Demon Slayer is one of the most popular Shounen anime, having 44 episodes and 205 manga chapters.
The anime is widely known for its incredible storyline and breathtakingly beautiful animation.
However, what makes Demon Slayer worth watching is how the anime develops a connection with all the characters.
Demon Slayer is the anime that is known for making fans cry badly over all the characters, even the villains.
It does an incredible job of portraying their point of view and back story, showing them in a different light.
While all the characters that died in the anime saddened fans, several had a lasting impact and deserve recognition.
This article will rank the 15 saddest deaths that occurred in the Demon Slayer Universe.
15. Hand demon
At the bottom of the list, we have the first Demon that Tanjiro faces in battle: the Hand Demon.
The Hand Demon dies in episode 4 of the Demon Slayer anime.
Tanjiro Decapitates him using the first form of water Breathing Technique during the Demon Slayer exam.
The Hand Demon was named because he had several hands covering his body, especially his neck, to protect him from getting decapitated.
The Demon was notorious for killing several of the applicants during the Demon Slayer exam. He even killed Sabito and Makomo and 11 other students of Urokodaki.
Despite all this, his death was quite tear-jerking for fans due to his backstory and how he died.
Like other demons, he too was a human once and a pretty vulnerable one as well.
The Demon had always wished to hold his brother’s Hand, but instead, he killed him first when he became a demon.
Additionally, people always looked at him with disdain in their eyes due to his grotesque appearance.
However, as he died, Tanjiro’s eyes were filled with nothing but sorrow for him.
Seeing this, the Demon reaches out to hold his hand and sheds tears of gratitude as he dies.
The final moment of the Demon dying was painful enough to make most fans feel unimaginably sad for the Demon.
14. Genya Shinazugawa
The death of Genya Shinazugawa, the younger brother of the Wind Hashira, left a scar on the hearts of many.
Genya takes his final breath in chapter 179 of the Demon Slayer manga.
Kokushiba, the Upper Moon Rank One, cuts Genya in half and brutally wounds him. The young Demon Slayer dies as the battle ends with the strongest of the twelve Kizuki.
Genya always had a careless attitude, but his death was entirely unexpected and tore the hearts of many fans.
As a child, Genya had witnessed his mother getting killed by Sanemi and had called him a murderer for it.
Although he realized later what had happened, he tried to get closer to his brother and desperately wanted to become a Hashira to get his attention.
Genya believed that Sanemi hated him for what had happened. He fought hard and died protecting his sibling.
As Genya disintegrates due to being a demon, he tells Sanemi what a lovely brother he was.
Sanemi starts praying to God not to take away his only sibling, and his pain-filled screams broke the hearts of all fans.
The love of the two brothers and their pain is what makes Genya’s death so unbearable.
13. Obanai Iguro
Obanai Iguro, the serpent Hashira’s death, had quite the impact on fans.
The Serpent Hashira took his last breath in chapter 200 of the manga.
In the sunrise countdown arc, Muzan blinds Obanai and gives him terrible injuries, ultimately resulting in his death.
The Serpent Hashira was an unimaginably tragic character, and his death was pretty sad as well.
Obanai grew up in a family of thieves that worshipped a snake Demon.
His mouth was slashed to resemble the snake when he was just 12. What’s more, the Demon kills his entire family later on.
However, Obanai’s cousin blames him for their deaths and harshly tells him that he should’ve been eaten instead.
The false blame on the Hashira, combined with him sacrificing himself to protect Tanjiro and kill Muzan, makes his death so unbearable.
Moreover, Obanai liked Mitsuri, and the two died in each other’s arms, with Obanai comforting Mitsuri and the two confessing to each other.
Their confession and deaths made fans worldwide cry their hearts out for them.
12. Kyogai
Kyogai, the Drum Demon, was one of the primary supporting antagonists in season 1 of the anime.
The Drum Demon died in episode 13 of the Demon Slayer anime.
