Best Hashira Battles in Demon Slayer, Ranked (2024)

In the Demon Slayer anime universe, only expertly trained demon slayers can kill the creatures of the night to protect humanity, and the nine elite Hashira do it better than anyone. Like many anime groups, the Demon Slayer Corps has a small, elite squad to handle the most dangerous missions, and sure enough, the Hashira are always ready for a fight. Over time, anime fans saw all of them leap into the fray to take on Muzan's strongest minions, or even Muzan himself.

While the most important Demon Slayer battles usually focus on what Tanjiro Kamado and his friends are doing, the anime also makes time for the Hashiras' own battles, starting all the way back in the very first episode. Such battles are high-stakes clashes that show off the true potential of each breathing style, and those Hashira fights are also a marvel to watch. The anime boasts ten particular fights involving the Hashira that are the most important, exciting, or emotionally charged battles in the entire series.

10 Giyu Tomioka vs Nezuko & Tanjiro Kamado Was a Tense Misunderstanding With Personal Stakes

Notable Episode: "Cruelty"

The very first Hashira battle also happens to be the least exciting, so it ranks last among the most interesting Demon Slayer fights that involve Hashira characters. That fight had very little proper action, but it did have important personal stakes for the Kamados, which helped the anime start off on the right foot.

Not long after Nezuko awakened as a demon, she attacked her brother, and Giyu Tomioka the Water Hashira was soon on the scene. Giyu wanted Nezuko dead for duty's sake, but Tanjiro refused. Giyu was impressed when Tanjiro used desperate tactics to shield his demon sister from harm, so Giyu showed mercy, and he wouldn't see the Kamados again for two whole years after that.

9 Giyu Tomioka vs Rui Finished What Tanjiro Started in Mt. Natagumo's Forests

Notable Episode: "Pretend Family"

When Giyu Tomioka re-appeared after the two-year time skip in Demon Slayer, he was finally ready to kill a demon on-screen and show fans what he was actually capable of. Late in Season 1, Tanjiro was fighting hard against the Lower Moon 5, Rui, and even unlocked the Hinokami Kagura technique while fighting him.

However, not even that was enough to finish off Rui, who was still ready for more. Fortunately for Tanjiro, Giyu stepped in and delivered a swift strike with Water Breathing to hack off Rui's head and defeat him once and for all. That fight didn't last long, but it was still thrilling to see a Hashira defeat a strong demon like Rui to save the day just in time.

8 Gyomei Himejima vs Muzan Kibutsuji Was a Brief Taste of What the Stone Hashira Can Do

Notable Episode: "The Hashira Unite"

For quite some time, the Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima didn't do any actual fighting, not even practice battles. In Season 4, he spent his screen time pushing his students to use Repetitive Action and other endurance-based training, which set him apart from the sparring-oriented Obanai, Sanemi, and Muichiro.

Finally, when the demon king himself appeared, Gyomei was ready to fight for real with Stone Breathing. In a brief but vivid display, Gyomei thrashed Muzan with his unique sword, a spiked ball on a long chain that can whip around everywhere. Gyomei tried to build on what Lady Tamayo started on that battlefield, only for Muzan to spring his own trap and sent the Hashira to his Infinity Castle domain.

7 Sanemi Shinazugawa & Obanai Iguro vs Demons Showed What a Dynamic Duo Those Hashira Are

Notable Episode: "To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji"

At the beginning of Season 4, the Serpent Hashira and Wind Hashira were both ready to show Demon Slayer fans what they were capable of in battle. Neither of them had done any serious fighting until that point, so it was fun to see them take on a small horde of regular demons during a nighttime mission.

That battle wasn't too memorable, nor were any Lower or Upper Moons involved, but then again, the plot didn't call for that. For the time being, it was satisfying enough to see Sanemi and Obanai massacre "jobber" demons like those to reinforce just how powerful the Hashira are, even when they are vastly outnumbered.

6 Shinobu Kocho vs Daughter Demon Introduced Fans to a Gruesome New Way of Slaying Demons

Notable Episode: "Pretend Family"

When Giyu arrived in Mt. Natagumo's forest to save the day, he wasn't alone. He brought along his friend Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira. While Shinobu's fight against the "daughter" demon of Rui's found family was short and one-sided, it was still fascinating to watch. That was because Shinobu showed there's more than one way to kill a demon.

