Demon SlayerThe meteoric rise of in anime fandom is the result of multiple interconnected factors. While loosely defined as shonen, the story deviates significantly from the conventions of the genre. Demon Slayer is filled with an eclectic cast of characters, all of whom help shape this fascinating universe in their own way.

The narrative’s power scale is particularly notable for its consistent pacing, with characters rarely undergoing the hyperbolic power upgrades seen in other popular shonen examples. As such, sorting them by strength becomes a relatively easy task as characters only experience growth when it is relevant to the overall plot.

Updated August 24, 2024 by Robbie Robinson: The Demon Slayer anime is finally coming to an end. For fans of the anime alone, seeing each Hashira fall into the Infinity Castle has them wondering who will make it out alive and who won’t. While there are plenty of heartbreaking deaths on the horizon, that doesn’t mean the Demon Slayers aren’t putting their all into everything they do. The demons may be powerful, but the Demon Slayer Corps has an arsenal of capable fighters. This list has been updated to add more characters to the rankings and to bring this list up to current CBR formatting standards.

Demon Slayer Manga spoilers below

15 Nezuko only fights for short periods of time

Age: 14 years old

Nezuko is arguably one of the most important characters in Demon SlayerAfter all, it was thanks to her that Tanjiro set out on the path to defeating Muzan. As the series progressed, Nezuko gained increasingly powerful abilities. Her powers and strengths are comparable to those of an Upper Moon. With her explosive Blood Demon Art, her size modification, and her impressive regeneration abilities, Nezuko is truly a difficult demon to defeat.

Nezuko is also immune to sunlight, which is an incredible feat among demons. There’s no denying how strong Nezuko is, but she ranks last on this list. While Nezuko can go toe-to-toe with many demons and has saved Tanjiro’s life more than once, she tires too easily. Since she can’t fight for long periods of time and has to sleep for so long to regain her energy, she ranks here.

14 Mitsuri’s flexibility works in her favor

Age: 19 years old

The Love Hashira, Mitsuri, is physically one of the strongest Hashira, but her powers lie in her quick reflexes and agility. Mitsuri’s sword acts like a ribbon. Pair her fluid blade with her strange feline acrobatics and Mitsuri has no problem taking on most demons. While Mitsuri doesn’t get as much time to shine as other Hashira, she has proven herself to be a more than capable fighter.

Mitsuri truly shows her courage when she fights Hantengu. Not only does she save Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya, but she is able to hold her own against his snake heads for a long time while Tanjiro focuses on taking out the main body. Her incredible stamina and strength are enough to shock even Hantengu.

13 Hantengu’s abilities make him difficult to kill

Age: Over 200 years old

As the fourth Upper Moon, Hantengu is really no joke. What makes Hantengu so strong is his ability to create multiple clones of himself. While he himself is not the greatest fighter in the world, his clones appear with the strength and powers of an Upper Moon. So, Fighting Hantengu means fighting at least four other Upper Moon Demonswhich is quite ridiculous.

The only way to kill Hantengu is to kill his main body. A classic decapitation doesn’t work in his case. Hantengu is also known for his stealth abilities. He is difficult to detect, which allows him to be rather elusive. Even against Mitsuri, Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya, Hantengu was able to hold them off for a very long time. If the team hadn’t been able to figure out his tricks, it’s very likely that they all could have died.

12 Obanai kills demons with ease

Age: 21 years old

Obanai, the Snake Hashira, fights as quickly and fluidly as his Hashira title suggests. His relatively calm, yet aggressive demeanor suits him perfectly. Like a snake, Obanai is always on the lookout for the perfect moment to strike. Despite his small size and partial blindness, Obanai rarely falters. Obanai is another Hashira that fans of the series don’t see much action until the final arc, which is a shame.

In the Infinity Castle, Obanai shows fans just how much of a Hashira he is. He has shown to have little to no trouble when it comes to dealing with minor demons, and when faced with Muzan, Obanai deals him devastating blows. After being able to awaken his Demon Slayer Mark, Obanai quickly incapacitates Muzan.

