Demon Slayer quickly became one of the most popular anime of all time after its debut back in 2019. It’s all thanks to an excellent plotline and an exceptional cast. Demon Slayer boasts a large cast of characters, including humans trained in the art of demon slaying and demons with extraordinary powers. This often leads to fan debates over who the strongest character in the anime series is. However, these debates often overlook the details from the manga and some of the lesser-known or ‘flashback’ characters. In order to determine the most powerful Demon Slayer characters of all time, it’s important to consider all of the available information. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 25 strongest characters in the Demon Slayer anime.
25 Powerful Demon Slayer Characters (2023)
Spoiler Warning: Analysing the strength and abilities of characters means going over various important plot points in the Demon Slayer manga and anime. Because of that, our guide has some of the biggest spoilers for the plot of Demon Slayer. So, we suggest you finish the manga before going through this list to avoid spoiling the story.
1. Muzan Kibutsuji – Demon King
- Type: Demon
- Position: Demon King
- Main Ability: Demonic control, blood and flesh manipulation
Muzan, the King of Demons, is the strongest and also the primal demon in the world of Demon Slayer. Consuming his blood is enough to turn you into a powerful demon. He can control all the demons in existence, with only people with strong willpower like Nezuko being an exception. He heals instantly and doesn’t even let his opponents get near him, thanks to his Demon Blood Art’s massive reach. During the final battle, he was weakened by a drug but still managed to kill hundreds of demon slayers within a few minutes.
Muzan can also absorb any type of object near him, which was the basis of his plan to absorb Nezuko and become resistant to the sun. In terms of other demon abilities, Muzan has too many powers to comprehend. These include his long, flexible, and sharp whips to attack opponents, using his fangs to pull enemies in and slash them, and turning humans into demons with his blood.
He can also transfer his consciousness into another being in the form of blood and has full control over most demons, including telepathy and command over their actions. So, it is more than surprising to consider that even the strongest demon was once afraid of someone else, and that was the original Sun breathing user, Yoriichi Tsugikini.
2. Yoriichi Tsugikini
- Type: Human
- Position: First Demon Slayer
- Main Ability: Sun Breathing
Yoriichi Tsugikuni is the strongest demon slayer character to have ever existed in the series. He is also the only person that Muzan was ever afraid of. He invented the original breathing styles that later branched out into the ones that Harshiras use to date. While all demon slayers have to work hard to awaken the Demon Slayer mark, access the transparent world, and the selfless state, Yoriichi was born with all of that. This allowed him to overwhelm the demon king with a single breathing technique.
He died from the only inevitable human weakness, which is old age. But even before his death, he was easily able to overpower Kokushibo, his brother and the second-strongest demon in existence. In a way, his weakened vision and advanced age had no impact on his skills. His swordsmanship, strength, and speed were not comparable to any other human.
Even Muzan narrowly survived his attack and escaped death by running away. Unfortunately, that turned out to be the biggest error on Yoriichi’s part, as we see in the manga. Yoriichi is the creator of the Sun Breathing style, which Tanjiro has since inherited. He relied on this breathing technique to unleash some of the most powerful moves demons have ever seen. If Yoriichi hadn’t passed away or prevented Muzan from fleeing the scene, the demons would have never reached their strong state.
3. Kokushibo – Upper Rank 1
- Type: Demon
- Position: Upper-Rank 1st in Twelve Kizuki
- Main Ability: Moon Breathing and flesh manipulation
Kokushibo is one of the strongest demons in the anime, only second to Demon King Muzan. Before turning into a demon, he was a part of the Demon Slayer Corps alongside his brother Yoriichi Tsugikini. Thanks to his unique background, he was able to use Total Concentration Breathing techniques in combat, access the Transparent world, and bear the Demon Slayer mark.
