5 Strongest Demons in Demon Slayer
Ranking the 25 Strongest Demons in Demon Slayer (2023)
Demon Slayer is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge and considered one of the most popular shonen jump series. Sold more than 150 million copies in 2023, it also recorded a record at the Japanese box office by becoming the highest-grossing film in history.
With different characters, elements and a narrative storyline like other series, shines in its own way. Notable characters such as the Kizuki Twelve make the series even more interesting.
The Twelve Kizuki or the Twelve Moons are an organization composed of the twelve most powerful who are under the direct command of .
The twelve moons are divided into two groups namely the upper Moons and the lower Moons. Higher Moons are basically the strongest among the two groups and are ranked accordingly from strongest to weakest in terms of power and combat.
And in this article, we are going to discuss the most powerful demons in the series and rank them accordingly. But we'll leave the Low Moons, aside from Enmu and Rui, since their powers are never revealed.
Alert! This article contains information about the manga; therefore, only anime fans read at their own risk.
Contents
Top 25 Strongest Demons in Demon Slayer
25) Horned Demon
| Japanese name | horned ghost |
| Age | THAT |
| Height | THAT |
| Blood Demon Art | THAT |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye colour | Dark red |
We'll start the list with one of the minor antagonists of the Tsuzumi Mansion Arc. The Horned Demon is one of the three demons in the mansion. It is huge and imposing with a bulging belly and a single horn on its head.
The Horned Demon uses his size and physical strength to his advantage but is not strong enough to defeat an amateur demon slayer like . His inability to defeat the boar-headed boy is the reason he is in last position. But out of all the demons featured in the series, the Horned Demon is one of the most powerful demons in Demon Slayer.
24) Tongue Demon
| Japanese name | tongue ghost |
| Age | THAT |
| Height | THAT |
| Blood Demon Art | Manipulation of flesh |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye colour | Red (top pair) Green (bottom pair) |
The Tongue Demon is not particularly stronger than the Horned Demon but we placed him in 24th place because he fought well. Without Zenitsu's overwhelming speed, he might prove more dangerous.
He is one of the demons living in the Tsuzumi mansion and kidnaps children along with his fellow demons. The Tongue Demon is decapitated by Zenitsu in the Tsuzumi Mansion Arc.
23) Slicer
| Japanese name | Ripper |
| Age | THAT |
| Height | THAT |
| Blood Demon Art | Increased speed |
| Hair color | THAT |
| Eye colour | Lime green iris with black sclera |
The Slasher has a very brief role in the series. He appears in the Mugen Train Arc and follows the train, but is quickly killed by the very powerful Flame Hashira.
But despite his brief appearance, it's clear that he's quite powerful as he matches the speed of the Mugen Train in his bare feet. His Blood Demon Art, Augmented Speed is the reason for his high speed.
22) Hand Demon
| Japanese name | hand ghost |
| Age | Over 47 (chronological) |
| Height | THAT |
| Blood Demon Art | Manipulation of flesh |
| Hair color | Black (human) |
| Eye colour | Pale yellow (demon) Dark turquoise (human) |
The Demon Hand is a fearsome demon residing on Mount Fujikasane and provides the ultimate challenge for aspiring demon slayers during the final selection of the Demon Slayer exam. He is an old demon defeated and incarcerated by Urokodaki.
The Demon Hand has killed many young aspiring demon slayers, including Sabito and Makime. It is very powerful and strengthens over time. At the end of the Final Selection arc, he is killed by . Although the series later introduces stronger demons into the story, the Hand Demon still remains one of the strongest demons in Demon Slayer.
21) Kyogai
| Japanese name | Xiangkai |
| Age | THAT |
| Height | THAT |
| Blood Demon Art | Drum |
| Hair color | Black (demon) Dark turquoise (human) |
| Eye colour | Deep blue iris with red sclera (demon) Turquoise (human) |
Kyogai is the major antagonist of the Tsuzumi Mansion Arc. He lives in the mansion with two other demons, the Tongue Demon and the Horned Demon, and is the strongest of the three.
