10 most powerful Demon Slayer characters, ranked weakest to strongest

There are a plethora of Demon Slayer characters who have made a lasting impression on fans. Since this is a Shonen series, there are plenty of powerful characters who have taken on demons. The setting is such that demons are inherently superior to humans when it comes to overall physical attributes.

However, humans figured out a way to bypass that weakness by incorporating Breathing Techniques. Let’s take a look at some of the most powerful Demon Slayer characters and rank them in ascending order of strength and fighting capabilities.

Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers from the manga chapters and contains the writer's opinion.

Giyu Tomioka and 9 other Demon Slayer characters ranked according to their combat abilities

10) Giyu Tomioka

Giyu Tomioka as seen in the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

Giyu Tomioka is the Water Hashira in the series. Despite being last on this list, he is undoubtedly one of the most valuable members of the Demon Slayer Corps. He is one of the few who managed to develop the Demon Slayer Mark as well. He developed a form of his own in the Water Breathing Technique and even played an important role in killing Akaza, the Upper Moon 3 demon.

If not for his efforts in that fight, the demon would have killed Tanjiro with relative ease. Furthermore, he contributed to the fight against Kibutsuji Muzan and dealt decisive blows that eventually resulted in humanity’s win against demons.

9) Tanjiro Kamado

Tanjiro as seen in the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

Tanjiro Kamado, by the end of the manga, was at the level of a Hashira. Not only was he able to keep up against the likes of Akaza, but also severely damaged the demon. He was also the first person in that generation to develop the Demon Slayer Mark. This paired with the Sun Breathing technique makes him slightly stronger than the Water Hashira.

Tanjiro’s Breathing Technique was monumental in Muzan’s defeat since he was the only one who had access to the technique designed specifically to defeat the Demon King. Tanjiro’s speed, power, and endurance were on the level of some of the strongest Hashira by the time the manga ended.

8) Obanai Iguro/Muichiro Tokito

Obanai and Muichiro as seen in the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira is one of the most popular Demon Slayer characters on this list. Known for his quiet demeanor, he is incredibly skilled in combat. He is one of the strongest Hashira in the series, just falling short of Sanemi and Gyomei on this list.

Not only did he go toe-to-toe with Muzan in the final battle, but he did so while he was blind in one eye. Despite losing one of the most important senses he managed to deal damage to the Demon King during a fight.

Muichiro Tokito is more or less on the same level as Obanai Iguro. He is one of the most talented Demon Slayer characters who found a way to weaken Kokushibo considerably. He and Obanai both activated Demon Slayer Marks and dealt a considerable amount of damage to their respective opponents.

7) Sanemi Shinazugawa

Sanemi, one of the most ruthless Demon Slayer characters (Image via Ufotable)

Sanemi Shinazugawa is the Wind Hashira who took on Kokushibo with Gyomei’s help. He is one of the most explosive Demon Slayer characters and never backs down from a fight. He played a crucial role in defeating the Upper Moon 1 demon and was one of the only two Hashira who were alive by the end of the manga series.

Furthermore, despite being wounded in the fight against Kokushibo, he continued fighting and dealt a considerable amount of damage to Muzan as well. Sanemi also unlocked the Demon Slayer Mark and managed to unlock the bright red Nichirin blade which is paramount to defeating powerful demons.

6) Gyomei Himejima

Gyomei is one of the most powerful Demon Slayer characters despite being blind (Image via Ufotable)

Gyomei Himejima is the most powerful Hashira in the series. No human aside from Yoriichi can rival his strength in the series. In fact, Kokushibo even took the time to appreciate his physique since he was the most impressive human he encountered in hundreds of years. Gyomei was a big reason why Kokushibo was defeated in the series.

Additionally, Gyomei unlocked the Demon Slayer Mark along with Transparent World granting him improved abilities that allowed him to fight Muzan. He achieved all of this despite being blind, making him one of the most beloved Demon Slayer characters.

5) Akaza

Akaza as seen in the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

Akaza is one of those Demon Slayer characters who receives plenty of empathy from fans despite being a demon. He was a victim of circumstances and ended up becoming one of the most powerful demons in the series. He managed to kill Kyojuro Rengoku with relative ease. While it might seem like he struggled, Akaza wasn’t particularly showing his best in that fight.

Furthermore, he is one of the few demons who can regrow their heads despite being beheaded with a Nichirin blade. Akaza as a character could have surpassed the likes of Doma if he realized his true potential. It was eventually his decision to retire that allowed Tanjiro and Giyu to survive.

4) Doma

Doma is one of the most abhorred Demon Slayer characters (Image via Ufotable)

Doma, the Upper Moon 2 demon is one of the most hated Demon Slayer characters. He has a despicable attitude and is incredibly skilled in combat. His Blood Demon Art can kill humans if they breathe air since he can release extremely small ice articles that are incredibly toxic to the human body.

Shinobu Kocho was forced to sacrifice her life and fill his body with extremely potent concoctions that could kill demons. If not for her sacrifice, Doma could have killed some of the strongest demon hunters on his own.

3) Kokushibo

Kokushibo as seen in the manga series (Image via Shueisha)

Kokushibo is the Upper Moon 1 demon who developed his own Breathing Technique. He was Yoriichi’s brother before turning into a demon. He killed several Hashira in his time and nearly succeeded in taking out Gyomei and Sanemi at the same time.

His flesh weapon allows him to cut through humans and send crescent-shaped projectiles at the same time. Furthermore, he could manipulate the speed, shape, size, and trajectory of said blades at will. He is one of the most feared Demon Slayer characters who tread a dark path due to the jealousy of his brother’s talent.

2) Kibutsuji Muzan

The Demon King as seen in the anime series (Image via Ufotable)

Kibutsuji Muzan, the Demon King, is one of the most hated Demon Slayer characters. He is someone who would go to any extent to survive. During his war against the demon hunters, he managed to take out Obanai Iguro, Mitsuri Kanroji, and Gyomei Himejima among other demon hunters. He was so strong that it took hundreds of years for the Demon Slayer Corps to finally kill him.

He also has a total of seven hearts and five brains, making it incredibly hard to kill him. It took the combined efforts of all demon hunters and Tamayo to kill him, and in his dying moments, managed to turn Tanjiro into a demon. He is one of the most annoyingly persistent Demon Slayer characters.

1) Yoriichi Tsukiguni

Yoriichi is one of the most popular Demon Slayer characters despite the lack of screen time (Image via Ufotable)

He is the legendary swordsman who managed to nearly kill Muzan all by himself. The only reason he failed was due to the fact that Muzan managed to split himself into 1800 parts. Despite that, Yoriichi successfully destroyed 1500 parts, but that wasn’t enough to kill the Demon King.

Furthermore, he was also the first one to create Breathing Techniques, which helped humanity defeat Muzan in the end. He was born with the Demon Slayer Mark and died of natural causes. Even in his dying moments, he drove Kokushibo to desperation and eventually froze, taking his last breath and dying moments later.

It is also important to note that demon Tanjiro has not been included on this list. This is because he had little to no feats that can be analyzed to accurately place him on this list.

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Edited by Tiasha