In terms of demonic abilities, Kokushibo can manipulate his flesh to create really powerful weapons and even modify the form of his sword. He also has unmatchable strength, speed, and stamina that even Himejima couldn’t keep up with. Furthermore, he doesn’t even have to fight to win his battles; his aura alone was enough to make a Hashira lose the will to fight while facing him.
Moreover, towards the end of the manga, he underwent a massive mutation that turned him into an even more terrifying creature, one that could only be harmed by sunlight. Not to forget, with his Blood Demon Art, Kokushibo uses Moon Breathing and moon-shaped blades that are as powerful as Nichrin swords. Furthermore, the Moon breathing technique has fourteen forms, which is more than almost all the Hashiras and even Yoriichi, demonstrating his exceptional skill set.
4. Gyomei Himejima – Stone Hashira
- Type: Human
- Position: Hashira in Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Stone Breathing
Physically, Gyomei is clearly the strongest Hashira in the anime, and popular characters like Tanjiro and Inosuke consider him to be the strongest member of the Demon Slayer corps altogether. He became the Stone Hashira in just two months and his muscular body makes this achievement appear not surprising at all. In the Infinity Castle arc, Himejima stood his ground against the Upper Rank One demon, without even using the Demon Slayer mark.
Not to forget, he even helped in weakening Muzan, even after suffering several serious injuries. In terms of abilities, Gyomei has highly advanced hearing that allows him to overcome his blindness. He was able to determine the power level of Muzan just by hearing his flesh regenerating. Furthermore, he uses chains to determine the position of his enemies and drives his axe and flail while attacking.
Unlike other members of the Demon Slayer Corps, Himejima doesn’t use a Nichirin sword. Instead, he relies on a version of Kusarigama, which has an axe attached to a heavy chain with a spiked flail on one end. He uses it in combination with Stone Breathing, allowing him to launch long-range, destructive attacks. Each of his attacks is much more destructive than a Nichirin sword’s slash.
5. Doma – Upper Rank 2
- Type: Demon
- Position: Upper-Rank 2nd in Twelve Kizuki
- Main Ability: Cryokinesis
Doma is one of the smartest demons on Muzan’s team. Unlike others, he is extremely involved in human affairs and even runs a cult. This cult acts as a worshiping place where Doma resolves the problems of his followers but actually, it is a feeding ground where he gets to eat humans without much effort. The fame and appreciation are the cherries on top.
He is the third strongest demon in the world so battling him, for most people, is going to be a deadly choice. According to Doma, even Akaza stands no chance in front of him because of his superior fighting skills. He uses Tessenjutsu in direct combat and double-wields war fans to slash his opponents. When compared to Hashiras, he is faster, more powerful, and potentially more skilled than almost all of them.
When it comes to Demon Blood art, Doma uses cryokinesis which allows him to generate ice that is lethal to the ones who inhale it and makes it extremely hard for his opponents to move. Furthermore, he can even make sharp shards and structures with the same which act as defensive tools and also strong weapons.
6. Lord Akaza – Upper Rank 3
- Type: Demon
- Position: Upper-Rank 3rd in Twelve Kizuki
- Main Ability: Demonic martial arts
Thanks to the anime’s Mugen Train arc, Akaza is currently one of the (strongest but) most hated characters in Demon Slayer. There is no doubt that he is extremely dangerous as an Upper Rank 3 Kizuki, but Akaza was a skilled martial artist even before turning into a demon. His fighting style has a clear reflection of the same.
He killed the Flame Hashira, a bunch of other Hashiras before him, and a bunch of Demon Slayers throughout his life. Being a professional fighter himself, Akaza possesses the ability to predict his opponent’s moves and weaknesses. You can’t even imagine defeating him in direct combat without additional help. Though, he was easily able to overwhelm even some Hashira-level swordsmen in the Infinity Castle arc.
Other than his fighting skills, Akaza boasts impressive focus, almost infinite stamina, instant regeneration, and unmatchable speed. And if you hadn’t noticed, his Blood Demon Art mostly revolves around martial arts. Akaza combines powerful combat moves with demon abilities, resulting in some truly lethal attacks.
