanjiro first explains his Opening Thread ability which occurs
during his training he says he learned it thanks to his training with Makomo,
one of Urokodaki's deceased students who helps train him to cut the boulder as
his last test before Final Selection.

> Thanks to my training with Makomo I've learned to smell out an "opening
> thread." That's how I won. When I'm fighting someone and I find that scent,
> I see the thread.

Thus, while not explicitly stated that Urokodaki has this ability we do know
that Tanjiro is Urokodaki's protege, he developed this technique through
Urokodaki's (and Makomo's) teachings, and both Urokodaki's and Tanjiro's
skills as demon slayers are enabled through the special sense of smell they
both share.


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answer