Demon Slayer fandom gives a lot of respect and admiration to The Hashira, and of course, for good reasons. Most humans don’t get a chance against the demons’ cruelty, strength, or murderous tendencies. Muzan Kibutsuji and his Twelve Demon Moons are always finding ways to hurt humanity, but Kagaya Ubuyashiki and the Pillars of Demon Slayer still stand as the first line of defense. Their skillset and determination against evil makes them standout and gained them a massive fan following all across the globe. The corp pillars challenge the demons at every point of the series with their exciting and exceptional fighting techniques.
If you are wondering about who the most powerful pillars are, we’ve went ahead and did the honors by ranking the top 9 strongest pillars in the anime series.
#9. THE INSECT PILLAR: SHINOBU KOCHO
With speedy fighting style, insect breathing techniques, and customized Nichrin Blade, we have Shinobu Kocho as one of the most powerful pillars. Her contribution goes beyond the battlefield, and her efforts have been helpful to the Demon Slayer Corp operation. With her breath of insect powers, she is about to coat her weapons with poison to inject her opponents. This poison makes her extremely lethal when fighting demons.
But it’s her chemistry knowledge that makes her a tough defense line against demons as well as a helper of humankind. Her goal is not only to eliminate all demons but also bring peace amongst all the species.
#8. THE SOUND PILLAR: TENGEN UZUI
Tengen Uzui was one of nine kids from a surviving family of Shinobi. The abilities he adapted during his upbringing made him a versatile fighter despite being poisoned and missing a hand.
It’s all about Tengen being expressive of his favorite word; flamboyance. From his jewel-laced clothing to the nunchuck-style wielding of his Nichrin Blades, Tengen has a heroic personality. His capability of Sound Breathing allows him to mentally record his battles like a musical score and act on the insight. He can analyze the rhythm of his opponents movements to decipher their weaknesses. Then he uses small but powerful anti-demon bombs to blow up and taken down demons.
#7. THE FORMER WATER PILLAR: SAKONJI UROKODAKI
Sakonji Urokodaki is the leading cultivator of Water Breathing Style who trained both Giyu Tomioka and Tanjiro Kamado. He has survived to an old age, which is an iconic feat for anyone in the Demon Slayer Corp Pillar. Having the title of the “Cultivator of Swordsmen,” Urokodaki conveys weight within the Demon Slayer community.
His face has never been revealed as he always wears a tengu mask to cover his face. It is rumored that his mask is to save his kind face from the demons teasing. With his ten breaths technique, he can increase the amount of oxygen in one’s blood to make himself just as strong and fast as any demon.
#6. THE SNAKE PILLAR: OBANAI IGURO
Obanai Iguro is known for his snake breathing techniques and is one of the pillars of Demon Slayers. He has a strict and straightforward attitude for everyone, even if it means hurting someone or making someone suffer – except for Kagaya Ubuyashiki, obviously.
When it comes to words, he is really cutting towards others, but he makes it clear when he favors somebody. He doesn’t hide his love with Mitsuri the Love Pillar, but somehow, mysteriously, she seems totally unconscious about it. With his breath of serpent abilities, Obanai is able to twist and bend his sword like a slithering snake and cut up his opponents.
#5. THE FLAME PILLAR: Kyojuro Rengoku
Kyojuro Rengoku has always been proud of his job for having a family with flame breathing swordsmen. He promised his mother to use his exceptional strength for the protection of other human beings and this is what his greatest motivation to be a pillar becomes.
Kyojuro was not only a brilliant swordsman but he also had one of the most powerful personalities amongst the pillars of Demon Slayers. Not only that, but he was also an inspiration for other Demon Slayers, even for the ones with higher ranks. In the same manner, he was one of the first Pillars of his generation to initiate the Flame Mark. Even some of the strongest demons such as Akaza has acknowledged the flame pillar and wanted to turn Kyojuro into a demon, so that Kyojuro can maximize his powers.
#4. THE MIST PILLAR: MUICHIRO TOKITO
Muichiro inherited swordsmanship as an inheritor of the first Breath users. Apart from that, he became a master of Mist Breathing only at the age of 14 years, while he joined Demon Slayer Corp when he turned 10 years of age.
Muichiro praises Tanjiro for the recovery of his memory, saying that his father also had red eyes that expressed great kindness. With the breath of mist style, he could drastically change the tempo of his movements to disorient an enemy using it’s mist. His speed will appear slow, but in actuality will move and strike within a blink of an eye.
#3. THE WATER PILLAR: GIYU TOMIOKA
He is the Water Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps and a masterful swordsman. However, he never seemed to give himself that acknowledgment. He always wears a patterned half of haori, which is in honor of Sabito, a young man who lost his life while saving all of the other students in his Final Selection Exam.
With the help of his friends, he accepted his position as a Pillar and decided to stimulate his flame mark. Moreover, Tomioka is the one who requested for Sakonji Urokodaki to train Tanjiro, and for Nezuko’s inner strength to be trusted. Giyu has the dead calm ability using the water to completely shield himself from all attacks with incredible speed.
#2. THE WIND PILLAR: SANEMI SHINAZUGAWA
Sanemi has a rare blood type (also known as marechi), which is why he has had numerous experiences fighting demons even before becoming one of the pillars of the Demon Slayer.
His merciless nature as a Demon Slayer is due to the fact that his blood is like gluten-free liquor to demons. Not only that, he was forced to kill his demon-infected mother because she gobbled Sanemi’s other siblings. With the control of the breath of wind, Sanemi can actually redirect the attacks of his opponent. Furthermore he can create a gust of cyclones to overwhel madn destory demons.
#1. THE STONE PILLAR: GYOMEI HIMEJIMA
On top, we have Gyomei Himejima as the strongest pillar of Demon Slayers.
Gyomei Himejima stands as the tallest and unquestionably the most solid of the Demon Slayer Pillars under Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s headship. Regardless of being blind, Gyomei fights consuming a hand-ax on a chain and a spiked ball — everything is created of the same materials as Nichirin Blades — with very keen accuracy.
Gyomei’s Stone Technique is different than the Breath users’; meditation and chanting are his ways of growing and focusing his strength to levels that compete with the demons.
Each Pillar of Demon Slayer has a unique technique that helps them fight against the Demon Moons and save the world from their evilness. From the Wind Pillar to the Flame Pillar, the Demon Slayer fandom loves each one of them. Stay tuned to know more about your favorite Pillar of the Demon Slayer.