Kyogai was once an Upper Moon Six but removed him from his position due to his weakness. Sure, he's not as strong or even close to the Kizuki Twelve, but he proves to be a formidable opponent for Tanjiro in his early days. This is why he occupies number 21 as one of the most powerful demons in Demon Slayer.
20) Mother Demon Spider
| Japanese name | Ghost Spider “Mother” |
| Age | THAT |
| Height | THAT |
| Blood Demon Art | THAT |
| Hair color | White Black (original) |
| Eye colour | Light blue to pale green Yellow (original) |
Mount Natagumo Arc finds Tanjiro and his team witnessing the first of the story's twelve Kizuki Demons. Rui is the main antagonist of the arc while his fake "family members" act as secondary antagonists. One of these “family” members is the Mother Demon Spider.
She is an ordinary demon chosen to play the role of Rui's mother and she is unhappy in her new role. The Mother uses thread manipulation like Rui, although her powers are far less than Rui's. She kills many demon slayers and is eventually mercifully killed by .
19) Father Demon Spider
| Japanese name | Ghost Spider “Father” |
| Age | THAT |
| Height | THAT |
| Blood Demon Art | THAT |
| Hair color | Money |
| Eye colour | Teal |
The Father Spider Demon is the demon chosen and controlled by Rui to pose as the father of his twisted fake family. He is a hulking demon with a terrifying spider-like appearance. The Spider Demon Father is also very abusive towards his weaker "family members".
He is the strongest of the "family" after Rui who is the demon Lower Moon Six. The Father could withstand attacks from Tanjiro and Inosuke, but he is no match for a Hashira, as proven by overpowering him in the blink of an eye. However, he remains one of the most powerful demons in Demon Slayer.
18) Susamaru
| Japanese name | Zhushawan |
| Age | THAT |
| Height | THAT |
| Blood Demon Art | Hiasobi Temari |
| Hair color | From black to orange |
| Eye colour | YELLOW |
was introduced in the Asakusa Arc where she displays her incredible physical strength and combat abilities using her Temari. By manipulating her flesh, she could grow four additional arms, thus amplifying her offensive power.
Her Blood Demon Art allows her to summon Temari at will which she can throw or strike with incredible speed and power.
Even though she was strong, Tamayo easily fools her and Kibutsuji curses her, which is why she is ranked 18th on the list.
17) Yahaba
| Japanese name | Yawaba |
| Age | THAT |
| Height | THAT |
| Blood Demon Art | Koketsu Arrow |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye colour | Red Iris orange with green sclera (hand eyes) |
Also known as the Arrow Demon, he appears in the Asakusa Arc and fights alongside Susamura. By manipulating his own flesh, he can transform two eyes on his palm with arrows for the irises but also at the expense of his normal eyes.
Using his Blood Demon Art, he can track other demons and also manipulate matter and interactions via their associated vectors using his Koketsu arrows.
He was defeated by Tanjiro who used the vectors by wrapping them in his water breathing technique and used this momentum to direct his attack.
Since his Bloody Demon Art can be avoided by following the direction of the vector, it is ranked 17th on the list.
16) Yushiro
| Japanese name | Yushiro |
| Age | More than 35 (chronological) |
| Height | 5'2" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Headband |
| Hair color | Pale green to black |
| Eye colour | Lavender |
While Yushiro is initially harsh towards , he later becomes an important ally to them and contributes to the final fight against Muzan. He is a demon, transformed by Tamayo, and accompanies him on his journey.
Yushiro's Blood Demon Art works better as a support in combat than as an offensive weapon. Blindfolding allows him to bring awareness to anything with a piece of paper and enhance his senses like vision and reflex. With his powers, Yushiro can even take control of someone's mind, and is strong enough to do so in Upper Moon Four, Nakime.
15) Rui
| Japanese name | fatigue |
| Age | 13 (physical) More than 30 (chronological) |
| Height | 4'5" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Wire handling |
| Hair color | Pale lilac (demon) Black (human) |
| Eye colour | Blue with red sclera (demon) Blue (human) |
Rui makes his first appearance in episode 15 of Natagumo Mountain Arc. He was one of the Lesser Moons who possessed incredible powers, superhuman strength and durability. Much like Muzan, Rui could also strengthen a fellow demon by giving them his demon blood.
