Top 20 Demon Slayer Fights

You could say that this demon really marches to the beat of his own drum. So, given the musicality of it all, it’s not too surprising that this is less of a fight and more of a dance. The shifting walls force Tanjiro to keep pace with Kyogai’s beat, or risk succumbing to it. It’s a riveting back-and-forth, especially because it requires Tanjiro to use both his head and his sword. But, of course, all that build-up means nothing without a clutch ending. Here, Kyogai’s stirring performance gets silenced by a truly mesmerizing ballet of Tanjiro’s Water Breathing. Yeah, talk about dropping the beat.

Tanjiro put up a good fight and all, but he still was just an appetizer to the main course. That being Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka in all his glory. He was a bit late to the party, but he quickly made up for lost time by showing Rui the wrong side of a Dead Calm attack. Emphasis on the “Dead” part. It tore through the Lower Five’s threads, pride, and neck in a single, effortless stroke. Rui didn’t even have time to react, let alone block. As a result, this might just go down as the quickest victory in “Demon Slayer” history. And it was against a Kizuki, no less.

When these slayers went in for the kill, they discovered there were a few strings attached. Namely, a whole lot of actual strings controlling the bodies of their comrades. But, Tanjiro and Inosuke took that as a challenge, and proceeded to slice-and-dice their way right to the puppeteer’s main body. And yet, it’s not quite right to call this a slaying. The Spider Mother feared Rui more than death, and as such, she practically begged Tanjiro to put her out of her misery. Her reign ends on a surprising emotional note, but at the very least, Tanjiro’s gentle beheading is the closest thing to mercy a demon can get.

Tanjiro’s first mission truly threw him into the deep end. On the hunt for a demon kidnapping and devouring innocent maidens, he soon finds himself treading water against three identical demons, all capable of sinking into their own swamp world at will. While watching Tanjiro slice up the horned fiends on their home turf thanks to his Water Breathing Techniques is all kinds of awesome, the real stand out is seeing Nezuko step up to the plate. With her demon blood now granting her enough strength to kick a demon’s head clean off, it was clear she was no longer just a victim inside a box.

An unexpected training partner, a brutal teacher, the ghost of a dead child, a bolder? The masked fox boy turned out to be all of these. Appearing before Tanjiro in order to help take his sword training to the next level, the two proceed to duel day after day until pain and defeat mould the wannabe Demon Slayer into a superior fighter. Their final confrontation may be brief, but it’s an essential step on Tanjiro’s journey, bringing things to a close with a single, almost beautiful slash.

She may be all smiles, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t a savage dispenser of demons. Encountering the last member of Rui’s spider clan, Shinobu quickly demonstrates why it's unwise to underestimate a Hashira. With but a few pricks of her sword, along with a vibrant, metaphorical burst of butterflies, she’s able to bring down the treacherous spider thanks to the poison laced along her blade. Some would say it’s a worse fate than getting your head chopped off, but Shinobu is just hardcore like that.

While far from reaching the heights of the Twelve Demon Moons, these two enforcers of Kibutsuji’s will still made for quite a challenge. With one able to launch temari balls at such speed it can render flesh, and the other able to send a person flying with invisible arrows, both Tanjiro and Nezuko are put through their paces. However, Tanjiro’s versatility in the face of overwhelming pain eventually gets the better of the arrow-spammer, leaving Nezuko free to show her aptitude for kicking balls into oblivion. Watch out Zenitsu.

Loud, obnoxious, and just a tad too desperate to get with a girl before he meets an untimely death, Zenitsu certainly seemed like a poor fit for the Demon Slayer Corps. At least until he proved he did have the skills…so long as he’s unconscious at the time. These were put on full display when he found himself set upon by the insidious and oh so creepy older brother of Rui’s fake family. Turns out that even if you poison and overwhelm them with spiders, there’s not much that can stop a living lightning bolt.

How does one cut the neck of a demon the size of a train and layered with hypnosis-inducing eyes? Easy, just partner up with your best boar buddy and run wild. Coordinating their strikes together in order to finally bring an end to Enmu, both Tanjiro and Inosuke bring their varying swordsmanship to the forefront as they launch one hell of a combo. While Inosuke carves up every eye in sight with his unorthodox duel-wielding, Tanjiro follows it up with a breath-taking demonstration of the Hinokami!

Man, if looks could kill. From her glorious entrance down to her Love Breathing attacks, Mitsuri single handedly proved that Hashira don’t have to choose between beauty or brawn. Look no further than her fight with Zohakuten. Mitsuri’s whip-like sword practically shredded him into wood-chips, and she looked stylish as hell while doing it. But, leave it to the Love Hashira to fill this fight with a ton of heart, too. Watching Mitsuri overcome her personal struggles elevates this fight from simply dazzling into downright breathtaking. While she doesn’t clinch the win on her own, it’s safe to say there’s still a whole lot to “love” here.

The first true test of Tanjiro’s skills; the Final Selection not only had him taking on lesser demons in a test of survival, but also brought him face to face with a monstrous glutton. As the one responsible for killing the rest of Urokodaki’s students, Sabito and Makomo included, it falls to Tanjiro to get revenge. Turns out all that boulder cutting came in handy, since in spite of its tough exterior and never-ending surge of hands, the hulky demon wasn’t prepared for Tanjiro’s first foray into Water Breathing.

