The Demon Slayer anime features one of the most diverse sets of characters, ranging from powerful demons to supernatural humans. But what truly stands out in Demon Slayer are the female characters in the series. While we can’t say it breaks the stereotypes of the genre, we do have a plethora of powerful female icons in the anime, one of whom even plays an important role in defeating the main villain. But who is the most powerful among them? Let’s answer this and a bunch of other questions with our ranked list of strongest female characters in Demon Slayer.
Spoiler Warning: Our ranked guide goes over various aspects of the plot to assess the strength of Demon Slayer characters. So, we suggest you either read the entire manga or avoid the descriptions while reading ahead.
1. Nezuko
- Type: Demon
- Rank: NA
Nezuko, also a part of our strongest characters in the Demon Slayer list, is one of the most powerful female characters in the anime. Just by being a demon, she is more powerful than all the human characters in the series. And she is also the only demon who can withstand the sun, making her practically unkillable. Not to forget, she has given testament to her power against various upper-rank demons in the manga.
She has overpowered strong demons, including Daki, Gyutaro, Susamaru, and even Hantengu, the Upper-Rank Four. Also, while all other demons rely on human flesh and blood to regenerate and attain power, Nezuko is self-sufficient and only relies on proper sleep. Now, her fighting skills are subpar, but a well-rested Nezuko is powerful enough to stand against almost anyone. It’s only lucky that she was on the side of the Demon Slayer Corps instead of Muzan.
2. Daki
- Type: Demon
- Rank: Upper Rank Six
Daki, the Upper-Rank Six demon, is one of the antagonists of the Entertainment District arc and a master at flesh manipulation. She has killed seven Hashiras in her lifetime and was able to control an entire district with no effort just because of her wits. We are placing her second to Nezuko only because of her dependence on her brother Gyutaro.
Though, her power is far greater than his. Daki’s main ability is manipulating her Obi (traditional Japanese belt), which can work on its own to slash enemies from afar. There is almost no way to counter or dodge her attack because of its speed and multiple points of contact. Since the Obi is sentient, Daki doesn’t even have to worry about fully controlling her attacks. If our heroes had to fight Daki one-on-one, there is no way Daki wouldn’t have emerged victorious.
3. Mitsuri Kanroji
- Type: Human
- Rank: Love Hashira
As you might know, Hashiras are the strongest swordsmen in the Demon Slayer world, but only a few come close to Mitsuri when we talk about physical strength. As the Love Hashira, she appears to be relatively friendly and harmless, but she turns into a powerhouse when a demon appears in front of her. You do not have to take our word for it, as the upcoming Season 3 of Demon Slayer anime puts her right in the middle of the action.
Mitsuri uses a whip-like extra-long Nichirn sword to kill demons. Controlling this sword not only takes immense strength but also extreme flexibility. No one other than Mitsuri would be able to use her blade without harming themselves. In terms of her achievements, she contributed to fights against Gyokko, Hantengu, and even Nakime in the Infinity Castle arc. Not to forget, Mitsuri even surprised Muzan with her attacks towards the end of the manga.
4. Kanao Tsuyuri
- Type: Human
- Rank: NA
If you only watch anime, you might be surprised to see Kanao on our list of powerful female characters in Demon Slayer. But the manga readers are definitely familiar with her contribution throughout the plot. She uses Flower Breathing just like her sister Kanae but is also highly skilled in her sense and has an incomparable will. Even Tanjiro, our protagonist, claimed that her skills were as good as a Hashira when he first met her.
Coming to her contributions, Kanao was a huge help in killing Doma, the third strongest demon in existence. Moreover, she is also the only person who is able to break Doma’s temperament and shatter his act of understanding emotions. This eventually leads to Doma’s fall. Later, even after taking heavy damage and being partially blind, Kanao plays a major role in the final battle against Muzan. Not to forget, if it wasn’t for her bravery and quick thinking, Tanjiro would have permanently turned into a demon.
5. Shinobu Kocho
- Type: Human
- Rank: Insect Hashira
Shinobu, the insect Hashira, is one of the fan-favorite female characters in Demon Slayer. She is also the most unique swordsman in the anime. Instead of relying on her physical strength, she smartly uses Wisteria poison (harmful for only demons) to weaken demons and then easily slices their necks with her katana. Her technique is not only unconventional but also highly effective.
Weaker demons can’t even move after being stuck by her poisonous middle-like sword. Wondering what other unique swords are there in this anime? Explore our dedicated guide to Demon Slayer swords to know more.
When it comes to her abilities, Shinobu’s speed is comparable, if not greater than Tengen’s. She even surprised Upper-Rank Two demon, Doma, with her unpredictable moves. Doma claimed she was the fastest Hashira he had ever met, and even severe injuries could not slow her down. Furthermore, her expertise in medical research and poisonous studies is also quite impressive. During her fight with the spider demon family, she is the one who prevents Zenitsu from turning into a spider by countering the poison.
6. Nakime
- Type: Demon
- Rank: Upper Rank Four
Nakime is a complex female character in Demon Slayer. While she ranks as the fifth most powerful demon in the anime, we don’t actually get to see her in any direct combat. But she, more or less, doesn’t even have to fight. She is the mastermind behind Infinity Castle, a dimensional plane where Muzan and the twelve most powerful demons meet. Nakime has the power to manipulate her dimension however she wishes. This includes creating infinite rooms, constantly changing areas, looping portals, and even inescapable puzzles.
