In the world of Demon Slayer anime, only highly skilled demon slayers—the nine elite Hashira—are capable of eliminating the beasts of the night in order to save humanity. The Demon Slayer Corps, like many anime groups, is composed of an elite small unit that handles the most difficult assignments; indeed, the Hashira are never afraid to put up a fight. Anime fans watched as each of them eventually entered the battle to face off against Muzan’s most formidable henchmen or perhaps Muzan himself.
Even though Tanjiro Kamado and his allies are frequently the center of attention during the most significant Demon Slayer bouts, the anime also devotes time to the Hashiras’ personal struggles, beginning with the first episode. These are high-stakes matches that highlight the individual strengths of each breathing method, and the Hashira bouts are amazing to witness as well. Ten specific Hashira fights in the anime are highlighted as the most significant, thrilling, or intense fight scenes during the whole run of the show.
10 Giyu Tomioka vs Nezuko & Tanjiro Kamado Was a Tense Misunderstanding With Personal Stakes
Among the most intriguing Demon Slayer battles involving Hashira characters, the first Hashira encounter also happens to be the least thrilling. The anime got off to a good start with that fight since it had significant personal stakes for the Kamados while having very little genuine action.
Giyu Tomioka the Water Hashira arrived on the scene just after Nezuko assaulted her brother after awakening as a demon. For the sake of duty, Giyu wanted Nezuko dead, but Tanjiro refused. Giyu showed mercy and would not see the Kamados again for two years after being amazed by Tanjiro’s use of desperate measures to keep his demon sister safe.
9 Giyu Tomioka vs Rui Finished What Tanjiro Started in Mt. Natagumo’s Forests
After a two-year hiatus, Giyu Tomioka was eager to prove to his followers that he was still capable of defeating demons on screen when he made his reappearance in Demon Slayer. Tanjiro engaged in fierce combat with Rui, the Lower Moon 5, at the end of Season 1, even managing to unlock the Hinokami Kagura technique in the process.
But even that was insufficient to kill Rui; he was still hungry for more. Luckily for Tanjiro, Giyu intervened and used his Water Breathing ability to quickly chop off Rui’s skull and end his chances of victory. Even though the battle wasn’t very long, it was exciting to watch Hashira beat up a formidable demon like Rui in time to save the day.
8 Gyomei Himejima vs Muzan Kibutsuji Was a Brief Taste of What the Stone Hashira Can Do
The Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima did not engage in real combat for a considerable amount of time, not even in drills. He distinguished himself from Obanai, Sanemi, and Muichiro, who were more focused on sparring, in Season 4 by using his screen time to encourage his students to employ Repetitive Action and other endurance-based training techniques.
Gyomei was now prepared to use Stone Breathing to battle the demon king himself. Gyomei battered Muzan with his special sword, a spiky ball on a long chain that can whip around everywhere, in a brief but impressive exhibition. Gyomei attempted to continue the work that Lady Tamayo had begun on that battlefield, but Muzan set up his own trap and banished the Hashira to the territory of Infinity Castle.
7 Sanemi Shinazugawa & Obanai Iguro vs Demons Showed What a Dynamic Duo Those Hashira Are
Serpent Hashira and Wind Hashira were both eager to prove to Demon Slayer fans how strong they could be in combat at the start of Season 4. That was the first time any of them had engaged in genuine combat, so it was entertaining to watch them battle a small army of normal demons on a midnight operation.
Neither the battle nor the involvement of the Lower or Upper Moons were very noteworthy, but then, the story didn’t require it. For the time being, it was fulfilling enough to witness Sanemi and Obanai defeat “jobber” demons of that kind in order to demonstrate the Hashira’s strength despite their massive numerical disadvantage.
6 Shinobu Kocho vs Daughter Demon Introduced Fans to a Gruesome New Way of Slaying Demons
Giyu wasn’t by himself as he entered the jungle of Mount Natagumo to save the day. He brought the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, his friend. Even though Shinobu’s battle with Rui’s adopted family’s “daughter” demon was brief and one-sided, it was nonetheless entertaining to see. That’s because Shinobu demonstrated that there are other ways to defeat a monster.
