5 Best Fights in Demon Slayer, Ranked

Demon Slayer has never run short on great fights. Ufotable turns every sword clash into a spectacle, and the emotional gut punches usually hit harder than the animation. Narrowing it down to five was tough. Some battles win on pure style, others on what they cost the people fighting, and a few manage both.

From the epic Infinity Castle clash with Upper Rank Three to the more subtle but amazing fight with Lower Moon One – this list goes by how much each fight hits, how much it changes the characters, and how well it holds up on a rewatch. Plenty of fans will argue with the order, and that’s half the fun.

5 Tanjiro vs. Enmu: Waking Up Meant Cutting His Own Neck Again

Tanjiro in dreamworld from Demon Slayer | Credits: Ufotable

Enmu, the unforgivable Lower Rank One demon, puts a whole train to sleep with a punched ticket, and Tanjiro’s only way out is brutal. He cuts his own neck in the dream to wake up. Enmu pulls him under again, so he does it again, until he almost does it for real. Once Enmu fuses with the train, everyone pitches in, with Zenitsu, Inosuke, Nezuko, and Rengoku included. Tanjiro finally takes his head with Clear Blue Sky. Fifth place because it’s a team win, and the heartbreak right after overshadows it.

4 Tanjiro & Nezuko vs. Rui: The Night Tanjiro’s Blade Caught Fire

Tanjiro’s Hinokami Kagura debut in Demon Slayer | Credits: Ufotable

Rui, the Lower Rank Five demon, wants Nezuko as his little sister, and he’s ready to kill Tanjiro to take her. Water Breathing isn’t enough against Rui’s strongest threads, so Tanjiro leans on a memory of his father’s dance, and the sword bursts into flame. Nezuko helps by burning the threads with her Exploding Blood. Rui saves himself by cutting off his own head, and Giyu finishes him. That ignition still gives chills. Fourth place because Giyu ends it, even though this is where Hinokami Kagura makes its debut.

3 Tengen Uzui vs. Gyutaro: A Flashy Hashira Who Refuses to Fall

Uzui vs. Gyutaro in Demon Slayer | Credits: Ufotable

Tengen Uzui struts into the Entertainment District Arc as the flashiest Hashira around, and Gyutaro, one half of the Upper Rank Six siblings, nearly finishes him. Poison runs through his body; he loses his left hand, and his left eye gets slashed out. Once his Musical Score is complete, though, he moves like the whole fight was choreographed. He holds Gyutaro in place so Tanjiro can land the beheading, and Daki loses her head nearly simultaneously. Third place for pure spectacle and grit, even if Tanjiro lands the final blow.

2 Rengoku vs. Akaza: The Demon Slayer Loss Fans Still Can’t Shake

Rengoku vs. Akaza in Demon Slayer | Credits: Ufotable

Rengoku had just protected a train full of people when Akaza showed up, and he was already beaten up. Akaza offers him a demon’s life, and Rengoku says no without a second thought. Then they give it everything. Rengoku’s Ninth Form meets Akaza’s Annihilation Type, and Akaza’s fist goes through his stomach. He still tries to take that head before sunrise. Akaza runs from the sun, and Rengoku doesn’t make it. Second place because the Infinity Castle rematch answers this loss and takes the top spot.

1 Tanjiro & Giyu vs. Akaza: Revenge, Regret, and a Demon’s Last Smile

Tanjiro & Giyu vs. Akaza in Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle | Credits: Ufotable

Tanjiro has waited for this rematch ever since Rengoku died. Giyu awakens his Demon Slayer Mark, Tanjiro slips into the Transparent World and Selfless State, and Akaza’s Compass Needle loses track of him. One clean strike takes Akaza’s head, yet his body keeps fighting. Then Hakuji’s memories return, and Akaza ends himself with a smile. It’s brutal and sad, and both slayers collapse from exhaustion once it’s over. First place because it pays off Rengoku’s death and gives us a villain we end up feeling for.

What are your thoughts on our list of the best Demon Slayer anime fights? We’d love to know your top picks and opinions in the comments below.