The world of Demon Slayer is populated with heroes of various types and fighting styles that have stolen the hearts of many fans worldwide. In the same way, it is also full of evil characters who live for the kill and find immense pleasure in taking innocent lives. The heroes of this iconic battle shonen anime come face to face with opposition in the form of several unique demons.
That these demons thrive off of bloodshed is no surprise; the show's entire premise rests on an act of brutality that could only be carried out by someone so far down the road of evil. These vicious characters of Demon Slayer bring about so much evil, but they also star in the many unforgettable moments that make the show so special.
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10 Kyogai
Kyogai, also known as the Drum Demon, battles the heroes in the Tsuzumi Mansion Arc. After Muzan removed him from his position as one of the twelve, Kyogai began sourcing for humans with rare blood called ‘marechi.’
Kyogai has always felt misunderstood and unappreciated for his talent. He became a demon hoping that this would change, but instead, he met with his limits. Driven by the pain from that experience, he uses his Drumming Blood Demon Art to cause a lot of trouble in the Tsuzumi Mansion Arc.
9 Spider Demon (Mother)
This Spider Demon plays a significant role on Mount Natagumo, manipulating the demon slayers’ bodies as her weapons and taking away their will. She uses them as dolls controlled by her spiders and puppetry strings throughout the mountain.
Although she performs these acts under the coercion of Rui and Father, her cruelty is evident in how easily she kills many of the young corps members to protect herself. When faced with Tanjiro, she kills the victims she has taken under her will and brings out her most powerful doll equipped with blades as arms.
8 Hand Demon
The Hand Demon is singlehandedly responsible for the deaths of over fifty demon slayers in training. He appears in the Final Selection Arc, continuing his rampage of the young demon slayers.
When he became a demon, his first victim was his older brother, who he killed and ate. Eventually, Sakonji Urokodaki defeated him and made him one of the obstacle demons on Mount Fujikasane. The Hand Demon then dedicated his life to killing trainees under Urokodaki. He also attempts to kill Tanjiro, displaying his resilience and resistance to pain.
7 Susamaru
Susamaru appears in the Asakusa Arc, hunting down Tanjiro at Muzan’s request to kill him violently and impress Muzan. The subsequent long battle reveals Susamaru’s childishness and love for violence as she repeats her catchphrase, "what fun this is."
She fights with a Blood Demon Art that relies on Temari handballs which she conjures, spins, and kicks around to damaging effects on her target. Operating under the false belief that she’s one of the Twelve Kizuki, Susamaru acts as one and delights in her violent acts.
6 Spider Demon (Father)
During the Mount Natagumo Arc, this spider demon is a looming evil, waiting in the background the whole time. Rui uses this fire demon to threaten the rest of the family, and when he finally appears, he looks as formidable as expected.
To protect his family, the spider demon fights with extreme speed, strength, and durability and aims to kill. He easily overpowers Tanjiro and Inosuke, withstanding their attacks and launching attacks of his own before Giyu Tomioka shows up and takes him out with his Fourth Form: Striking Tide.
5 Rui
As one of the Twelve Kizuki, Rui is extremely powerful even though he belongs to the lower rank of the twelve demons. Because of his troubled past, Rui becomes obsessed with building a perfect family and recruits members to play specific roles in his made-up family.
When Rui is introduced, he seems ordinary but is later revealed to be his family's most powerful member. Because his obsession drives him, Rui will do anything to get his deepest desire, even torturing his family members or killing them when they fall out of line.
4 Daki
Daki’s evil knows no bounds in the Entertainment District Arc. Before she fully reveals her demonic side, Daki poses as an oiran with a graceful appearance called Warabihime. She shows malevolent characteristics, torturing, threatening, and manipulating others to do her will.
When she finally reveals herself, she only continues her evil spree, killing innocents to display her powers, including a breakneck regeneration speed. As one of the upper-rank six of the Twelve Kizuki, she’s nearly unbeatable, and it takes a lot from the heroes to subdue her.
3 Gyutaro
Gyutaro’s appearance is enough to make anyone afraid, with his disproportionate body and threatening eyes. Although Gyutaro’s backstory is emotional, his love for violence is hard to forgive. He’s willing to use his Blood Demon Art to destroy the entire Entertainment District regardless of the number of innocent people around.
He enjoys making demon slayers suffer, attacking them physically, or taking them apart with his emotional jabs. However, Gyutaro doesn’t exempt himself from the pain he inflicts; he also injures his own body when he’s overwhelmed by emotions.
2 Akaza
As a member of the Upper-Rank Three, the most powerful demons under Muzan, Akaza enjoys fighting, displaying his strength, and getting stronger. Showing up as an unexpected villain in the Mugen Train movie, Akaza faces Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, in a series of unforgettable attacks.
Because Akaza is so determined to get stronger, he takes pride in the number of demon slayers and Hashiras he has defeated. His Blood Demon Art, incredible martial arts skill, and ability to sense his opponents’ Fighting Spirit make his killing easy.