Demon Slayer took the world by storm after its anime debut in 2019. The manga is now finished and continually dominates the best-selling charts, selling millions of copies worldwide. Demon Slayer is a historical shonen series that takes place during Japan's Taisho period, but with a demonic twist.
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After Tanjiro Kamado's family is killed by the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, his sister Nezuko becomes a demon. Tanjiro teams up with the Demon Slayer Corps after meeting Giyu Tomioka, the introverted, melancholic Water Hashira. The Corps is the last line of defense against the bloodthirsty demons who rule the night, and only the strongest Demon Slayers can stand up against Muzan and his Upper Moons and stand a chance to come out of the fight alive.
Update April 15th, 2023, by Louis Kemner: Season 3 of Demon Slayer has begun, ushering in the swordsmith village arc, complete with new heroes and new villains alike. The swordsmith story arc will dive deeper into the world of demon slayers and the special swords they wield in battle, meaning it's a good time to review who the 15 strongest demon slayers are and what they are capable of.
Manga spoilers ahead!
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15 Genya Shinazugawa
Genya is considered a weaker Demon Slayer, as Upper Moon 1 thought he was the smallest threat during his battle against Genya and multiple Hashira. Genya can absorb a demon's power by eating part of them, gaining its abilities, and shaping them into his own unique Blood Demon Art.
Genya is also capable of regenerating himself, but his primary weapon is his Nichirin gun. Unlike other Slayers in Demon Slayer, he wouldn't have lasted against an Upper Moon on his own for very long.
14 Inosuke Hashibara
Inosuke is the series' fan favorite boar in a china shop. He endured the same brutal training as Zenitsu and Tanjiro, though he needed some motivation to keep him going. Inosuke is able to do whatever he sets out to do, and his competitive spirit is his ultimate driving force.
His rivalry with Tanjiro is equally hilarious and empowering. Inosuke was raised in the mountains, so he grew up around wild animals. He's flexible, agile, and has sharp, beast-like senses, making him fast and powerful.
13 Zenitsu Agatsuma
Zenitsu claims to have never wanted to become a Demon Slayer and was forced into it to pay off a debt. He's always asking girls to marry him so he can get out of being a Demon Slayer and live a long life, but he is not to be underestimated.
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Zenitsu is incredibly powerful, but only when he's unconscious. He falls asleep when he crumbles under the weight of his fear, and his body fights on instinct alone, utilizing his Thunder Breathing Style. He proved he could be a capable fighter even while awake, defeating Upper Moon 6 alone.
12 Kanao Tsuyuri
When Kanao first met Tanjiro, he could already tell that she was very close in ability to a Hashira. She was trained by Shinobu Kocho and her sister, Kanae Kocho, and was one of the few survivors who made it out of the Final Selection.
Like Inosuke, she is key in defeating Upper Moon 2, although she has to use a Breathing Style that allows her to see the world in slow motion. Kanao is very shy and used to never make decisions without consulting her lucky coin toss, but she's since come out of her shell.
11 Shinobu Kocho
Shinobu Kocho may seem laid back, always with a smile on her face. However, that's just to mask the fierce Demon Slayer she really is. As the Insect Hashira, Shinobu cuts down fierce demons with a smile. Shinobu is a user of the Insect Breathing Style, a branch of the Flower Breathing, which itself is branched from Water Breathing.
Shinobu Kocho wields a thin sword that doesn't do much damage in and of itself, but she infuses her attacks with wisteria poison to make short work of any demon she faces. She may not have the strength to slice off a demon's head, but her extensive knowledge of poisons makes her incredibly deadly.
10 Obanai Iguro
While Shinobu is regarded as the weakest Hashira, Obanai is known as the second weakest. Unlike Shinobu, who never activated her Demon Slayer mark, Obanai was able to activate his. This allows Obanai to fight at peak performance, even when he loses his vision.
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Obanai relies on his white snake, Kaburamaru, who tells him everything he needs to know about his surroundings. However, he's regarded as the weakest due to his small stature and limited agility. Still, Obanai put up an excellent fight against Muzan in the Infinity Castle.
9 Tanjiro Kamado
Protagonist Tanjiro Kamado became a Demon Slayer to hunt down the demon who murdered his family and turned his sister into a demon. A rarity among the other Slayers, Tanjiro empathizes with demons. He kills them but understands that most demons had no choice when they were transformed.