One of his most iconic moves is the Compass Needle, which reveals his opponents’ position, will, and weak points, allowing him to quickly adapt to the moves of his enemies. This allowed him to overpower Tanjiro even without a head.
7. Muichiro Tokito – Mist Hashira
- Type: Human
- Position: Hashira in Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Mist Breathing
Muichiro is one of the youngest Hashiras on the team and is also a descendant of Kokushibo, the Upper Rank One demon. While he doesn’t possess any demonic abilities, his personality is extremely cold and uncaring. Though, that doesn’t come in the way of his being dedicated to the Demon Slayer Corps and his teammates. In direct combat, he easily overpowered our protagonist Tanjiro so his strength is not to be taken lightly.
Another testament to his skills is his win over Gyokko, an Upper Rank Five demon, whom he defeated all by himself – too with ease. Not to forget, he even went after Kokushibo, Upper Rank One demon, and played a major role in his defeat. The demon even praised his skills and techniques, making him one of the strongest characters in Demon Slayer.
Muichiro uses Mist Breathing, which allows him to land several attacks in succession without the opponent noticing them coming. Much like mist, his attacks are hard to predict and almost impossible to dodge. While we won’t get to see how skilled he would have been as an adult demon slayer, his potential is truly limitless.
8. Hantengu – Upper Rank 4
- Type: Demon
- Position: Upper-Rank 4th in Twelve Kizuki
- Main Ability: Creating clones with special abilities
Hantengu is the fifth most powerful demon in Muzan’s top twelve and also one of the main antagonists in the Swordsmen Village arc. Fighting him in direct combat is not easy but what if there were five of him? One of the most powerful abilities that Hantengu holds is creating up to four clones at the same time. These clones can have any one of the 6 variations of him.
The clones can have various personalities including Hantengu, the original form who is paranoid and cries easily when attacked; Sekido, who is filled with rage and acts as the leader of the group; Karaku, who is relaxed and praises his enemies while fighting; Aizetsu, who is calm and relies on analysis rather than strength; Urogi, who treats fights as entertainment; Zohakuten, who is fueled by hatred and loyalty to Muzan and is intelligent and skilled; and Urami, who acts as a victim and constantly tries to win through mercy. All of Hantengu’s forms are nearly equally powerful, making him difficult to defeat in a solo fight.
9. Sanemi Shinazugawa – Wind Hashira
- Type: Human
- Position: Hashira in Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Wind Breathing
Sanemi is the Wind Hashira and one of the scariest non-demon characters in the manga. He defeated the Lower Rank One, Ubume even before turning into a Hashira. Though this fight ended with the death of Sanemi’s partner. Since then he has acted crazy, ruthless, and straight-up indifferent toward everyone else. While this personality doesn’t sit well with his peers it definitely makes him a more brutal demon slayer.
In the later part of the manga, he gave serious damage to Upper-Rank One, Kokushibo which allowed others to defeat him. Unfortunately, during this fight, Sanemi lost his middle and index fingers. As you can imagine, wielding swords with only three fingers is no joke. Still, that’s what he did while contributing to the final battle against Muzan. Kokushibo complemented the skills of Sanemi and Gyomie and even considered them to be more skilled than most Hashiras.
As a swordsman, Sanemi uses Wind Breathing techniques, some of which make him appear as floating and moving seamlessly through the air. He also possesses an extremely high recovery rate and endurance through which he jumped into the final battle almost immediately after being injured by Kokushibo. Though, what makes him truly stand out is his Marechi blood which is the rarest blood in the world. Just a whiff of this blood can distract even the strongest devil and make them hungry. Though, both Nazuko and Muzan were able to resist it.
