Demon Slayer: The Strongest Character In Every Arc, Ranked

The following article contains spoilers for events after the Infinity Castle movie.

Demon Slayer is incredibly popular right now! While its amazing animation and music get a lot of credit for its success, the show’s diverse and well-developed characters are a huge part of why it’s so beloved. Each character has a unique history that makes them stand out throughout the series.

Both heroes and villains in Demon Slayer get moments to display their power. Swordsmen showcase their skills with unique and impressive breathing techniques, while demons rely on supernatural abilities. Let’s explore who the strongest characters were throughout the different story arcs.

When I was putting this list together, I wanted to be fair, so I only included characters who actually fought in battles or played a significant role in the story multiple times. It just seemed like the most reasonable way to approach it.

Final Selection Arc – Sakonji Urokodaki

The beginning of the anime focuses on establishing the overall mood and world. While powerful figures called Hashiras are mentioned, we don’t see their full strength right away. A significant portion of this early part of the story is dedicated to Tanjiro’s training and development as a character. Throughout this, we see Tanjiro’s mentor, Urokodaki, demonstrating incredible power. He’s revealed to be a former Hashira, instantly making him much stronger than all the other trainees we meet.

So, it seems fitting to put Sakonji Urokodaki as the strongest known character at that time.

Kidnapper’s Bog Arc to Tsuzumi Mansion Arc – Tamayo

The storylines of Kidnapper’s Bog, Asakusa, and Tsuzumi Mansion all connect because they mainly involved a single, significant battle. Tanjiro, along with his new companions Tamayo and Yushiro, encountered the Termari Demon and Arrow Demon, who initially presented themselves as members of the Twelve Kizuki. Although they weren’t actually part of the group, they proved to be powerful opponents.

They were able to defeat the two demons primarily thanks to Tamayo’s unique abilities. Although Tamayo didn’t fight herself, her skills and knowledge made her the most valuable asset in this part of the story, and continued to be important throughout the series.

Mount Natagumo Arc – Giyu

The Mount Natagumo Arc is a crucial part of the Demon Slayer story, as it’s where Tanjiro and his friends first encounter the powerful Twelve Kizuki demons. Tanjiro fought bravely against Rui, and came very close to winning using the Hinokami Kagura Dance. However, despite his efforts, he wasn’t ultimately successful in defeating him, meaning he wasn’t the strongest fighter in this arc.

Giyu arrived just in time to rescue Tanjiro and quickly defeated Rui. He demonstrated the incredible strength of the Hashira by using his Eleventh Form of Water Breathing, giving fans a taste of their abilities.

Rehabilitation Training Arc – Kanao

The Rehabilitation Training Arc is known for formally introducing the Hashira, some of the most powerful characters in the series. However, this arc didn’t showcase them fighting. Instead, the story centered on the Butterfly Mansion, where Tanjiro and others trained to improve their breathing skills. Kanao was also training there and consistently outperformed everyone else. Remarkably, she had already perfected Total Concentration Breathing, even though she was at the same final exam level as Tanjiro and Zenitsu.

Although Tanjiro did manage to defeat Kanao once, she appeared to be the more skilled and powerful demon slayer at the time, making her the strongest character in that part of the story.

Mugen Train Arc – Kyojuro Rengoku

Most fans would agree that Kyojuro Rengoku was the most powerful character in the Mugen Train Arc. His fight with Akaza was incredible, showcasing his amazing abilities. Even when pushed beyond his physical limits, Rengoku’s determination and skill allowed him to fight on par with Akaza’s superhuman strength and healing.

I was really struck by how strong Rengoku was – Akaza actually admitted he was one of the most powerful fighters he’d ever seen. It was a close call though; Akaza only managed to escape by briefly letting go of his arms, and I honestly think he would have been defeated if he hadn’t.

Entertainment District Arc – Tengen

Demon Slayer’s most popular season is packed with amazing battles. Characters like Tanjiro and Gyutaro demonstrated impressive abilities and power, but Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira, stands out as the strongest. In a stunning display of resilience, he even stopped his own heart briefly after being poisoned by Gyutaro, appearing as if he had died.

