Overview :
The Hashira are the elite class swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps in Demon Slayer. They are among the strongest fighters who protect humanity from demons. Each Hashira masters a unique Breathing Style (like Water, Flame, or Wind), derived from Sun Breathing, and holds a specific title (e.g., Water Hashira).
As leaders, they train demon slayers, undertake dangerous missions, and confront powerful demons, including Muzan’s Upper Ranks. So, below list include all the (current & former) Hashira’s name & powers.
Current Hashira :
The below given hashira are the active or current Hashira as shown in the main story. In Demon Slayer, the number of current hashira is 9.
Giyu Tomioka – Water Hashira
Giyu Tomioka is the current Water Hashira in Demon Slayer. He is a quiet and serious warrior with deep blue eyes and messy black hair tied in a low ponytail. His often seems wearing haori—half green with yellow patterns from his late friend Sabito and half red from his sister—shows his emotional ties.
Giyu seems cold and struggles with feeling unworthy as a Hashira, but he’s kind and protective, especially toward Tanjiro and Nezuko. His Water Breathing is smooth and precise, with techniques like Water Wheel and Dead Calm that let him strike with speed or defend with focus.
As one of the strongest Hashira, Giyu fights Upper Rank 3, Akaza, and later Muzan. He’s the first Hashira we meet, sparing Nezuko’s life after seeing her protect Tanjiro, and he supports them throughout the story, defending Tanjiro at Hashira meetings and joining key battles.
Kyojuro Rengoku – Flame Hashira
Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, is a fiery and cheerful hero with bright yellow hair tipped with red and a confident smile. His white haori with a flame pattern matches his bold spirit.
Kyojuro is passionate, honorable, and lives by his mother’s teachings to protect the weak, inspiring everyone with his enthusiasm. His Flame Breathing is explosive, with powerful techniques like Raging Blaze and Flame Tiger that unleash fiery slashes.
Kyojuro’s strength shines in the Mugen Train Arc, where he battles Upper Rank 3, Akaza, with incredible courage. Though he died in that fight but his sacrifice leaves a deep impact on Tanjiro, who carries Kyojuro’s legacy and determination to fight for justice forward.
Shinobu Kocho – Insect Hashira
Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira, is a petite woman with purple-tipped black hair styled with a butterfly hairpin and a constant smile. Her butterfly-patterned haori hides her burning anger against demons for killing her sister, Kanae.
Shinobu seems cheerful and teasing but is clever and determined, using her mind to outsmart enemies. Since she lacks the strength to behead demons, her Insect Breathing, derived from Water Breathing, uses fast, stinging attacks laced with wisteria poison, like Butterfly Dance: Caprice.
As a master of poisons, she creates deadly toxins to kill demons. Shinobu runs the Butterfly Mansion to heal injured Slayers and helps Tanjiro’s group train, playing a key role in the fight against Upper Rank 2, Doma, to avenge Kanae.
Tengen Uzui – Sound Hashira
Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira, is a tall, muscular, and flashy warrior with white hair, gemstone accessories, and a sleeveless uniform that shows off his style. His loud, flamboyant personality makes him love attention, but he deeply cares for his three wives—Hinatsume, Makio, and Suma—and his team.
Tengen’s Sound Breathing, derived from Thunder Breathing, uses sound and vibrations for explosive attacks, wielding dual Nichirin Blades and bombs. His Musical Score technique analyzes enemy movements like a rhythm, and his ninja background adds speed and stealth.
In the Entertainment District Arc, Tengen leads Tanjiro and his friends against Upper Rank 6, Gyutaro and Daki, then he chose to retire from being an active hashira but still remains as a mentor and trains various demon slayers against demons.
Mitsuri Kanroji – Love Hashira
Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, is a cheerful and emotional woman with pink hair tipped with green, styled in braids, and a vibrant, modified uniform. Her white haori reflects her warm heart.
Mitsuri is kind, often blushing or gushing over her comrades, and joined the Corps to find love and purpose, making her beloved by all. Her Love Breathing, derived from Flame Breathing, is flexible and whip-like, using a unique, whip-shaped Nichirin Blade for techniques like Shivers of First Love.
Despite her gentle demeanor, Mitsuri’s superhuman strength and agility make her attacks devastating. She fights in the Swordsmith Village Arc against Upper Rank 4, Hantengu, and later joins the battle against Muzan, inspiring her allies with her optimism.
Muichiro Tokito – Mist Hashira
Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira, is a young, delicate-looking boy with long black hair fading to mint green and misty, distant eyes.
He’s aloof and forgetful at first, often lost in thought, but regains his caring and determined side after remembering his tragic past. His Mist Breathing, derived from Wind Breathing, creates fog-like, disorienting movements with techniques like Obscuring Clouds that confuse enemies.
As a prodigy, Muichiro’s speed and precision make him deadly. In the Swordsmith Village Arc, he fights Upper Rank 5, Gyokko, unlocking his Demon Slayer Mark, and later shows bravery against Muzan and Upper Rank 1, Kokushibo, growing into a true Hashira.