He had spider-like features and also created and manipulated steel wire using his Blood Demon Art. His steel wires could still be cut by Tanjiro and burned by Nezuko, so he is ranked 15th on the list.
14) Enmu
| Japanese name | nightmare |
| Age | 20 years (biologically) |
| Height | 5'6" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Manipulation of sleep and dreams |
| Hair color | From black to pink and blue |
| Eye colour | Blue |
Enmu's first appearance was in the Rehabilitation Training arc and also appears as the antagonist in the Mugen Train arc. As one of the twelve Kizuki, Enmu possesses enhanced speed and reflexes, easily evading attacks.
Enmu can manipulate flesh to attach to inanimate objects and also detach his own flesh to create a clone of himself to fool others. Using his Blood Demon Art, he can manipulate dreams and also put his target to sleep by mixing their blood with other fluids, making them vulnerable.
Although her Blood Demon Art is powerful, it is not invisible as it cannot affect other demons like Nezuko and can be blocked if the point of view is changed. He therefore ranks 14th.
13) Kaigaku
| Japanese name | Yu Yue |
| Age | THAT |
| Height | 5'6" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Breathing Thunder |
| Hair color | Black |
| Eye colour | Turquoise (human) Turquoise iris with black sclera (demon) |
Kaigaku was a former demon slayer turned demon who was also the eldest of those who both trained under the former Thunder Hashira.
As a former demon slayer, Kaigaku was certainly one of the most powerful upper moons.
He could enhance his Thunder Breathing style and generate electricity using his Demonic Blood Art.
Even though he became a demon and enchanted his Thunder Breathing techniques, he was still defeated by Zenitsu. That's why we place it at number 13 on the list.
12) Daki
| Japanese name | fallen princess |
| Age | 13 (human) Over 126 (chronological) |
| Height | THAT |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Chassis handling |
| Hair color | Silver to lime green (demon) Silver (human) Black (disguise edges) |
| Eye colour | Lime green (demon) Lapis blue (human) Terracotta orange to anise green (oiran costume) |
The other part of the group, Daki is Gyutaro's younger sister. She, along with her brother, stands as the major antagonist of the Arc Entertainment District. Daki is a beautiful but cruel demon, obsessed with appearance and preferring to eat only those with a pleasing appearance.
Her Blood Demon bow, Sash Manipulation, allows her to use the belts around her waist to manipulate at will. Belts are very versatile and can even be used as slashing weapons.
Despite this power, she is considerably weaker than Gyutaro, which is why she is ranked 12th on this list of the strongest demons in Demon Slayer.
11) Nakime
| Japanese name | Narume |
| Age | More than 133 (chronological) |
| Height | THAT |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Infinite Castle |
| Hair color | Dark brown |
| Eye colour | Pink |
After Hantengu's death, the mysterious Demon Biwa, or Nakime, became the new Upper Moon 4, as seen in the . She was the inhabitant of the Infinite Castle who could manipulate and create rooms in the Infinite Castle by simply playing with her biwa.
Using her Blood Demon Art, she can manipulate space to a certain extent and also create portals in the form of doors and use them to aid other demons and herself during battles.
She can also create and detach multiple eyeballs which can be used as a mode to spy on other people from a long distance. She was defeated after Yushiro took control of Nakime's vision.
Although she isn't as strong as the other Greater Moons in terms of power and combat, she still managed to fend off two Hashira, which is why we ranked her 11th on the list.
10) Tamayo
| Japanese name | World of pearls |
| Age | 19 (physical) More than 500 (chronological) |
| Height | 4'11" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Casting spells |
| Hair color | Dark brown |
| Eye colour | Dark purple to pale lavender |
Tamayo is unique in that, aside from Nezuko, she is the only demon to have fought Muzan's control and plotted against him. She loves the Kamado siblings and becomes one of their greatest allies.
