Strongest Demon Slayer characters ranked: Who is the most powerful of them all?

Updated on April 29, 11:32 a.m. (GMT+8): Improved relevancy.

Since Demon Slayer’s rise to popularity in 2019, fans can’t help but debate among themselves to determine who the strongest Demon Slayer characters are.

Discussions frequently revolve around identifying the most powerful character, yet such debates tend to neglect insights from the manga.

To assess the strongest Demon Slayer characters, we made a list based on comprehensive examination of all available information from the anime and manga.

Warning: Major spoilers for fans who have not read the manga and have yet to watch the anime.

9 strongest Demon Slayer characters

9. Giyu Tomioka

Starting off our list of strongest Demon Slayer characters is Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira.

Despite having no friends, Tomioka is undoubtedly a formidable individual. Possessing both the Demon Slayer Mark and the red blade, he was able to stand his ground in encounters with both Akaza and Muzan.

What distinguishes Giyu from other Demon Slayer characters is his remarkable perceptiveness and intelligence. He exhibits composure, strategic thinking, and unwavering readiness in the midst of battle. Undoubtedly, he stands out as the most intelligent Hashira of his era.

8. Sanemi Shinazugawa

Sanemi, the Winds Hashira, fought and survived against both Kokushibo and Kibutsuji Muzan. Armed with the Demon Slayer Mark and wielding a vivid red Nichirin blade, he showcases not only exceptional speed and agility but also remarkable physical strength.

Together with Gyomei, Sanemi played a pivotal role in cornering Kokushibo. In addition to his combat skills, Sanemi exhibits a high level of proficiency in his breathing form.

Adding to his formidable attributes, it was revealed that Sanemi possesses one of the rarest blood types, a characteristic that makes his blood incredibly enticing and irresistible to demons, as evident in his clash with Kokushibo.

7. Akaza

An Upper Rank Demon who was able to slay one of the most powerful Hashira earns a spot in our list of strongest Demon Slayer characters.

Even in his childhood, devoid of martial arts training, Akaza demonstrated remarkable physical prowess by effortlessly subduing grown men. By the age of 18, having learned the Soryu style from Keizo, he achieved the astonishing feat of single-handedly vanquishing 67 seasoned adult swordsmen using only his fists.

Akaza’s indomitable will and resolute spirit are evident in his refusal to succumb to defeat. Even after Tanjiro beheaded him with a Nichirin sword, Akaza defied dissolution and death.

Instead, he compelled his headless body to persist in the battle, pushing his regeneration to the point where he could regrow his head, driven by an unwavering determination not to lose.

Endowed with over a century of combat experience and martial arts training, Akaza engages in battle with foresight and tactical intelligence. His repertoire includes formidable attributes such as profound regeneration, exceptional physical strength, durability, speed, and reflexes.

Additionally, his Blood Demon Art revolves around martial arts, combining the manipulation of destructive shock waves with the mastery of the Soryu style he honed during his human years.

6. Gyomei Himejima

In contrast to his fellow Hashiras, Gyomei employs a unique combat style, wielding a Nichirin chained flail and an ax. Undeniably, he stands out as the most formidable Hashira in his generation, towering at an impressive height of 2.2 meters.

This powerhouse of a Demon Slayer distinguishes himself through remarkable strength and unwavering determination on the battlefield.

Despite his blindness, Gyomei compensates with the ability to access the Transparent World, a skill that more than compensates for his lack of sight. Even prior to unlocking this enhancement, he adeptly fought using his other senses.

By combining the Transparent World with his Demon Slayer Mark and bright red weapon, Gyomei engaged in a one-on-one battle against Kokushibo for a considerable duration.

Adding to his prowess, Gyomei employs a technique of his own creation known as Repetitive Action. This method enhances concentration by recalling a painful memory, a practice Gyomei extensively utilizes in both training and presumably in combat as well.

The most powerful Hashira is no doubt part of the strongest Demon Slayer characters list.

5. Doma

As the possessor of the second highest ranking among the Twelve Demon Moons, Doma proves to be an extraordinarily potent demon.

His amalgamation of combat skills and the formidable cryokinetic Blood Demon Art in battle proves overwhelming, effortlessly subduing the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho. Notably, he has also vanquished Kanae Kocho, the deceased Flower Hashira, in a previous encounter.