11 Kyojuro Rengoku’s Legacy Will Always Live On

Age: 20 years old

As the official Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku displays an enthusiastic desire to bring justice on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. His base strength is not impressive, but it is more than enough to take on opponents like Enmu, the strongest of the lower-ranked Kizuki. Rengoku’s combat is as fiery as his personality. Even in terms of appearance, Rengoku is like a living flame.

In fact, even Akaza in Upper Moon #3 is forced to acknowledge the Flame Hashira’s incredible stamina and durability. Kyojuro is a master of the Flame Breathing style and is able to use a variety of techniques with great effectiveness. Unfortunately, Rengoku meets his end during the Mugen Train arc. He may be dead, but he lives on in the hearts of every Demon Slayer still fighting.

10 Muichiro Tokito’s age doesn’t stop him

Age: 14 years old

Muichiro is the youngest Hashira, at just 14 years old. Despite his age, the Mist Hashira is extraordinarily powerful when it comes to killing demons. After watching his twin brother, Yuichiro, die at the hands of a demon, Muichiro developed a deep hatred towards all demons. His rage and apathetic armor serve as the fuel he needs to be one of the most powerful Hashira.

Muichiro has been praised by many older Hashira for his natural talent and impressive performances. Usually, it takes many years of training to become a Hashira, but Muichiro earned the title after only a few months. Not only was he able to kill a demon before he was even a Hashira, but Muichiro was also able to turn his Nichirin sword red while fighting Kokushibo. There is no doubt that Muichiro deserves to be in tenth place on this list.

9 Giyu Tomioka never wavers

Age: 21 years old

Giyu Tomioka is a lone wolf, preferring to finish his fights without wasting his breath on his opponents. He is also the first Hashira that viewers meet, appearing shortly after Nezuko is transformed into a demon. The Water Hashira first reveals the extent of his martial prowess against Rui, using a personal technique known as Eleventh Form: Deadly Calm. This devastating ability is apparently powerful enough to eviscerate Lower Moons.

Several fights have proven Giyu’s exceptional willpower, most notably when he faces Muzan towards the end of the story. The Water Hashira is more than capable of defeating the Upper Moonsbut he needs Tanjiro’s help to defeat Akaza. That said, Giyu is nonetheless one of the strongest Demon Slayer characters.

8 Sanemi Shinazugawa has blazing speed

Age: 21 years old

The Wind Pillar is a living tornado, who first showed his courage in a friendly match against Giyu Tomioka. He is also the older brother of Genya, another demon slayer. Sanemi’s abilities are nothing short of extraordinary, as shown when he takes down a horde of mid-level demons in the Infinity Castle arc. His breathing style and movements allow many demons to easily achieve victory.

In fact, Kokushibo himself praises Sanemi’s combat versatility, but with one small caveat: the Wind Hashira is severely limited by his human form. Sanemi’s most impressive feature, however, is his agility. His movements are so fast that they are nearly indistinguishable from teleportation. He is arguably on par with the most powerful Hashira in the world. Demon Slayer.

7 Even a decapitated head won’t stop Akaza

Age: Over 133 years old

Akaza’s greatest claim to fame in Demon Slayer He’s defeating Kyokuro Rengoku, not to mention all the other Hashira he’s killed over the last century. Rengoku is one of the strongest characters in the entire series, so killing Rengoku was no small feat. His self-healing potential is impressive, considering he can regenerate his own decapitated head.

In fact, it is revealed that Akaza’s combat perception was highly developed long before he became a demon. The No. 3 High Rank Demon relies as much on strategy as he does on strength. He refuses to underestimate his opponents, making him a truly formidable foe. Akaza is nothing short of one of the strongest characters in Demon Slayer.

6 Doma has killed many demon slayers

Age: Over 133 years old

Doma is a step above Akaza in numbers, but his power level is exponentially greater. Doma Effortlessly Crushes Kanae Kocho and Shinobu KochoThe former and current Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Doma’s highly complex Blood Demon Art is the source of his strength. Aside from his strength alone, Doma’s flirtatious and arrogant personality makes him all the more sinister.

Son Muhyo: Suiren Bosatsu pays twisted homage to the Bodhisattva concept. Doma wields his trademark Cryokinesis with near-perfect precision, using a range of ice-based techniques for both attack and defense. This Upper Moon No. 2 may be overly arrogant, but there’s no doubt he has an overpowered arsenal. The only reason he’s able to be defeated is because Shinbou injected himself with horrific levels of toxin in preparation for his death.