Thanks to his Blood Demon Art, Tamayo can use his blood to charm or threaten his enemies. She is also a genius and is working on the anti-aging drug with Shinobu which will eventually become a reason for .
9) Nezuko Kamado
| Japanese name | Kamado Nezuko |
| Age | 12 (physically) 14 (chronologically) |
| Height | 5'0" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Pyrokinesis |
| Hair color | Black to flame orange (demon) Black (human) |
| Eye colour | Pale pink (demon) Dark pink (human) |
is the sister of the main protagonist of the series who turned into a demon after Muzan attacked everyone in the Kamado family.
As a demon, Nezuko possessed enhanced strength and physical abilities, she can restore her power and also expand them without any training or consumption of humans.
She also possessed immense regenerative abilities like that of a High Moon and could even change the size of her body by shrinking. She also developed the Blood Demon Art and had a liking for pyrokinesis which could inflict a significant amount of damage to the upper moons.
Nezuko is the first and only demon to have resistance to sunlight, which is why she ranks 9 on the list.
8) Gyutarō
| Japanese name | Giko Taro |
| Age | More than 13 (human) More than 126 (chronological) |
| Height | THAT |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Handling of blood |
| Hair color | Black to lime green (demon) Black (human) |
| Eye colour | Red with yellow sclera (right eye) Lime green with yellow sclera (left eye) Blue (human) |
Gyutaro was one of the Greater Moons who was introduced alongside his sister Daki. As one of the Greater Moons, Gyutaro possesses immense regenerative abilities, speed and power.
By manipulating his own flesh, he can transform them into sharp sickles, detach his cells and merge with his sister to enhance all his powers.
His Blood Demon Art allows him to manipulate his own blood by creating sharp objects and controlling them to his own will and can also use it as a deadly poison to crush his target.
Nezuko could easily cure the deadly poison using her Blood Demon Art during battle and so he ranks 8 on the list.
7) Gyokko
| Japanese name | jade piece |
| Age | More than 113 (chronological) |
| Height | 4’11” (normal) 5’7” (moulted) |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Porcelain vases |
| Hair color | THAT |
| Eye colour | Gold |
Next on our list is Upper Moon 5 Gyokko, who is actually a disfigured humanoid and only has a torso with infant-like hands on his back and grows in a porcelain pot and looks like that of a jinn.
This demon can be seen in the Village Arc where he fights. Using his Blood Demon Art, he can materialize pots out of thin air, manipulate water, and transmute objects into fish when he touches them.
He was defeated by Muichiro after awakening the Demon Slayer's mark and thus ranks 7 on the list.
6) Hantengu
| Japanese name | dog half day |
| Age | More than 200 (chronological) |
| Height | 5'5¼" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Expression of emotion |
| Hair color | Dark |
| Eye colour | THAT |
Hantengu is one of the Upper Moons and also the only demon capable of splitting into 6 different demons with their own abilities.
He can manipulate lighting, wind, sound waves, wood and also the spear at will. He can even combine his demons into a stronger demon, granting him enchanted abilities and offensive power.
Hantengu was defeated by Tanjiro after Nezuko sacrificed herself by exposing them both to the sun, and is therefore ranked 6 on the list. The Upper Moon Four is one of the most powerful demons in Demon Slayer.
5) Akaza
| Japanese name | Yiwo Headquarters |
| Age | 18 (human) Over 133 (chronological) |
| Height | 5'8" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | destructive death |
| Hair color | Pink (demon) Black/blue (human) |
| Eye colour | Yellow irises with blue sclera (demon) Blue (human) |
was one of the most powerful demons in the series and also the only demon martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant among the Upper Moons.
He has excellent reflexes, great speed and physical strength allowing him to create shock waves when using his fist or kicks.
Akaza uses Soryu style martial arts which actually helped him create different techniques like Destructive Death Style and Bell Crusher.
Using his Demonic Blood Art, he can accurately track his opponent's movements and reach vital points by deploying a blue snowflake-shaped compass needle.
He is also one of 4 demons capable of regenerating or recreating his own head even after being cut off.
