Demon Slayer Hashira ranking: Who is the strongest in the Demon Slayer Corps?

The Hashira are the strongest warriors in the Demon Slayer Corps. When things get out of hand, they’re expected to lead their fellow Demon Slayers and eliminate any demon in their path.

They’re the last line of defense against the most powerful demons in Muzan Kibutsuji’s evil horde. As such, each Hashira has a unique fighting and breathing style that makes them the most proficient fighters.

To rank them according to their fighting capabilities, we evaluated their strength, durability, perseverance, and accomplishments from the anime and manga.

Spoiler warning: This article will discuss events from Seasons 1 and 2 of the anime, along with events from the Demon Slayer Mugen Train movie. The characters that have yet to showcase their skills in the anime will be evaluated based on the events in the manga.

• Here are all Demon Slayer episodes from every season and where to watch them
• Demon Slayer To the Swordsmith Village 2023 movie: Release dates, story, VA, trailer

The 9 strongest Hashira in Demon Slayer

9. Shinobu Kocho

Despite Shinobu’s petite frame and friendly demeanor, she is a deceptively deadly Demon Slayer. 

What Shinobu lacks in strength, she makes up for in creativity and ingenuity. Instead of using the traditional sword styles, Shinobu fights like a fencer and thrusts her thin Nichirin Sword to pierce her opponents.

She doesn’t use a katana because she can’t decapitate demons. Instead, Shinobu stabs her targets and injects them with a lethal dose of wisteria-based poison. This technique perfectly fits her Insect Hashira title.

Shinobu’s Insect Breathing style increases her agility exponentially, allowing her to dash toward her target at blinding speeds. She showcases these skills in her big battle against a certain Upper Rank demon later on in the show.

8. Tengen Uzui

Tengen’s strength as a Demon Slayer was on full display in Season 2 of the anime. As the Sound Hashira, Tengen has a heightened sense of hearing which gives him sonar-like abilities.

Using his Sound Breathing technique allows him to deconstruct the rhythm of his enemy’s attacks and turns them into a music sheet that he can read.

The ninja warrior had the combat proficiency to battle both Upper Rank Six demons Daki and Gyutaro. Even after being poisoned and losing his left hand, Tengen was still able to match Gyutaro blow for blow in the finale of the Entertainment District Arc.

After sustaining permanent damage against the Upper Rank Six demon siblings, Tengen was forced to retire which prevented him from reaching his full potential as a Demon Slayer.

7. Mitsuri Kanroji

Mitsuri is the most gleeful Hashira in the Corps. Despite her cheerful demeanor, she is a proficient warrior with a high demon kill count.

Mitsuri completed her Final Selection trial after just six months of training, which the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, considered exceptional. Using her superhuman flexibility, Mitsuri’s movements become extremely difficult to read. 

She uses her thin and limber Nichirin sword to slice and dice her opponents, similar to how Rhythmic Olympic gymnasts twirl their ribbons.

As the Love Hashira and the creator of the Love Breathing style, Mitsuri can unleash attacks that cover a wide range of motion, unlike regular katana swords. These deadly skills will be on full display in the Demon Slayer 2023 movie and Season 3’s Swordsmith Village Arc. 

6. Kyojuro Rengoku

Kyojuro is the most enthusiastic and cheerfully eccentric Hashira in the Corps. He is best known for his extraordinary swordsmanship technique and pure heart, which was showcased in the Demon Slayer Mugen Train movie.

As the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro’s combat skills are off the charts. He has immense speed and reflexes that even a skilled Demon Slayer like Tanjiro couldn’t keep up with when Kyojuro faced Akaza, the Upper Rank Three demon.

As a member of the Rengoku family, Kyojuro comes from an impressive lineage of powerful swordsmen who developed the Flame Breathing style. He used all of his special techniques to keep up with Akaza, one of the strongest demons in the series.

Throughout their fight, Akaza praised Kyojuro’s strength and offered to turn him into a demon so he could surpass his human limits and become stronger. Kyojuro ultimately fulfilled his duty as a Demon Slayer, saving Tanjiro and the rest of the passengers on the Mugen Train.

5. Obanai Iguro

As the strictest and most unforgiving Hashira, Obanai has high expectations for his Demon Slayer Corps members and fellow Hashira that border on unrealistic.

Obanai had a traumatic childhood that deeply affected his mental health. On top of dealing with psychological issues, he is more or less blind in his right eye. This meant that he ascended to the Hashira rank with the use of only one eye.

To compensate for his lack of vision, Obanai utilized his pet snake, Kaburamaru, to read and predict his opponent’s attacks. As the Serpent Hashira, Obanai uses a unique sword style comprised of slithering motions that allow him to bend his sword and attack in impossible ways.

Obanai will play a major part in the battle between Muzan Kibutsuji and the Demon Slayer Corps.

4. Giyu Tomioka

Giyu is a man of few words and has trouble interacting with others. This is why Shinobu claimed that he’s hated by many in Season 1.

Despite reaching a high-ranking position as the Water Hashira, Giyu has a lot of internal issues that prevent him from unlocking his full potential. However, he becomes a force to be reckoned with once he gets over his trauma.

Giyu is a master of Water Breathing, a style he learned from the previous Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki – who also acted as Tanjiro’s mentor at the start of the first season. Giyu has mastered all Water Breathing technique forms, which led him to create an Eleventh Form called Dead Calm. He used this powerful attack to defeat Lower Demon Five Rui in Season 1.

3. Muichiro Tokito

Muichiro is the youngest of the Hashira at only 14 years old. He is considered a warrior prodigy after being promoted to the Hashira rank only two months after joining the Demon Slayer Corps.

He is the most skilled Mist Breathing user of his generation. Despite his short stature and lean muscular build, Muichiro is one of the strongest Hashira. He can overwhelm his opponents with his burst of speed and surprise attacks. 

Muichiro’s technical prowess as a swordsman earned the respect of one of the strongest demons in the series.

2. Sanemi Shinazugawa

Sanemi is a hot-headed Hashira whose face and body are covered in scars he got from fighting demons for many years. The wounds represent his unwavering resolve and bloodlust that takes over during battles.

After years of savage training, Sanemi developed strength, speed, and reflexes that could rival his fellow Hashira. As a master of the Wind Breathing style, Sanemi can attack at blinding speeds coming from the ground and while in mid-air. 

Sanemi will unleash his full potential as a Demon Slayer when he faces off against the strongest villains in the series. 

1. Gyomei Himejima

In terms of raw physical strength, Gyomei, the Stone Hashira, is easily the strongest in the Demon Slayer Corps. The 26-year-old, 220-centimeter (7’2½”) tall giant is a mountain of a man who towers over his opponents.

Having been blind since childhood, Gyomei uses a technique that maximizes his concentration by remembering painful memories. This explains his empathic personality.

The combination of his extreme toughness, sharp concentration, and immense strength make him a phenomenal fighter. All Hashira have an unwavering dedication to fighting demons, but Gyomei’s tenacity is on another level.

Even against the strongest demons in the series, Gyomei was visibly unaffected by the devastating attacks. The characters who’ve seen the Stone Hashira in action often come to the concussion that he is the strongest Demon Slayer in the Corps.

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