What is the highest rank for demons and slayers in Demon Slayer? 

The Demon Slayer series has become one of the most popular new-gen anime and manga series around. Originally published as a manga by Shueisha Shonen Jump, Demon Slayer has become the latest and best starter anime for fans looking to get friends into the medium.

The world is fairly deep, with author Koyoharo Gotouge going to great depths to flush out the rules and pecking order of both of Demon Slayer’s main groups. Nevertheless, fans are curious as to just how high a demon and demon slayer can climb in their respective ranks.

Follow along as this article breaks down what the highest rank members of each Demon Slayer group can reach.

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Demon Slayer's combatants strive for greatness on both sides, whether human or monster

Highest rank for demons

The Upper Six Moon rank demons ranked 1-6 from left to right (Image via Shueisha Shonen Jump)

Demon Slayer's antagonistic group of demons are exactly as malicious and evil as the name implies. Coming in all shapes, sizes, and forms, demons are creatures who hunt humans as a food source, consuming them for general sustenance as well as gaining strength.

Their powers and quirks vary, while some can easily be defeated by humans, stronger demons pose complications for demon slayers. Examples of the former would be Final Selection demons, which are tough, but beatable by those who are strong enough to be demon slayers.

Examples of the latter, however, would consist of well-fed demons, some of whom may be classified as having strength comparable to the Twelve Kizuki.

The Twelve Kizuki serve as the absolute strongest of demonkind, with the group being split into two factions.

Muzan Kibutsuji as seen in the series' anime (Image via ufotable Studios)

The Lower Six Moons of the Twelve Kizuki are ranks that constantly cycle, much to the chagrin of Muzan Kibutsuji, progenitor and ruler of demonkind. Early on in the series, fans see Muzan brutally murder all but one of the Lower Six for their weakness and inability to do anything meaningful. The one spared, however, later dies at the hands of protagonist Tanjiro Kamado.

The Upper Six Moons of the Twelve Kizuki consist of the strongest demons to ever exist, with their ranks having been unchanged for hundreds of years. The strongest of them is the Rank One moon, Kokushibo, who was once known as Michikatsu Tsugikuni.

Aside from Muzan Kibutsuji who rules over demonkind, Kokushibo’s position of Rank One of the Six Upper Moons of the Twelve Kizuki represents the highest rank a demon can have.

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Highest rank for slayers

The nine Hashira as seen in the series' anime (Image via ufotable Studios)

The series’ eponymous group functions a little differently than their enemies as far as their rankings are classified.

As far as the series has depicted, slayers typically train under a former, high-ranking member of the Demon Slayer corps. A safe presumption is that potential recruits can also train under some lower-ranking members as well, assuming they have the knowledge, experience, and skill to teach others.

Once recruits pass the Final Selection exam and join the corps, the ranking system becomes much more in-depth and complicated than the demonic approach. A fresh recruit is a Mizunoto, followed in ascending order by Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kinoto, and finally, Kinoe.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki, leader of the Demon Slayer corps for much of the series, as seen in the series' anime (Image via ufotable Studios)

Once in the Kinoe group, there are still more ranks slayers can ascend to. However, a Kinoe rank slayer must either kill 50 demons or one of the Twelve Kizuki to further ascend the ranks.

If these requisites are met, however, they will become a Hashira, which is the highest rank that can be attained in the Demon Slayer corps. Much like the demons, the corps also has a leader, in the form of the current head of the Ubuyashiki family, who historically were the first to fight demons and form the Demon Slayer corps.

Technically speaking, this is the highest possible rank within the corps. However, a typical, non-Ubuyashiki slayer can rise as far as Hashira rank, but not any further.

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In summation

Excluding the leadership positions for both factions, each group has a definitive, highest rank that its members can reach. An exchange of leadership is possible, and especially for demonkind, it has been shown in the series.

For slayers, the highest rank they can reasonably attain is that of Hashira, which can only be obtained after climbing through different ranks. Demons, meanwhile, can enter the Upper Six Moons of the Twelve Kizuki, by either replacing a member who died to a slayer or by fighting and killing a member for their spot.

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