Demon Slayer, a popular anime series, boasts a diverse cast of characters, from brutal demons to supernatural humans. The series’ female characters truly shine, demonstrating significant power and influence. While not completely bucking genre conventions, the show nonetheless offers several challenging female figures. One of these characters even plays a key role in defeating the main villain. So, who are the most powerful among them? Let’s delve into our rankings of the strongest female Demon Slayer characters.
The Best Most Powerful Female Characters in Demon Slayer (2023)
Nezuko
- Type: Demon
- Rank: NA
Nezuko, a key figure among Demon Slayer’s strongest characters, is considered one of the most powerful female characters in the series. Being a demon, she naturally wields more power than the human characters. Unique among her kind, Nezuko can survive under the sun, rendering her virtually indestructible. Also, she has demonstrated her powerful strength against multiple high-ranking demons in the manga.
She has conquered some of the strongest demons, including Daki, Gyutaro, Susamaru, and even Hantengu, Upper-Rank Four. Unlike her demon counterparts, who depend on human flesh and blood to regenerate and gain power, Nezuko is self-sufficient and relies on rest. Her combat skills might be lacking, but a well-rested Nezuko can hold her own against almost anyone. It’s fortunate for the Demon Slayer Corps that she is on their side rather than Muzan’s.
Daki
- Type: Demon
- Rank: Upper Rank Six
Daki, the Upper-Rank Six demon, is an antagonist in the Entertainment District arc and a master manipulator of flesh. She has slain seven Hashiras and controlled an entire district effortlessly through her cunning. However, she falls behind Nezuko due to her dependency on her brother, Gyutaro.
Nevertheless, her power surpasses his. Daki can control her Obi (a traditional Japanese belt), which acts independently to assault foes from a distance. Her swift and multi-pronged attacks are virtually uncounterable and undodgeable. The Obi, being sentient, frees Daki from having to control her attacks completely. If our heroes faced Daki in single combat, Daki would likely emerge victorious.
Mitsuri Kanroji
- Type: Human
- Rank: Love Hashira
Hashiras, the finest swordsmen in the Demon Slayer universe, have only a few members that rival Mitsuri in physical power. The Love Hashira appears friendly and harmless but becomes challenging when confronted with a demon. Her powers best appear in the Season 3 of Demon Slayer.
Mitsuri wields an extraordinarily long Nichirin sword like a whip to slay demons. Operating this sword demands tremendous strength and extreme flexibility, traits only Mitsuri possesses. In terms of her achievements, she contributed significantly to battles against Gyokko, Hantengu, and even Nakime in the Infinity Castle arc. Also, her unexpected attacks surprised even Muzan at the manga’s conclusion.
Kanao Tsuyuri
- Type: Human
- Rank: NA
Kanao’s inclusion in our list of powerful female characters in Demon Slayer might surprise anime-only viewers. But manga readers will recognize her invaluable contributions throughout the story. She employs Flower Breathing like her sister Kanae but also possesses exceptional senses and an unrivaled will. Our protagonist, Tanjiro, recognized her skills as Hashira-level when he first met her.
Kanao played a crucial role in defeating Doma, the third-strongest demon. Notably, she was the only character able to break Doma’s temperament of understanding emotions, leading to his downfall. Even after sustaining severe injuries and partial blindness, Kanao had a significant part in the final battle against Muzan. Tanjiro might have permanently become a demon without her courage and quick thinking.
Shinobu Kocho
- Type: Human
- Rank: Insect Hashira
Shinobu, the Insect Hashira, is a fan-favorite among Demon Slayer’s female characters and is unique among the swordsmen. Instead of relying on brute force, she uses Wisteria poison (which only harms demons) to weaken her enemies before killing them with her katana. Her unconventional yet highly effective technique incapacitates weaker demons after a single strike from her needle-like sword.