In the episode, Tanjiro has a long-drawn fight with him and finally decapitates him using the 9th form of the Water Breathing Technique.
Even as a dangerous demon, Kyogai’s backstory, and death touched the hearts of many fans.
As a human, he used to write songs, but a musician had insulted him gravely, calling his songs boring and mocking his hobby.
His hobby also inspired Kyogai’s demon art, and the memory caused him grave pain.
However, Tanjiro acknowledged and respected his Blood Demon Art, making Kyogai see that he wasn’t a failure after all.
In his last moments, he cries as he has finally been recognized and that his efforts weren’t a failure.
His pain brought tears to the eyes of many fans, as though they could relate to him in some way.
11. Kokushiba
The strongest Demon to ever exist after Muzan Kibutsuji also had a very heart-wrenching end to his story.
Kokushiba’s last moments are witnessed in the manga chapter 176 of Demon Slayer.
Kokushiba was taken down with the help of Genya and three more Hashiras. Sanemi and Gyomei were the ones who dealt the final bow to him.
In reality, Kokushiba’s death was more of suicide as he could’ve regenerated himself easily, but he chose to die at that moment.
His death is unfortunate and heart-wrenching because he died alone and in vain. Kokushiba had struggled his entire life to catch up to his brother, Yorriichi.
In the process, he had become a bloodthirsty demon that killed countless innocent humans.
As he was dying, Kokushiba realized that everything he did was in vain and that his life was pointless.
Unlike the other demons, Kokushiba had no one waiting for him in the afterlife.
The thought that he died alone is enough to soften anyone who bore deep hatred in their heart for him.
What’s more, his death, as a suicide, won’t get any acknowledgment, making him a bad Demon in the eyes of everyone forever.
10. Jigoro Kuwajima
Jigoro Kuwajima, the former thunder Hashira didn’t get much screen time, but his death was still pretty impactful.
He died before the present timeline of the demon Slayers, and his death is officially confirmed in chapters 144 – 146 of the manga.
No one killed the former Thunder Hashira, but he had committed suicide.
Jigoro was an incredible teacher who had taught both Zenitsu and Kaigaku. Although he was quite strict with them, he also cared immensely about the two.
His death was unfortunate for fans as Jigoro had committed suicide after finding out that Kaigaku had become a demon.
What makes it worse is that he had a prolonged and agonizing death, and there was no one to put him out of his misery.
The poor man had done so much for his pupils and did not deserve to die in such a terrible manner.
His death has made countless fans tear up and wish he had a better ending.
9. Muichiro Tokito
The Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito’s death was excruciating for the Demon Slayer fans.
Tokito died with Genya Shinazugawa in chapter 176 of Demon Slayer. In his fight against Kokushiba, Tokito gets life-threatening wounds that eventually kill him after the battle.
Muichiro Tokito was an incredibly talented Demon Slayer. He was the youngest amongst his peers and became a Hashira at the age of 14.
Watching someone as talented as Tokito, die at such a young age is enough to break anyone’s heart.
What’s more, Tokito’s dying moment when he finally reunites with his brother in the afterlife is what truly filled fans with immense pain.
His brother is terribly sad to see Tokito join him at such an age and tells him to return.
He wishes Tokito could’ve grown older and wouldn’t have died like him at such an early age.
However, Tokito is happy as he fulfilled his duty and protects his friends. The two begin to cry.
The tears of the two brothers who died very young can melt an ice-cold heart.
8. Shinobu Kocho
The friendly and cheerful Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, died an honourable death.
Shinobu died in the manga of Demon Slayer in chapter 143. Doma, the upper moon Rank 2, is the one who kills Shinobu by absorbing her into his body.
During the fight, Shinobu tried to use various methods to poison Doma enough to kill him.
Her death was a sacrifice as her body contained the wisteria poison that would help kill Doma later on.