Fans of Demon Slayer were getting a little tired of slayers killing demons by beheading them by that point. Thus, to throw things off, Shinobu used a slender, stinger-like blade to attack the daughter demon with a lethal poison strike that killed her without ever tearing off her head. Insect breathing operates in this manner, employing stings to deliver poison yet having little physical strength behind the attacks
5 Kyojuro Rengoku vs Enmu Set a Good Example For Tanjiro’s Squad
It’s not because of the intensity or violence of Kyojuro Rengoku’s fight against the Lower Moon 1, Enmu, which ranks in the center of all Hashira bouts, but rather because Kyojuro was leading by example for Tanjiro’s team during that battle. Kyojuro took the lead, and once they escaped Enmu’s sleep trap, Tanjiro and the rest joined him.
Enmu’s strikes were easily repelled by Kyojuro, providing Tanjiro and Inosuke with a chance to locate and sever Enmu’s neck somewhere else in the living Mugen Train. Furthermore, Kyojuro accomplished all of this while protecting the 200 passengers on the train, as Kagaya subsequently pointed out—a remarkable accomplishment that could only be accomplished by a Hashira.
4 Mitsuri Kanroji vs Hantengu Was a Stellar Example of Love Breathing at Work
To confront and ultimately vanquish the Upper Moon 4, Hantengu, it required a multitude of valiant warriors. For the heroes to have any chance, they needed to be equal in number because Hantengu was not only highly ranked but also had the ability to divide into multiple bodies. Despite Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya’s best efforts, Mitsuri won the battle because Hantengu’s fury was too great for them to handle.
As she repeatedly repelled Hantengu’s terrifying strikes with her unwavering strength and whip-like sword, anime fans were captivated by Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira. Mitsuri was a beautiful acrobat with strength almost beyond human comprehension and a positive outlook, an unforgettable combo. Even if Mitsuri didn’t deliver the game-winning strike, it was nonetheless astonishing how she repelled every attack from Hantengu until daybreak.
3 Muichiro Tokito vs Gyokko Called For a Demon Slayer Mark
It was soon apparent that no one swordsman, not even a Hashira, could defeat an Upper Moon. After all, Tengen need more than a little assistance to defeat Gyutaro and Daki, while Kyojuro was defeated by Akaza. Then, as he faced the Upper Moon 5, Gyokko, by himself, Muichiro Tokito, the peaceful himbo, broke that pattern.
At first, Muichiro battled and almost drowned after getting sucked into Gyokko’s water trap, but he had a secret weapon. After using his demon slayer mark to gain strength and break free, Muichiro continued to exert pressure on Gyokko until Upper Moon was compelled to reveal his actual form. Remarkably, even it proved unable to spare Gyokko, who met his grisly end at the hands of Muichiro’s extreme Mist Breathing.
2 Tengen Uzui vs Daki & Gyutaro Showed the Full Power of Sound Breathing and Ninja Techniques
Given that the Upper Moon 6 was really two demons combined into one, Tengen Uzui required more than a little assistance to defeat such formidable foes. Tengen had complete control of the situation when the battle in the entertainment area started since he and Tanjiro easily beheaded Daki. The actual conflict started when Gyutaro, Daki’s brother, came out of her body and reattached her head.
The battle that ensued was violent, spectacular, and desperate as Tengen employed every Sound Breathing maneuver he could think of to take Gyutaro on. His three kunoichi wives, who gallantly contributed to applying pressure to the Upper Moons and protecting their squad commander, were also of assistance to him. Even though Tengen performed admirably, Tanjiro had to complete the task and permanently destroy the evil brother and sister pair.
1 Kyojuro Rengoku vs Akaza Was a Battle of Principles
The real test came when the Mugen Train derailed and Enmu died; Kyojuro Rengoku barely broke a sweat fighting Enmu. When the evil Upper Moon 3, Akaza, arrived there, he wanted a fight, and Kyojuro gave in. Tanjiro could only watch in wonder as the two fighters used incredible speed and skill in their battle.
Though Kyojuro unfortunately lost the battle and died from his wounds, he yet achieved a sort of moral triumph. Duty was far more important to Kyojuro than immortality and superhuman power, therefore he refused to become a demon and take on the role of rival in the shonen style despite Akaza’s advances. This was the best fight Hashira has faced in Demon Slayer’s anime thus far, thanks to the intriguing layer, the spectacular action, and Kyojuro’s heartbreaking ending.