By then, Demon Slayer fans were already used to slayers decapitating demons to kill them, which threatened to get a little stale. So, Shinobu mixed things up by using a thin, stinger-like sword to deliver a deadly poison strike that killed the daughter demon without ever taking off her head. That's how Insect Breathing works, using stings to administer poison even with limited physical strength behind the attacks.

5 Kyojuro Rengoku vs Enmu Set a Good Example For Tanjiro's Squad

Notable Episode: "Move Forward!"

Kyojuro Rengoku's battle against the Lower Moon 1, Enmu, ranks in the middle of all Hashira fights not because of the tension or brutality, but because Kyojuro was setting a good example for Tanjiro's team in that fight. Kyojuro led the way, and Tanjiro and the others rallied behind him once they broke free of Enmu's sleep trap.

Kyojuro easily fended off Enmu's attacks, giving Tanjiro and Inosuke an opening to find and cut apart Enmu's neck elsewhere in the living Mugen Train. In addition, as Kagaya noted later, Kyojuro did all this while not allowing any of the train's 200 passengers to come to harm, which was an incredible feat that only a Hashira could pull off.

4 Mitsuri Kanroji vs Hantengu Was a Stellar Example of Love Breathing at Work

Notable Episode: "Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji"

It took not just one, but many heroes to challenge the Upper Moon 4, Hantengu, and finally defeat him. Not only was Hantengu highly ranked, he could also split into several bodies, so the heroes needed equal numbers just to stand a chance. Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya tried their best, but Hantengu's wrath was too much for them, so Mitsuri took over the fight.

Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, entertained anime fans as she used her overwhelming strength and whip-like sword to fend off Hantengu's fearsome attacks again and again. Mitsuri was a graceful acrobat with near-superhuman strength and a cheerful attitude, which made for a memorable combination. And while Mitsuri didn't deal the finishing blow, it was still impressive that she held off all of Hantengu's attacks until dawn broke.

3 Muichiro Tokito vs Gyokko Called For a Demon Slayer Mark

Notable Episode: "Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito"

Over time, it became evident that no single swordsman could take on an Upper Moon, not even a Hashira. Kyojuro lost to Akaza, after all, and Tengen needed more than a little help to take down Gyutaro and Daki. Then, Muichiro Tokito the quiet himbo broke that trend as he took on the Upper Moon 5, Gyokko, all by himself.

Muichiro struggled at first, getting caught in Gyokko's water trap and nearly drowning, but he had a secret weapon. Muichiro activated his demon slayer mark to power up and break free, and then he kept pressuring Gyokko until that Upper Moon was forced to reveal his true form. Amazingly, not even that was enough to save Gyokko, who suffered a brutal decapitation when Muichiro took his Mist Breathing to the next level.

2 Tengen Uzui vs Daki & Gyutaro Showed the Full Power of Sound Breathing and Ninja Techniques

Notable Episode: "Defeating an Upper Rank Demon"

The Upper Moon 6 was actually two demons in one, so Tengen Uzui needed more than a little help to fight such powerful opponents. When the battle in the entertainment district began, Tengen was in total control of the situation, since he and Tanjiro decapitated Daki without too much trouble. Then, Daki's brother Gyutaro emerged from her body and reattached her head, and then the real fight began.

What followed next was a brutal, flashy, and desperate affair as Tengen used every Sound Breathing technique he could think of to face Gyutaro in battle. He even had help from his three kunoichi wives, who bravely did their part to put pressure on the Upper Moons and shield their squad leader from harm. And while Tengen did well, it fell to Tanjiro to finish the job and slay the demonic brother/sister duo for good.

1 Kyojuro Rengoku vs Akaza Was a Battle of Principles

Notable Episode: "Akaza"

Kyojuro Rengoku barely even broke a sweat when he fought Enmu, but once the Mugen Train derailed and Enmu died, the real challenge arrived. Akaza, the wicked Upper Moon 3, showed up and demanded a fight, so Kyojuro obliged him. Tanjiro could only stare in awe as the two warriors fought with extreme speed and skill.

Kyojuro tragically lost the fight and succumbed to his injuries, but he still won a moral victory of sorts. No matter Akaza's offers, Kyojuro refused to become a demon and accept his role as Akaza's shonen-style rival, since duty was far more important to Kyojuro than immortality and supernatural strength. That fascinating layer, combined with the bombastic action and Kyojuro's tearful demise, made this the best fight Hashira battle in Demon Slayer's anime so far.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

TV-MA

Animation

Action

Adventure

Release Date

January 22, 2021

Cast

Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yosh*tsugu Matsuoka

Main Genre

Animation

Seasons

4