Demon Slayer, a beacon in modern anime, boasts not only a riveting narrative but also a galaxy of multifaceted characters, with its women taking center stage in many pivotal moments.
These female characters, ranging from formidable demon slayers to the most poignant antagonists, offer layers of depth, tenacity, and emotion that amplify the series’ global acclaim. But among this illustrious cast, who truly stands out?
In this comprehensive piece, we’re diving deep into the world of Demon Slayer to rank the best female characters.
Drawing upon their backstories, character arcs, and their influence within the story, this curated list offers a fresh perspective on the heroines and villainesses that have etched their names in anime lore.
20. Koinatsu
Koinatsu is an incredibly beautiful and graceful Oiran of the Tokito House. She’s an upper-class Oiran of Tokito and is one of the most loved and respected ladies in Yoshiwara.
The Oiran first appears in the Entertainment District arc and steals the hearts of many fans with her elegance.
Koinatsu is lovable due to her kind and generous attitude towards everyone around her, especially children. Even on the biggest day of her life, the lady is shown worrying about them, displaying just how pure-hearted she really is.
Compared to Daki, Koinatsu is a breath of fresh air and warms the hearts of many fans. Additionally, she is also exceptional at her job and quite observant. She may seem weak, but she’s definitely not careless like most of the Oiran in the Entertainment District.
Moreover, she was the only one who noticed that Tanjiro was a boy when he arrived.
19. Hinaki Ubuyashiki
Hinaki Ubiyashiki of the Ubusahiki family is certainly the most notable character out of the remaining sisters. She’s the eldest among the Ubuyashiki quintuplets and the most loveable one as well.
The young girl barely speaks every time she makes an appearance, yet she never fails to leave a positive impression on the fans with her actions. She’s loyal to her family and is willing to put her life on the line for them, especially her father.
Hinaki’s kind and quiet nature is a good blend in the chaotic Demon Slayer Universe. Additionally, her appearance and personality both give her an eerie and mysterious look. However, the more scenes she has in the anime, the more humane and gentle she appears.
18. Naho Takada
The supportive and kind nurse of the butterfly mansion, Naho Takada, first appears with the other nurses to assist the main cast.
Naho doesn’t say much and has short screen time, yet she still did an outstanding job in helping Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu recover from their grave injuries.
Naho’s services in the Butterfly mansion, along with her meticulous care towards the main cast, make her a noteworthy character.
Additionally, she keeps on supporting them throughout the anime, effectively offering her services whenever needed.
The soft-spoken nurse’s attitude toward the characters and her kind heart eases the tension in the show.
Although we often get bombarded by tragedies in the show, supporting characters like her soften the blow quite a bit for the fans.
17. Nakime
Nakime, an incredibly strong Demon, is possibly the most useful in the series.
The mysterious lady first appears in season one of the anime, showcasing a small portion of her abilities.
Initially, she worked directly under the orders of the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, effortlessly transporting the Demons to the infinity castle.
Although she hasn’t displayed any kind of fighting abilities in the show, Nakime is an unimaginably powerful Demon and becomes the Upper Moon Rank four after a while.
Additionally, the Upper Moon Demon is incredibly talented in playing the musical instrument Biwa.
As a human, Nakime’s skilled performance in Biwa would attract countless people to the beautiful melody.
The Demon is frequently seen in the last arc of Demon Slayer, where she beautifully and horrifyingly demonstrates her true abilities.
16. Mother Spider Demon
The Mother Spider Demon of the Lower Moon Demon Rui plays a significant role in the battle against the Demon Slayers.
She’s incredibly popular in the fandom as the main antagonist during the Mount Natagumo arc.
Admittedly, she is one of the most sadistic characters in the series, ruthlessly manipulating Demon Slayers and killing them using her threads.
As the Mother of Rui, she is unimaginably powerful and gives Tanjiro a really tough time.
However, she is a tragic character who is forced into playing House with Rui.
Additionally, she is constantly abused by both Rui and the father, making her tremble with fear in the presence of the two.
Tanjiro’s kindness and gentle nature touched her heart, making it easy for her to die in peace after all the torment she underwent.
15. Susamaru
Susamaru is one of the first significant demons that Tanjiro encountered in the story.
She is a female demon who later on reveals herself as having six arms—a great baseline for how crazy and wild these nightwalkers can become.
Her main method of attack is by using her six arms to throw balls against her opponent with a velocity strong enough to tear apart the human body; flesh and bones alike.
She may not be a demon moon, but the fact that Kibitsuji Muzan entrusted her to deal with Tanjiro proves that Susamaru is not an enemy to be trifled with.