Tanjiro uses the Water Breathing Style and later remembers that he can also use Dance of the Fire God, a technique taught to him by his father that can only be used by members of the Kamado family. Tanjiro is a key player in the series when it comes to defeating many of the Upper Moons.
8 Mitsuri Kanroji
Mitsuri Kanroji is the Love Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Mitsuri is shy, gentle, bubbly, and has eight times the muscle density of an average human, making her wickedly strong despite her thin limbs. Her strength is so incredible that she can withstand attacks that the average human body cannot withstand and even tear off Muzan's arm.
Mitsuri uses Love Breathing and wields a rather unique sword that only she can use. Her sword is extremely thin and soft, making it difficult to use as a traditional sword, so Mitsuri uses it as a kind of whip instead. Her strength and unique sword mean she possesses the fastest techniques of all the Hashira.
7 Tengen Uzui
Tengen Uzui is a flashy slayer of demons originally from a shinobi family. Tengen didn't agree with his father's ideology of using people as tools, so he left and joined the Demon Slayer Corps and became the Sound Hashira.
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Tengen Uzui has a similar strength and speed to his fellow Hashira to easily outclass the demons he faces, but his Breathing Style sets him apart from others. He uses the Sound Breathing Style, which branches from the Thunder Breathing Style. Tengen invented it on his own.
6 Kyojuro Rengoku
Kyojuro Rengoku is the cheerful Flame Hashira. His Flame Breathing Style bathes demons in a sea of flames. Kyojuro even agreed to take Tanjiro under his wing and train him prior to the events of Mugen Train.
Demon Slayer fans only saw him in two major fights, both of which occurred during the Mugen Train film. Still, Kyojuro was able to battle demons while simultaneously protecting the 200 passengers of the train the battle takes place in, even holding his own against an Upper Moon, Akaza, for a time before he was defeated.
5 Muichiro Tokito
Muichiro may seem a bit air-headed, always lost in his thoughts, but he's a dedicated Demon Slayer and one of the most powerful among them. As the Mist Hashira, he utilizes the Mist Breathing Style derived from the Wind Breathing Style.
Muichiro has completely mastered his Breathing Style to the point that he can easily fight and overwhelm an Upper Moon demon and create an entirely new form for the Breathing Style. Muichiro also unlocked a Demon Slayer Mark that gave him enough strength to kill Upper Moon 5 easily.
4 Sanemi Shinazugawa
Sanemi is a very hot-headed person who harbors a deep hatred for demons, but it's understandable. Sanemi has lost so many people he cared about to demons. Sanemi's body is also covered in scars accumulated over his years of slaying demons.
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The Wind Hashira's skill with the blade and mastery of the Wind Breathing Style are so great that even Kokushibo, the Upper Moon 1 demon with hundreds of years of skill and experience behind him, was impressed by Sanemi's power.
3 Giyu Tomioka
Giyu Tomioka was the first Demon Slayer Tanjiro ever met. After witnessing a newly transformed Nezuko protect Tanjiro, Tomioka points them to Urokodaki and the Demon Slayer Corps. Tomioka may not be the best with social interactions, but his fellow Hashira recognizes him as one of the strongest among them.
As the Water Hashira, Tomioka is a master of the Water Breathing Style. Tomioka's skills are so exceptional that he defeated the Father Spider Demon and Rui, a Lower Moon demon, without breaking a sweat. Even Akaza, an Upper Moon demon, said he was the most skilled Water Hashira in 50 years.
2 Gyomei Himejima
Gyomei Himejima is the Stone Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Instead of the typical Nichirin Blades that Demon Slayers use, Gyomei wields a devastatingly strong hand-ax with a spiked flail attached to the hilt by a long chain. Combined with his Stone Breathing Style, Gyomei is undoubtedly the most powerful Demon Slayer.
Tanjiro and Inosuke consider Gyomei the most powerful Demon Slayer, even among the other Hashira. Kokushibu, the Upper Moon 1 demon, further supports that claim by saying that Gyomei's natural physical abilities have been trained to the absolute peak. The demon also admitted that he had not encountered a warrior of Gyomei's caliber in the last 300 years.
1 Yoriichi Tsugikuni
Yoriichi is considered to be the strongest Demon Slayer ever to exist. He is so powerful that the battle doll crafted in his image needed multiple arms to accurately replicate his movements. Yoriichi was a demon-killing machine even as a child and was so powerful that he nearly killed Muzan.
