10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (2024)

In Demon Slayer's lore, the battle between the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan Kibutsuji the demon king has been raging for hundreds of years, ever since Muzan took a drug to become a creature of the night. This means that many generations of demon slayers have come and gone since then, and even the upper ranks of demons have been reshuffled a bit. Then, by the time the Taisho era dawned in Japan's history, the lineup on each side stabiliized.

When the Demon Slayer anime began, it was the year 1913, a time of rapid modernization in the cities while demon slayers continued their eternal war against Muzan's supernatural hordes. At the time, Tanjiro and Nezuko were not yet warriors, and neither were Inosuke and Zenitsu, so the 10 strongest characters in the anime were entirely made up of the strongest demons and a few of the Hashira. Plenty of those characters have been killed off or eclipsed in power by now, but when Tanjiro was just a kid in 1913, those 10 characters were stronger than anything he had ever seen.

10 Tengen Uzui Blends Demon Slaying With Shinobi Trickery and Sheer Noise

Debut Episode: "Against Corps Rules"

Tengen Uzui ranks last among the most powerful Demon Slayer characters at the start of the anime. That's because he lacks Gyomei's status as the strongest Hashira, and he also had a tough time against the Upper Moon 6 while Kyojuro held his own against the Upper Moon 3 for a time. That said, Tengen is still an incredible fighter and ranks highly among the nine original Hashira.

Tengen is an expert swordsman like the other Hashira, but he has a secret weapon: his ninja training. He is the only demon slayer who can use stealth to get the jump on demons that way, and if that falls short, Tengen can use fireworks to augment his Sound Breathing and confuse and distract his enemies.

9 Kyojuro Rengoku is Proud to be the New Flame Hashira After His Father

Debut Episode: "Against Corps Rules"

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10 Best Hashira Battles in Demon Slayer, Ranked

Demon Slayer boasts ten particular fights involving the Hashira that are the most visually charged battles in the entire series.

Kyojuro Rengoku is a fan-favorite thanks to his bold and positive personality as the cheerful Flame Hashira. Also, unlike his father Shinjuro, Kyojuro is proud to be a Hashira and would give his life for the cause— which he did. Kyojuro took part in the anime's first battle against an Upper Moon, fighting Akaza on equal terms for a time before he was eventually overwhelmed.

Kyojuro came impressively close to taking Akaza's head off, which in itself is a remarkable feat. It should also be noted that Kyojuro did all this alone, without the benefit of kunoichi battle partners or other demon slayers. It's true that Muichiro Tokito actually defeated an Upper Moon, but Gyokko was weaker than Akaza, and Muichiro had the benefit of his demon slayer mark.

8 Gyomei Himejima is the Strongest Demon Slayer Under Kagaya's Command

Debut Episode: "Against Corps Rules"

It was stated in Demon Slayer's lore that Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, was the most powerful of the nine Hashira. For a time, anime fans had to take that on faith, but then again, the demon slayers aren't nearly dishonest enough to lie about that. Fans finally saw Gyomei's power firsthand when he took on Muzan at the end of the Hashira training arc, with Gyomei using his spiked ball and chain with astonishing skill.

Gyomei is also a user of Repetitive Action, which means he can focus on one emotionally charged memory to push his body to new heights and accomplish what no one could with conventional breathing techniques. This is the same technique he taught to Genya Shinazugawa, who used it well to embrace his half-other powers.

7 Gyokko Ambushes His Enemies From His Ornamental Vases

Debut Episode: "Someone's Dream"

10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (3)

The Upper Moons might have their ranks slightly wrong, based on what Demon Slayer fans saw in the swordsmith village story arc. The idea is that the Lower and Upper Moons are ranked in ascending order of power, but the Upper Moon 5 is actually the weakest of the six Upper Moons. He lost to a single Hashira, which is actually rather disgraceful for an Upper Moon.

Still, even if Gyokko lost to Muichiro, he is not to be taken lightly. There's no doubt he could have overwhelmed most Hashira in battle, and Muichiro had the benefit of his demon slayer mark, which he couldn't have used in 1913. In a fight, Gyokko can pop out of his vases to attack his enemies from unexpected angles, and he can trap them in water to simply drown them. If necessary, Gyokko can even use his final form, boasting scales harder than diamonds.

6 Daki is Nearly Unbeatable When Fighting With Her Brother Gyutaro

Debut Episode: "What Are You?"

10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (4)

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Tanjiro and other Demon Slayer characters are the epitome of 'hard work beats talent.'