Akaza was defeated after losing his will to fight while regaining his memories, so he is ranked number 5 on the list.
4) Duma
| Japanese name | Tongmo |
| Age | 20 (human) Over 133 (chronological) |
| Height | 6'1½" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Cryokinesis |
| Hair color | Money |
| Eye colour | Rainbow |
Douma was once an Upper Moon 6 and rose through the ranks to Upper Moon 2. He had a nihilistic personality and was also the leader of the cult called the Eternal Paradise.
Being a Greater Moon, Douma possessed great stamina and regenerative abilities. He uses two Gusen war fans as weapons and can manipulate the ice of his flesh and blood and control them at will.
His Blood Demon Art allows him to create powdered ice that can suck human blood, causing cells to slowly deteriorate, resulting in death.
He died from the Wisteria Flower's poison after devouring Shinobu, thus he is ranked number 4 on Demon Slayer's list of the most powerful demons.
3) Kokushibo
| Japanese name | The country wins |
| Age | 17-24 (human) Over 480 (chronological) |
| Height | 6'3" |
| Breathing Style/Blood Demon Art | Lunar Breathing |
| Hair color | From black to red |
| Eye colour | Dark purple (human) Yellow irises with red sclera (demon) |
Kokushibo is arguably the most powerful demon among the Upper Moons and also the second most powerful demon slayer after his brother.
His Moon Breath style became even more powerful and improved after he became a demon. He could manipulate the blades of his flesh and also regenerate them once they were broken or destroyed.
Her Blood Demon Art complements her Moon Breathing style, allowing her to create crescent moon-shaped air breaks from her blades. He is also one of four demons who could regenerate his head when severed.
He lost his will to fight after realizing he had become a being he didn't want to be, so he ranks 3rd on the list.
2) Muzan Kibutsuji
| Japanese name | Kibutsuji Muzan |
| Age | 20 (human) 10,000 (biological) |
| Height | 5'10½" |
| Blood Demon Art | Biokinesis |
| Hair color | Black White (from the aging drug) |
| Eye colour | Plum red |
is the main antagonist of the series and also the first human to transform into a demon while trying to cure his terminal illness. As the leader of the 12 Moons, Muzan possessed great power and abilities.
He could shapeshift, absorb, manipulate cells, and even create several sharp tentacles from his flesh. Using his demonic blood, he could strengthen other demons and subjugate them to him.
Unlike others, Muzan possessed seven hearts and five brains, which likely explains his abnormally strong power.
He was defeated by the combined efforts of the Demon Slayer corps and Tamayo after he was injected with the poison made by Tamayo.
This caused his cell to rapidly age, destroy his body, and eventually disintegrate by the sun. Since he is the antagonist and also the second most powerful demons in Demon Slayer, he is ranked 2nd on the list.
1) Tanjiro Kamado
| Japanese name | Tanjiro Kamado |
| Age | 15 – 16 |
| Height | 5'5" |
| Blood Demon Art | Biokinesis |
| Hair color | From black to red |
| Eye colour | Dark red |
is the main protagonist of the series, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's successor and brother who are both the remaining members of the Kamado family.
In chapter 201 of the series, Muzan, while being disintegrated by the sun, gives all of his remaining blood to Tanjiro, transforming him into a demon.
Much like Nezuko, Tanjiro was also immune to the sun, and with Muzan's infused blood, Tanjiro arguably became the most powerful demon in Demon Slayer. After becoming a demon and with the Demon Slayer mark, Tanjiro could use it as well.
His blood art technique allows him to use a powerful demonic blast from his mouth and can also grow several sharp tentacles from his flesh. He was defeated by the combined efforts of the Demon Slayer Corps using the medicine made by Tamayo to transform Nezuko into a human.
Since he was the second demon to conquer the sun after Nezuko and even possessed more power and abilities than Muzan, Tanjiro is notably the strongest demon. He thus ranks number 1 on the list.
This concludes our ranking of the strongest demons in Demon Slayer, the ranking was made based on each character's research and potential and their growth as a demon. Meanwhile, fans can read Shueisha's series.
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