The demon was so scared of him that he never appeared before Yoriichi ever again. Later in the manga, it's revealed that Tanjiro's Hinokami Kagura comes from Yoriichi's Sun Breathing. Sun Breathing was the first Breathing Style ever invented, so everything else is derived from it.
NEXT: 15 Strongest Demons In Demon Slayer, Ranked
FAQs
The 15 Most Powerful Demon Slayers In Kimetsu No Yaiba, Ranked? ›
Twelve Demon Moons) is an organization of the twelve most powerful demons in existence who are under the direct command of the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji. They also serve as the main antagonistic faction of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
Who is the number 1 ranked demon? ›- 8 Tamayo.
- 7 Rui (& Spider Family)
- 6 Daki.
- 5 Enmu.
- 4 Akaza.
- 3 Gyutaro.
- 2 Nezuko.
- 1 Kibutsuji Muzan.
Twelve Demon Moons) is an organization of the twelve most powerful demons in existence who are under the direct command of the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji. They also serve as the main antagonistic faction of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
Can Tanjiro defeat Muzan? ›In conclusion, Tanjiro will not be able to kill Muzan by himself since the Demon King is far superior in every aspect of combat. The manga has shown fans the singular way that Muzan could be bested and it was only due to the collective efforts of Demon Slayer Corps members.
Will Tanjiro surpass Yoriichi? ›But if we are talking about the human form, then it's a big fat NO, because Tanjiro has just mastered the Sun Breathing whereas Yoriichi is the inventor of it, also he's way more powerful and holds an unfathomable battle intellect, larger than any Demon Slayer in history, so in conclusion, no one is remotely close to ...
Is Tanjiro's dad upper rank 1? ›Kokushibo is reserved, silent, and aloof, maintaining an aura of unnerving tranquility and mystery that compliments his position as Upper Rank One.
Who killed Upper Rank 1? ›Upper-Rank One: Kokushibo
Kokushibo was the final Upper-Rank to die during Demon Slayer's "Infinity Castle" arc. Muichiro, Genya, Sanemi Shinazugawa and Gyomei Himejima fought together against Kokushibo, though Muichiro and Genya were no match for him and were killed.
Nezuko's rankings in the popularity polls are as follows: Nezuko ranked 3rd place in the first popularity poll with 3,319 votes. Nezuko ranked 11th place in the second popularity poll with 5,000 votes.
Why does Muzan hate Doma? ›Muzan likely believed it possible that one day, Doma could become strong enough to survive sunlight, so killing him might've been detrimental to the reason Muzan made him a demon in the first place.
What rank is Tanjiro? ›
Tanjiro's Current Demon Slayer Rank Is Kanoe
Not many of the Demon Slayers' ranks are known as of Season 2, but there are a few. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke have moved from Mizunoto up to Kanoe due to their exploits. Murata, the Demon Slayer, who was almost digested on Mount Nagumo, is also a Kanoe.
11 Anos Voldigoad Can Destroy Muzan With His Eyes (The Misfit Of Demon King Academy) In the Mythical Age of The Misfit of Demon King Academy's history, Anos Voldigoad was known as the Demon King of Tyranny. He possesses a multitude of powers, including some that transcend both space and time.
Who is Tanjiro's dad? ›Tanjuro Kamado was the name of Tanjiro Kamado's father. He passed away before the event of the main story of the Demon Slayer.
Which Hashira died? ›Unfortunately, the Serpent Hashira also succumbed to his injuries. He and Mitsuri confessed their love and died together shortly after.
Who killed Upper Moon 2? ›We first see Doma when he is still the Upper Moon Six while he is in the middle of eating a geisha. Later he becomes even stronger and rises to the position of Upper Moon Two. He dies because of the lethal amount of poison he absorbed through Shinobu Kocho's body followed by Kanao Tsuyuri beheading him.
Can Tanjiro beat all Hashira? ›Three Hashira Tanjiro never will beat in Demon Slayer
Even amongst his fellow Hashira, Giyu is unique in being the only one who develops a Breathing Style Form of his own. In this process alone, Giyu already sets himself apart from the other Hashira.
The answer to whether Upper Moon One is stronger than Muzan in Demon Slayer is quite clear; Kokushibo is not stronger than Muzan Kibutsuji. The main piece of evidence here is that Muzan was able to escape a living Yoriichi, whereas Kokushibo needed death's assistance to prevail.
