1. Rengoku vs Akaza
Flame Hashira vs Upper Moon 3
The Mugen Train Arc is the first arc that reveals an Upper Moon in the series and a starter to the battle between a Hashira and an Upper Moon. After rescuing the train evaded by demons and a lower moon, Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke stop the train and try to escape.
When they thought that the mission was over, Rengoku Kyojuro encountered the upper Moon three – Akaza. While the all other demon slayers are deeply injured, Rengoku fights Akaza alone with his Flame Breathing Technique and splits the hands of Akaza using his Second form – Rising Scorching Sun. Rengoku gives a fair fight with an Upper Moon, by seeing the strength of Rengoku, Akaza requests him to become a demon. As Rengoku refuses, the fight goes on with major injury on both sides.
However, the end of the climax battle of the Mugen Train Arc concludes with the death of Rengoku as the wounds of Akaza regenerated also owing to the favor of the absence of sunlight. Akaza escapes into the forest so as not to burn in the sun. This is the first major fight in Demon Slayer that was animated pretty well.
“Set your heart ablaze, overcome your limits. And anyone who does that is a rightful member of the Demon Slayer Corps” – Kyojuro Rengoku
Arc – Season 2, Mugen Train Arc
Episodes – 48 – 53
2. Muichiro vs Gyokko
Mist Hashira vs Upper Moon 5
To stop the demon slayers, Muzan plans to destroy the Swordsmith Village that assists the Demon Slayers with the swords. Muichiro Tokito battles with the Upper Rank 5 in the Swordsmith Village Arc. Muichiro uses his Mist Breathing to encounter Demon Blood Art Poisonous attacks from Gyokko. Muichiro fights relentlessly with Gyokko even after getting affected by numerous poison needles. Muichiro uses the Mist Breathing, Second Form: Eight Layered Mist, and awakens his Hashira Mark.
During the battle using Gyokko, Tokito remembers Rengoku and his memory of family and his brother, knowing actually who he was. With all the rage in his heart that he felt while watching his twin brother dying, the Mist Hashira uses Mist Breathing, Seventh Form: Obscuring Clouds to behead the Upper Moon 5, which is his strongest technique in Demon Slayer.
“Remember that boiling anger. Even if I lose my memories, my body will remember that anger that will not leave me until I die” – Muichiro Tokito
Arc – Season 3, Swordsmith Village Arc
Episodes – 32-33
3. Demon Slayers vs Hantengu
In the Swordsmith Village, the battle against the Upper Moon 4 Hantengu was not an easy one to go on one-on-one. The Upper Moon uses his emotions as the Demon Art in various body forms with his cloning technique and keeps his main body as small as a rat running around and hiding in the forest.
Tanjiro, Nezuko, Mitsuri, and Genya collectively fight against Hantengu, where Tanjiro chases the main body and the other three battle with the other body forms of Hantengu. Tanjiro slashes the head of Hantengu’s main form with his sword technique, which disappears from his four body forms.
With their teamwork, the Demon Slayers finish off Hantengu and in this battle, Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira awakes her Hashira mark. This was one of the best Demon Slayer Corps team battles in the series as Hantengu was the strongest Upper Moon they fought.
“You Devil! I will sever your head myself” – Tanjiro
Arc – Season 3, Swordsmith Village Arc
Episodes – 47 – 51
4. Tengen vs Gyutaro
This is the best fight in the first half of the series It takes in the Entertainment District Arc between Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira, and the Upper Moon Gyutaro and his sister Daki. Tengen fights by losing his one arm with the Upper Moon fairly, and can stress the necessity of shielding people from danger and refusing to surrender to the odds even when he is fighting Gyutaro.
This fight focuses a lot on luminas and the Sound techniques of Tengen, Gyutaro on the other hand shows off his smart and brute strength. Tanjiro and Zenitsu assist Tengen with his fight which resulted in the victory for the Demon Slayers. This fight is undoubtedly the best-made animation and revelation of the power of a Hashira.
“We are going to win. Us…. The Demon Slayers!”
Arc – Season 2, Entertainment District Arc
Episodes – 37 – 43
5. Kamado siblings vs Rui
Tanjiro along with Nezuko encounters Rui a spider-like powered demon amidst the forest that uses threads to cut the enemies. Tanjiro fights the demon with his broken sword, when Rui sends a fully surrounded thread attack, Nezuko protects Tanjiro by taking all the injuries on herself. By looking at Nezuko protecting a human even after being a demon, Rui realizes that is the real family bond they share, which is always he wanted. Rui ties up Nezuko with his threads and claims that he will let Tanjiro go alive if he hand over Nezuko to him.
Tanjiro uses Hinokami Kagura was taught by his father to cut off the threads on the other hand Nezuko uses her demonic power of pink flames to burn up the threads. The battle comes to an end with Tanjiro beheads Rui, who is actually the one among the lower ranks of twelve kizuki. Tanjiro defeats Rui with the combined power of Hinokami Kagura and Nezuko’s Pink flames visualizing the bond they share.
