The 13 Best 'Demon Slayer' Fights (So Far), Ranked

Fighting Gyutaro, the unexpected true holder of the Upper Moon position, is no easy task. Gyutaro uses sickles made from blood that inflict a fatal poison upon anyone struck by them. He nearly takes Uzui's life with these, but Uzui is able to control the circulation of his own blood just enough to keep fighting. He uses sound-based techniques to do damage. Meanwhile, Tanjiro is nearly defeated by Gyutaro, but is able to activate a new level of power and lop off his head. 

Aside from being a challenging fight, it's also one that contrasts Tanjiro and Nezuko's relationship with Gyutaro and Daki's relationship. Tanjiro realizes that had his life been a little bit different, he could easily be just like them. Despite empathizing with them, he still has to stop them from harming others. 

Fresh from the fight against Enmu, the last thing any of the Demon Slayers want to do is take on another demon - especially one as powerful as Akaza, who is the Upper Rank Three - but they have little choice. As Tanjiro is attempting to heal his slash wounds using controlled breathing, Akaza suddenly appears. Rengoku saves Tanjiro by launching a Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun at Akaza. 

Thus begins one of the most amazing fights not just in Demon Slayer, but in recent anime history. The visuals are astonishing, and the fight is between two of the most powerful figures to appear so far. Their moves are intersperced with some serious emotional and philosophical content. Akaza offers to spare Rengoku if he'll agree to become a demon, something that Rengoku absolutely refuses to do because of the value he places on humanity. When he's ultimately slain, it's an excruciating but beautiful moment. 

Rui has spent his entire existence as a demon trying to build a demon family to replace the human one he lost. But because he creates his bonds through coercion and fear, they aren't true bonds like the one that Nezuko and Tanjiro have. When the two siblings face off against Rui, they're not just proving their physical strength - they're proving the real meaning of family.

That's why when they combine Tanjiro's Hinokami Dance - a move based on their father's teachings - with Nezuko's Burning Blood, their moves have both spectacle and spirit. 

Nezuko often stays off the battlefield, but when a crisis that her brother can't handle hits, she gets involved. The problem is that whenever she fights, she has to use her demonic powers - and that means losing touch with her humanity.

While trying to take down Daki, Nezuko becomes frenzied and ruthless. She isn't just using her Burning Blood technique on Daki - she's going after civillians who were injured and have started bleeding. It takes Tanjiro reminding her of who she is and the life they shared together - plus his physically restraining her - to calm her down. 

Daki's obi-like neck seems nearly impossible to saw through, but through teamwork and perseverance, Inosuke and Zenitsu make it happen. After expending basically all his strength on lightning-based techniques, Zenitsu seems like he's about to be defeated - and with all the bragging she's doing, Daki certainly thinks she's going to win.

But then Inosuke shows up, having narrowly escaped losing his life by rearranging his organs to avoid a lethal wound. His jagged swords are just what's needed to finally slice through Daki's neck. Her bragging turns into begging for her brother to protect her - but her brother is busy trying to defend himself.

This is the fight where we really get to see what Zenitsu is made of. He's absolutely petrified of the Spider Demons, and feels powerless to defend himself against them. But after passing out from a combination of poison and fear, he's able to use an advanced version of his Thunder Breathing technique. He moves so quickly that Spider Brother can't keep up with him, which gives Zenitsu the opportunity to waste him. 

We also get to learn a little bit more about Zenitsu's backstory during this fight. With a little more context for why he's so terrified all the time and how determined he is anyway, his triumph is even more meaningful.