Tahōmaru, second son of Kagemitsu Daigo and Lady Nui no Kata, enters the world one year after his elder brother Hyakkimaru. Designated heir to the Daigo clan, he grows amid privilege yet starved of maternal affection, as his mother fixates on prayers for Hyakkimaru’s survival. This void fuels simmering jealousy and a relentless drive to earn parental recognition, shaping him into a headstrong, ambitious youth. A self-assured swordsman convinced of his unmatched skill, Tahōmaru dedicates himself to safeguarding his father’s realm. Early clashes with Hyakkimaru spark both rivalry and awe, later eclipsed by the shattering revelation of their kinship and Hyakkimaru’s rightful claim as heir. Torn between allegiance to family and the clan’s demonic pact—which traded Hyakkimaru’s flesh for power—Tahōmaru grapples with loyalty and survival. A crippling defeat by Hyakkimaru robs him of his right eye, igniting a ruthless metamorphosis. He embraces merciless strategies, torching demon-sheltering villages and slaughtering civilians without hesitation. Loyal retainers Hyogo and Mutsu stand by him until their deaths, fractures that erode his stability. Consumed by rage and sorrow, he bargains with the Twelfth Demon, Asura, surrendering humanity to seize supernatural might and fragments of Hyakkimaru’s body. Though transformed into a demonic force, flickers of his past self linger, like his unease over Hyogo’s wounds. In their climactic duel, Hyakkimaru’s mercy sparks Tahōmaru’s redemption. Returning the stolen eyes and acknowledging his brother, he meets his end within Daigo castle’s flames, cradled by his mother. Adaptations reimagine his journey: early demise in the manga and 1969 anime, introspective strife and reconciliation in the 2019 anime and stage renditions, while the live-action film twists his fate—accidental death, demonic resurrection, and yielding the ancestral sword to Hyakkimaru. His arc weaves jealousy, duty, and redemption, mirrored in fractured bonds: a distant mother, a father met with tempered respect, and a brotherly rivalry edged with empathy. Media iterations, like *Blood Will Tell*’s Heel–Face Turn alliance with Hyakkimaru, reshape his path yet preserve the core clash of legacy and loyalty, cementing his tragedy as a soul torn between blood and burden.