As the protagonist in Demon Slayer, Tanjiro Kamado has slain quite a few villains, and that's one reason why fans love him so much. Tanjiro notched major victories against the likes of Kyogai and Enmu, then defied the odds as he defeated Gyutaro and Hantengu of the Upper Moons. Tanjiro can't be there for every single fight, though, so it falls to his allies to pick up the slack.
Supporting characters like Zenitsu, Inosuke, and various Hashira need a chance to shine in battle, and they have hard-won victories to show for it. They took down more than a few noteworthy villains with little or no help from Tanjiro, and it's always thrilling to watch. Interestingly, there is one case where the villain defeated himself, which spoke volumes about that character's own arc.
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Daki Met Her Fate at Zenitsu's Hands in the Entertainment District
Rank: Upper Moon 6
Tanjiro played a major role in the fight against the Upper Moons in the Entertainment District, but he couldn't defeat all the villains alone. While Tanjiro did clash with Daki in that fight, he was not the one to finish her off. Instead, the battle split into two different clashes, with Zenitsu and Inosuke stepping up to face and triumph over Daki.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro gave it his all to fight Gyutaro as a sidekick to Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira. The fight felt personal as Gyutaro mocked Tanjiro as a fellow big brother of a little sister, which enraged Demon Slayer's hero. But even after all that, Tanjiro's inner kindness shone as he urged the decapitated Daki and Gyutaro to come together as brother and sister right before they crumbled away.
Gyokko Was Foolish to Challenge the Power of Muichiro's Demon Slayer Mark
Rank: Upper Moon 5
Tanjiro did well to fight the Upper Moon 4, Hantengu, and deal the finishing blow against a seemingly unkillable opponent. Hantengu was a one-man squad with his emotion-based extra bodies, while his real body was small and difficult to catch. Incredibly, Tanjiro was willing to leave Nezuko to her fate at the morning sun so he could slay Hantengu. That leaves the question of Gyokko, whom Tanjiro didn't fight at all.
It took several fighters just to keep Hantengu at bay, so only Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira, was free to face the aquatic Upper Moon 5. That was when the airheaded, seemingly emotionless Muichiro showed his true colors as an inspired swordsman who would give anything to defeat evil. More importantly, Muichiro awakened his Demon Slayer Mark to turn the tables against his superior opponent. He became one of the few characters to face an Upper Moon and win alone.
Akaza Chose to Destroy Himself Rather Than Continue the Empty Violence of His Life
Rank: Upper Moon 3
On some levels, Tanjiro did claim victory over Akaza, but not entirely. First, Tanjiro could only watch as Kyojuro Rengoku fought a losing battle against Akaza in the Mugen Train arc, where Tanjiro claimed a moral victory on Kyojuro's part. Much later, in the Infinity Castle Arc, Tanjiro got his turn to battle Akaza and seek vengeance. He even had Giyu Tomioka there to back him up, but not even two Water Breathing users could topple the Upper Moon 3 so easily.
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In fact, not even decapitation finished the fight, with Akaza doing the impossible and fighting without his head attached. It was an eerie sight to behold as Akaza's headless body went through the motions, and Tanjiro and Giyu felt like they were out of options. Fortunately for them, Akaza thought back to his violent days as a human, and opted to destroy himself. That was the kind of emotional closure Akaza needed as someone who tried in vain to outrun his pain and grief with constant fighting.
Kaigaku's Loss at Zenitsu's Hands Helped Redeem the Legacy of Thunder Breathing
Rank: Upper Moon 6
Zenitsu Agatsuma is another character who has triumphed over an Upper Moon solo, though it was noted that Kaigaku hadn't yet fully grown into his role as the Upper Moon 6. Regardless, Zenitsu demonstrated some impressive growth on the inside and outside alike when he took on his former fellow apprentice. It also showed how even if Zenitsu knew fewer Thunder Breathing forms than Kaigaku, he had the spirit and grit needed to bridge the gap.