Who killed Tanjiro father? ›(Spoilers from the Demon Slayer anime ahead!) In the first few arcs of the series, the identity of the demon that killed Tanjiro's family was a mystery. It is later revealed that it was none other than the series' main antagonist, Muzan Kibutsuji.
Could Zenitsu beat Tanjiro? ›Tanjiro Is Strong, and Stronger than Zenitsu as he uses Sun Breathing.
What color is Tanjiro's sword? ›Black is the most mysterious color of all the blades, and is held by the main character, Tanjiro. It is a rare blade and represents the sun; it also holds a theory that the demon slayers who own this sword are not to live a long life.
Did Tanjiro get Yoriichi sword? ›
This is the sword that appeared out of the neck of the doll at the end of Demon Slayer season three's second episode. In the manga Tanjiro has the sword repaired by Haganezuka, who he initially traveled to the Swordsmith Village to find.
Is Upper Moon 1 related to Tanjiro? ›The divine nature of sun breathing: Tanjiro's link to Yoriichi. The flashback also reveals that Yoriichi had a twin brother named Michikatsu Tsugikuni, who became a Demon Slayer but later turned into a demon and became Upper Moon One, Kokushibo.
Who is the 6 eyed demon in Demon Slayer? ›Kokushibo In Demon Slayer Explained
Unlike other demons, Kokushibo almost resembles a human, except for his four extra eyes. He has a muscular appearance and long black hair with red tips. Kokushibo also has Demon Slayer Marks on the left side of his forehead and the right side of his chin.
During Tanjiro and the rest of the Hashiras' showdown with the Demon King Muzan, Tanjiro is mortally wounded and dies. At the same time, Muzan receives a particularly fatal lil' booboo himself. As Muzan is about to shuffle off the mortal coil, he uses the last of his powers to turn Tanjiro into a demon.
Who killed Upper Moon? ›The last member, Upper Moon Four Nakime, ends up being killed by Muzan Kibutsuji himself to stop the Dimensional Infinity Fortress from being controlled by his enemies.
Which Hashira killed which upper moon? ›1) Kyojuro Rengoku
Kyojuro Rangoku is the Flame Hashira that was loved by the entire fanbase. His enthusiasm and an unwavering sense of justice enabled him to become the man that he was. Unfortunately, Rengoku was killed by Akaza, the Upper Moon 3.
Fortunately, Zenitsu was able to single handedly beat the Upper Moon 6. Not only did he defeat the demon, he also created a seventh form called the Flaming Thunder God. These are the demons who have been given the title of Upper Moon 6 in Demon Slayer.
Can Nezuko beat an upper moon? ›Although Gyutaro might be far stronger, Nezuko would only have to keep up against the demon until sunrise. Her Blood Demon Art is such that it only affects demons, which means there is a very good possibility for her to beat the Upper Moon 6 demons.
Who is weaker than Nezuko? ›1 Muzan (Demon Slayer)
Without that antidote, it would have been impossible to kill him. So despite all her strength and humanity, Nezuko would have easily lost to Muzan.
Nezuko Kamado
Zenitsu also protects Nezuko multiple times when she is in danger, evident during Zenitsu's first meeting with Inosuke Hashibira and the battle against Enmu in the train. Eventually Zenitsu and Nezuko would marry and start a family as evidenced by their descendants.
Who is Inosuke's dad? ›
Kotoha was an ordinary human, without any special powers or abilities.
Why is akaza scared of doma? ›Because of his desire to become stronger and Doma's strength allowing him to surpass himself to become Upper Two, Akaza harboured an intense hatred of Doma. Doma, as apathetic as he is, considered him his "best friend", seemingly ignoring the contempt Akaza possessed.
Who is Muzan scared of? ›The warrior Muzan feared was a swordsman named Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Yoriichi was the only slayer before Tanjiro who came close to killing Muzan, and the flashback of their fight occurred in Chapter 187.
What is Tanjiro's 13th form? ›Thirteenth Form of Sun Breathing in Demon Slayer
It involves a combination of all existing Sun breathing techniques — but performed in a consecutive manner. This technique's primary purpose is to slash all the twelve vital organs of a demon. Each form targets a specific organ. Tanjiro only used it once in the manga.