The insect Hashira’s death was extremely painful for most of her fans. Additionally, the reaction of Inosuke and Kanao upon witnessing her death tore the hearts of many.
Shinobu’s death made Kanao go berserk as Shinobu was like an older sister to her.
Moreover, seeing Shinobu reunite with Kanae, who Doma also killed, made her death even sadder.
The insect Hashira was a kind soul, and her sacrifice made her death quite sad.
The fact that she had consumed the Wisteria poison for over a year, just to sacrifice her own life, just fills the hearts of many with pain.
7. Tamayo
Tamayo’s death is unfortunate as she was the most respected and loved Demon of the Demon Slayer Universe.
Tamayo dies in chapter 196 of the Demon Slayer manga. Muzan brutally wounded Tamayo, ending her life by crushing her skull during the infinity castle arc.
Tamayo was a brave woman, a demon that stood up to Muzan. She played a critical role in finally ending Muzan and turning Nezuko back to normal.
Her death had a massive impact on the hearts of Demon Slayer fans, as she was an incredibly kind woman.
In her last moments, Muzan puts her through great agony as he reminds her that she killed her own family.
Although, as a demon, Tamayo had initially killed many humans, she helped twice as many humans and made sure to research a way to convert demons back to humans.
To live a tragic life as a human and a demon is pretty sad. Moreover, her life ended tragically as well, and most believe she deserved a happy ending.
Most will not recognize her good deeds as she was a Demon in the end, making her death even sadder.
6. Daki and Gyutaro
The Upper Moon Six Demons, Daki and Gyutaro, had a tragic end to their story.
The two Upper Moon Demons took their last breath in episode 10 of season 2 of Demon Slayer.
An intense battle occurs in the Entertainment district arc, ending with Zenitsu and Inosuke cutting off Daki’s head while Tanjiro decapitates Gyutaro simultaneously.
Demon Slayer is known for making fans sad for even Villains, and so many felt heartbroken in the two Demons’ final moment.
The two lived a complicated life as kids and had struggled hard to survive.
They were just kids, and they were treated so unfairly by society which makes their deaths so sad.
In their final moments, the two remember their bond while looking at how Tanjiro and Nezuko protected each other.
Moreover, the scene of their afterlife made fans cry as Daki refused to go to heaven and joined her brother in hell instead.
The two lived an incredibly cruel life, but seeing them walk together in the end, was simply too heart-wrenching for many.
5. Rui
Rui, the spider Demon, was one of the first of the twelve Kizukis that Tanjiro fought in Demon Slayer.
The Lower Moon Five Demon took his last breath in episode 20, season 1 of Demon Slayer anime.
In the fight against Rui, Tanjiro had severely wounded him and almost decapitated him, but Giyu was the one who dealt the final blow.
Tanjiro had used Hinokami Kagura to decapitate Rui, but he wasn’t strong enough to complete the task.
Giyu arrived in time and used his water breathing technique to decapitate Rui immediately.
Rui’s death is quite sad as the Demon had lived a sickly life and was only a child when he was turned into a demon.
Rui forced so many demons to become his family because he craved a special bond he had when he was a human.
He envied Nezuko and Tanjiro’s bond and wished to feel something similar once again.
The scene when Rui reunites with his family in the afterlife adds more sentiment as he thought he would go to hell for killing them.
Most fans broke into tears while watching Rui cry and beg for forgiveness from his parents. He was, after all, just a child, making fans feel sad for him.
4. Gyomei Himejima
Gyomei Himejima is the strongest amongst the Demon Slayer Hashiras, and his death had an equally strong impact.
The Stone Hashira dies in the final arc of the Demon Slayer Maanga, in chapter 200.
In the sunrise countdown arc, Muzan crushes Gyomei’s legs, giving him bad injuries as the Hashira makes an opening for Tanjiro.
As Muzan is dying, so does Gyomei, as he refuses any help to heal his injuries, knowing that he won’t last.