“The bond between me and Nezuko, can never be severed… by anyone” – Tanjiro
Arc – Season 1, Mount Natagumo Arc
Episodes – 18 – 20
6. Zenitsu vs Spider Demon
Zenitsu battles with the Son of the Spider family in the forests of Mount Natagumo separated from Tanjiro and Inosuke. The spider demon uses a Poison Sputum blob to attack Zenitsu which makes to suffer pain, dizziness, and nausea. Zenitsu gets attacked by the Spider demon’s poison sputum several times.
To escape from the spider demon, Zenitsu climbs up the tree and faints in the fear of the demon’s approach. Unconscious Zenitsu remembers the teachings of his grandfather and uses the thunder sword breathing to decapitate the Spider demon’s head with the Thunderclap and Flash: Sixfold. Almost covered with the poison Zenitsu thinks that this is his final breath but he is saved by the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho.
“All those times I kept running away…. Time and time again…. But Gramps never abandoned me” – Zenitsu
Arc – Season 1, Mount Natagumo Arc
Episode – 17
7. Nezuko vs Daki
The fight takes up between Nezuko and Daki who is the Upper Rank Six of the Twelve Kizuki. Tanjiro tries to execute Daki by cutting the ribbons that are connected to her head. Due to the prolonged with the Upper-Rank Six siblings Gyutaro and Daki, he suffers an immense injury causing him to collapse. This is where Nezuko comes in to protect his brother.
Nezuko fights on par with Daki even after she is cut into several pieces. Daki is shocked to witness the regeneration speed of Nezuko who is in the level of Upper ranks and she is reminded of Muzan telling her to eliminate a demon he couldn’t kill which is Nezuko. Nezuko awakens her blood demon art in this battle allowing her to use Pink Flames to burn the opponent. Daki was almost weakened and defeated by Nezuko with her demonic blood art powers of her. However, Daki was later beheaded by Zenitsu and Inosuke along with Gyutaro.
“There’s a demon out there that managed to slip from my grasp, I need you to find and dispose of her” – Muzan
Arc – Season 3, Entertainment District Arc
Episode – 37 – 43
8. Tanjiro vs Enmu
Enmu was the lower-rank one who was controlling the Mugen Train and had the power to put people to sleep with his dream illusions technique. Tanjiro fights Enmu with his Water Breathing Style and Enmu puts Tanjiro to sleep quite often. While immersed in his dream with his dead family, Tanjiro realizes that he should die in the dream to wake up from Enmu’s illusion technique.
Tanjiro asks Inosuke to kill him in his dream so that he can wake up. While trying to kill Enmu, the demon reveals that he has fused himself with the train. Tanjiro seeks the help of Rengoku and others to protect the passengers while he can execute Enmu. In the end, Tanjiro uses the technique that fears every demon, “Hinokami Kagura – Clear Blue Sky”. Rengoku and Inosuke protect the people inside the Mugen train and stop the train from hitting with speed.
“Father, please protect me! I’m going to sever that bone… with this blow” – Tanjiro
Arc – Season 2, Mugen Train Arc
Episode – 31 – 32
9. Iguro and Sanemi vs Demons
Sanemi and Iguro along with the Demon Slayer Corps investigate the claims of people disappearing, doubting that the demons are behind this. The battle takes in a place filled with demons and this was the first time that both the Hashira’s power was shown in action. Sanemi with his Wind Breathing and Iguro with his Snake Breathing takes out most of the demons.
Both the Hashiras get a strange feeling of unlimited demons coming from nowhere. Sanemi defends the demon and asks Iguro to save the woman captured by the demon. While running onto the demon, Sanemi and Iguro get a shocking view of the Infinite Castle filled with demons closing up and are shocked by the disappearance of all demons. This was the first time that the Hashira’s got a glimpse of the Infinite Castle in Demon Slayer.
“Where the hell are those demons coming from?” – Sanemi
Arc – Season 5, Hashira Training Arc
Episode – 1
10. Demon Slayers vs Muzan
After his years of invasion, Kibutsuji Muzan finally finds the Ubhayasiki Mansion and comes to get rid of Kagaya Ubhayasiki. Muzan was unaware of the fact that Kagaya had set a trap in the mansion that would blast up the entire place. The big fire blast gathers all the Hashira and demon slayers in one place to capture Muzan.
Tamayo attacks Muzan with her blood demon art and makes him immovable. Gyomei initiates a strong blow with his Spiked chain flail and axe that tears up Muzan, however, his regeneration speed makes the battle crucial. Further, the Hashira Iguro, Mitsuri, Muichiro, Giyu, Shinobu, and Sanemi along with Tanjiro and Genya arrive at the place and witnesses Muzan. All the demon slayers take an all-out attack on Muzan and Muzan traps them in Infinite Castle.
“Nice to meet you.. I should say… Kibutsuji Muzan” – Kagaya Ubayashiki
Arc – Season 5, Hashira Training Arc
Episode – 8
