Thank the anime gods, ranking the most powerful characters in Demon Slayer is gonna be so much easier than ranking the power levels of characters from other shonen anime! Why? Because the demons developed their own ranking system! So did the Demon Slayer Corps, but theirs is much more confusing.
Other shonen anime? Nearly impossible. One Piece? Too many powerful characters. We’d be here all week. Naruto? Not as bad, but still the same deal. Dragon Ball Z? Who ISN’T a powerhouse on that show? Bleach? The Shinigami have some sort of canon ranking system, but not nearly as comprehensive. Thank you, Demon Slayer, for making everything easier.
10. Kyojuro Rengoku
Oh Kyojuro Rengoku, you were one of the very best of them. The brightest and most beautiful of all the Hashira. A pure, flame-spitting, food-loving soul. We still miss you.
Kyojuro Rengoku inherited the title of Flame Hashira from his father, the former holder of the title. Kyojuro is a practitioner of Flame Breathing, a Breathing Technique that is one of the closest to the original Sun Breathing, created by the most powerful warrior of all time (who will appear later on this list). Sadly, Kyojuro lost his life battling another powerful character on this list. Gone, but never forgotten.
9. Sanemi Shinazugawa
Sanemi Shinazugawa’s eyes alone are reason enough not to mess around with the guy. He’s just got that murder look and it isn’t all show. The Wind Hashira has mastered the art of Wind Breathing, a technique that allows him to move so quickly he appears to be teleporting to the untrained eye. Kokushibo, one of the strongest demons in the series, praises Shinazugawa’s sword-fighting abilities. If only he could improve his interpersonal skills in the same manner as his combat abilities. The dude is kind of a jerk … to everyone.
8. Giyu Tomioka
Giyu Tomioka is the Water Hashira, and master of the Water Breathing style. No, it does not allow him to breathe underwater, but it does allow him to overwhelm his foes with all the strength of the ocean. Or maybe an extremely large lake. Giyu Tomioka has made quick work of countless demons in the series, often fighting alone. He is even able to go toe to toe with Muzan, the Demon King at the end of the story. Even Tomioka has his limits though, and had to team up with Tanjiro to take down the next most powerful character to appear on this list….
7. Akaza
Upper Rank 3. Akaza, the demon who killed Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku. Akaza has been responsible for the deaths of scores of Hashira throughout his long career in service to the Demon King. What’s his secret sauce? A powerful, ancient weapon of sorts? Telekinesis? An especially pointy stick? Nope. Akaza knows how to do one thing and one thing only: throw hands. The demon is an exceptional martial artist and uses nothing but his furious limbs to take would-be demon slayers down.
6. Doma
If you thought Akaza was bad, Doma is in an entirely different league. This sociopathic bastard has a particular proclivity for devouring women and ends up doing just this to the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho. The Upper Rank Two Doma is the third most powerful demon in Muzan’s organization, falling below Upper Rank One and the Demon King himself. Doma uses cryokinesis (power over ice) in order to decimate foes with chilly offensive might.
5. Gyomei
The pride of the Demon Slayer Corps, the Stone Hashira is the strongest member in the organization. He’s an absolute specimen of a man, built like a linebacker. Gyomei possesses brawn and brains in equal measure, as the Stone Hashira possesses the intelligence and patience to analyze his opponents and make the perfect move. He’s the only Hashira that doesn’t wield a sword, but rather a giant axe and flail combo. The Stone Hashira is able to go solo against one of the most powerful demons in existence, Upper Rank One, the next character on this list.
4. Kokushibo
Upper Rank One—Kokushibo—is the Demon King Muzan’s right-hand man. He is an ancient and powerful swordsman and the older brother of the greatest swordsman in history. Kokushibo is the only member of Muzan’s organization who is able to use Breathing Techniques, like the Hashira. Kokushibo is the creator of Moon Breathing, a sword technique that allows him to fire off powerful crescent-shaped bolts of energy with every swing. The 500-year-old battle master has centuries of combat experience and is able to effortlessly defeat even the most formidable Hashira.
3. Tanjiro Kamado
Tanjiro Kamado is the protagonist of this shonen anime, so it’s no surprise that he’s one of the most powerful characters in the series. He is a direct descendent of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the greatest demon slayer in history, and the creator of the Sun Breathing Technique – the Breathing Technique upon which all others are based. Long story short, Tanjiro has demon slaying programmed into his DNA. After his confrontation with Muzan and his short-lived tenure as a demon, one could argue that he briefly became the most powerful character in the history of Demon Slayer.
2. Muzan the Demon King
The original. The blueprint. The biggest of the big bads. Muzan is the progenitor of demonkind, any human being that ingests his blood will turn into a powerful fully fledged demon (assuming they survive the transformation). Muzan is able to hold his own against the entire Demon Slayer Corps upper echelon of fighters. The surviving Hashira spar with Muzan in a brutal battle of attrition that lasts an entire night. The only thing that can defeat the dude? The ultimate demon slayer: the sun. And getting his head cut off at the same time. That helps too.
1. Yoriichi Tsugikuni
Yoriichi Tsugikuni is the most powerful character in the Demon Slayer series, bar none. He is the only character in the show’s history whose name strikes fear into the heart of the Demon King himself. Yoriichi was the only person to ever be able to face Muzan one on one. The Demon King barely managed to escape with his life, and referred to Yoriichi as the real “monster” between the two of them. Anyone who can make Muzan quake in his boots is not to be taken lightly.
(featured image: Ufotable)