The Stone Hashira is incredibly soft and sensitive, kind towards everyone, and cries over the most insignificant things.
It was his personality and his final moments that made fans tear up.
Despite being an incredibly kind person, Gyomei was blamed for killing his fellow orphans whom he cared for deeply. The unfair attitude of most people towards him makes his death sad.
Additionally, he played a vital role in the fight against Kokushiba and in defeating Muzan.
As he dies, Gyomei is smiling and has tears in his eyes, realizing that he can finally reunite with all of his loved ones. Seeing a man as kind as him, take his last breath just tore the hearts of many.
Even when he has bad injuries, he is still thinking of the younger Demon Slayers.
A man as honorable as him is worth crying over and deserves much more recognition.
3. Akaza
Akaza is the Upper Moon Rank three Demon who kills the most loved Hashira, Rengoku.
The Demon dies in chapter 153 of the Demon Slayer Manga.
Although it was Tanjiro who had decapitated Akaza using the Hinokami Kagura Technique, Akaza didn’t die at that time and later killed himself.
Akaza is different from other demons, so his head starts regenerating after decapitation by Tanjiro.
He then uses his blood demon art to blow himself up entirely, thereby committing suicide.
Despite having killed countless people, Akaza’s death brought tears to the eyes of many fans.
Akaza had lived an incredibly tragic life that had filled him with nothing but hatred and pain.
As a human, he had lost all the people who loved him and started walking down the wrong path.
Now, as he dies, he remembers that his father had always wanted him to live a sober life and be a good person.
However, as a Demon, he had done the exact opposite and killed countless people. Akaza’s heart aches to realize that his life has no worth, and he hates himself over it.
The poor Demon finally stops fighting after getting his memories back and reunites with his father and fiancé in the afterlife.
The final moments of Akaza as he remembers everything and thinks about his fiancé are what makes his death so heart-wrenching.
2. Kamado family
The Kamado Family’s slaughter was the first pain-filled moment in the Demon Slayer Universe and also one of the worst.
Tanjiro’s entire family, apart from Nezuko, is brutally murdered in the very first episode of the Demon Slayer anime.
It is later revealed that Muzan was the one who had killed them and converted Nezuko into a Demon.
The very first death of the series had already torn the hearts of many seeing how Tanjiro reacted.
The poor child had gone to sell coals for his family and returned home to a bloodbath.
Tanjiro was only 13 then, and witnessing his pain was quite sad. The realization that Tanjiro would have to live a tough life made their deaths even more tragic.
Throughout the anime, whenever Tanjiro is near death and faints, his family tries to wake him up and push him forward.
These scenes add more sentiment to their deaths and make it sadder to watch.
1. Kyojuro Rengoku
The saddest Death of the Demon Slayer Universe belongs to none other than the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku.
The Flame Hashira took his last breath in the Demon Slayer movie “Mugen Train”.
Rengoku gets badly injured while fighting Akaza and protecting Tanjiro. Akaza had fatally impaled him, and shortly after the fight, Rengoku succumbs to his injuries.
The Flame Hashira is the most loved amongst all the Hashiras in the show, and his death scarred the hearts of all fans.
Rengoku’s character is introduced in the movie and immediately becomes a fan favorite.
His incredibly good character, combined with his back story and his final moments, makes his death quite heart-wrenching.
Rengoku was the definition of a good person who had always upheld the highest morals.
In his last moments, he was well aware that he could not defeat Akaza, yet he pushed himself far beyond his limits to protect the younger Demon Slayers.
Additionally, he could’ve also chosen to become a demon, but he was incredibly loyal to his duty, just like the fantastic Hashira he is.
In his final moments, as Tanjiro is crying, Rengoku smiles and peacefully dies.
This particular scene not only made a guy like Inosuke burst into tears, but even the crow passing by at that time began to cry.
Erin
Monday 24th of April 2023
The crow that was flying by when Rengoku died wasn't just a random crow, it was his kasugai crow.