At the end of this beatdown, the Mist Hashira has done more damage to Gyokko’s ego than his body. Considering the demon loses his head, that’s really saying something. Rest assured, Muichiro isn’t all talk, though. Once he reignites his will to fight, he gives Gyokko a pulse-pounding duel that has to be seen to be believed. The exquisite production values convey so much strength and speed that it’s almost hard to keep up with. And that’s a compliment. After all that, it’s no wonder that Gyokko doesn’t leave Muichiro’s mist alive. The Hashira passes out before he can celebrate the win, but all things considered, he deserves a good nap.

This doesn’t stay a three-on-one for very long. Soon enough, Hantengu splits in two. Then, he does it again. The multiplying enemies keep upping the ante until, eventually, the whole thing is a no-holds-barred battle royale. Thankfully, Tanjiro has an ace up his sleeve called Hinokami Kagura. With a boost from Nezuko’s Blood Demon Art, the Kamado siblings show Hantengu’s four bodies what a real slayer looks like. Spoiler alert: it consists of top-rate animation, stellar choreography, and fights so intense, you’ll never want to look away. Then, right when you think it’s over, Hantengu brings out a secret, fifth body, just for good measure. This truly is the fight that keeps on giving.

If you’re looking for a good, old-fashioned fight to the finish, it doesn’t get any better than this. Daki’s an Upper Rank Six Kizuki, but Tanjiro? He’s just got Hinokami Kagura, and the guts to use it. Even if it costs him his breathing. It’s not exactly a recommended tactic, but the results are undeniable. On both a visual and plot level, watching him cut Daki into ribbons is nothing short of exhilarating. Especially since, if it weren’t for her quick thinking, Tanjiro could have taken Daki’s head right then and there. Suffice it to say, by the time all is said and done, Tanjiro’s not the only one who’s forgotten to breathe.

With a Blood Demon Art capable of sending a person into the deepest of dreams with a single command, Enmu proved himself to be a cut above the rest of its demon brethren. At least until he made the fatal mistake of toying with memories of Tanjiro’s family. By taking his own life within the dreamscape over and over again, Tanjiro is able to consistently break Enmu’s hold over him. Even when show hellish visions of his slaughtered family, it only furthers to steel his resolve. And que the water dragon.

Setting both swords and the internet on fire, Tanjiro’s clash with the spidery Lower Moon pushed him further than any demon has so far. Even with his sword and most of his body broken, Tanjiro refuses to surrender, risking it all to save Nezuko’s from Rui’s webs. You’d think him unleashing the latent power of Hinokami would be the ultimate showstopper, but then along comes Nezuko with her own Blood Demon Art to really kick things into high gear. Who knew watching someone get their head cleaved off could be so artful?

Even for a demon, this is pretty brutal. Daki made the fatal mistake of messing with Tanjiro, and in return, Nezuko taught her a lesson she’ll never forget. Mostly via some very vicious kicks. The worst part? To Nezuko and her newly-awakened powers, this isn’t even a fight. It’s a game; one where Daki’s head is the ball. To be fair, the Kizuki totally had this coming. But, that doesn’t make the one-sided beatdown any easier to stomach. Nezuko’s transformation is so overwhelming that, at a certain point, it’s hard to decide whether you should cheer or be afraid. Either way, this is certainly a fight to remember, for better, or for worse.

Tanjiro and Nezuko have been the soul of some of “Demon’s Slayer’s” most iconic moments, and this one is no different. The sun is rising, Hantengu’s on the loose, and there’s a choice to be made: Save Nezuko, or rescue the villagers. Understandably, Tanjiro can’t decide. So, his sister chooses for him. After such an emotional gutpunch, Hantengu’s actual death feels like a bit of an afterthought. Sure, that final strike is as cool as they come, but it’s nothing without the impact of Nezuko’s sacrifice. Tanjiro’s the one who swung the sword, but this is as much a win for her as it is for her brother.

Outburning and outdoing what everyone thought possible, the Flame Hashira’s last stand against one of the Upper Demon Moons defied all expectations. Even with Akaza’s instant regeneration and unholy strength slowly chipping away at him, Rengoku refuses to abandon his duty or his apprentice Demon Slayers. The entire bout is an onslaught of staggering visuals, all held together by Rengoku’s unfathomable drive to do what he must, unleashing a torrent of Flame Breathing Techniques more stunning than the last. It may have ended in tragedy, but you couldn’t have asked for a greater testament to such a larger-than-life character.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Tanjiro vs. Inosuke

Giyu vs Spider Father

Zenitsu vs Tongue Demon

With not just one, but two Kizuki to take down, “Demon Slayer” brought out all the stops for a bonafide internet-melting climax. Although, at this point, is anyone surprised? After all, there’s more hype moments in this one episode than most series get in a whole season. You’ve got Tengen’s flashy moves, Inosuke’s clutch entrance, Tanjiro growing his mark, and so much more. It all culminates into an adrenaline-fueled finisher that’s all-but guaranteed to leave your jaw on the floor. We could keep going for a while, but for now, we’ll just leave it at this: If Daki and Gyutaro’s end isn’t “Demon Slayer” at its absolute best, we don’t know what is.