14. Ruka Rengoku
Ruka may have one of the shortest screen times, but she is surely one of the most unforgettable characters in the series.
She is Kyoujuro’s mother and the reason behind the Fire Hashira’s firm convictions in protecting the weak.
Although Ruka ultimately succumbed to her incurable illness, the teachings that she left on Kyoujuro proved crucial in his final moments.
Her teachings allowed her son to resist the temptations of Akaza, the upper moon three, to become one of the demons.
A caring mother with the mental fortitude to face death with dignity and grace—she definitely deserves a spot among the best female Demon Slayer characters.
13. Makio
The strictest amongst Uzui’s wives, Makio’s austereness often sends her into clashing with Suma—which makes for lots of hilarious moments in the series.
But Makio’s strictness comes with a reason. It stems from her inferiority complex, believing that the physical difference between men and women prevents her from matching up to male ninjas.
To make up for it, she puts her life on the line to successfully fulfill all her missions.
However, she is extremely baffled when Uzui tells the three of them to prioritize their survival instead.
Despite that, she is a very capable Kunoichi, able to hold her ground against the assault of the Obi Sash Oni’s barrage of strikes, which is an impressive feat for anyone without breathing techniques.
12. Hinatsuru
Most of us would probably refuse the idea of infiltrating a city district to find a demon lurking within—but Hinatsuru, one of the three wives of Uzui Tengen, took the mission and accomplished it.
Hinatsuru was trained as a Kunoichi (lit. Female Ninja) since childhood and became very adept in intelligence gathering.
Additionally, as a skilled Kunoichi, she could easily pinpoint the disguised Demon amongst the numerous Yoshiwahara courtesans.
Not only is Hinatsuru brave enough to drink poison to escape peril, she even assisted her husband in the battle against an Upper Moon Six regardless of her sustained injuries.
But despite all these feats, Hinatsuru is the most gentle-mannered of the three wives and, as the oldest, often acts as an older-sister figure among them.
11. Suma
As the youngest amongst Uzui’s three wives, Suma looks to be the sweetest kunoichi you’ll ever see in the series.
She is often the comedic relief of the three wives due to her tendency to overreact in dire situations.
Additionally, her hilarity has made her the most loveable of the three wives for most of the show’s fans.
However, despite Suma’s adorably wimpy antics, the acrobatic and agile reflexes showcase how skilled she really is.
Suma effortlessly avoids all the assaults of Daki’s Obi Sash Oni, making her a capable ninja that can stand toe to toe with her peers.
10. Makomo
Makomo was one of the apprentices of Sakonji Urokodaki, and like Tanjiro, she could’ve been one of the strongest Water Breathing users in the series.
Orphaned at a very young age, Urokodaki adopted her along with Sabito and taught them water-breathing techniques.
Makomo lacks firepower in her attacks but makes up for it with agile reflexes, allowing her to avoid enemy attacks and land swift strikes.
Although deemed capable by Urokodaki, she died at the hand of the Hand Demon, the vengeful Demon who claimed to have been eating Urokodaki’s pupils for decades.
Regardless, she played a crucial role in Tanjiro’s journey even after death by appearing as an apparition to help him pass Urokodaki’s test.
9. Aoi Kanzaki
The stern medic of the Butterfly Mansion, Aoi, is one of the most notable supporting characters of the series.
She is especially popular in the fandom as the main ship to one of the leading characters, Inosuke Hashibira.
Despite becoming a full-fledged Demon Slayer after passing the final selection, she claims it to be entirely out of luck.
Instead, the young lady chose to resign herself to supporting the corps from the backline instead.
Nevertheless, Aoi has helped Tanjiro and his friends in various ways throughout the series. She always tends to their post-battle injuries and assists them in their training.
What’s more, her skills are not be underestimated as a medic and as a Demon Slayer.
8. Kanae Kocho
After the death of their parents due to a demon attack, Kanae and her younger sister Shinobu sought to become demon slayers hoping to prevent similar tragedies from repeating.
She proved to be an exceptional Demon Slayer, instantly becoming the Flower Hashira. Moreover, she even developed her own breathing technique, the Flower Breathing.
Additionally, years before the start of the series, Kanae fought toe-to-toe with Doma, the upper moon two, all by herself.
She even forced the second strongest demon moon to retreat from the sun.
Unfortunately, she ended up dying from the injuries she sustained from the battle, but not before describing the demon to Shinobu who arrived at the scene late.
7. Kie Kamado
This list will not be complete without the gentle and affectionate mother of the Kamado Household.
After being widowed by her husband early, Kie meticulously cared for their six children.
The phenomenal lady kept the welfare of her family through all the difficulties for several years by herself.
