7 Strongest Demon Slayers Who Rival Yoriichi’s Power in Demon Slayer
Yoriichi Tsugikuni’s legacy in Demon Slayer isn’t just a story—his Sun Breathing style became the blueprint for demon slayers trying to survive a world full of monsters. Even though Yoriichi has been gone for ages, the series keeps showing that the top-tier threats and top-tier fighters can still reach frightening heights.
7 Muichiro Tokito Was a Prodigy Like Yoriichi
Muichiro Tokito is a demon slayer prodigy who demonstrates full command of Mist Breathing. He stands out as the youngest swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps’ history to reach Hashira rank, and he does it without years of experience cutting down demons. Instead, he picks up a Nichirin blade and learns Mist Breathing at an astonishing pace.
Even Tanjiro recognizes Muichiro’s genius, pointing to what he saw during Muichiro’s Mist Breather matchup against Yoriichi Type Zero in the Swordsmith Village. The outcome supports that assessment: Muichiro nearly destroyed Yoriichi Type Zero with ease, keeping up with every strike from the mechanical puppet inspired by Yoriichi Tsugikuni before disposing of it.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
6 Akaza Was Nearly as Unstoppable as Yoriichi
Akaza served Muzan Kibutsuji as Upper Moon 3 for most of Demon Slayer’s run. A standout martial artist, he focuses on the Soryu style and boosts it with his Blood Demon Art, Destructive Death. Because of that, Akaza rarely leaves demon slayers alive—and he’s even added Rengoku Kyojuro to his list of victims.
Like Yoriichi, Akaza is portrayed as extremely hard to stop. He keeps adapting during fights, changing his approach based on his opponent’s fighting style, habits, fighting spirit, and even their killing intent. If Akaza hadn’t chosen to stop regenerating, the story suggests he could have stayed alive far longer in the Infinity Castle Arc—staring down Tanjiro and Giyuu until he managed to kill them both.
5 Gyomei Himejima Pushed Human Limits Like Yoriichi
Gyomei Himejima—the Stone Breather—is introduced as the strongest Hashira in Demon Slayer. Even with his disability, he surpasses the other Hashira in raw strength, earning the respect and admiration of demon slayers across the organization. Rather than using a standard sword, Gyomei fights with a flail and an axe tied together by a chain, controlling both weapons so precisely that they feel like natural extensions of his body.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s trust in Gyomei makes sense on multiple levels: the Stone Breathing style echoes Yoriichi’s focus and rational mind, and it also reflects Yoriichi’s high-level breathing techniques. On top of that, Gyomei awakens the demon slayer mark, pushing him closer to Yoriichi’s power level than the other Hashira.
4 Doma’s Techniques Were Every Bit as Refined as Yoriichi’s
Stripping Akaza of the Upper Moon 2 position is one of Doma’s standout accomplishments in Demon Slayer. He may not be a martial arts specialist in the way Akaza is, but his cryokinesis and his command of Tessenjutsu allow him to outclass the former Upper Moon 2. Doma also uses his personality as a weapon, leaning into manipulation to provoke opponents or dismantle them psychologically.
Doma’s killing style is among the most brutal in the series, because he takes genuine delight in the pain and suffering of his victims. He also enjoys mocking his opponents—using their insecurities and emotional weak points to break their resolve before delivering the final kill.
3 Kokushibo Was Yoriichi’s Greatest Rival
Kokushibo carries a huge amount of pride in being Upper Moon 1 in Muzan Kibutsuji’s demon army. He ranks just behind Muzan in overall power, making him one of the most dangerous demons still active in the Infinity Castle. In addition to using a modified Nichirin sword, Kokushibo has a demon slayer mark that multiplies the strength of his Moon Breathing and its techniques.
When Kokushibo was still known as Mitchikatsu Tsugikuni, his power couldn’t hold a candle to Yoriichi, his younger brother. His demonic transformation closed the distance, but even then he wasn’t able to match the legendary swordsman at the height of his prime.
2 Muzan Kibutsuji Was Yoriichi’s Strongest Enemy
Muzan Kibutsuji is the most formidable demon the Demon Slayer Corps faces across the story. As the Demon King, he has a near-immortal body that regenerates instantly, blood that can turn humans into demons, and biokinesis that lets him reshape his body whenever he wants.
Among the demons Yoriichi encountered during his lifetime, Muzan is described as one of only two demons who survived. Muzan was strong enough to endure Yoriichi’s deadly strikes during their lone confrontation, but the experience haunted him for years. In response, Muzan erased most potential Sun Breathing users—only leaving Tanjiro as an exception.
1 Tanjiro Was the Best Sun Breather Since Yoriichi
Tanjiro Kamado is the main character of Demon Slayer, and his goal from the start is to kill Muzan Kibutsuji. He gains full mastery over Water Breathing and its techniques, then later becomes the final surviving user of Sun Breathing—exactly the style Yoriichi used while he was alive.
Just like Yoriichi, demon slaying comes naturally to Tanjiro. During his long journey to restore Nezuko to her normal self, Tanjiro awakens the demon slayer mark, achieves the Selfless State, and learns the Transparent World. With those high-level abilities, Tanjiro can be seen as a near-perfect stand-in for Yoriichi’s “second coming.”