In terms of abilities, Shinobu’s speed rivals, if not surpasses, Tengen’s. Even Upper-Rank Two demon, Doma, was taken aback by her unpredictable movements. Despite suffering severe injuries, she didn’t slow down. Her expertise in medical research and poison studies is also commendable. During her battle against the spider demon family, she saved Zenitsu from transforming into a spider by counteracting the poison.
Nakime
- Type: Demon
- Rank: Upper Rank Four
Nakime is a nuanced female character in Demon Slayer. Although the fifth most powerful demon in the anime, she doesn’t engage in direct combat. Instead, she exercises control over the Infinity Castle, a dimensional plane where Muzan and the twelve most powerful demons gather. She can manipulate this dimension to her liking, creating infinite rooms, shifting areas, looping portals, and confounding puzzles.
Overcoming her powers proved so difficult that she was the last of the Twelve Kizuki to survive before the final fight. Muzan, fearing his enemies would control her, ended up killing her. Had Nakime been more inclined toward combat, her destructive potential would have been staggering.
Mukago
- Type: Demon
- Rank: Lower Rank Four
Mukago is a unique demon in the anime, comparable to Nezuko. According to Muzan’s mind-reading, she was reluctant to fight the Demon Slayers Corps and displayed cowardice. We didn’t see her abilities in action, but as she ranked higher than Kamanue and Kyogai (the demon with drum-based attacks), it’s safe to assume Mukago was formidable. Kyogai easily overpowered Inosuke and Tanjiro during the Tsuzumi Mansion arc.
Moreover, Demon Slayer featured other potent demons, including Susamaru and spider family members, that never made it to the Twelve Kizuki. Therefore, Mukago’s power speaks for itself, despite the missed opportunity to see her in action.
Kanae Kocho
Kanae, the late Flower Hashira, is one of the most beloved characters among the Hashiras in Demon Slayer. Though not a part of the main plot, she left a strong impression. Kanae succumbed to injuries inflicted by Doma, the third most potent demon in the show. However, she held her ground for hours until dawn, despite being grievously injured and utterly helpless. Doma couldn’t finish her off, being forced to flee at sunrise.
Kanae was a skilled poison user like Shinobu, wielding a uniquely designed sword that injected poison into demons while cutting them down. This allowed Kanae to battle demons without solely relying on Wisteria poison.
Tamayo
- Type: Demon
- Rank: NA
Tamayo, a healer, and a demon, is one of the strongest female characters in Demon Slayer. Her assistance was indispensable for the Demon Slayer Corps to defeat the Upper Ranks and Muzan. She is one of the oldest demons and assumedly less powerful than her peers.
Initially, Tamayo was on Muzan’s side before establishing the Twelve Kizuki. She later defected and started working against demons. Her Blood Demon Art mainly targets demons, using her blood to cast special spells, including causing demons to hallucinate or confess their lies.
However, Tamayo’s true strength lies in her medical abilities. She was the first to transform a human into a demon without using Muzan’s blood, which was previously thought impossible. She later developed antidotes for blood demon injuries and a drug capable of weakening Muzan and reverting demons to humans. Her medical skills could be considered overpowered.
Susamaru
- Type: Demon
- Rank: NA
Rounding up our list is Susamaru, the main antagonist of the Asakusa Arc. Despite not being a member of the Twelve Kizuki, she quickly overwhelmed Tanjiro and Nezuko. Her main power was manipulating a group of Temaris, or traditional Japanese handballs. Her attacks were powerful enough to destroy limbs, and each Temari would follow its target like a sentient being. While Susamaru’s strength was on par with more powerful demons, her wit didn’t match.
Speaking Muzan’s name out of sheer anger triggered a demonic curse and led to her demise. If she had reached the Upper Ranks, imagining the skill set needed to challenge and fight her would be hard.
Meet the Strongest Demon Slayer Female Characters
Whether you’re in awe of Nezuko’s powerful moves or Tamayo’s brilliant mind, you now understand the rankings of the female characters in Demon Slayer. However, most of these characters would fall short if you consider characters like Makima from Chainsaw Man. So, do you agree with our strongest Demon Slayer female characters ranking list? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