Daki ranks among the most powerful characters when Demon Slayer's story first started, a distinction she shares with her brother Gyutaro, who is the official Upper Moon 6 in Muzan's eyes. These two demons have a distinct advantage, since either of them can survive decapitation while the other has their head on. Simultaneous decapitation against demons like these is a tall order, even for the Hashira.

That alone makes Daki rank a fearsome threat, but she can still do more. More so than most demons, Daki can hide in plain sight, making it easy for her to select and hunt down her victims. She can also use her cloth belts as sharp-edged weapons, attacking from medium distance with many artificial limbs. Her brother Gyutaro, meanwhile, is a master of poisons.

5 Hantengu is a Team of Fighters All By Himself

Debut Episode: "Someone's Dream"

10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (6)

No matter his tearful and timid behavior in his default form, Hantengu is an enormous powerful demon who can split into various bodies with unique names and abilities, which is why he ranks in the middle among the anime's strongest characters at the start. Each of Hantengu's bodies has its own symbolic emotion, and some of them can even fly and perform ranged energy attacks.

Zohakuten is one of Hantengu's strongest forms of all, a fearsome being who can strike his drums to command gigantic wooden dragons that can easily crush his enemies. Also, Hantengu won't die unless his original body is decapitated, and that's a big ask since his main body is tiny in battle mode and can easily flee. Still, a demon slayer with their demon slayer mark active can at least survive fighting him until morning.

4 Akaza Punched His Way to the Rank of Upper Moon 3

Debut Episode: "Akaza"

10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (7)

Akaza was a terrifying threat when he first appeared in the Mugen Train story arc. Even now, he is still stronger than most of Demon Slayer's heroes, let alone at the anime's beginning. Akaza is a melee warrior who loves martial arts, using his bare fists to pummel his foes into oblivion. He can also use Compass Needle to find the right place to strike, making him deadlier still.

Akaza was the one who, with serious effort, killed Kyojuro Rengoku in single combat. Akaza had incredibly quick flesh regeneration, allowing him to keep pace with Kyojuro and eventually find an opening to thrust his fist clear through Kyojuro's chest. Akaza also boasts extreme speed, moving much quicker than the Upper Moons who rank below him. More recently, Akaza has also struck up an unfriendly rivalry with Tanjiro, putting Demon Slayer's hero in extreme danger.

3 Doma is Much Scarier Than He Looks

Debut Episode: "Someone's Dream"

10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (8)

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While Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps are compelling, their opposition makes for some of the most interesting villains in anime history.

As powerful as Akaza can be in melee combat, Doma still has him beat as the Upper Moon 2. Whatever his outwardly casual and goofy behavior, Doma has absolutely earned that lofty rank, being a demonic warrior with few equals. His strength, speed, and flesh regeneration are beyond anything the Hashira can handle, and even Akaza is afraid to fight him for real.

Doma uses a pair of battle fans to slash his foes in combat, though he can also fight bare-handed if necessary. As for blood demon arts, Doma can use cryokinesis to freeze the battlefield and his enemies, a chilling power that few Hashira can deal with. As a bonus, Doma has unlimited stamina, remaining in fighting shape no matter how many enemies he fights.

2 Kokushibo Has All the Strength of Demons and Slayers

Debut Episode: "Someone's Dream"

10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (10)

It's no surprise that the Upper Moon 1 is the most powerful demon to serve under Muzan, a cold and aloof swordsman who combines the best traits of both demons and demon slayers into a single package. Like all demons, Kokushibo has superhuman strength, speed, and healing, and he also has his own blood demon arts, creating crescent moon blades in battle.

Not only that, Kokushibo is a swordsman with unmatched skill, having trained with the blade for 500 solid years to reach the apex of his craft. His particular breathing style is Moon Breathing, a vicious style that's perfectly suited for a slayer turned demon like him. He also has quite a few forms with that blade, such as Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon.

1 Muzan Kibutsuji Has Survived For a Millennium in the Shadows

Debut Episode: "Muzan Kibutsuji"

10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (11)

Muzan was the strongest character in Demon Slayer's world when the anime started, and most likely, he was that world's #1 fighter from his earliest days to the very end. He is the progenitor of all demons, a bitter human turned monster who longs to return to the sunlight. His power in battle is unmatched, such as the time he casually slew all but one member of the Lower Moons with impunity.

Muzan is all but unkillable in battle, able to regenerate after taking any blow whatsoever, and his offensive power is just as overwhelming. He tends to form blades and whips that can easily strike his enemies all over the battlefield, and he can manipulate his own body to an astonishing degree. Muzan can grow jaws all over himself or form duplicates of himself.

10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (12)

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date
April 6, 2019

Cast
Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Main Genre
Animation

Seasons
5
10 Strongest Demon Slayer Characters at the Start of the Series, Ranked (2024)

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