10. Obanai Iguro – Serpent Hashira
- Type: Human
- Position: Hashira in Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Serpent Breathing
If our list of strongest characters in Demon Slayer was based on mercilessness then Obanai would probably top the list. He suffers from heterochromia which makes him almost completely blind through his right eye. Still, that never came in the way of him becoming a Hashira and one of the most skilled ones at that. We see the peak of Obanai’s strength when he was able to easily hold off Nakime, the Upper Rank 4, and even got close to beheading Muzan, the demon king.
During the Infinity Castle Arc, he killed a bunch of demons who were equivalent to the lower ranks without giving it a second thought. Not to forget, he even lost his sight completely during the final battle but was still able to hold his ground for a long time. Due to his partial blindness, Obanai used to rely on his pet snake Kaburamaru to accurately inform about his opponent’s move. This went hand-in-hand with the Serpent Breathing techniques which allowed him to make unpredictable moves with his twisted Nirchin sword.
Moreover, he is one of the very few characters who were able to access Transparent World against Mugan – which allows you to see your opponent’s vital points. At the same time, he also turned his sword bright red by putting all his strength into it which hampered Muzan’s instant healing. If it wasn’t for Obanai, defeating, Muzan would have been almost impossible. Even though he gave his life for the cause, his contribution is quite significant.
11. Tanjiro Kamado
- Type: Human
- Position: Member of Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Sun Breathing & Water Breathing
Tanjiro is the protagonist of the Demon Slayer franchise and also one of the most skilled swordsmen in it. He uses two types of breathing techniques, Water Breathing & Sun Breathing, with precision, the equivalent of which is unheard of since ancient times.
In terms of achievements, Tanjiro outsmarted Water Hashira with just his natural instincts and defeated a bunch of demons even before becoming a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Later, he defeated Kyogai, a former ranker in the Twelve Kizuki; members of the Spider Demon family, and even severely injured the Upper-Rank Three, Akaza. He was the first person to kill an Upper-Rank demon in over a century.
As the series progressed, we witnessed him contribute significantly in the battles against Dake, Upper Rank 6; Gyutaro, Upper Rank 6; Akaza, Upper Rank 3, and many more. But his most impressive contribution shows up in the final fight against Muzan, the demon king. While everyone else is down or struggling, Tanjiro stood his ground out of sheer willpower against Muzan. Though at this point, the demon king was poisoned, he still was more than enough to overpower a bunch of marked Hashiras at once.
Muzan went as far as to compare Tanjiro with Yoriichi, the greatest demon slayer to ever exist. No wonder, he wanted to take over our protagonist’s body in the end.
12. Giyu Tomioka – Water Hashira
- Type: Human
- Position: Hashira in Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Water Breathing
Calm like a river, scary like an ocean, Giyu is one of the most powerful characters in Demon Slayer and anime viewers have only seen a fraction of his power. He was the first Hashira that we encountered in the plot and also one of the first characters who allowed Nezuko to live. This implies that while he has a strict moral code, he is not as cruel as the other Hashiras. Moreover, he is also one of the smartest ones in the group. While this is good news for Tanjiro and the crew, it makes him extremely dangerous to demons.
In terms of achievements, he has killed a variety of demons including Father Spider Demon, Rui – the Lower Rank Five, and even a bunch of other demons who are comparable to the lower rank ones. Just like Kyojuro, the Flame Hashira, he also fought Akaza, the Upper-Rank Three, and was able to overpower him as well. Not to forget, during the final fight, Giyu stood his ground against Muzan, the demon king as well.
As you might guess, he uses Water Breathing techniques with his blue sword. His moves are not only deadly but also defensive. One of the most iconic abilities that Giyu has is called “Dead Calm” which allows him to easily nullify powerful attacks. Unlike most other swordsmen, he doesn’t rely on heavy movements or strength to kill his opponents. Instead, Giyu goes for swift, concentrated motion that, in most cases, kills the demon in a single move. This also allows him to target multiple spots on a demon’s body with a single slash.