Doma demonstrates his formidable prowess by effortlessly taking on both Inosuke and Kanao, who are on par with the Hashira.

In a chilling display, Doma exhibits the ability to absorb human bodies through physical contact, as evidenced by swiftly breaking down and assimilating Shinobu’s body a few moments after killing her.

As an Upper Ranked Demon, Doma boasts one of the most advanced and potent regenerative healing factors known to exist.

4. Tanjiro Kamado

The story’s main protagonist surely deserves a spot among the strongest Demon Slayer characters.

Right from the start, Tanjiro showcased exceptional combat prowess, displaying a natural talent for fighting, particularly in swordsmanship. Tanjiro was initially portrayed as possessing above-average human abilities, including heightened senses, a keen sense of smell, immense willpower, and superior intellect.

Upon officially joining the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjiro confronted a multitude of more formidable and skilled demons, many of whom employed Blood Demon Arts.

Following rigorous training in the Swordsmith Village, Tanjiro’s swordsmanship abilities underwent significant refinement, and he acquired the capacity to “smell the future,” granting him movements and reflexes akin to those of the Hashira.

Beyond his remarkable combat instincts and unyielding determination, Tanjiro wields the Demon Slayer Mark, a bright red Nichirin sword, and possesses access to the Transparent World.

On top of all these, Tanjiro was able to push past his limits to unlock a new breathing form called the Hinokami Kagura, a style using a special type of breathing and dance.

3. Kokushibo

As the highest-ranking member among the 12 Kizuki and one of the strongest Demon Slayer characters, Kokushibo stands as an exceptionally formidable demon.

Throughout his nearly 500-year existence, he has engaged in numerous battles against Demon Slayers, accruing extensive experience and knowledge. His skills have reached the pinnacle, encompassing mastery of Total Concentration Breathing.

Additionally, he is a marked individual with access to the Transparent World and holds the distinction of possessing the highest concentration of Muzan’s blood among the Twelve Kizuki. Kokushibo’s strength is so overwhelming that some say even a combined effort from Doma and Akaza would be insufficient to defeat him.

Being the sibling of Yoriichi, he inherits exceptional teachings, refining his Moon breathing technique alongside his already formidable abilities.

Facing Kokushibo requires the combined strength of Gyomei, Sanemi, Muichiro, and Genya. Despite their collective efforts, he remains a formidable adversary, capable of transitioning into a more powerful form if he deems it necessary.

2. Muzan Kibutsuji

Muzan, the first of his kind, stood as the most powerful demon in existence and one of the strongest Demon Slayer characters.

Even after nullifying the effects of a substance designed to diminish his powers and revert him to a human state, he effortlessly obliterated nearly a hundred Demon Slayers within a brief period of time.

With a lifespan surpassing a millennia and enriched by the telepathic connection with the demons under his command, Muzan exhibits exceptional intelligence and strategic prowess in battle.

His combat capabilities include the capacity to absorb, assimilate, and dissolve both organic and inorganic entities. He can also assume a more monstrous form, adorned with a dark red scale-like mask that covers a significant portion of his body.

As the Demon King, Muzan boasts the swiftest and most sophisticated regeneration among all demons, recovering so rapidly that attacks seem to pass through him, leaving no discernible injury.

Muzan’s blood demon art bestows upon him potent biokinetic abilities, granting him the power to manipulate his body at will and undergo instantaneous shapeshifting.

While all demons possess an innate capability to manipulate their flesh, Muzan takes this ability to an unprecedented level, exhibiting an unparalleled speed and precision in changing his appearance, flesh, and organs.

1. Yoriichi Tsugikuni

Yoriichi Tsugikuni is definitely on top of the list of the strongest Demon Slayer characters. Recognized as the formidable Demon Slayer God, he possessed such immense strength that a doll with six arms had to be crafted to merely mimic the dexterity of his hands.

He was the visionary creator of the Breathing Techniques, developing them entirely from the ground up. Marked from birth, Yoriichi could harness the power of the Transparent World.

Employing the most potent Breathing Form known as Sun Breathing, he would illuminate his blade in a vibrant red hue during combat.

In addition to these formidable abilities, Yoriichi had access to the Selfless State. Even in a confrontation with Muzan, the Demon King could only hope that Yoriichi wouldn’t catch him while attempting to flee. Even in his elderly years, Yoriichi remained leaps and bounds ahead of Kokushibo.

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