In the process, Zenitsu helped redeem the idea of Thunder Breathing, since Kaigaku had perverted it into a tool of evil and cruelty as a demon. In some ways, Kaigaku was Jigoro's true heir as someone who had mastered Thunder Breathing far more than Zenitsu at the time. It felt like Thunder Breathing was in bad shape for a while, but Zenitsu's victory changed all that as he defeated Kaigaku without any aid from Tanjiro or Inosuke.
It Took Four Hashira to Finally Vanquish Kokushibo in Muzan's Castle
Rank: Upper Moon 1
As everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps expected, the Upper Moon 1, Kokushibo, was practically unstoppable. That six-eyed demon could do a bit of everything, from flesh regeneration and Transparent World to Moon Breathing and even the Demon Slayer Mark. No one could defeat him alone, not even Tanjiro Kamado and all his plot armor. While Tanjiro was fighting and recovering from his own battles, four other demon slayers challenged Kokushibo to a fight to the finish.
The demon slayer side went all out, with the squad having the mighty Gyomei Himejima take the lead as the most powerful demon slayer of his time. Even with all that firepower on the humans' side, however, Kokushibo claimed a few lives, and it was only by the narrowest of margins that the demon slayers won at all. Tanjiro would have gladly helped if he could, but he was too busy elsewhere.
Doma Was Destroyed From the Inside Thanks to Shinobu's Sacrifice
Rank: Upper Moon 2
It would have been truly incredible, or even downright ridiculous, if Tanjiro fought and defeated every Upper Moon in the Infinity Castle Arc. Besides, leaving Tanjiro out of those fights helped the other characters in Demon Slayer show their stuff, even if they sometimes died in the process. Shinobu Kocho, for one, fought a highly personal battle as she clashed with her beloved sister's killer. Doma, the Upper Moon 2, terrified Demon Slayer fans with his ice-based powers and his stubborn resistance to all poisons.
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Shinobu died and was absorbed into Doma's body, but that was the beginning of the end for the Upper Moon 2. Shinobu's essence poisoned him from the inside out, giving Inosuke and Kanao Tsuyuri their chance to finally take down this overwhelmingly powerful demon. It was Kanao's first and only real fight, and she did well for herself without needing Tanjiro to back her up.
Tanjiro Put the Hurt on Rui, But He Couldn't Finish the Job
Rank: Lower Moon 5
Tanjiro certainly battled Rui in Mt. Natagumo's forest, but he could not win. In the absence of his Demon Slayer Mark and advanced training techniques, Tanjiro simply didn't have what it took to slay a Lower Moon. Back then, Tanjiro tended to win with luck, plot armor, or by fighting non-Moon demons like the Swamp Demon. It's true Tanjiro awakened Hinokami Kagura's awesome power when facing Rui, but not even that sealed the deal.
Instead, it fell to Giyu to slay the Lower Moon 5, and he made it look easy. Giyu's swift victory where Hinokami Kagura had failed made it clear how much further Tanjiro had left to go, though Tanjiro didn't feel discouraged. Instead, Demon Slayer's protagonist was happy to train further at the Butterfly Mansion so he could take on the likes of Enmu.
No Demon Slayer Ever Defeated Nakime in Battle
Rank: Upper Moon 4
Most demons were slain at the hands of a demon slayer, with or without Tanjiro involved, but Nakime is an exception. From the start, she had a supporting role to play for Muzan's elite minions, never even leaving the Infinity Castle in her service to her lord. Nakime's job was to teleport people around and spy on the demon slayers, but eventually, the demon slayers challenged her to fight.
Nakime was tougher than she looked, using her unusual techniques in the Infinity Castle to evade harm while putting pressure on Mitsuri and Obanai. Notably, not long after her promotion to Upper Moon 4, Nakime ended up absorbed by Muzan, a humiliating end to this loyal demon's modest arc.
Demon Slayer
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- April 6, 2019
- Network
- Adult Swim
Based on Koyoharu Gotouge's shonen manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is an action anime set in Japan during the early 20th century. Seeking revenge for the murder of his family while also looking to save his sister, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps as they try to eradicate Demons led by Muzan.