13. Kyojuro Rengoku – Flame Hashira
- Type: Human
- Position: Hashira in Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Flame Breathing
We only got to spend a short time with Rengoku during the Mugen Train arc of Demon Slayer, but that was enough to prove he was one of the strongest and kind-hearted characters in the series. The Mugen Train movie made him an immediate fan favorite for protagonists and viewers alike. As the Flame Hashira, Rengoku was one of the most charismatic characters in the anime, with his abilities only adding to his flaming personality.
As a Hashira, he defeated the Flute Demon, who was the cause of nine demon slayers’ death, and Hairo, Lower Rank Two; both on his own. Moreover, he even gave Akaza, the fourth most powerful demon a run for his money. Upper Rank 3 was so impressed with Kyojuro that he even offered to turn him into a demon.
In terms of abilities, he has superhuman senses, which allow him to detect demons and their weaknesses; extreme speed which allowed him to catch up with a moving train; and almost unbelievable endurance which allowed him to jump into a series of battles without even a minute of break. As a swordsman, Rengoku uses Flame Breathing which, thanks to its mere speed and power can set enemies ablaze with a single hit.
14. Gyokko – Upper Rank 5
- Type: Demon
- Position: Upper-Rank 5th in Twelve Kizuki
- Main Ability: Body manipulation
Gyokko is easily one of the scariest demons we have encountered in the story of Demon Slayer. He is one of the antagonists of season 3 of Demon Slayer, which follows the Swordsmith Village Arc. Even before turning into a demon, Gyokko, has psychopathic tendencies, thanks to his obsession with fish carcasses. But all of it reached another level when he gained the blood of Muzan and became an upper-rank demon. As a demon, Gyokko is quite unique and powerful.
He manipulates his body to grow additional limbs and twists them in inhumane ways. Moreover, he can even easily heal and regenerate after sustaining injuries from Nichirin swords. He can even molt himself giving a temporary boost to his body. This makes it quite frustrating to fight him. Not to forget, everything Gyokoo touches gets transformed into a fish which makes him essentially impossible to defeat at close range. But his abilities aren’t the ones that truly spook his opponents. It’s the fact that he creates art pieces out of the bodies of his victims that sends a shiver down most spines.
15. Nezuko Kamado
- Type: Demon
- Position: Member of Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Hand-to-hand combat and sun resistance
Nezuko might feel like a wild card in the list of strongest Demon Slayer characters let alone the fact that her rank is so high. But, looking at the individual indications throughout the manga’s plot, it’s hard to ignore her contribution to the main battle and her uniqueness as a demon is hard to ignore. She is the first demon member of the Demon Slayer Corps and also the only demon who can survive in the sunlight.
The fatal trait of all demons doesn’t apply to Nezuko which made the demon king call her the “chosen demon”. There is no other demon in entire history who can overcome the sunlight. Moreover, she doesn’t even need human blood to heal and empower herself. Instead, just a bit of resting does the job for her. Not to forget, her strength also levels up in tricky situations like when she overpowered Susamaru, an upper-rank demon.
While most of the time, Nezuko appears like a timid young woman, she can also turn into a complete demon at will. In that wilder state, her strength and regeneration level are as powerful as most higher-ranked demons. Most demons die when their head is cut but even this basic move doesn’t apply to Nezuko. She has a special Blood Demon Art which allows her to quickly reattach her broken limbs instantly. On the offensive side, Nezuko mostly relies on hand-to-hand combat and her iconic kicks. Though, she can also release pink flames out of her blood that is only harmful to other demons. No wonder Muzan launched a full-fledged war only to take down Nezuko.
16. Daki & Gyutaro – Upper Rank 6
- Type: Demon
- Position: Upper-Rank 6th in Twelve Kizuki
- Main Ability: Blood weapons and flesh manipulation
Daki and Gyutaro are the antagonists of the Entertainment District arc of Demon Slayer. While they are clearly two separate individuals, their unity, coordination, and combined strength are what make them extremely overwhelming. That’s also why they are, on our list of strongest Demon Slayer characters and in the Twelve Kizuki, as a single unit.
