Highlights
- Demon Slayer excels in beautiful artwork, top-notch animation, and unforgettable fight scenes.
- Characters like Shinobu and Gyutaro are complex and well-written, showcasing depth and growth.
- Tanjiro stands out as a compassionate protagonist, showing kindness to even his enemies, making him a well-rounded character.
When it comes to the Demon Slayer anime, there's a lot for fans to love. The artwork is beautiful, the animation is top-notch, and the show features some of the best animated fight scenes in recent memory. It's no wonder the show has become wildly popular.
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The show's real secret sauce, though, is its writing. Tanjiro, the show's hero, is one of the best-written shōnen protagonists anime fans have seen in a while, but he's not the only star. Demon Slayer is home to a brilliant cast of characters, most of whom are well-written and fleshed out. It doesn't matter if someone is a hero or a villain, in Demon Slayer everyone gets their own backstory and character development. That's what's keeping fans hooked.
9 Shinobu Kocho
Caring With A Dark Side
Shinobu is one of the most likable characters in Demon Slayer, which is saying something. As a child, she saw demons brutally slaughter her parents (a bit of a theme in this show) but still grew up to be a bright, affectionate young woman and a powerful demon slayer. She's also the owner of the Butterfly Mansion, which provides a safe place for her fellow hunters to rest and recuperate after a battle.
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Essentially, if someone needs some TLC, they can go to Shinobu for help. But that isn't to say she's all sunshine and rainbows. She's a complex character hiding a dark side. Shinobu can be surprisingly sadistic when dealing with demons and her hatred even drove her to try and kill fan-favorite Nezuko. It's this inner depth that makes Shinobu one of the Dragon Slayer's best-written characters.
8 Gyutaro
A Sympathetic Villain
Every good anime needs a well-written villain, something that Demon Slayer delivered in the form of Gyutaro. He's not just one of the show's most powerful characters, he's one of the most interesting too. Through the course of the show, fans discover that Gyutaro wasn't always such a monster.
Once a mortal man, Gyutaro loved his little sister deeply and would have gladly died for her. After she was horribly disfigured in a fire, he agreed to let the evil Doma turn them both into demons - just so he could spend more time with her. As much as fans hated him at first, this tragic backstory makes Gyutaro a much more sympathetic antagonist, and his defeat during the Entertainment District arc ended up being bitter-sweet.
7 Zenitsu Agatsuma
Never Judge A Book By Its Cover
It's safe to say Zenitsu wasn't particularly popular with Demon Slayer fans at first. He came across as loud and brash. Plus, he complained too much and was a total coward, especially against Kyogai and the spider demons. What the heck was Tanjiro doing hanging out with him?
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Despite facing tragedies early in his life, Tanjiro retained his compassionate nature and made some wonderful friends.
Thankfully, the show's writing has redeemed him. As he and his friends have faced increasingly powerful enemies, Zenitsu learned he needs to be strong to protect those he cares about. His feelings for, and need to protect, Nezuko are especially touching. On top of all this, it's still hilarious that when asleep he's one of the show's most powerful characters via his Thunder Breathing skills.
6 Inosuke Hashibira
Raised By Animals
Ever since his first appearance in episode 11, Inosuke has been one of Demon Slayer's primary sources of comic relief. Raised by animals and wearing his distinctive boar mask, Inosuke is the very definition of a bull in a china shop. He's far from being a one-note character though.
Initially, having been raised by animals, Inosuke struggled to show his emotions and tended to resort to aggression as his default response. He also preferred to work alone, and his competitive nature meant he was obsessed with proving his strength. Meeting Tanjiro helped change all that though, and Inosoke has really grown as a character. He's smarter than he looks, and his ingenuity has gotten the gang out of several sticky situations. Anime comedy doesn't always land with Western audiences, but Inosuke's eccentric character is so well-written most fans agree he's hilarious.
5 Tengen Uzui
Style And Substance
Tengen is Demon Slayer's flashiest character. Being an assassin, you'd think he'd be a bit more understated, but Tengen likes to make a fashion statement. His character is marked by his cool self-assuredness and self-confidence - things that would make him seem arrogant if he couldn't back them up with his impressive combat skills.
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Tengen's eccentric, flashy personality is a lot of fun, but when it's time to get the job done he can be incredibly stoic and practical. He's fiercely loyal and would gladly risk his life for those serving under him. His love of all things beautiful could have made him seem superficial, but it stems from his need to bring joy and happiness to others. Tengen was betrayed in the past, but rather than let it make him bitter, he has chosen to fill his life with beautiful things in an attempt to distract himself. That's a lot of depth for a character who originally seemed like he valued style over substance.
4 Nezuko Kamado
The Perfect Little Sister
It takes a lot of skill to give a mostly mute character like Nezuko any kind of depth, but Demon Slayer's writers have managed it. Nezuko is Tanjiro's incredibly lovable sister who was turned into a demon by Muzan Kibutsuji early on in the anime. While most demons lose their identities, Nezuko manages to keep hold of her memories of her family.
She's driven by a need to protect her family, especially Tanjiro. The fact Nezuko is a demon who helps humans makes her pretty unique. As the series has progressed, Nezuko has slowly regained more and more of her old self, showcasing her sweet and loving personality even more. Hopefully, as she learns to communicate again, we'll see some more character growth for Nezuko.
3 Tanjiro Kamado
The Compassionate Hunter
Many shōnen protagonists aren't all that interesting, largely existing just to live out the viewer's power fantasies. What makes Tanjiro so special is he's a protagonist with real heart. He's defined by how he shows everyone he meets compassion. While most hunters show only hatred for the demons they slay, Tanjiro will often show them kindness and will go out of his way to help those who have wronged him in the past.
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While he may be one of the strongest combatants in all of Demon Slayer, Tanjiro does have a few flaws that can expose him to great danger.
Arguably, Tanjiro hasn't seen as much character growth as other characters, but he has changed over the course of the series. Once a helpless boy, he's gained confidence in his abilities and can fight alongside the strongest hunters. What's most impressive about him, though, is what hasn't changed. He's still driven by the need to cure his beloved sister and, however bad things get, he can still show his greatest enemies sympathy. It's what makes him such a well-written protagonist.
2 Kyojuro Rengoku
Rest In Peace
It says a lot about how well-written Kyojuro is that, despite the fact he got very little screen time, he remains a fan favorite. Before his tragic death, he was the flame Hashira and his confidence and sunny outlook were infectious not just to others around him but to viewers as well.
While Kyojuro dies at the end of Mugen Train, he continues to inspire the show's heroes. Before his death, he was offered the chance to live as a demon but refused it. Viewers may not have gotten to spend much time with Kyojuro, but every second they did was a joy. He may not have been around for a long time, but watching him was a good time.
1 Akaza
Tanjiro's Opposite
Akaza isn't just one of Demon Slayer's strongest demons, he's also the show's best-written demon. His impressive first appearance, during Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Movie saw him kill fan-favorite hero Kyujuro Rengoku. Something pretty hard to forgive.
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Or it would be if Akaza wasn't so well written. He might be a villain, but he's an honorable one. Throughout his fight with Kyujuro, he shows his adversary respect and even begs him to become a demon so that they can duel forever. Akaza also refuses to devour women, perhaps the only thing stopping him from becoming even more powerful. While it hasn't been shown in the anime yet, Akaza has a tragic backstory that perfectly explains his fall to demonhood and makes him a much more sympathetic character.
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