5 Gyomei Himejima is as strong as stone

Age: 27 years old

Gyomei is widely considered the strongest Hashira alive, surpassing his comrades in endurance, martial skill, and most importantly, patience. He is also the oldest Hashira, granting him wisdom in combat. Gyomei rarely attacks without evaluating all the outcomes available to him at any given moment.

His preferred fighting style, Kusarigamajutsu, incorporates traditional Kusarigama rather than the Nichirin blades used by other demon slayers. Additionally, Gyomei’s stone breath generates enough power to force demons as powerful as Kokushibo onto the defensive. The Stone Hashira is the most powerful character in the Demon Slayer Corps.

4 Kokushibo is the highest upper moon

Age: Over 480 years old

Kokushibo stands at the top of Muzan’s macabre hierarchy, answering to none other than the Demon King himself. Having survived for hundreds of years, Kokushibo’s combat prowess and battle wisdom are beyond the comprehension of ordinary humans. Even the Hashira tremble before his uncontrollable bloodlust. Considering he ranks so high next to Muzan, it’s no surprise that his ability set is overpowered.

Kokushibo masters Total Concentration Breathing, which involves expanding his lungs and using that extra oxygen to enhance different parts of his body. Despite a fierce fight, Kokushibo eventually extracts every ounce of energy from Gyomei and Sanemi. Additionally, the Upper Moon No. 1’s Crescent Moon Blades are nearly impossible to dodge. Kokushibo is easily one of the most powerful characters in Demon Slayer.

3 Tanjiro Kamado’s ability to grow and learn quickly is his greatest strength.

Age: 16 years old

Tanjiro’s birth heralds a new era for humanity, though the boy is blissfully unaware of the fate that awaits him. He gets his first taste of the bitterness of reality when his mother and siblings are slaughtered by an unknown assailant (later revealed to be Muzan). Tanjiro is wracked with guilt and vows to earn Nezuko’s forgiveness for his failure to protect her.

His diamond-hard skull can be advantageous in certain situations, but he doesn’t need to resort to headbutts after unlocking the long-lost art of Sun Breathing. Despite his young age, Tanjiro can be considered the strongest Demon Slayer still alive in history. Tanjiro has an undeniable determination and passion. Pair that with his quick learning and core strength, and Tanjiro is hard to top.

2 Yoriichi Tsugikuni is terribly powerful

Age: 24 (when often shown)

Yoriichi Tsugikuni deserves the honor of being the most powerful Demon Slayer to ever exist. Unlike other great warriors, who may or may not acquire their Demon Slayer Marks later in life, Yoriichi was born with them. Furthermore, this character single-handedly invented the original Sun Breathing style. Despite living over 500 years ago in terms of Demon Slayer timeline, he is known as a legendary demon slayer.

Yoriichi later mixes this with his prodigious swordsmanship to create attacks that very few demons can avoid, let alone dodge, parry, or block. Much like Voldemort’s innate fear of Dumbledore in Harry PotterMuzan is terrified of Yoriichi as he is arguably the only person in the world who can destroy the Demon King. Yoriichi may not be in the fight against Muzan, but his breathing style has been passed down through the Kamado family. Tanjiro confronts Muzan with Yoriichi’s spirit.

1 Muzan Kibutsuji is rightly the Demon King

Age: Over 1,000 years old

Despite Yoriichi’s superhuman strength, he was never a demon, making him vulnerable to the passage of time. On the other hand, Muzan’s eternal youth, immortality, and biokinesis made him nearly invincible. Muzan was born as the first demon during a medical error. Thus, he began to grow his empire of demons around himself. The scope of the Demon King’s power includes a vast array of intertwined abilities and techniques, each of which can defeat even the most powerful Hashira.

If that’s not enough, Muzan is able to control and manipulate the physiology of demons with molecular precision. Facing this villain in one-on-one combat is a fool’s errand. The concerted efforts of powerful individuals can potentially make a difference, but even the strongest Hashira in the world Demon Slayer cannot compare to the power of Muzan. So, there is no denying that Muzan is the strongest character in Demon Slayer.