Gyutara has mastery in combat, he dual-wields Kama (sickle-like tool), made out of flesh. He is over 100 years old and has spent well over a century only refining his skills. In close combat, even Hashiras are no match for Gyutara. In terms of Blood Demon Art, Gyutaro can manipulate the blood from his body to move independently and act as a destructive weapon. This ability is quite similar to the abilities that Power from Chainsaw Man anime possesses.
On the other hand, Daki is equally powerful, if not more. The manga states that she has killed seven Hashiras throughout her lifetime. So, getting into direct combat with her is an invitation to death. Her strength can be seen when she destroys a whole street of houses with just a single move. Moreover, she has sentient flesh Obi (a type of cloth) which can act on its own and tries to protect Daki at all costs. While Daki gets slightly weaker without her Obi she can still easily handle lower-level fighters like Tanjiro, during the Entertainment District arc. Other than that, she has the power of hair manipulation, superfast regeneration, and a shared mind. Then, as if all of it wasn’t enough, the duo also have a shared sense of perception.
17. Mitsuri Kanroji – Love Hashira
- Type: Human
- Position: Hashira in Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Love Breathing & Flame Breathing
Mitsuri, the Love Hashira is often presented as a typical female character in the shonen genre. But, as the story progresses, her character grows well beyond the stereotypes. Moreover, while she is quite caring and loving, Mitsuri has no hint of mercy for demons. In the initial arcs of the manga, we learn that she only required six months of training to become a demon slayer. That’s mostly due to her special muscle control which allows her to unlock unbelievable strength even with thin limbs.
Much like other powerful Hashiras, Misturi also possesses immense speed, superior strength, and reliable stamina. But what makes her stand out is the Love Breathing techniques that she uses with her long whip-like Nichirin Sword. With her flexibility, she can extend her sword and kill enemies from far away. And not to forget, she can also use Flame Breathing, which she learned from the Flame Hasira though she’s not too skillful with that. Still, her literally flexible fighting style and distracting aura make it quite hard for demons to tackle.
18. Tengen Uzui – Sound Hashira
- Type: Human
- Position: Hashira in Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Sound Breathing
While not everyone appreciates his behavior, almost no one can deny the strength of Tengen, the Sound Hashira. He is bold, flashy, and quite confident about his skills. We witness him calling himself a “god” when he first meets our protagonists. But he also has a caring and smart side to his personality. This is clearly visible during the Entertainment District Arc in which he comes up with a careful plan to find and protect his three wives.
When we talk about achievements, the official fan book calls him the “second strongest” Hashira in terms of physical strength. His swordsman skills and large swords fit in perfectly with the title. Moreover, being the Sound Hashira, he has strong hearing skills, musical sword movement, and even an echolocation ability. He was able to use this ability to accurately detect the number of bodies underground beneath his feet. So if you make a sound or even a vibration, Tengen will not miss it.
19. Kanao Tsuyuri
- Type: Human
- Position: Member of Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Flower Breathing
If you are an anime viewer, seeing Kanao on our strongest Demon Slayer characters list might feel like a mistake. But manga readers know her beyond her gentle personality. She is the successor to Kanae, the Flower Hashira, and Shinobu, the Insect Hashira. Both of them trained her personally and Kanao’s fighting style reflects the same. In an unfortunate turn of events, she loses both of her mentors-cum-sisters. But these events also act as turning points for Kanao’s character development.
She takes on their mantle and gains enhanced abilities. Moreover, she uses Flower Breathing techniques but takes it to another level with her almost supernatural sense of smell and sight. During the later part of the manga, Doma, the Upper Rank Two demon, even claims that Kanao might be more skilled than Shinobu. Though we don’t get to see the final level of her strength in Demon Slayer, she is among some of the most powerful characters.