It is so difficult to overpower her that even after the death of the likes of Doma, she is the last surviving member of the Twelve Kizuki before the final fight. Later, to prevent his enemies from controlling her, Muzan was the one who ended up killing her. If Nakime had more combat-based intentions, there’s no telling how destructive she could have been.
7. Mukago
- Type: Demon
- Rank: Lower Rank Four
Mukago is almost as unique as Nezuko when it comes to demons in the anime. As stated by Muzan through his mind-reading ability, she wasn’t interested in fighting the Demon Slayers Corps and acted cowardly. Furthermore, we don’t even get to see her abilities in action. But as she was ranked higher than Kamanue and Kyogai, the demon with drum-based slashes, it’s safe to assume that Mukago was powerful. The latter easily overpowered Inosuke and Tanjiro during the Tsuzumi Mansion arc.
Moreover, Demon Slayer also included other powerful demons, including Susamaru and members of the spider family, that never make it to the Twelve Kizuki. So, Mukago’s power needs no testament. Yet seeing her in action is a missed opportunity that the fandom has to live with.
8. Kanae Kocho
- Type: Human
- Rank: Flower Hashira
Even though she is not part of the main plot, the late Flower Hashira Kanae is one of the most beloved characters among the Hashiras in Demon Slayer. From what we know, she lost her life to injuries inflicted by Doma, the third most powerful demon in the show. But before doing so, she stood her ground for hours until sunrise. At the time, Kanae was greatly injured and completely helpless. Still, Doma wasn’t strong enough to finish her off and had to flee at sunrise.
Furthermore, while possessing undeniable strength, Kanae was also a masterful poison user like Shinobu. But instead of compromising her blade, she used a uniquely designed sword that could inject poison into the demon while slicing them off. This allowed Kanae to fight demons without relying entirely on the Wisteria poison.
9. Mother Spider Demon
The Mother Spider Demon was one of the members of the Spider family who served as a team of antagonists in season 1 of Demon Slayer. Mother Demon was one of the strongest demons we met initially. Her unique fighting prowess in puppetry was terrifying to watch. She had a diverse set of spiders and webs at her complete disposal like a puppet master. With her mastery of Puppetry and Spider Manipulation, she remained a stronger figure throughout that arc. Tanjiro finished her off with his water-breathing style after an intense fight, but she is a strong female character worthy to be in our list.
10. Tamayo
- Type: Demon
- Rank: NA
Those who have seen the anime are familiar with the healer Tamayo, who is also a demon. Tamayo is one of the most important female characters in Demon Slayer. As you will learn later, it would have been impossible for Demon Slayer Corps to defeat the Upper Ranks, let alone Muzan, without her aid. Alongside Nezuko, she is the second demon to cooperate with the Demon Slayer Corps. But she is way more ancient and assumably less powerful when compared to other demons.
She was on the side of Muzan even before the Twelve Kizuki were a thing. But later, she switched sides and worked on defeating demons. Even her Blood Demon Art seems to be targeted mostly toward demons. She can cast special spells using her blood, including the ability to make demons hallucinate and even confess their lies.
Though, what makes Tamayo truly powerful is her medical skills. She is the first person to convert a human into a demon without Muzan’s blood, which was believed to be impossible. Later, she also came up with antidotes for blood demon injuries and even a drug that could weaken Muzan and turn demons into humans. One could call her medical skills overpowered, to say the least.
11. Susamaru
- Type: Demon
- Rank: NA
Last but definitely not the least entry on our list of strongest female characters in Demon Slayer is Susamaru. This powerful multi-handed demon is the main villain of the Asakusa Arc. Even though she was not a part of Twelve Kizuki, she easily overwhelmed Tanjiro and Nezuko. While the latter tried to fight back, it wasn’t easy to match Susumaru’s speed and strength.
Her main ability was manipulating a group of Temaris, which are traditional Japanese handballs. Her moves were powerful enough to destroy the enemy’s limbs, but to make things worse, each Temari followed its target like a conscious being. While Susamaru’s strength is comparable to more powerful demons, we can’t say the same about her wits.
What led to Susamaru’s eventual demise was speaking out Muzan’s name, which activates a demonic curse. She did it out of sheer anger and lack of thinking. If Susamaru had made it to the Upper Ranks, we can’t imagine the skill set required to match and fight her.
12. Hinatsuru, Makio & Suma Trio
The Hinatsuru, Makio, and Suma trio were introduced to us in the Entertainment District Arc. Upon their arrival, they were an instant hit among the DS fandom for their kawaii appearance as well as their interesting personalities. This trio are the wives of Tengen Uzui, who stole the show completely in season 2. They are a trio of Kunoichis who help their husband during their missions. While they aren’t extraordinary as a Hashira, Tengen made sure to train their wives well in combat. They have all developed their sword and Kunoichi skills to a very high level as a consequence. We haven’t got to see their complete powers, yet they are talented Kunoichis who will be remembered by the fans.
Whether you are a fan of Nezuko’s powerful moves or Tamayo’s gifted mind, you now know where the female characters in Demon Slayer rank against each other. But, if you expand your horizons, characters like Makima from Chainsaw Man can easily crush most of them. So, we also suggest you read our list of the strongest devils from Chainsaw Man. As a concept, they are similar to demons in Demon Slayer but when it comes to power, they are comparable to the demon king Muzan. With that said, do you agree with our rankings? Or did you have someone else in mind for the strongest female character of Demon Slayer? Tell us in the comments below!
