The 25 Strongest ‘Demon Slayer’ Characters, Ranked
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The 25 Strongest ‘Demon Slayer’ Characters, Ranked

Anna Lindwasser
Updated September 1, 2024 159.7K views 25 items
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32.1K votes
5.3K voters
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Vote on the most powerful characters in the 'Demon Slayer' universe.

One of the things that makes Demon Slayer so exciting is the inclusion of outrageously strong characters. Protagonist Tanjiro Kamado starts off weak, but through extensive training, he manages to defeat some high-ranking demons while working alongside his demon sister Nezuko. She's no slouch, either - but where do the Kamado siblings rank amongst the most powerful Demon Slayer characters? 

The Kamado siblings have some stiff competition. There's the Demon King Muzan Kitsubushi, who not only front-lined the terror demons have been pushing onto humans, but also can best any other demon in the world. Zenitsu also has to be mentioned, because even if he's cowardly when awake, the second he knocks out during battle his opponent is done for. And of course we can't forget the almighty Hashira - a group of nine skilled demon slayers who have perfected their craft and are near unbeatable.

If you're an anime-only Demon Slayer fan, be aware that this list will contain spoilers, as there are many powerful abilities that haven't been shown to the anime audience yet. So, who is the strongest Demon Slayer character? Vote for who you think the strongest demon slayer, demon, or trainee is down below!

Most divisive: Daki
Over 5.3K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The 25 Strongest ‘Demon Slayer’ Characters, Ranked
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  • 1

    Yoriichi Tsugikuni

    Yoriichi Tsugikuni
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    Said to be the strongest Demon Slayer in history, Yoriichi Tsugikuni had the power to back up that claim. He was responsible for creating Breathing Techniques as a whole, but his own specialty was Sun Breathing. While all its forms are powerful, the 13th, which combined all the previous 12 in rapid succession, was the most impressive. This move was meant to destroy Muzan Kibutsuji, but sadly, it failed.

    He was born with a Demon Slayer Mark and the ability to access the Transparent World. Overall, his abilities were unparalleled. 

    3,433 votes
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  • 2

    Muzan Kibutsuji

    Muzan Kibutsuji
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    We're a little scared of what Muzan Kibutsuji will do to us if he doesn't rank high on this list. All jokes aside, he's outlandishly strong. He's the first demon ever created, and the progenitor of all demon-kind. He can easily control the demons he created, whether by accessing their memories, forcing them to do things, or placing curses on them that activate when they fail to meet his expectations. He can transform his limbs into whips and barbed wires, heal and regenerate himself at will, possess people, or simply beat the heck out of them.

    Essentially, he's operating on the level of a god, and anyone who thinks they can defeat him is putting themselves at risk. 

    2,612 votes
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  • 3

    Kokushibo

    Kokushibo
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    Given that Kokushibo is the Upper Rank One, you can probably guess that this multi-eyed demon boasts terrifying strength. Besides Muzan Kibutsuji, he's the strongest demon of all. Originally a Demon Slayer, he was the first demon to utilize Breathing Techniques, and the first to possess a Demon Slayer Mark. His technique, called Moon Breathing, let him attack his opponents using moon-like sickles. Besides that, he possesess multiple extrasensory abilities as well as ungodly strength and endurance. He can form swords from his own flesh and transform into a literal monster. He's also a master at Total Concentration Breathing.

    The fact that he was once a Demon Slayer himself is perhaps his biggest advantage, since he can anticipate many of their strategies. 

    2,209 votes
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  • 4

    Doma

    Doma
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    As the Upper Rank Two, it's safe to say that Doma is the third-strongest demon out there. He easily defeated the powerful Kocho sisters, and was about to take on both Kanao and Inosuke without breaking a sweat. He doesn't just have great stamina - he literally never gets tired. His Blood Demon Art, Cryokinesis, allows him to generate and manipulate razor-sharp, super-cold ice.

    If, for some reason, that's not enough to take down his opponents, he can destroy them with his mastery of a form of martial arts called Tessenjutsu. 

    2,059 votes
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  • 5

    Akaza

    Akaza
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    Akaza first demonstrated his exceptional strength when defeating Kyojuro Rengoku. Before he became a demon, he was a master of the Soryu Style of martial arts. He combined that with shockwave-generating attacks to create his Blood Demon Art, Destructive Death.

    He possesses extraordinary regenerative abilities, and can sense what he calls someone's "Fighting Spirit" and use that information to quickly adapt his attacks to suit the situation. No wonder he made it to Upper Rank Three.

    1,999 votes
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  • 6

    Gyomei Himejima

    Gyomei Himejima
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    As the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima utilizes Stone Breathing, a technique that combines his superhuman hearing with his outrageous physical strength to attack targets with a spiked flail and ax. His incredible hearing helps him navigate his surroundings more effectively than most people who aren't blind can. He pioneered a technique called Repetitive Action, which is similar to Total Concentration Breathing in that it allows the user to enhance their abilities.