Moreover, her contributions in defeating Muzan, along with an Upper Rank demon, are hard to miss. Not to forget, she was the only person who was able to turn the extremely dangerous demonized Tanjiro back into a human. So, while she might not be the most skilled fighter, she is more than powerful in tilting battles into favorable conditions. And that’s why she ranks right next to some Hashiras in our list.
20. Zenitsu Agatsuma
- Type: Human
- Position: Member of Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Thunder Breathing
Zenitsu is a sleeping warrior in the group of protagonists in Demon Slayer. He has a jolly and timid personality throughout most of the plot. But, his skill development is evident even though he constantly undermines his abilities. As a swordsman, Zenistu uses the Thunder Breathing technique which allows him to move faster than almost all the characters. While we never get a confirmation for the same, during the hashira training period, it seems like he is even faster than Shinobu. But only for a shorter period.
But the true level of his strength became truly visible when he was able to deal with Upper-Rank Six, Kaigaku. Towards the end of the manga, Zenitsu temporarily also overpowers a weakened Muzan, the demon king. Moreover, unlike most Harhiras, his success usually doesn’t only come out of his skillset and strength. Zenistu has constantly shown a great sense of judgment which is quite clear in the Infinity Castle arc. Overall, he is easily one of the strongest characters in Demon Slayer. Even stronger than some of the Hashiras towards the end.
21. Shinobu Kocho – Insect Hashira
- Type: Human
- Position: Hashira in Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Insect Breathing
Shinobu Kocho (aka the Insect Hashira) is the younger sister of Kanae Kocho, the late Flower Hashira. Just like her sister, she is extremely powerful and aims to protect others from the same fate as her sister. She is one of the most friendly characters in the show and even tries to understand the demons before killing them. Though, when it comes to combat, only a few can match her strength.
Unlike most other Hashiras, Shinobu lacks extreme physical strength, but she more than makes up for it in terms of creativity. She uses Wisteria flowers to make a poison that can slow down a demon’s regenerative powers and even kill them. Her Nichirin sword serves as the delivery method for the poison. This allows her to defeat demons even without cutting their head off.
Unlike her sister, Shinobu uses the Insect Breathing, which allows her to move seamlessly like an insect in the right circumstances. She also has extremely high endurance, reliable stamina, and unmatchable speed, landing her a spot on our list of the strongest characters in Demon Slayer. At her fastest, it appears like she’s teleporting to different spots, surprising even Doma, the Upper Rank 2 demon.
22. Inosuke Hashibara
- Type: Human
- Position: Member of Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Beast Breathing
Exciting for some and annoying for others, Inosuke is truly the wildest character in Demon Slayer. His actions are as unpredictable as some of the demons, making him a formidable opponent. Inosuke learned Total Concentration Breathing on his own and turned it into his Beast Breathing technique. He made it far in his journey without ever receiving proper training. His unconventional ways are even visible in his gear as he almost always wears a boar’s head as a mask and uses a sword that he manually chipped.
In terms of his abilities, Inosuke has strong senses, unpredictable swordsmen skills, and advanced awareness. He can just touch the ground and find the demon close to him, even if they are in hiding. Moreover, years spent in the wild have allowed him to adapt his body in bizarre ways. Inosuke is resistant to most poisons, has long-lasting stamina, and has animal-like reflexes. He also can even fold his body in bizarre ways. Unless you have special abilities or more strength than Inosuke, it isn’t easy to survive a fight with this human beast.
23. Nakime Otokawa – Upper Rank 4
- Type: Demon
- Position: Upper-Rank 4th in Twelve Kizuki
- Main Ability: Dimenstional space creation and manipulation
Nakime’s power and strength are always up for debate in the community but her rank confirms that she is stronger than most demons in the anime. She doesn’t even speak that often but is quite blunt when she does. This leads to a quite daunting aura around her character even though she only appears like a dedicated biwa player. When it comes to her power, Nakime’s most powerful ability is creating and controlling a dimensional space known as the Infinity Castle.
