Spoiler Warning: Due to the nature of this list topic, major narrative spoilers for the Demon Slayer anime and manga are discussed in each entry.
Summary
- Plot armor saves characters like Tanjiro and Inosuke from certain death multiple times.
- Despite facing overwhelming odds, some demon slayers miraculously survive life-threatening encounters.
- Characters like Kaigaku and Muzan make controversial choices, defying death or accepting a fate that changes their paths indefinitely.
Demon Slayer is full of characters who have close brushes with death. Some people aren't lucky and end up breathing their last after a hellacious battle, while others manage to survive by the skin of their teeth.
Demon Slayer: 6 Most Unlikable Characters, Ranked
The Demon Slayer series is home to an array of detestable figures. Out of them all, however, these particular examples are among the most unlikable.
Given the limitations that humans have, it's hard to digest that some of the demon slayers manage to live to see another day despite being hit with bone-breaking blows that should leave them dead after a single hit. Plot armor really is one of the most notable things in any entertainment medium that features high-stakes battles, and Demon Slayer is no exception.
8 Tanjiro Kamado
Plot Armor Saves Him Time And Time Again
- Debut: Cruelty (Episode 1)
Fans have lost count of the number of times Tanjiro has cheated death. He managed to win against Kyogai on his own turf despite twisting his ankle, remembering his family's Breathing Style mere seconds before his demise, and awakening the power of the demon slayer mark against tough foes time and time again.
He's broken many bones across numerous battles, yet somehow always manages to bounce back. The fact that he turned into a bloodthirsty demon and was still able to come back as a human shows just how lucky Tanjiro has been throughout the series.
7 Zenitsu Agatsuma
Despite His Cowardice, He Manages To Survive After Being Knocked Unconscious
- Debut: Final Selection (Episode 4)
He may be talented as a demon slayer, but Zenitsu is also the most cowardly character in the series. He prefers running away from fights and finds himself thrown off-balance the moment a powerful demon tries to hunt him down.
And yet, somehow, this demon slayer becomes more powerful after he's knocked out. A human's natural instincts being so strong is hard to believe, although it does make Zenitsu's highlights all the more engaging as he manages to become even more effective in an unconscious state, when he should ideally be down and out for the count.
6 Inosuke Hashibira
The Spider Demon Father Should've Comfortably Strangled Him To Death
- Debut: Tsuzumi Mansion (Episode 11)
The Beast Breathing user who is surprisingly pretty, Inosuke is yet another young demon slayer who has been saved from the verge of death so many times. The most notable instance is when the Father Spider Demon was choking him out on Mount Natagumo, only for Shinobu to arrive in the nick of time and save him.
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These are arguably the greatest fighters for the Demon Slayer Corps, instilling fear in their foes by their very presence.
He's faced more life-threatening situations than most other characters, yet he survives every single time. It's a testament to his stubborn resilience, although there are moments when he probably should have breathed his last in the face of overwhelming odds.
5 Giyu Tomioka
Sabito Saved Him From Certain Death During The Final Selection Exam
- Debut: Cruelty (Episode 1)
Giyu was nowhere near as skilled as he was in his prime during the Final Selection arc. The Hand Demon proved too much for him, but he was saved by Sabito, who sacrificed his life to save his friend.
Giyu lived in constant guilt and felt that he should've died instead of his friend — before Tanjiro helped him come to terms with it. This allows Giyu to finally snap out of it and fight for his friend, something that he'll prove a thousand times over in the Infinity Castle arc.
4 Muichiro Tokito
His Demon Slayer Mark Awakens Mere Seconds Before He Suffocates
- Debut: Against Corps Rules (Episode 21)
Muichiro's fight against Gyokko started as a one-sided affair, with the Mist Hashira being totally and utterly overwhelmed. He eventually falls for Gyokko's trap, forcing him to suffocate as he accepts the end of his life.
This should've marked his end, but a convenient flashback helped him awaken the demon slayer mark in the nick of time. He managed to break free from Gyokko's water prison and unleash a clinic of Mist Breathing styles that overpowered Gyokko and took him out.
3 Tengen Uzui
The Fight Against Gyutaro Should've Left Him In A State Similar To That Of Kyojuro
- Debut: Against Corps Rules (Episode 21)
Akaza's fight against Rengoku made it clear that the Hashira couldn't stand against the Upper Rank Demon Moons. Even if Gyutaro was two ranks lower, he should've comfortably made mincemeat out of Tengen.
8 Best Friendships In Demon Slayer, Ranked
It's a joy to watch these friendships form and develop in Demon Slayer.
However, even after losing an arm and an eye, he was ferocious and teamed up with Tanjiro to overpower the demon. It was a huge moment for the Demon Slayer Corps and proved that they could take on the Upper Rank Demon Moons, even if it's hard to digest that Tengen was left alive after such an overwhelming encounter.
2 Kaigaku
As A Human, He Should've Accepted A Just Death Instead Of Shaming His Mentor
- Debut: You Must Master a Single Thing (Episode 17)
Kaigaku should've accepted a noble death from Kokushibo after being overpowered by the Upper Rank One Demon Moon. Instead, he pleaded for his life like a coward and shamed his sensei by choosing to become a demon.
This caused Jigoro to commit seppuku, robbing Zenitsu of a father's love. The Thunder Breathing user decided to fight for his sensei's honor and used his mastery over Thunderclap & Flash to show Kaigaku just how hollow his power was.
1 Muzan Kibutsuji
Would Have Died Early Had It Not Been For The Treatment That Turned Him Into A Demon
- Debut: Muzan Kibutsuji (Episode 7)
From the moment he was born, Muzan was a frail and sick man who wasn't slated to live long. This caused him to fear death and opt for an experimental treatment that turned him into the first demon.
He should've accepted his fate and passed on, but Muzan's stubbornness and rage turned him into the biggest villain against humanity. He refused to walk the path of reason and cut down numerous humans in senseless acts of violence, making him the prime target for the demon slayers as Tanjiro and the others swore to make him pay for his misdeeds.
- Release Date
- April 6, 2019
- Network
- Adult Swim
- Seasons
- 4
- Studio
- ufotable
- Japanese Title
- Kimetsu no Yaiba
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Koyoharu Gotoge
- Number of Episodes
- 63
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Hulu, Netflix
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.26 (Hashira Training Arc)