In Episode 10, he returned to the battle and fought Gyutaro using his Musical Score Technique, despite being down to one arm. This created an opening for Tanjiro and the others to finally defeat the demon siblings by beheading them.

Swordsmith Village Arc – Mitsuri

The Swordsmith Village arc highlighted the fighting skills of two popular Hashira. Muichiro battled Gyokko, and Mitsuri faced Zohakuten, widely considered Hantengu’s most powerful form. Both fights were amazing, demonstrating each Hashira’s unique talents. Muichiro excelled with his intelligence and ability to dodge attacks, while Mitsuri relied on her incredible physical power and distinctive sword techniques.

Mitsuri’s fight was particularly difficult because she was up against one of the strongest demons, a member of the Twelve Kizuki. What made it even harder was that she battled for a long time – she kept fighting until Tanjiro finally defeated Hantengu’s core form.

Hashira Training Arc – Nakime

Most of the Hashira Training Arc focused on demon slayers working hard to improve their skills under the Hashira’s demanding guidance. However, the last episode offered a preview of the intense battles to come in the Infinity Castle. Even though Muzan was temporarily held back by Tamayo’s Blood Demon Art, Himejima demonstrated his incredible strength, powerfully striking Muzan and successfully blocking his attacks.

Muzan, however, can instantly regrow his head even while fighting Himejima and being restrained by Tamayo’s Blood Demon Art. It’s worth noting that neither Muzan nor Tamayo fully demonstrate their power in this part of the story.

When evaluating someone’s strength, it’s important to look beyond just their fighting ability and consider how their skills affect the bigger picture. Muzan was trapped by the Hashiras and was about to be overwhelmed, but Nakime intervened at a crucial moment. She didn’t just rescue him; she also transported a huge number of demon slayers into the deadly Infinity Castle. This single act saved Muzan and simultaneously put the demon slayers in a perilous and unfamiliar place, rightfully earning her the title of the most powerful character in this story arc.

Infinity Castle Arc – Muzan

This story arc featured incredibly intense battles. The Upper Rank Moons and the Hashira demonstrated power levels far beyond anything viewers had witnessed before. Akaza’s fight with Tanjiro and Giyu, for example, concluded only because Akaza chose to stop, and it took three Hashira working together with Genya to defeat Kokushibo. Despite the impressive strength shown by both of them, they were still far weaker than Muzan.

As the Infinity Castle Arc comes to a close, Muzan has fully recovered and reveals himself as the strongest enemy in the series. While the main battles happen in the following arc, Muzan demonstrates his incredible power by effortlessly fighting Tanjiro and three of the Hashira simultaneously.

Sunrise Countdown Arc – Yoriichi

In the final arc of Demon Slayer, Muzan remains incredibly powerful, even as the medicine created by Tamayo and Shinbou slowly weakens him. Despite the combined efforts of the demon slayers, he’s a difficult opponent to overcome. Even when Tanjiro uses his thirteenth Sun Breathing form, it’s not enough to clearly surpass Muzan’s strength.

Through flashbacks to Tanjiro’s family history, we learn about a character even more powerful than Muzan: Yoriichi Tsugikuni. These scenes reveal a fight where Yoriichi easily defeated Muzan, even slicing him apart immediately. Yoriichi destroyed 1,500 of the 1,800 pieces Muzan split into, though Muzan managed to survive. This incredible battle establishes Yoriichi as the strongest character not just in this story arc, but in the entire anime.

Honestly, Yoriichi was just unbelievably powerful! Even hundreds of years after his time, Muzan was still clearly affected by him. It was incredible – during our fight with Muzan, Tanjiro actually spotted scars on his cells from Yoriichi’s attacks! It really drove home how much of a threat Yoriichi was, even in death.

The story of Demon Slayer isn’t finished yet! Fans really enjoyed the recent adaptation and are eager to see what happens next. The big question is: can the next installment live up to the high standard set by the series so far?

For now, Demon Slayer is available to watch on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

2026-02-12 22:41