This article contains spoilers for the Demon Slayer series.
Demon Slayer has enjoyed quite a massive year, being the biggest anime release of 2025, thanks to the smash hit movie, Infinity Castle Part 1. The main character of the story, Tanjiro Kamado, was central to the film, and fans got to see him partake in many intense battles, with more to come in Infinity Castle Part 2 and Part 3. With the level of strength that Tanjiro has displayed in Demon Slayer, fans are truly amazed by his potential, and naturally, many question why Tanjiro is not a Hashira in the story. After all, to many, he seems to be more than qualified to be considered one.
Demon Slayer: Every Demon in the Infinity Castle
The demons are ruthless in the Infinity Castle and ready to take on the Demon Slayers.
The truth is, while Tanjiro’s strength is definitely on the level of a Hashira by the end of the series, he never completed the criteria to be promoted to the rank. The story also concluded way too fast, and with Muzan’s death, there’s no point to the Demon Slayers anymore, including the Hashira.
Tanjiro Never Became A Hashira In Demon Slayer
- Tanjiro is a Hashira-Level Slayer
- Tanjiro Never Fulfilled the Criteria to Become a Hashira
The Hashira are the strongest group of the Demon Slayer Corps, and they hold the highest rank as well. Their power is on a completely different level, as is quite clear in the series, and they are basically the best force that can be sent out against demons.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Won’t Be The End Of The Series
Demon Slayer is a major series, and it won't end with the Infinity Castle movies.
The original Hashira introduced in Demon Slayer consisted of Gyomei, Shinobu, Mitsuri, Sanemi, Giyu, Muichiro, Tengen, Obanai, and Rengoku. As the story progressed, and before the final battle, Rengoku died and Tengen retired. While fans expected replacements, there were none. This seemed odd to many fans, especially as Tanjiro, who could be considered a Hashira-level slayer, could have been promoted.
The truth is, while Tanjiro was indeed as strong as some Hashira, if not stronger, he never completed the criteria required to become one.
The Three Ways To Become a Hashira
- Be a Tsuguko
- Kill 50 Demons As A Kinoe
- Singlehandedly Kill A Twelve Kizuki
There are a few ways to get the Hashira rank in Demon Slayer, and none of them were achieved by Tanjiro. The first one, and the most straightforward one, is to be the Tsuguko, or successor of a Hashira. Shinobu, for example, had a few Tsugukos like Kanao, who could have become a Hashira had the war not ended after her death.
The other way to become a Hashira is to kill 50 random demons as a Kinoe Demon Slayer. It’s unknown how many demons Tanjiro has exactly killed, but it doesn’t matter as his highest official rank is Hinoe.
The final way to become a Hashira is to singlehandedly kill a Twelve Kizuki. While Tanjiro has greatly contributed to many battles against Kizuki, he has never defeated one on his own.
It must also be noted that the Demon Slayer story is very short. Tanjiro could have eventually gotten promoted to Hashira, but the battle against Muzan was already over, and the Demon Slayer Corps did not need to exist anymore, which includes the Hashira.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 is out in theatres now. Fans who don't want to wait for the movies to drop can check the manga out on Manga Plus. Meanwhile, for the anime, the series currently has 4 anime seasons. These anime seasons can all be found on Crunchyroll. The remainder of the series will be animated into movies, and fans will have to wait for their theatrical release to watch them, depending on their country.
- Release Date
- April 6, 2019
- Network
- Adult Swim
Based on Koyoharu Gotouge's shonen manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is an action anime set in Japan during the early 20th century. Seeking revenge for the murder of his family while also looking to save his sister, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps as they try to eradicate Demons led by Muzan.
- Creator
- Koyoharu Gotoge
- Number of Episodes
- 63
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix
