Is Tengen the weakest Hashira in Demon Slayer?

Demon Slayer’s Entertainment District arc has the series being discussed nearly everywhere in the animanga community. Featured character Tengen Uzui has also been a heavily debated character as a result, specifically in regards to power scaling.

It seems as though some fans feel as though Uzui is the weakest of the Hashira in the series. While he’s certainly not the strongest, he’s far from the weakest as well. Follow along as this article explores whether or not Tengen is the weakest Hashira in Demon Slayer.

WARNING: DEMON SLAYER ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT ARC AND MANGA SPOILERS BELOW

---

Demon Slayer fans curious as to whether or not Tengen is the weakest Hashira seen in the series

Physical strength

In terms of physical strength, Tengen Uzui is far from being the weakest Hashira. While his feats throughout the Daki and Gyutaro battles certainly displayed this, there’s additional evidence to show that he's not the weakest Hashira.

As seen in the Shinobu vs. Doma fight, Shinobu lacked the strength to decapitate an Upper Rank Demon. On the contrary, Tengen was able to sneak up behind and decapitate Daki with no problem during the Entertainment District arc.

Shinobu unable to cut through Doma's head in their final fight. (Image via Shueisha Shonen Jump+ app)

Tengen also has immense strength, stamina, and endurance, accredited to both his Shinobi and Demon Slayer training. These qualities are heavily displayed during the Entertainment District arc which was the last fight Tengen ever had as a Demon Slayer.

---

Battle IQ

Tengen Uzui protecting people and surroundings during the Gyutaro fight. (Image via Sportskeeda)

Tengen had an incredible battle IQ by the time he joined the Demon Slayer corps. This was after he successfully underwent the incredibly harsh Shinobi training which killed most of his siblings. Like his physical strength, his battle IQ was also on display during the Entertainment District arc.

His sudden decisions during the Daki/Gyutaro fights, which saved bystanders and minimized damage, proved his tactical intellect and battle experience. Even when poisoned by Gyutaro, he was still in control of his mind enough to develop the most effective strategy to fight the Upper Rank demon.

Furthermore, he was also able to devise a plan cunning enough to fool Gyutaro while he was suffering from the Upper Rank’s poison. By having stopped his heart purposefully to slow the poison's spread, Tengen ended up staying unconscious in this state long enough to convince Gyutaro he’s dead. Tengen is inarguably a great tactician in Demon Slayer, especially one with plenty of battle experience.

---

Breathing Style

Tengen’s Breathing Style is also one of the more remarkable seen in the series. User of the Sound Breathing Style, Tengen created this style himself to work in tandem with his Shinobi training and other skills he had developed.

Part of Tengen’s Shinobi training involved explosive expertise, something which is evident in, and translates over, to his Sound Breathing Style. This has resulted in an extremely destructive Breath Style which Tengen can also aim with pinpoint accuracy.

The explosive style of Tengen’s technique and overall offense works very well for clearing crowds of demons, as well as meaningfully damaging stronger, Kizuki rank demons. It’s certainly more combat ready than other Breathing Styles seen in the series, so Tengen definitely isn’t the weakest in this regard either.

---

In summation

The core components of a Demon Slayer’s strength comes down to one’s Breathing Style, battle IQ, and physical strength. These are even more important for those at the Hashira level, who will likely combat Kizuki rank demons regularly.

In these three regards, Tengen Uzui is far from the weakest Hashira. Shinobu is the weakest in terms of physical strength, and while the winner for the other two categories is debatable, it certainly isn’t Tengen.

Be sure to keep up with all Demon Slayer anime, video game, and live-action news as 2022 progresses.