The ex-water Hashira gives Tanjiro a hand-carved wooden mask before the final selection exam. But why does Tanjiro not wear his mask on his face?
Tanjiro does not wear his mask because it’s simply an overall protection from evil. He doesn’t need to hide his identity, so as long as the mask is on his body the intended effect should work.
Called “warding masks,” they’re said to possess protective powers from evil and each of his students receives one.
Tanjiro receives his mask from Urokodaki
In chapter #6, Tanjiro receives approval from Urokodaki to take the final selection exam. He gives Tanjiro a hand-carved “warding mask” meant to offer protection from evil.
The mask is in the same style as Sabito and Makomo’s, Urokodaki’s previous students. Tanjiro heads off to the final selection with the mask tied around the side of his head instead of on his face. He doesn’t need to conceal his identity, as the mask is more about its intended protections.
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Tanjiro learns more about the masks
In chapter #7, Tanjiro has his warding mask tied to the side of his head. He meets a large demon who has consumed over 50 different people who attempt the final selection exam.
The demon explains that it recognizes the warding masks carved by Urokodaki. It picks off slayers with the distinct out of revenge for Urokodaki imprisoning the demon within the testing grounds many years ago.
Tanjiro moves in for a strike, but the demon is able to propel dozens of hands outside of itself. The arms knock Tanjiro against a tree and his warding mask breaks.
After the demon is inevitably defeated and Tanjiro passes the final selection, he returns back to Urokodaki. His sensei explains the story behind the large demon and does not offer another mask to Tanjiro. The masks were made to keep Urokodaki’s students safe while fighting in the exam, but since Tanjiro defeated the obstacle in every student’s way, the masks no longer serve a purpose.
Zenitsu was able to pass the final selection by hiding for the entirety of it. On the other hand, it appears that Inosuke wasn’t at the final selection due to how fast he completed it.
So that’s the answer. Tanjiro does not wear his mask because he doesn’t need to hide his identity. The mask has overall protective powers against evil, and it just needs to be on Tanjiro’s body for the effects to take place.