Quick Links
InDemon Slayer, the fight against the demons is never ending, with the Demon Slayer corps constantly at odds with Muzan Kibutsuji and his minions. Tanjiro is the main character,who joins to corps after Muzan slays his familyand turns his sister into a demon.
The Corps’ mission is to protect humanity by hunting down and slaying demons, and just like the demons, the Corps are separated by different ranks that indicate the skill level of a Demon Slayer. All members fall under a rank that displays how much they’ve achieved as part of the corps.
What Are The Demon Slayer Ranks?
The Demon Slayer Corps aremembers of an elite squadused to combat demons and in most cases they have personal issues against demons.They use a hierarchical ranking systemto classify their members based on their skill and experience and exactlyhow strong of a demon they can face.
TheDemon Slayer ranks are based ontheHeavenly Stems, which are anancient Chinese calendar systemonce used by the Shang dynasty.
It’s a cycle of ten days,and was used throughout Asia during this period. These elements were used totrack days and evencosmic cycles in China, but are no longer used today. The ten standard ranks within the Demon Slayer Corpsare named after the Heavenly Stems, as an inspiration.
From lowest to highest, they are:
Climbing the ranks requiresDemon Slayers to complete missionsandslay a specific number of demons. As they progress, the Demon Slayers can go out on more difficult missions and eventuallyeven face the strongest of the demons,the Twelve Kizuki,by which point they arestrong enoughto be considered a Hashira.
Stone Breathing
Stone
Then come the Hashira,who get a lot more recognition in the animeand are themost powerful and colorful of the Demon Slayersin the Corps. They are highly skilled,possessing exceptional strengthand skill that gives them perks. They are usually only sent out to fightagainst really high-level demons.
Hashira usually have aunique Breathing Stylethat works in tandem with their fighting style, and they can perform someincredible movements and feats with them. They are often assigned the most dangerous missions,like beating the twelve kizukior even facingMuzan himself, as we see in the Hashira training arc. They can also serve asmentors to lower-ranking members.
Becoming a Hashira is an extraordinary feat, requiring a Demon Slayer to eitherslay 50 demons or defeat a member of theLower or Upper Ranks of Muzan’s Twelve moons. They also need to go through an extensive training regiment before being given the status.
What Is Tanjiro’s Rank?
The main trio,consisting of Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu, and Inosuke,consistently grows throughout this violent and gruesome world, reflected in their increasing ranks within the Demon Slayer Corps. All three start as Mizunoto, the lowest rank,after passing the Final Selection.
By the start of the Entertainment District arc,they’ve reached Kanoe, the fourth-highest rank, because of their combined efforts in defeating Lower-Rank demons andtheir significant contribution in the Mugen Train arcagainst Lower-Rank One, Enmu, byfighting alongside Rengoku.
It’s revealed that all three have reached Hinoe, the third-highest rank, at the beginning ofthe infinity castle arc, which is yet to be animated. This is because theyplayed a significant role in helping the Sound Hashira, Tengen, defeat Upper Moon Six, Gyutaro and Tanjiro personallyhelped defeat Upper Moon Four, Hantengu.
It’s worth noting that Tanjiro’s rank is not anaccurate measure of his combat prowess. Though he hasn’t reached the Hashira rank,he fights at the Hashira level thanks to his incredibly powerful sun-breathing style. Towards the end of the series,the ranks are abandoned,and everybody has to fight the most powerful demons without having a choice.
