It’s funny that you want to know the demon rankings in Demon Slayer, like that isn’t a very important canonical factor in the anime. The hierarchy established by Kibutsuji Muzan, with the ranks literally tattooed in the demons’ eyes, is a key factor of the show that’s hard to miss unless you’re watching different shows.
While the canonical ranking of the demons in Demon Slayer is undisputable (because why would you want to question the Demon Lord?), viewers’ opinions may differ due to the dynamic nature of the Demon-Demon Slayer matchups and the surrounding situations that affect the narrative and overall fight. This is what makes the anime so engaging and open to interpretation.
In any case, here is the list of the top ten strongest demons in Demon Slayer, if we were to include every demon around.
10Tamayo
Beauty with brains, anyone? Tamayo, one of the most intelligent demons in Demon Slayers, makes up for her lack of combat experience with her Blood Demon Art and her knowledge in the field of medicine. She’s one of the only demons to have inflicted long-lasting damage on Muzan, making her a force to be reckoned with.
9Daki
Sharing the spot of Upper Moon Six with her brother, Daki is also one of the strongest of the bunch. Though her little sister energy takes over after Gyutaro comes out, she was holding her own completely fine before that. With razor sharp sashes that cut through everything but make it near impossible to cut through her, she has a flexible multipurpose power that puts her above most demons.
8Nezuko
Nezuko is living proof of appearances can be deceiving, or maybe not because her demon form disturbingly turns her into an older, mature version of herself (weird). An anomaly, she is incredibly strong and her Blood Demon Art produces combustible blood that only harms demons. She is also immune to sunlight, which is the ultimate weakness of demons, something even the Demon Lord himself isn’t immune to.
7Gyutaro
The other half of Upper Moon Six, Gyutaro has taken out more than fifteen Hashiras by himself in the past. Capable of manipulating his own blood, Gyutaro can create weapons and barriers of his own. He even managed to hold his own against four demon slayers, including Uzui, a Hashira. However, his only weakness, his sister, proved to be his undoing later in the fight.
6Gyokko
Upper Moon Rank 5 and Creepy Face Rank 1, Gyokko is already topping the ‘Ugh, so gross!’ scale. His entire personality is about pottery, which is impressive, only if it didn’t come with the death and torture part. Trapping his victim in porcelain vases, stitching said victims together in their half-dead state to create grotesque “art”, it really doesn’t help his case. Moreover, he can summon fish monsters that all have their own conscience to fight independently.
5Hantengu
Another major case of ‘appearances can be deceiving,’ don’t let his sad face fool you. Upper Rank 4, Hantengu can split into different emotions, all with their own powers. (Inside Out if it was filmed in Muzan’s head.) Anger uses electricity powers, Joy has wings, razor sharp talons, and a supersonic screech. Sorrow can fight with a spear and Pleasure uses powerful gusts of wind from a leaf-shaped fan. Hatred can absorb the other clones and use their powers, and it can manipulate wood. Lastly, Resentment turns into a GIANT. Truly OP.
4Akaza
Anime-onlys, I know you hate him, but he will eventually become your favorite. Upper Moon 3, Akaza is responsible for the Flame Hashira, Rengoku’s demise, one of the story’s biggest tragedies.
However, being able to kill such a formidable opponent with bare fists tells us much about Akaza’s strengths. Moreover, his speed, stamina, and regeneration ability are no joke. An Akaza-exclusive sixth sense that he has dubbed the “fighting spirit” lets him evade unpredictable attacks.
3Douma
If there is a scale for THE most hated demon in existence, this guy is topping it, no doubt. Kaigaku will be a close second, but Douma will be number one. He’s also number two in Upper Moon Ranks, and it is not for no reason.
Both emotionally and physically unfeeling, Douma possesses almost absolute pain tolerance-if sticking his own finger in his skull without flinching incident meant anything. His martial arts skills surpass even Akaza’s. He can also telekinetically manipulate ice and use it to deep freeze his enemies before absorbing them into his body.
2Kokushibo
Presenting the Upper Rank 1 demon, Kokushibo, possessing Moon Breathing technique. Kokushibo can create crescent moon-shaped blades by swinging his katana. These blades shift in size, speed, and direction according to Kokushibo’s will, making his attacks extraordinarily difficult to read.
Kokushibo’s katana is crafted from his own flesh, and he can pull katanas from other parts of his body on demand, like a never-ending demonic all-you-wield sword buffet. He is so extremely fast you don’t even see him move, he just spawns behind his enemies, who simply explode to death because they never realized Kokushibo attacked them with his extremely fast sword slashes.
Kokushibo also managed to kill a Hashira and a Demon Slayer in a battle against four Demon Slayers, three of them being Hashiras.
1Muzan
Here comes the Demon Lord, everyone act surprised. Do you need me to justify his case? He’s the OG, the reason this ranking even exists at all. The progenitor of the demon race, Muzan is heartless and calculating, orchestrating everything from behind the scenes at the expense of his subordinates.
However, his combat form is unmatched, as he can fight around a hundred Demon Slayers simultaneously. He also lasted in a combined, consecutive assault from almost every Hashira and remaining Demon Slayers. Tragically, he lost against the power of familial love and sunlight.
About Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotoge. Its publication in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump began in February 2016 and ended in May 2020 with 23 collected tankōbon volumes.
In a world filled with demons and demon slayers, Kimetsu no Yaiba follows the lives of two siblings Tanjiro and Nezuko Kamado after— the murder of their family at the hands of a demon. Their hardship does not end there, as Nezuko’s life is spared only for her to live as a demon.
As the oldest sibling, Tanjiro vows to protect and cure his sister. The story traces the bond of this brother-sister or better yet, demon slayer and demon combo against the odds of an arch antagonist and the society.
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