Demon Slayer is one of the most popular modern shonen anime of all time. The first season was a piece of art orchestrated by Ufotable, following which the Mugen Train movie ended up being such a massive success that it became the highest-grossing Japanese movie of all time! It’s clear for everyone to see that the hype train of Demon Slayer is not going anywhere.
The Hashira might be excellent heroes, but the power of the Upper Ranked demons is in a class of their own. In fact, each and every member of the Twelve Kizuki is notable in their own right… even though some of them didn’t even manage to show their Blood Demon Arts. The ones who have are ranked in this list on the basis of how powerful and effective their Blood Demon Arts are. Beware anime fans — spoilers for the manga run rampant post this point.
14 Kyogai
The Former Lower Rank 6 Kizuki was a tough demon that stood in the way of Tanjiro and his friends when they unwittingly entered his domicile. The fact that beating the drums on his body caused his entire mansion to rotate while also dealing damage made for a tricky opponent.
Unfortunately, his Blood Demon Art was only limited to the confines of his own place, which is a massive weakness. It’s also one of the major reasons why Muzan stripped him of his rank.
13 Nakime
Given how situational Nakime’s Blood Demon Art is, it’s easy to see why she has the weakest Blood Demon Art out of all known Twelve Kizuki. In fact, she wasn’t even a member of the group and was just handed the title after the death of its former holder.
While her ability to control the Castle that Muzan and his subordinates reside in is quite impressive, it doesn’t have any use otherwise. She might be a threat in her own way, but there’s only one place where her Blood Demon Art works, making it incredibly unimpressive after a point.
12 Hairo
Kyojuro Rengoku was an admirable Hashira who died a hero’s death when he sacrificed his own life to prevent Muzan from killing the three aspiring Demon Slayers who were traveling with him. He received a two-part short story that elaborated upon a rather interesting encounter during his time as the Flame Hashira.
He fought the former Upper Rank 2 Kizuki, Hairo. This powerful foe had a Blood Demon Art called Umbrakinesis, which allowed him to create unique and dangerous shadows using his own life force. It was a pretty unique Blood Demon Art that allowed for both offense and defense, yet wasn’t enough to take Rengoku out for the count.
11 Ubume
Demon Slayer has received several light novels that have featured various antagonists as well. The third light novel, Signs from the Wind, featured the Former Upper Rank 1, Ubume.
She was a powerful demon who could hold her own against two Demon Slayers, one of whom — Sanemi Shinazugawa — became the Wind Hashira. This was mainly due to her Blood Demon Art, which allowed her to craft powerful illusions that could fool both of the Demon Slayers and led to the death of Sanemi’s close friend as well.
10 Rui
The Lower Rank 5 Demon Rui was a huge pain for Tanjiro to fight against. This demon’s threads were extremely powerful and had all but killed both Tanjiro and Nezuko in battle.
However, Rui was no match against the might of a real Hashira. His Blood Demon Art was nothing more than a minor inconvenience for Giyu, who ended up using a single move to decapitate this demon for good.
9 Enmu
After all the Lower Rank demons were decimated in front of his eyes, Enmu realized that he only had one chance of proving his worth. He tried to accomplish this by fusing his body into a train and trying to end the lives of the Demon Slayers in it.
However, his dream manipulation ultimately ended up being unsuccessful, with Tanjiro’s mental fortitude being more powerful than his Blood Demon Art. It showed why Enmu had no place amongst Muzan, with the demon lamenting his uselessness before fading away.
8 Gyokko
Out of all the Upper-Rank demons in the Twelve Kizuki, it can be argued that Gyokko had the most boring Blood Demon Art of the lot. Given the impressive nature of the abilities that his companions had all around him, Gyokko’s ability to summon pots seemed rather out of place.
While he’s definitely a threat with his Blood Demon Art, his fights don’t really seem that important at all. It’s clear that this demon is meant to show Muichiro’s skills and why he’s one of the most powerful Hashira around.
7 Daki
During the Entertainment District arc, the Sound Hashira along with Tanjiro and his friends had to deal with the dual threat of Gyutaro and Daki. Both demons had equally powerful Blood Demon Arts, with their positioning in the list being interchangeable.
Daki had the ability to manipulate her sash around using her blood. It doesn’t sound all that powerful, but it’s the surprising sharpness of her Obi sash that made her such a major threat in battle.
6 Gyutaro
Along with Daki, Gyutaro also held the title of Upper Rank 6 within the Twelve Kizuki. His Blood Demon Art might seem simple, but it’s pretty effective when used properly — something that Gyotaro showcases during his fight with the Sound Hashira and Tanjiro.
However, given that he and Daki held the position of the lowest Upper-Rank demon, there was always a fighting chance against these foes. A combination of Tanjiro’s developing aptitude with the Hinokami Kagura and Tengen’s experience as a Hashira ultimately spelled his demise.
5 Hantengu
Hantengu has a really interesting Blood Demon Art that uses his powerful emotions as a weapon. By projecting a particular emotion, Hantengu can generate a younger clone that personifies this emotion.
His powers make for an extremely interesting battle against a group of powerful Demon Slayers. However, Tanjiro’s skill with the Hinokami Kagura ends up being way too much for him to bear.
4 Kaigaku
After the deaths of Daki and Gyutaro, a new demon needed to fill the position of Upper Rank 6. This esteemed honor was given to Kaigaku, who wasted no time in showing why he deserved this position.
His electrical powers were truly fearful and made him a worthy opponent. Given his inability to carry out the first form of Thunder Breathing, it was only a given that he would be the perfect opponent for Zenitsu.
3 Akaza
Akaza’s appearance in Demon Slayer: Mugen Train made it clear to see that his power was in a league of its own. His close-quarters combat skills are seemingly second to none, and they’re bolstered further through his Blood Demon Art.
The fact that he can release fatal shockwaves with each move makes all of his blows extremely deadly. This, coupled with his swiftness, makes Akaza one of the most powerful demons in the series.
2 Doma
Cryokinesis can always have a ton of destructive potential if the user is extremely potent in its usage. This is the major reason why Doma is a demon that everyone should fear.
His ranking of being the Upper Rank 2 is not something to be taken lightly. On top of this, his ice is lethal if anyone inhales it as well, giving him both a perfect offense and defense!
1 Kokushibo
The highest-ranking member of the Twelve Kizuki is bound to boast a ton of power that can destroy even the toughest of foes. Kokishibo definitely does justice to this moniker with his exceedingly powerful moveset, bolstered by his background of being a Demon Slayer.
His unique Moon Breathing is further complemented by his Blood Demon Art, which augments his attacks by adding additional crescent-shaped blades to his attacks. Trying to deal with these moves can be downright impossible without sufficient agility and battle awareness.
