Cops called on Demon Slayer cosplayer for bringing fake sword to movie theater

A still of Tanjiro in Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle

Police officers in Melbourne rushed to a shopping center after reports of a knife-wielding man turned out to be a Demon Slayer fan in cosplay.

On September 9, security at Southland Shopping Centre believed a cosplayer was armed with a real sword or knife and raised the alarm just after 7:20pm, prompting a rapid response from officers with lights and sirens.

When police arrived outside Village Cinemas, they found a 24-year-old Maidstone man dressed in a Demon Slayer costume, carrying what looked like a sword.

The sword, however, was just a prop for the screening of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, and the man had decided to dress up to attend the movie.

Tanjiro in Demon Slayer Season 4

Police take Demon Slayer cosplayer’s sword after security alert

Police seized the imitation weapon and issued the man a warning, telling him to leave all “weaponry at home next time.”

“No demons were slayed and the man enjoyed watching the movie without further incident,” Victoria Police said in a statement, confirming that he was free to go.

This isn’t the first time cosplay props have triggered police responses. Back in August, UK police detained a 16-year-old cosplayer after mistaking his imitation firearm for a real weapon. The teen had been cosplaying as Hunk, a masked character from Resident Evil, before being tackled to the ground and placed in custody.