Time and again, Demon Slayer's Tanjiro Kamado fought a variety of powerful foes and emerged victorious. Fans now know Tanjiro can defeat the likes of Enmu, Gyutaro, and Kyogai at various points of the story, so the question is: who else can Tanjiro take on? In arcs such as the Mugen Train Arc and the Swordsmith Village Arc, Tanjiro was in no shape to take down the strongest foes, but all that changed by Demon Slayer's endgame.
Tanjiro started Demon Slayer's story with proficiency in Water Breathing and the guts to use it, but that wasn't enough to take down his strongest foes by the time he was fighting Upper Moons. Eventually, Tanjiro added Hinokami Kagura to the mix to even the odds against Muzan's toughest minions, and when his demon slayer mark and Transparent World showed up, Tanjiro became a true powerhouse. He's not quite on the same level as the strongest Hashira or Upper Moons, but it's enough strength for Tanjiro to defeat a number of mighty Demon Slayer characters in fair and square duels.
Inosuke Hashibira is Tough But Never Learned Transparent World
Beast Breathing Won't Trump Hinokami Kagura, Either
Inosuke Hashibira ranks last among the toughest Demon Slayer characters whom Tanjiro could feasibly defeat in a duel, since Inosuke doesn't have as many tricks or tools as Tanjiro or the powerful Hashira. It does help, however, how Inosuke has highly refined senses and instincts as a young man who grew up in the wild, allowing him to fight in ways that other demon slayers and the demons alike aren't prepared for.
Inosuke can thus take even elite demons by surprise with his own invention, Beast Breathing, but Tanjiro has seen it all before. If these two good friends were to fight seriously for some reason, Tanjiro would enjoy an advantage for the entire fight. None of Inosuke's unique advantages would catch Tanjiro off-guard, so when the fight becomes a contest of power and technique, Tanjiro has the upper hand. Most likely, Tanjiro would need only Water Breathing and Hinokami Kagura to humble Inosuke in their duel.
Daki Would Lose to Tanjiro Just the Way Her Brother Did
Tanjiro No Longer Fears Daki's Obi Belt
In the Entertainment District Arc in Demon Slayer's second season, it took four skilled demon slayers to fight Gyutaro and his sister Daki. That fight saw Tanjiro take Hinokami Kagura to the next level while also using his demon slayer mark to eke a painfully narrow victory against Gyutaro. If Tanjiro can do that, then he can also behead Daki, and in fact, that might be slightly easier.
Demon Slayer: 7 Characters Who Fought Tanjiro And Should Have Won
Tanjiro really lucked out when he took onthese villains.
Daki is no pushover even when facing Hashira, but endgame Tanjiro can handle her power in any battlefield venue. As of Season 2, Tanjiro needed help just to survive a fight like this, but with his demon slayer mark and Transparent World, Tanjiro has what it takes to win. Such techniques will overcome Daki's multi-directional attacks via her sharp-edged obi belts, and Daki's decapitation will soon follow. Of course, Gyutaro must also be beheaded for Daki to properly die, but even non-lethal decapitation is enough for Tanjiro to win this duel.
Gyokko Will Lose to Hinokami Kagura If Tanjiro Doesn't Drown First
Using a Demon Slayer Mark Will Help Tanjiro Further
Gyokko is another member of the Upper Moons who could have claimed victory against Tanjiro at one point in the story, but like Daki, Gyokko would struggle against Transparent World and the demon slayer mark when battling Tanjiro. During the Swordsmith Village Arc, Tanjiro lacked the power to vanquish Gyokko, yet Muichiro managed it solo with his demon slayer mark, which bodes well for Tanjiro.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
It's true Muichiro is a bit quicker and more elegant than Tanjiro as a bona fide prodigy with slightly more experience, but Tanjiro has since bridged that gap. If Muichiro can narrowly yet definitely win against the Upper Moon 5, then endgame Tanjiro will do the same. Of course, Tanjiro must take care to avoid Gyokko's water trap, because drowning is a real threat. If Tanjiro avoids that particular trap and evades the fish needles, then his victory is assured.
Muichiro Tokito Trained Tanjiro But is Now Weaker Than Him
Being a Prodigy Won't Help Muichiro Overcome Transparent World
Muichiro Tokito proved himself to be slightly superior to Gyokko as a Demon Slayer fighter based on the results of their on-screen duel. It wasn't an easy match for the young Mist Hashira, with Muichiro taking some hits and getting scarily close to dying a few times. Still, the results speak for themselves, and it's clear Muichiro is a truly incredible fighter with both Mist Breathing and his demon slayer mark.
Notably, Sanemi Shinazugawa looked down on all non-Hashira demon slayers, treating Muichiro with great respect while viewing Tanjiro as someone barely worth his time. However, Tanjiro has surpassed both Hashira thanks to his usage of both his demon slayer mark and Transparent World, so Sanemi needs to change his tune. Tanjiro is now more formidable in battle than Muichiro is, and for that matter, he clearly outstrips Sanemi as well. Tanjiro needed Hinokami Kagura and his demon slayer mark just to catch up to Muichiro, but he has since eclipsed Muichiro in the rankings and could defeat him in a duel.
Tengen Uzui is Flashy But Lacks the Power to Beat Tanjiro's Best Moves
Without His Three Wives Aiding Him, Tengen is Doomed
During the Entertainment District Arc, this ironically flashy ninja Hashira was definitely more capable in battle than anyone in Tanjiro's trio of friends. Tengen Uzui had greater experience, two well-honed blades, and the techniques and explosives to blow away any foe in a hurricane of noise. Tengen stood a better chance against Gyutaro than Tanjiro did when demon slayer marks weren't involved, but Tanjiro now has even more tricks than Tengen does.
Demon Slayer: Every Villain Who Wasn’t Defeated by Tanjiro
Plenty of Demon Slayer's villains didn't lose to Tanjiro. Here's all of them.
Tanjiro lagged behind Tengen even with both Water Breathing and Hinokami Kagura, but his demon slayer mark and Transparent World put him a step ahead of the retired Sound Hashira. Even if Tengen were restored to full fighting form, he would narrowly lose to Tanjiro, and would congratulate Tanjiro for being so powerful and flashy now. If Tengen's three kunoichi wives got involved, Tengen just might win after all, but in a straight-up duel, Tanjiro is the winner.
Kyojuro Rengoku Will Narrowly Lose to Endgame Tanjiro
Kyojuro's Heart is Ablaze, But So is Tanjiro's
The highly respected Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, was the star of the Mugen Train Arc for a good reason. Aside from his fierce passion and his stubborn ideals, Kyojuro dominated the scene with the bombastic power of Flame Breathing. Kyojuro may have lost to Akaza, but he came remarkably close to winning as dawn approached, which is still saying something. Arguably, Kyojuro was the second-strongest Hashira behind Gyomei Himejima.
In any case, Kyojuro Rengoku is the toughest Demon Slayer character whom Tanjiro can realistically defeat in a duel. It's a close fight even when Tanjiro uses Hinokami Kagura and his demon slayer mark, so he will need all that and Transparent World to defeat the Hashira whom he admires so much. So long as Tanjiro is properly motivated and sets his heart ablaze, he can match Kyojuro in every way and pull ahead to score a narrow victory in this showdown.
