Demon Slayer is an action-packed fantasy shonen series populated with powerful, exciting characters of all kinds. The combat system is split between sword-slinging demon slayers and the supernatural demons who prey on humanity, and both sides bring their absolute best moves and weapons to every battle.
Demon Slayer’s third season featured some of the series’ strongest fighters to date, and most of them clashed fiercely at the swordsmith village. A few of these characters only appeared briefly in the first episode and didn’t actually fight anyone, but fans still know what they’re capable of and can’t wait to see them in action again someday.
10 Aoi Kanzaki
Aoi Kanzaki made her debut in Demon Slayer’s first season as one of several members of the butterfly estate. Aoi is a skilled tsundere fighter who once passed final selection, though she is not on par with Tanjiro’s trio of demon slayers.
Aoi helped train Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu at the estate, and she had some pretty impressive moves to show off. With her help, Tanjiro’s team was reforged into a trio of true fighters. Aoi also appeared briefly in Season 3, but only in a minor supporting role before Tanjiro left on his trip.
9 Kanao Tsuyuri
Kanao Tsuyuri is one of several young ladies who helped train Tanjiro’s team at the butterfly estate. She is a quiet dandere who can’t project her voice or bark orders like Aoi, but Kanao definitely surpasses Aoi and most of the other girls in sheer combat strength.
Kanao was personally trained by Shinobu Kocho, though unlike Shinobu, Kanao is a practitioner of flower breathing. Kanao is quick, agile, and skilled, but she has yet to show her full potential as of Demon Slayer’s third season, where she briefly appeared.
8 Genya Shinazugawa
Even if Genya Shinazugawa cannot use conventional breathing techniques as a demon slayer, he found creative ways to stay on par with his allies and take on Upper Moons in battle. In Season 3, Genya used a double-barreled shotgun with anti-demon ammo, an impressive weapon that took everyone by surprise.
Genya can also use a special, highly focused breathing technique he learned from Gyomei Himejima to become almost demonic in strength and endurance, making him an unofficial half-other in Demon Slayer. Genya can even eat demon flesh to restore his strength, an advantage few other demon slayers have when facing Muzan’s minions.
7 Nezuko Kamado
Tanjiro’s beloved little sister, Nezuko Kamado, became a demon in Episode 1, complete with her own fearsome blood demon arts and supernatural strength. Nezuko doesn’t enjoy fighting, but if Tanjiro needs her help against the Lower or Upper Moons, Nezuko won’t hesitate to help.
Nezuko is a tough customer with her fire and kick-based combat style, and in her physically mature form, she can even push around the likes of Daki. In Season 3, Nezuko got stronger in a non-combat way, finally overcoming her sunlight weakness and feeling the sun’s rays for the first time in two years.
6 Tanjiro Kamado
Protagonist Tanjiro Kamado has steadily gotten stronger and more skilled ever since he passed the final selection exam early in Season 1. He is quite skilled with the water breathing style, but now Tanjiro can also use Hinokami Kagura, which has become his signature move.
Tanjiro is a tough, tenacious, and insightful swordsman who has survived multiple battles with the Moons, which sharpened his skills further. Tanjiro helped defeat Enmu and Gyutaro, and in Season 3, Tanjiro delivered the final blow to take down Hantengu’s real body as well.
5 Gyokko
Gyokko is the Upper Moon 5, making him one of the most powerful demons in all of Japan. In combat, Gyokko has many tricks up his sleeve, such as teleporting between his decorative vases to evade enemy attacks and ambush his enemies from unexpected angles.
Gyokko can also use aquatic-themed attacks with needle-spitting fish and octopus tentacles, along with a water prison that nearly drowned Muichiro. In the end, though, Muichiro proved himself stronger, and now Demon Slayer fans are wondering if Daki and Gyutaro were actually stronger than Gyokko.
4 Muichiro Tokito
Muichiro Tokito is the quiet himbo mist Hashira. He didn’t make a strong impression back in Season 1, but in the Swordsmith Village arc, Muichiro amazed Demon Slayer fans with his deadly swordsmanship and his relatively easy victory over the Upper Moon 5, Gyokko.
Muichiro took things too lightly at first, but when he was threatened with death, his demon slayer mark manifested, which changed everything. Once he broke free of the water prison, Muichiro took on Gyokko’s final form and used his most powerful technique to finish off the Upper Moon for good.
3 Mitsuri Kanroji
The deredere love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, has the greatest physical strength of any human character in Demon Slayer. This is often played for laughs, but in a serious battle, that superior strength means Mitsuri can easily slash any demon apart, no matter how tough their defenses are.
Mitsuri is like a deadly acrobat in battle, bandishing her long, whip-like Nichirin sword with incredible skill. With these assets and her love breathing technique on her side, Mitsuri survived against Hantengu’s final form, which has the power of four Upper Moons demons combined.
2 Hantengu
Hantengu is the Upper Rank 4, meaning he possesses overwhelming strength despite his timid, tearful personality. In battle, Hantengu can form several new bodies to fight with, and each is based on a different emotion while wielding different weapons and skills.
Hantengu’s tiny main body can simply hide, making him nearly impossible to kill unless an entire team of elite slayers works together to take him down. Even then, facing Hantengu is incredibly challenging, especially when his youthful final form is unleashed, a form that even the Hashira will fear.
1 Muzan Kibutsuji
The demon king himself, Muzan Kibutsuji, is Demon Slayer’s strongest character overall and is the mortal nemesis of the entire demon slayer corps. He briefly appeared at Season 3’s beginning and ending, and although he didn’t fight, it’s obvious how powerful he is.
Muzan’s only weakness is sunlight, and he once sought the blue spider lily to fix that. Now that Nezuko is immune to the sun, Muzan aims to capture her and steal her secret. If he succeeds, then Muzan may become truly unstoppable as a demon with no real weaknesses.
