Standing at the absolute pinnacle of the Demon Slayer Corps, the nine Hashira are recognizably powerful warriors. These pillars take different Breathing Styles to stunning heights, whereas the strongest among them can challenge, albeit through a team-up in many cases, the Twelve Kizuki and even Muzan himself. And yet, the Hashira aren't even close to the ceiling of Demon Slayer's power system.
It's not just that they are surpassed by the Demon King and his Upper Moons. The Hashira also pale before certain human characters who possess late-game abilities, like Bright Red Nichirin Swords, Demon Slayer Marks, and the Transparent World. From ancient swordsmen who created the art of Breathing to demons far beyond the singular might of a Hashira, Demon Slayer's strongest outshine the entire Corps.
1 Doma Turns Breathing Styles Into Deadly Weaknesses
Akaza would likely not survive the Stone Hashira, especially after Awakening a Demon Slayer Mark, but Upper Moon 2 seems leagues beyond his inferior. Gyomei Himejima stood victorious over Kokushibo, but only because he received considerable help from other Hashira. Individually pitted against Doma, however, immediately reveals the relative weakness of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Doma killed Flower Hashira Kanae Kocho, eventually replicating the outcome with her sister Shinobu. When the Insect Hashira was devoured, Doma was severely incapacitated by the poison loaded into her body. Even poisoned, he continued fighting almost evenly with Kanao Tsuyuri and Inosuke Hashibira.
The Upper Moon 2's Cryokinesis is terrifying on every level, from massive ice constructs that tower over the battlefield to microscopic frozen particles that directly attack the respiratory system on which Breathing Styles fundamentally depend. Shinobu's long-term strategy would have failed without Flower Breathing and Beast Breathing picking up the slack, so the idea of any Demon Slayer Hashira defeating Doma feels impossible.
2 Kokushibo Fused Demonic Power with His Breathing Style
Michikatsu Tsugikuni transformed from an exceptional Demon Slayer to an overpowered monster. Upon taking his place at Muzan's side, Kokushibo spent the next several centuries perfecting his swordsmanship inside an immortal body. He had also Awakened his Demon Slayer Mark before becoming a demon, preserving his earlier advantages while simultaneously refining and reshaping his Breathing Style.
Kokushibo's Moon Breathing, a reflection of his twin's Sun Breathing, was a force of nature. Fusing that with his lunar Blood Demon Art, not to mention the Transparent World that lets him interpret movements, results in a warrior capable of effortlessly eclipsing the Hashira.
The Infinity Castle demonstrates why none of the heroes belong on his level. At various points during his extended battle, the Upper Moon 1 fought Marked Gyomei, Sanemi, Muichiro, and Genya. Decapitating Kokushibo was another hassle; he just wouldn't die, not until the Hashira's combined powers worked in perfect synchrony to wear him down. Unfortunately for fans excited for the upcoming Demon Slayer movie, this fight will most likely culminate in the third Infinity Castle installment.
3 Muzan Makes the Hashira Fight a Biological Catastrophe
Muzan Kibutsuji is Demon Slayer's equivalent of Bleach's Yhwach or Jujutsu Kaisen's Sukuna, standing far above the rest of the world. The Hashira, supported by Tanjiro and countless others, simply couldn't defeat him through ordinary combat. Even as the surviving Pillars surround him during the Sunrise Countdown, the Demon King regenerates faster than their Nichirin blades can cut him.
More importantly, the Corps never actually face a healthy Muzan. In an attempt to turn him human, Tamayo's drug ages him at an accelerated pace, ultimately preventing him from escaping via fragments of split flesh. Despite the Demon King's ancient wounds -- inflicted by Yoriichi -- reappearing across his body, he singlehandedly battles multiple Marked Demon Slayers.
In Season 5, there was a moment where it looked like Muzan was going to die. He activates the Infinity Castle just before the Hashira and Tanjiro's enraged attacks strike him, prompting fans to wonder if he could have survived that. And the remainder of the Infinity Castle trilogy will spend its time proving that the Demon King was always the most powerful villain in Demon Slayer.
4 Yoriichi Tsugikuni Created the Demon Slayer Standard
Existing outside the power hierarchy of Demon Slayer, Yoriichi Tsugikuni never became a Hashira. Although the Corps had been created long before his birth, it was the creator of Sun Breathing who helped establish a precedent of success for the organization. Yoriichi's invention went on to influence every other Breathing Style, whereas the Yoriichi Type Zero robot was consistently used across centuries.
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