    His strength, speed, and endurance also shoot up when he activates his Demon Slayer Mark. 

    2,219 votes
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  • 7

    Tanjiro Kamado

    Tanjiro Kamado
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    Tanjiro has come a long way since he started training. He started off by using the Water Breathing technique that Sakonji Urokodaki taught him. While he can do some serious damage with Water Breathing, he truly shines when using the Hinokami Kagura, a set of techniques he inherited from his father and then refined into a wide range of powerful moves.

    He also possesses an incredible sense of smell that gives him a ton of information about his surroundings and his opponents, and eventually even allows him to predict the future. Once his Demon Slayer mark is activated, his speed, strength, and other abilities go through the roof.  

    2,324 votes
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  • 8

    Sanemi Shinazugawa

    Sanemi Shinazugawa
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    As the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa specializes in Wind Breathing techniques. So far, he can use nine different forms, all of which are swift and powerful thanks to his excellent swordsmanship. He's the second fastest member of the Hashira and possesses incredible strength and endurance.

    His abilities are later amplified by his Demon Slayer Mark. 

    1,821 votes
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  • 9

    Giyu Tomioka

    Giyu Tomioka
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    Giyu Tomioka is the first Demon Slayer to appear in the story, and he does a great job of establishing just how strong they can be. As the Water Hashira, Giyu has mastered 11 forms of Water Breathing. The 11th form lets him deflect all attacks with perfect speed and accuracy. His speed, strength, and endurance all massively increase when he activates his Demon Slayer Mark.

    He's able to defeat countless low-ranked demons with barely any effort, and he can also hold his own against tougher opponents.

    1,910 votes
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  • 10

    Muichiro Tokito

    Muichiro Tokito
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    At just 14 years old, Muichiro Tokito is young for a Hashira - but that doesn't mean he's not on par with the rest of them. He specializes in Mist Breathing, a technique he taught himself. He uses a combination of baggy clothing and rapid, disorienting movements to hide what he's going to do next.

    His incredible strength, speed, and endurance are all powered by an ever-present sense of rage towards demon-kind.

    1,788 votes
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  • 11

    Obanai Iguro

    Obanai Iguro
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    Obanai Iguro doesn't just use Serpent Breathing - he created it himself. He's able to incorporate his pet snake Kaburamaru into his sword fighting, which speaks both to his skill at handling two tricky things at once and his connection with his animal. He also uses Kaburamaru to read information about his opponents that he can't pick up on his own.

    Though he doesn't awaken his Demon Slayer Mark until late in the series, he's still incredibly powerful without it, and only gets stronger once it's activated.

    1,453 votes
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  • 12

    Kyojuro Rengoku

    Kyojuro Rengoku
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    Though the Flame Hashira met with a tragic end while fighting Akaza, the fact that he was able to make any headway against the powerful demon after exhausting himself against Enmu speaks to his incredible strength. Like many of the Hashira, he possessed exemplary speed, strength, and endurance, and was a master of Total Concentration Breathing.

    He specialized in Flame Breathing, which his father initially taught him but which he had to start learning on his own when his father's drinking problem worsened. He could use up to nine forms of the Breathing Style. Who knows how much stronger he could have become if he'd survived? 

    1,654 votes
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  • 13

    Tengen Uzui

    Tengen Uzui
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    While we certainly don't begrudge Tengen Uzui giving up his title to pursue a peaceful life with his wives, his retirement is a big loss. That's because he's so outrageously strong. Before becoming the Sound Hashira, Tengen trained as a ninja. This training made him an expert in using kunai, shuriken, and explosives. It also allowed him to become highly stealthy and resistant to poison and pain, which is how he survived his fight with Daki and Gyutaro.

    Besides his ninja skills, he uses a wide range of Sound Breathing techniques, the most notable of which is his epic Musical Score technique. 

    1,391 votes
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  • 14

    Nezuko Kamado

    Nezuko Kamado
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    After being transformed into a demon, Nezuko gained some serious strength. At first, she didn't really use it since she risked losing control, but it soon became clear that without her help, Tanjiro wasn't going to survive. Unlike most demons, Nezuko can survive without eating humans - instead, she gets her energy from sleep. She can also change her size to make herself easier to carry around - as well as make herself larger and more terrifying by going into berserk mode.

    She can control her own blood to the point where she can use it to retrieve body parts that have been lopped off, and she can create flames from her blood that burn her enemies. 

    1,465 votes
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  • 15

    Mitsuri Kanroji

    Mitsuri Kanroji
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    After working as Kyojuro Rengoku's Tsuguko, Mitsuri Kanroji created her own Breathing Style - Love Breathing. This uses her body's unusual flexibility and her sword's whip-like structure to unleash long-range attacks. She's mastered six forms of this style. Not only that, but she can also use Flame Breathing thanks to her time working with Rengoku.