Zenitsu ranked 2nd place in the first popularity poll with 4,299 votes. Zenitsu ranked 1st place in the second popularity poll with 17,451 votes.
Is Tanjiro upper moon 0? ›Or: Kamado Tanjiro unwillingly becomes Upper Moon Zero, and he willingly kills for Kibutsuji Muzan, because his sister unconditionally believes that the man saved them (and didn't kill their family), and thinks that they must protect him, and if Tanjiro disobeys, then his sister will be killed.
Who is Muzan biggest enemy? ›The only character who was stronger than Muzan was Yoriichi. He almost beat Muzan before splitting his body into 1800 parts in an attempt to escape. He escaped successfully and managed to fuse back into a single body after a while.
Can Muzan beat Madara? ›4 Madara Uchiha (Naruto)
Muzan may be strong, but Madara is on a whole other level. Madara has Sharingan, Rinnegan, and wood-style jutsu, while Muzan just has some fancy demon powers.
Don't go! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! Muzan speaks his final words as he loses control over Tanjiro.
Who is Tanjiro girlfriend? ›Later it is revealed that he married fellow slayer Kanao Tsuyuri, In the Modern World, Tanjiro and Kanao had descendants named Sumihiko Kamado and Kanata Kamado.
Who is Zenitsu's dad? ›
Jigoro Kuwajima ( 桑 くわ 島 じま 慈 じ 悟 ご 郎 ろう , Kuwajima Jigorō?) is the man who trained Zenitsu Agatsuma and Kaigaku.
Who is Nezuko's father? ›Tanjuro Kamado ( 竈門 かまど 炭 たん 十 じゅう 郎 ろう , Kamado Tanjūrō?) was the husband of Kie Kamado and the late father of Tanjiro, Nezuko, Takeo, Hanako, Shigeru, and Rokuta.
What is the saddest death in Demon Slayer? ›1 Kyojuro "Flame Pillar" Rengoku
And finally, let's get to the number one saddest death in the franchise, and of course, that's the death of the brightly burning Flame-Breathing user that is Kyojuro Rengoku.
Unfortunately, not all of these elite warriors make it out of the series alive, and none of them make it to the end in one piece. The manga for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba concluded some time ago, so the ultimate fate of each Hashira has already been established, even as the anime soldiers on.
How did Yoriichi live past 25? ›Only two Slayers were ever known to be older than 25 with a Mark. Yoriichi lived till old age, likely due to him having been born with the mark and thereby avoiding the curse altogether. Gyomei on the other hand did not activate his Mark until he was already older than 25.
Why did douma cry? ›He considered these stories extremely boring and was confused why they came to a child for help. These people asked him to lead them to paradise, causing Doma to cry, since he never believed paradise, the gods and Buddha were real.
Is Inosuke half demon? ›The adventure and life of a child of a demon and a human. Inosuke Hashibira, a half-demon among demon slayers.
Why is doma so strong? ›Immense Strength: Doma has incredible physical strength, mainly due to the amount of Muzan Kibutsuji's blood he assimilated, possibly making him stronger than Akaza because he is one rank higher.
Who is the strongest 12 Hashira? ›Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, is the strongest Hashira in the Demon Slayer corps in terms of strength and swordsmanship. He is the only person who uses spiked flails and an axe instead of standard swords to kill demons.
Who is the most powerful character in Demon Slayer? ›Yoriichi is the most powerful known character in the history of the series and the most powerful swordsman and Demon Hunter, born with the Demon Slayer Mark and the Transparent World. As a kid not trained in sword skills, he was able to defeat a trained sword instructor and was called a miracle.
Who is the 2 strongest Hashira? ›
2 Sanemi Shinazugawa
In the fight with Upper Rank 1 Kizuki Kokushibo, Sanemi was stated to be one of the two strongest Hashira, and going right along with that, Sanemi was incredibly effective against both Kokushibo and Muzan, doing a lot of damage in both fights even when other characters faltered.
Tengen Uzui
He is the fastest Hashira, and the second physically strongest. Obviously, then, Tengen Uzui is rather proud. He is demanding, fussy, boastful, and prone to selfishness. But he is also ultimately kind and caring, with great love for his three wives as well as the other Hashira.
1) Gyomei. Gyomei Himejima is the strongest Hashira in Demon Slayer. This fact has been established in the manga as Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu all agree that he is the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps. His strength was showcased during the fight against Kokushibo.