Sanemi Shinazugawa – Wind Hashira
Sanemi Shinazugawa is the Wind Hashira in Demon Slayer and a fierce & hot-headed warrior with spiky white hair, scars covering his body, and intense eyes. His open-chested uniform shows his battle-worn physique.
Sanemi’s hatred for demons comes from a tragic past, making him aggressive, but he’s protective of his brother, Genya, and has a hidden soft side. His Wind Breathing is fast and chaotic, with techniques like Gale Slash that unleash powerful gusts. Sanemi’s raw strength and relentless style make him a terror to demons.
He initially clashes with Tanjiro over Nezuko but grows to respect him, fighting fiercely against Upper Rank 1, Kokushibo, and Muzan, driven by his unyielding spirit.
Obanai Iguro – Serpent Hashira
Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira, is a strict and serious warrior with heterochromatic eyes (one yellow, one turquoise) and black hair in a ponytail. He wears bandages over his mouth due to a scarred past and is always with his snake, Kaburamaru.
Obanai’s harsh exterior hides guilt from his abusive childhood, but he’s loyal to the Corps and deeply loves Mitsuri. His Serpent Breathing, derived from Water Breathing, mimics a snake’s slithering with twisting, unpredictable attacks like Slithering Serpent, enhanced by Kaburamaru’s assistance.
Obanai fights in the Infinity Castle Arc against Upper Rank demons and Muzan, driven by his bond with Mitsuri and desire to atone for his past.
Gyomei Himejima – Stone Hashira
Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, is a giant, muscular man with blind, white eyes and short black hair, exuding a calm aura with his prayer beads and green haori.
Despite his gentle, spiritual nature and tendency to cry for others’ suffering, Gyomei is fiercely dedicated to slaying demons. His Stone Breathing uses heavy, grounded attacks with a flail and axe, like Stone Skin and Volcanic Rock: Rapid Conquest.
As the strongest Hashira, Gyomei’s immense strength makes him a powerhouse. He leads the Hashira in battles against Muzan and Upper Rank 1, Kokushibo, with his wisdom and power proving crucial to the Corps’ efforts to protect humanity.
Former Hashira :
Except the current hashira, there are some former Hashira that we know from the story itself. Here, the number might be more than shown here, but here we’ll be discussing about 4 former hashira whom are shown and addressed as former hashira in Demon Slayer.
Jigoro Kuwajima – Former Thunder Hashira
Jigoro Kuwajima, the former Thunder Hashira, was an elderly man with short gray hair and a kind face, wearing a yellow haori with white triangles that inspired his student Zenitsu’s pattern. Jigoro was warm, patient, and treated his students like family, believing in their potential even when they doubted themselves.
As a Thunder Hashira, he mastered Thunder Breathing’s lightning-fast strikes, like Thunderclap and Flash, earning him great respect. Jigoro trained Zenitsu and Kaigaku, but his life ended tragically after Kaigaku betrayed the Corps to become a demon. His teachings live on through Zenitsu, who grows into a brave Slayer, honoring Jigoro’s legacy in the fight against demons.
Shinjuro Rengoku – Former Flame Hashira
Shinjuro Rengoku, the former Flame Hashira, is an older, worn version of his son Kyojuro, with messy yellow-red hair and a tired expression, often seen in casual robes reflecting his retirement. He is often shown as bitter and alcoholic, Shinjuro grieves his wife’s death and his own failures, acting harsh toward his son Senjuro, but he cares deeply for his family beneath his pain.
In his prime, Shinjuro wielded the fiery, powerful techniques of Flame Breathing with great skill. He appears in the Mugen Train Arc aftermath, initially dismissive of Kyojuro’s legacy, but Tanjiro’s influence helps him reconnect with his pride as a Rengoku, and he later supports the Corps in their fight.
Sakonji Urokodaki – Former Water Hashira
Sakonji Urokodaki, the former Water Hashira, is an elderly man who wears a red tengu mask to hide his face, believing it calms demons, with gray hair and a blue haori that give him a wise appearance. Strict but kind, Sakonji acts as a father figure to his students, mourning every one lost to demons.
In his prime, he mastered Water Breathing’s flowing, versatile techniques, making him a legendary fighter. Sakonji trains Tanjiro, Giyu, and others in Water Breathing and survival skills, teaching them to face the dangers of demon slaying. He supports Tanjiro’s mission to save Nezuko, remaining a guiding mentor from afar throughout the story.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni – Former Sun Hashira
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the former Sun Hashira, was a legendary warrior with long black hair tipped with red, a calm expression, and a red haori, his serene presence hiding unmatched strength. Humble and kind, Yoriichi carried the weight of his tragic failures, yet he was relentless against demons.
He created Sun Breathing, the original and most powerful Breathing Style, with techniques like the Thirteenth Form that nearly killed Muzan, making him the greatest Demon Slayer ever. Yoriichi’s failure to defeat Muzan and his brother’s betrayal (becoming Kokushibo) haunt the Corps.
His legacy lives on through Tanjiro, who inherits his earrings and Sun Breathing, carrying Yoriichi’s will to end Muzan’s reign.