Except for Nezuko and Tanjiro, Kie and the entire Kamado Family died at the very beginning of the series. The Demon King, Muzan himself, attacked the innocent family, immediately killing them all.
Regardless, Kie’s love for her children proved strong enough to cross life and death.
She frequently appears in the visions of the Kamado siblings throughout the series to save them from peril.
6. Tamayo
Tamayo’s past is one of the most heart-wrenching stories in the series.
She used to be a married woman with children until falling severely ill, sending her to cross paths with Muzan, who offered her help by turning her into a demon.
Tamayo survived her illness by becoming a demon, but after losing her human reason, she ended up eating her entire family soon after.
Aiming for a chance of revenge, she accompanied Muzan in his travel for several centuries, eventually being able to free herself from his demon cell’s control.
However, with her vengeance unsuccessful, Tamayo had since distanced herself from the demon lord and devoted herself to helping his victims instead.
She plays a very significant role in the series by helping Tanjiro and Nezuko find a cure that would revert the latter into a human.
5. Daki
Daki is one of the main antagonists of the Entertainment District Arc, an eccentric demon obsessed with beauty.
As the Upper Moon Six of Twelve Demon Moons, Daki is a strong demon capable of demonic physical strength and almost instantaneous regenerative capabilities.
Her Blood Demon Art allows her to absorb things into her obi sashes, which can also crush her opponents quite easily.
Daki Hurls the Obi sashes at enemies with immense force or sharply slashes through their limbs, whichever she deems fit.
She is one of the few demons who seems to have retained their human qualities, displaying childish behavior during her fight with Tengen.
Moreover, she recalled the details of her past, remembering being burned alive in her past life during her fight with Nezuko.
4. Kanao Tsuyuri
The Tsuguko (lit. Successor) and adopted younger sister of the Kocho sisters, Kanao is a quiet girl with a tragic past.
She had suffered years of abuse from her parents and developed mental repression, preventing her from making decisions for herself.
They eventually sold her to human traffickers, from whom Kanae and Shinobu rescued and adopted her as their sister.
She proved to be an immensely gifted child, capable of mastering Flower Breathing techniques only through observing Kanae’s movements.
She also has immense physical strength and swift reflexes that far outclasses Inosuke, Tanjiro, and even Zenitsu.
Her character development throughout the anime is certainly admirable as she begins to make decisions for herself.
3. Mitsuri Kanroji
Mitsuri is the Love Hashira of the Demon-Slaying Corps—a formidable Demon Slayer. Most fans believe that her techniques are much faster than Tengen Uzui himself.
She uses a very thin sword that bends like a whip but is nevertheless sharp enough to effortlessly cut through demon flesh.
Mitsuri suffers from a genetic mutation, turning her hair color pink and her eyes emerald.
Furthermore, she can also make her muscles eight times denser compared to an average human.
She used to be the Tsuguko of Kyoujuro Rengoku, who commented that Mitsuri completed the final selection only after six months of training, and described it as an impressive feat.
2. Shinobu Kocho
Shonbou Kocho is a beautiful young lady who doesn’t fail to smile even in the toughest times.
However, despite her constant amiable smile, she has been in a persistent state of anger and grief ever since she lost her beloved older sister, Kanae, to a demon attack.
She is the Insect Pillar of the Demon-Slaying Corps and one of the only few demon slayers incapable of cutting the necks of the demons.
Instead, Shinobu kills her enemies through a wisteria poison she concocted herself.
Shinobu tends to be playful with her comrades, most particularly with Giyu, whom she often teases for being the most unlikeable amongst their Hashira peers.
She also created her breathing form, the Insect Breathing, designing it to compensate for her lack of strength—a testament to her enormous talent in swordsmanship.
1. Nezuko Kamado
Who else can top the list of the best Demon Slayer female characters other than the ever-adorable Nezuko, the younger sister of Tanjiro Kamado?
She turns into a demon when Muzan massacres the entire Kamado family in Tanjiro’s absence.
But unlike other demons, Nezuko doesn’t need to consume human flesh and conserves energy by sleeping instead.
When in battle, Nezuko grows stronger and stronger the longer her fight continues and can even regenerate a lost limb almost instantly in her awakened form.
Her Blood Demon Art allows her to fully manipulate her blood in various ways.
She can burst it into pink-colored demonic flames that only burn demons or coagulate it to prevent her limbs from being severed entirely.
Nezuko can also manipulate her body to grow taller or shorter, creating several adorable moments and capturing the hearts of the fans.
Nezuko chan
Sunday 16th of October 2022
this is so sussy bruh i like it 😁