    Her muscles are eight times denser than the average person's, meaning that even if she looks tiny, she's secretly ripped. Her Demon Slayer Mark enhances all of her abilities. 

    1,207 votes
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  • 16

    Zenitsu Agatsuma

    Zenitsu Agatsuma
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    When Zenitsu is conscious, he's too anxious to fully act on his abilities. It's another story when he's asleep. He can unconsciously execute the Thunder Breathing techniques his mentor taught him, or amp it up with moves he came up with on his own like Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami.

    He's actually the only non-Hashira to ever do this. He also possesses an incredibly sharp sense of hearing.

    1,329 votes
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  • 17

    Inosuke Hashibira

    Inosuke Hashibira
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    Inosuke might not seem particularly bright, but he has plenty of strength to make up for it. He learned how to fight - and developed his Beast Breathing techniques - by watching wild boars and other animals in the mountains in his youth.

    In some ways, his fighting style is brutal, but he also exhibits a ridiculous degree of flexibility and poison immunity, as well as a finely tuned sense of touch - techniques that require far more delicacy than one might expect. 

    1,220 votes
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  • 18

    Gyutaro

    Gyutaro
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    Gyutaro is the true holder of the Upper Rank Six. He has 100 years of experience under his belt, and he was able to use that to annihilate 15 Demon Slayers. He certainly gave the modern Demon Slayers a run for their money in the Entertainment District after detaching from his sister Daki.

    Aside from sharing a body with her, his other grotesque ability involves using his own blood as a weapon. He can form sharp, sickle-like blades and slice his opponents to ribbons, or he can secrete poison that can destroy them from the inisde. The fact that Tanjiro and the others survived their encounter with him is nothing short of a miracle.

    1,035 votes
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  • 19

    Hantengu

    Hantengu
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    Defeating the Fourth Moon Kizuki is nearly impossible thanks to his Blood Demon Art. From his emotions, he can create multiple clones, each of which has their own unique strengths and abilities.

    Though these clones can fight on par with most Demon Slayers, they can't perish unless the main body does. This gives Hantengu an incredible advantage in fights. 

    1,008 votes
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  • 20

    Kanao Tsuyuri

    Kanao Tsuyuri
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    Thanks to training under both Kanae and Shinobu Kocho, Kanao gained exceptional combat abilities. Though she isn't one herself, some believe her skills are on par with the Hashira.

    Thanks to her exceptionally keen eyesight and attention to detail, she was able to learn Flower Breathing simply by watching Kanae. She was even able to master its final form. 

    987 votes
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  • 21

    Shinobu Kocho

    Shinobu Kocho
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    What Shinobu Kocho lacks in physical strength, she makes up for in ingenuity and speed. Though she can't cut off a demon's head with a sword, she can inject it with wisteria poison and destroy it from the inside.

    Eventually, she decides to saturate her entire body with so much wisteria poison that it eventually becomes part of her base cellular structure. This means that the slightest contact with her could easily destroy the average demon. Combine this with her pharmaceutical knowledge and you have one terrifying Demon Slayer.

    1,055 votes
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  • 22

    Gyokko

    Gyokko
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    As the fifth Upper Moon Kizuki, Gyokko is frighteningly strong. His most noteworthy ability is his Blood Demon Art, Porcelain Vases. He can spawn multiple pots that he can teleport between. He can also summon a wide range of aquatic monsters from the vases, which obey his commands, as well as summon water that he freely controls.

    He can even stuff his enemies into his pots and combine their bodies into grotesque forms. It's hard to get more terrifying than that. 

    793 votes
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  • 23

    Daki

    Daki
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    Daki might be the secondary holder of Upper Rank Six, but that doesn't mean she's weak. Actually, she's so strong that she managed to terrify a whole block full of brothels into submission, as well as personally destroy at least seven former Hashira. She fights using her Obi Sash Manipulation, which lets her generate super-strong sashes from her flesh and store objects - including humans - inside of them.

    Thanks to her bodily fusion with her older brother Gyutaro, it's impossible to cut off her head without doing the same to him. Her biggest weakness is probably her tendency to freak out when faced with strong opponents. 

    780 votes
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  • 24

    Rui

    Rui
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    If Rui cared about rankings, he probably could have become an Upper Moon. He was strong enough, but he was more focused on building his terrifying Spider Family, which he creates by feeding them his blood and manipulating their cells through it.

    He primarily fights by manipulating his razor-sharp spider threads, which are nearly impossible to break through. 

    820 votes
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  • 25

    Enmu

    Enmu
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    As Kizuki's Lower Rank One, Enmu isn't quite as strong as some of his fellow demons, but he still manages to nearly destroy Tanjiro, Rengoku, Inosuke, and Zenitsu during the Mugen Train arc. He can induce sleep in multiple targets at once, then infiltrate their dreams and destroy their "core" - turning their bodies into non-living shells.

    He can also fuse his body with just about anything, including non-living objects like trains, allowing him to control those objects fully. 

    787 votes
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