Demon Slayeris an anime filledwith bloodthirsty demonswho relentlessly prowl the nights in search of unsuspecting prey. These diabolical beings possess supernatural strength and abilities, enabling them to perform heinous acts on a large scale. Moreover, at different stages of the story, new demons continue to emerge, usually with each one stronger than the last.
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Upon introduction, demons emanate deadly, intimidating auras. More often than not,they appear unsettlingeven without displaying their power, or just showcasing a small fraction of it. This has occurred many times in the series, giving both viewers and readers a genuine sense of foreboding regarding what they are currently witnessing. Here is a list of characters inDemon Slayerwho have managed to trigger that kind of reaction, and trigger it to great effect.
This article contains spoilers from the Demon Slayer Manga
10Enmu
Enmu is the main villain fromthe Mugen Train Arcand the highest ranked of the Lower Moons. He was the only Lower Moon left alive after the rest were slaughtered by Muzan. Furthermore, he expressed pleasure at the sight of his dead companions, signifying his sadistic nature.
Apart from the protruding veins scattered across the demon’s head, and the mouth plastered onto his left hand, his appearance was not the most frightening. However, following the decapitation of his initial body, he revealed a repulsive formation of flesh connecting himself to the train. Using this attachment, he could execute any of the passengers at will, meaning the demon slayers had to find his real neck while also protecting the two hundred people on the train.
9Hantengu
Hantengu was the Upper Moon Four and showed his abilities for the first time in the Swordsmith Village arc. He originally appears as a fearful and sickly old demon, but after getting his head sliced by Muichiro Tokito, he emerges in his different, more powerful forms.
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This demon has six forms that represent different emotions. Immediately after revealing his Karaku form, he blew Tokito, a hashira, hundreds of meters away with just a single fan swing. Consequently, with his Urogi form, he inflicted considerable damage on Tanjiro using only a scream. These actions, coupled with the prospect of even more dangerous forms that had yet to be revealed, gave this demon a highly perilous aura.
8Rui
Tanjiro’s battle against Rui is among the most famous in the series. However, beforeTanjiro employed his Hinokami Kaguraand sliced off the demon’s head, the young demon slayer looked to be in a hopeless situation.
After arriving at Mount Natagumo, the main trio was tested immediately as each faced an astoundingly powerful foe. After being flung away by the Father demon, Tanjiro encountered Rui, the main threat of the mountain. Rui was not immediately aggressive towards him, but after slicing up a demon slayer into countless pieces and breaking off Tanjiro’s sword in a simple motion, his image became that of a terrifying foe.
7Akaza
Serving as the final enemy during the Mugen Train arc, Akaza’s arrival alone signified impending doom. Though a sense of protection may have been felt due to the presence ofthe Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro, the man himself stated that Akaza had an overwhelming aura.
As this was the first Upper Moon Tanjiro had encountered, there was a feeling of danger that he had never experienced before. The Upper Moon Three had multiple ways of fighting, each using one form of martial arts or the other. By employing these skills, he fought toe to toe with the Flame Hashira while Tanjiro and Inosuke could only watch.
6Gyutaro
During the entertainment district arc, the main trio accompanied the sound hashira in search of his wives and a powerful demon. Eventually, they were met with the powerful Upper Moon Daki, but the real challenge came after the emergence of Gyutaro.
Gyutaro was an odd-looking demon, sporting an extremely thin waist and a body with irregularly dispersed black marks. In combat, he employs a pair of sickles laced with deadly poison made using his own flesh and blood. Seconds after his emergence, Gyutaro wounded the sound hashira despite being the one who was initially attacked. His blood demon art allows him to cover a wide area with his sickles as well, making him an enemy not only difficult to fight, but one who instills an impending fear of death into his opponents just by being near them.
5Doma
As the demon responsible for the turning of both Daki and Gyutaro, Doma was already anticipated to be a compelling foe. On his first appearance, he was seen with a woman’s severed leg hung across his shoulders, while her blood was visible at the corners of his mouth. Furthermore, he maintained a particularly ominous smile,hinting at the demon’s twisted nature.
Using his Blood Demon Art, Doma can perform lethal ice attacks. It also serves as a deadly poison if the surrounding air around the ice is inhaled. In addition, he holds the title of Upper Moon Two, possessing physical capabilities that perfectly encapsulate the strength of the second highest ranked Upper Moon.
4Gyokko
Gyokko is by far the most unsightly demon in the series. The features of his face are extremely bizarre, with two mouths in place of his eyes and a single eyeball in place of a mouth. Furthermore, he has tiny hands dangling from where his ears are supposed to be, with more little hands scattered along his body.
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Apart from his physical appearance, Gyokko uses his blood demon art in equally grotesque ways. He has been seen using small pots to devour and compress adult-sized human beings, after which he either spits them out in disfigured forms or presents them in a gruesome amalgamation of multiple people.
3Kokushibo
Holding the title of Upper Moon One is bound to strike fear into any who come across him. However, Kokushibo is not only a powerful demonbut a former demon slayeras well. He is the older twin sibling of the strongest demon slayer ever to live, becoming a demon due to his immense jealousy of his brother.
He possessed six eyes, but the rest of his appearance was rather normal. Despite this, he exuded a massive aura of danger. Just by standing in his presence, the mist hashira was rendered temporarily immobile due to fear, after which the unfortunate hashira was effortlessly overpowered and impaled against a pillar. The corps barely managed to decapitate him after the arrival of the Stone Hashira and the Wind Hashira, yet he evolved into a stronger, more threatening form.
2Muzan
From the beginning of the series, Kibutsuji Muzan was established as the most fearsome demon in existence. He is responsible for the creation of all other demons in the series, of which most are still extremely fearful of him, as he has been shown to slaughter subordinates that displease him. In terms of power, Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka stated that his strength is incomparable to any Upper Moon, further emphasizing his terror.
Helived for over a thousand yearsand constantly got the better of the Demon Slayer Corps, killing multiple hashira through his offspring. Towards the end of the series, he engaged in a direct battle with the corps, killing multiple members and constantly evolving into more menacing, odd-looking forms.
1Demon King Tanjiro
In an unprecedented turn of events during the final arc of the series,Tanjiro was transformed into a demonby the defeated Kibutsuji Muzan, determined to pass on his legacy to future generations. This development was especially horrifying for those who’d been fighting alongside their treasured comrade throughout the series, as they had to see him in a vicious, demonic state.
As a demon, Tanjiro had the potential to become an even greater threat than Muzan. Unlike those before him, he was immune to the effects of sunlight, and he possessed the extremely powerful sun breathing techniques. In addition, he also inherited the Blood Demon Art of Muzan, giving him control over deadly spine-like extensions protruding from his back.
