Every Demon Slayer who impressed Upper Moon three Akaza

Demon Slayer’s biggest strength as a series is probably its characters. This is a very character-focused narrative, and many of the characters have compelling backstories and strong motivations. They also frequently experience fantastic moments that let them shine. This is also true of the series' villains, and the third Upper Moon, Akaza, could be very well one of the most intriguing characters in the entire series.

While anime-only viewers are only familiar with him because of the battle with the Flame Hashira, Rengoku, the readers of the Demon Slayer manga know full well about his backstory, his motivations, his worldview, and the very few characters he has come to respect. This list is going to highlight every Demon Slayer that has impressed Akaza during his centuries as an Upper Moon.

Disclaimer: This article shows a lot of spoilers for the Demon Slayer series.

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Rengoku and two more Demon Slayer that impressed Akaza

Kyojuro Rengoku

Rengoku almost pushed Akaza to the brink of death (Image via Ufotable).

Rengoku’s battle with Akaza, after it was adapted in the Demon Slayer anime, has become a modern legend in the medium. His poignant ending, combined with the animation, choreography, and context, made this one of the most emotional and memorable moments in the entire series.

The fans were not the only ones impressed, though. Akaza was sent to kill Tanjiro as a direct order from Muzan, but he was stopped by the Flame Hashira, who was very adamant that he was not going to let anyone die that night. Thus their battle began, and Akaza was very impressed with Rengoku’s strength, skill, and determination to keep going.

While it has been stated in the manga that Akaza was far more powerful than Rengoku, the latter held his own extremely well and was very close to killing the Upper Moon by holding him until sunrise, which would have effectively destroyed the demon.

Rengoku has gone on to become a fan-favorite in the Demon Slayer community, and Akaza was a fan as well!

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Giyuu Tomioka

Tomioka pushed Akaza to his limits (Image via Ufotable).

Giyuu Tomioka is the Water Hashira, the one that saved Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado at the beginning of the story. He is one of the most powerful characters in the franchises, so when the last arc of the manga called for him to fight Akaza, there were many reasons to be hyped. Especially considering the events that happened with Rengoku earlier on.

Much like the Flame Hashira, Tomioka was capable of putting up a fight with Akaza and did better than Rengoku, constantly pushing the Upper Moon to go further beyond his abilities. Of course, Tomioka was aided by Tanjiro Kamado in this battle, but the Water Hashira carried a lot of the bulk of the battle.

Akaza was duly impressed by Tomioka’s abilities, and, like he did with Rengoku in the past, asked him to become a demon so they could fight and train together for centuries. Naturally, in classic Tomioka style, he rejected the offer and focused on fighting.

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Tanjiro Kamado

Tanjiro was responsible for Akaza's end... sort of (Image via Ufotable).

Tanjiro Kamado is, of course, the protagonist of Demon Slayer, and he had a personal grudge against Akaza after he took Rengoku’s life. He had a chance for payback, along with Tomioka, during the final arc where the two of them faced off against the Upper Moon.

Their battle went on for a long time, and there was even a moment where it seemed that Tanjiro was killed, although this proved not to be the case. However, as they kept fighting, Akaza developed a degree of admiration and respect for Tanjiro, much like it happened with the likes of Tomioka and Rengoku.

However, Tanjiro would also allow Akaza to reconnect with his long-gone humanity, which resulted in him taking his own life. It is interesting to point out that Akaza technically didn’t lose against the duo, thus becoming the only character in the series to not lose a battle.

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Final thoughts

Demon Slayer is a series that has always shined because of its amazing characters, and Akaza is certainly up there. He is not only one of the strongest Upper Moons in the series but also one of the most complex characters, with his backstory and final battle being two of the most anticipated moments in the entire anime adaptation.