She can trap her enemies in this dimension, create portals around them, and even able to survive two Hashiras through this power. But that’s not her only ability. Nakime can also spy on her opponents, making it impossible for demon slayers to hide. She was the only demon who could find the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. However, we never get to her in direct combat, which is why, even with amazing power, she is sitting toward the end of our list.
24. Kaigaku – Upper Rank 6
- Type: Demon
- Position: Upper-Rank 6th in Twelve Kizuki
- Main Ability: Lightning-based sword techniques
Kaigaku has quite a twisted backstory among all the strongest Demon Slayer characters. He was once a demon slayer who trained under the former Thunder Hashira alongside Zenitsu. He was heavily skilled as a swordsman but after losing to the Upper Rank one demon, he surrendered his humanity. This led to the creation of one of the most skilled demons on the show.
Even as a Demon, Kaigaku still has all his training in mind which allows him to unlock complex fast moments and swift attacks. He even uses the slayer’s iconic breathing and swords in combination with lightning-based demon abilities. Unfortunately, Kaigaku didn’t get enough time with his new abilities to fully understand and develop them. Though, many manga readers believe that he could have improved significantly in a short time if that fight didn’t end in his defeat.
25. Enmu – Lower Moon 1
- Type: Demon
- Position: Lower Moon 1 | 7th in Twelve Kizuki
- Main Ability: Dream Manipulation
If you have seen the movie/season of Demon Slayer based around the Mugen Train arc then you already know the power level of Enmu. Out of Muzan’s Twelve Kizuki, he is number 7 and the strongest lower moon demon. Just like most demons we meet in the show, Enmu has a dark and sadistic personality that is pleased by inflicting pain upon humans. But unlike other demons, his approach toward attacking is quite unique.
Instead of engaging in direct combat, Enmu usually sends his opponents into a state of deep sleep and controlled dreaming, leaving their bodies entirely vulnerable. In the Mugen Train, he was able to completely nullify over 200 passengers. Though, his Blood Demon Art doesn’t seem to work that well on strongly-willed individuals like the flame Hashira. But not to forget, he was able to merge his entire body with the train which hid his weak points and ensured a tougher battle for demon slayers. However, in the end, his overconfidence ultimately became his demise, leading him to the last position on our list.
Bonus: Demon King Tanjiro Kamado
- Type: Human/Demon
- Position: Member of Demon Slayer Corps
- Main Ability: Sun Breathing and Blood Demon Art
While Tanjiro is a skilled swordsman as a demon slayer, he is nowhere close to being the strongest character in the anime. But things are much different when it comes to Demon King Tanjiro. Yeah, Tanjiro turns into a demon as a result of Muzan’s last attempt at survival. As the demon king, he unleashed his true potential, which can be truly destructive if left unchecked.
Thanks to Muzan, the demon form of Tanjiro has the fastest regeneration and the strength to avert all physical attacks. Moreover, just like his sister Nezuko, Tanjiro acquires resistance against the sun, making him completely invincible against any human. Not only that, but his Muzan-like Blood Demon Art made him more powerful than all demons as well.
Towards the end, Yushiro, the traveling companion of Tamayo, mentioned that Tanjiro had “tremendous potential” as a demon and would have been stronger than Nezuko and Muzan. Though, due to his limited time in the demon state, we don’t see his full potential with such powers. If Tanjiro stayed a demon, he would have definitely topped our list.
Meet the Strongest Demon Slayer Characters
You are now familiar with the strongest characters in the Demon Slayer manga and anime. The characters above include several despicable demons as well as humans with undeniable strength and willpower. But it is not the only anime series with a world full of such contrasting characters. If you enjoyed Demon Slayer, you might also want to check out Chainsaw Man. The anime’s first season finished airing recently, and we met devils, fiends, and devil hybrids in Chainsaw Man. Also, like Demon Slayer, we have compiled a list of the most powerful devils in Chainsaw Man, so check it out. Coming back to the topic at hand, who is your favorite character in Demon Slayer? Do let us know in the comments below!
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