Summary
Known for its epic fights, sublime animation, and dark themes, Koyoharu Gotouge’sDemon Slayeris one of the foremost franchises in contemporary anime and manga, buoyed by thesuccess of Ufotable’s fantastic anime adaptation. In the years since it debuted in 2019,Demon Slayerhas set standards for fight choreography, artwork, and animation, which most seasonal anime have endeavored to replicate.
With respect to its battles, the series has featured a broad range of match-ups ranging from extremely tense and closely-fought battles, to more one-sided confrontations where thedifference in strength between combatantswas significant. These fights have acted as impressive displays of skill, highlighting how certain characters are a cut above the rest. On this note, here are the most mismatched fights inDemon Slayer.
Anime Episode
Episode #12
Following the Final Selection, Tanjiro meetsZenitsu Agatsuma, a fellow survivor of the test, as the duo were assigned on a mission to take out demons who had claimed the Tsuzumi Mansion. After getting separated within the mansion, Tanijiro fought the Drum Demon, Kyogai, whereasZenitsu had to defend a young boy, Shoichi, from theTongue Demon.
Terrified out of his mind,Zenitsu was cornered and knocked outby the demon, leaving both him and Shoichi in grave danger. Just as the Tongue Demon was about to deliver the killing blow amid Shoichi’s desperate pleas for him to wake up, Zenitsu slices off the demon’s tongue, and assumed a stance. Still asleep, he proceeded to unleash Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, beheading the demon in one strike without waking up, showing off his formidable strength even when unconscious.
Episode #39-40
As Tanjiro’s body gave out from using Hinokami Kagura againstDakiin the Entertainment District,Nezukostepped in to defend him before Daki could attack in retaliation. Despite sustaining severe injuries and being flung into a nearby building,Nezuko quickly got up and displayedheightened regeneration abilities, on par with those of an Upper Rank demon.
Daki struggled to process this, and grew frightened upon seeing Nezuko’s transformation, as she grew larger and developed vine-like patterns all over her body. Proceeding to deliver an onslaught of attacks with her obi, Daki sliced Nezuko’s body apart, only for her to regenerate almost instantly and continue her charge towards the demon. Nezuko brutally beat Daki, and then ignited herown blood using her Blood Demon Art, engulfing her opponent in flames. Sadly, just before she could deal the final blow, Nezuko was distracted by the scent of a bleeding onlooker, and as her demon instincts kicked in, and she had to struggle against them to avoid harming a human.
Episode #27
Kicking off the Mugen Train Arc,Kyojuro Rengokuinvestigated the trainyard where the vehicle was being repaired, only to run into a demon who took a boy hostage upon seeing the Flame Hashira. After saving the boy by cutting off the demon’s arm, Kyojuro was challenged in a test of speed, as the demon sped away to seek out a group of bento vendors that Rengoku had befriended.
Using Total Concentration Breathing, Rengoku sped up and rushed toward the demon’s location, in an emphatic show of thetrue extent of a Hashira’s abilities. He managed to reach the vendors in the nick of time, slashing the demon’s leg, and freeing one of the vendors from his clutches. Put in a position where he had to behead the demon to save the other vendor, Rengoku used Flame Breathing First Form: Unknowing Fire, decapitating the demon in one go, in an intimidating display of his speed.
Episode #1
The first real test faced by the Kamado siblings after the horrific massacre of their entire family, came whenNezukoattackedTanjirowhile battling against her demon instincts,forcing the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, to enter the fray. Since she had not consumed much blood since first becoming a demon, Nezuko’s hunger eroded her sanity, and she attacked Tanjiro. Struggling to hold his sister at bay, Tanjiro held her back with the handle of his hatchet until she calmed down.
Just when things seemed to have settled,Giyuappeared, and pushed Tanjiro away, proclaiming that he would now execute Neuzko as a demon. Pleading with him to spare his sister, Tanjiro tried to stall Tomioka, who stabbed Nezuko, and proceeded to deal with Tanjiro’s assault. Launching a frontal attack, Tanjiro was easily knocked out by the Hashira, but this was merely a diversion for a hatchet that he had launched towards Giyu, which nearly succeeded in killing him. Impressed by Tanjiro’s resolve, Giyu was even more taken aback byNezuko’s desperate attempt to protect Tanjirofrom him, which convinced the Hashira to spare the siblings.
Episode #39
While not fully shown,the battle betweenYoriichi Tsugikuniand Muzan Kibutsujiwas undoubtedly a one-sided contest, as the strongest demon slayer in history took on the Demon King and left him on the brink of death. In less than an instant, Yoriichi completely overpowered Muzan, as the first demon in history was brought to his knees, and barely escaped with his life.
The recollection of this traumaticevent would linger in Muzan’s memoriesforever, leaving imprints in his blood that would be passed down to his demon progeny. Each time a demon came face-to-face with someone reminiscent of Yoriichi, Muzan’s memories would trigger, allowing them to see fragments of their battle. This is perhaps the most fearsome demonstration of Yoriichi’s unparalleled swordsmanship, as he defeated Muzan so thoroughly he left a mark on him that persisted through generations of demon offspring.
