Demon Slayer: Why Gyomei Himejima Is The Strongest Hashira

Summary Gyomei Himejima is recognized as the strongest Hashira in Demon Slayer by both Demon Slayers and demons.

The Hashira each practice a unique Breathing Style and are assigned territories to protect.

Although Gyomei is powerful, Yoriichi Tsugikuni remains the strongest Demon Slayer in history.

Warning: The Following Contains Spoilers for the End of Demon Slayer's Manga

The Hashira of Demon Slayer are all different in terms of their abilities, and it can be hard to compare them, but when it comes to power, Gyomei Himejima is easily the strongest. Gyomei Himejima is physically stronger than his fellow Demon Slayer Hashira, wields one of the most impressive Nichirin swords, and commands the respect of both Demon Slayers and demons alike, all without his eyesight. While Gyomei is only just rising to prominence in Demon Slayer season 4, he plays a major supporting role in the manga, where examples of his strength are clear.

The nine Demon Slayer Hashira hold the most elite ranks in the Demon Slayer Corps, second only to Corps leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. Each Hashira, including Gyomei Himejima, is a master of a distinct Breathing Style, from Love to Stone to Mist. They are all assigned a territory to watch over, keeping an eye out for demons and working to hone their skills even more — some Hashira even take on apprentices to succeed them. Tanjiro Kamado and Zenitsu Agatsuma have both been trained by former Hashira: Sakonji Urokodaki, the former Water Hashira, and Jigoro Kuwajima, the former Thunder Hashira.

Gyomei Himejima Is The Most Powerful Hashira Due to His Physical Strength

Close

Before Gyomei Himejima was a Hashira, he lived in a temple raising nine orphan children has been blind since birth. After an invading demon killed all but one of the children, Gyomei Himejima beat the demon with his bare fists until sunrise. He was falsely imprisoned for murdering the children but was spared from execution by Ubuyashiki. Later, he would become a Demon Slayer and was promoted to the role of Stone Pillar after only two months in the Demon Slayer Corps. It's clear that Himejima is a cut above his Hashira comrades in Demon Slayer.

In combat, Gyomei Himejima's power is clear, which is part of what makes him Demon Slayer’s most powerful Hashira. Even without a blade, Gyomei was able to keep a demon at bay until sunrise with physical strength alone. His Nichirin Blade is unique, as he is the only Demon Slayer Hashira whose blade takes the form of an axe. His axe is connected to a spiked flail by a long chain; during his training, Gyomei Himejima used his hearing to adapt and follow the sound of the chain during combat to track his weapon and supplement his lack of vision.

Gyomei is also incredibly skilled at tactics and deductive reasoning. This insight eventually allowed him to discover the "Transparent World" technique during a fight against an Upper-Rank demon, giving him the ability to "see" his opponents as if they were right in front of him, and adding a further power-up to his already impressive abilities.

Gyomei Stands Out Even Among The Nine Hashira

Just as Demon Slayer’s demons get power from Muzan Kibutsuji, each Hashira also possesses unique strengths and abilities. Each Hashira practices a distinct Breathing Style, derived from one of the core practices of Stone, Flame, Wind, Water, and Thunder, which in turn all stem from the original Sun Breathing technique. All told, there are nine Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps that each practice their own style of breathing and combat.

Aside from Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, there’s Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito, Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji, Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho, Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa, Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro, Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka, Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui, and Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku.

Related 10 Best Demon Slayer Covers Koyoharu Gotouge published 23 volumes of the iconic Demon Slayer manga, and these 10 amazing cover arts stand out from the rest.

Even among such an impressive group of Demon Slayers, Gyomei Himejima has been recognized as the most powerful Hashira by Demon Slayers and demons alike. While Gyomei is only just taking the spotlight in the anime, in the manga both Tanjiro and Inosuke have declared him to be the strongest Demon Slayer throughout the entire Corps. Likewise, the Upper Rank 1 demon Kokushibo, has said that Gyomei is the highest caliber warrior he has encountered in 300 years. Finally, being promoted by Ubuyashiki to the honorable rank of Hashira so quickly is also a testament to Gyomei's strength.

While other Demon Slayer Hashira like Giyu Tomioka and Sanemi Shinazugawa might not be far behind Gyomei Himejima in terms of swordsmanship, his stable personality rounds him out more than his counterparts, who can be too volatile or too reserved. In the manga, Gyomei begins to play a major role following the Swordsmith Village arc, so it is likely that audiences will see more of Gyomei Himejima in action in Demon Slayer’s season 4 and beyond.

Gyomei Is the Strongest Hashira, But Is He The Strongest Demon Slayer?

Gyomei's status as the most powerful Hashira has been proven, but how does he stack up against other mighty Demon Slayers?

Gyomei has definitely earned his undeniable status as Demon Slayer's strongest Hashira, but could he hold his own against other experienced and talented non-Hashira Demon Slayers, specifically Tanjiro and Yoriichi? Tanjiro became incredibly experienced in his fighting style, swordsmanship, and especially his Sun Breathing Technique by the end of the Demon Slayer manga. He showed off these honed abilities in his final battle with the intimidating and nearly undefeatable demon, Muzan. During this battle, Tanjiro grew even more unconquerable than before, leveling up his Sun Breathing Technique and giving the battle all he had, holding his own against the demon for quite a while.

In terms of pure physical strength, Gyomei still surpasses Tanjiro due to his muscular physique and endurance. Gyomei also dealt some serious damage to Muzan. Immediately before he took on the demon, he and Sanemi worked together to kill Kokushibo, the Upper Rank One demon. This previous fight left Gyomei in an exhausted state, while Tanjiro did not have to fight such a powerful demon right before facing Muzan, giving him more strength and energy. However, Tanjiro's Sun Breathing was incredible at its fullest potential and his demon form was almost unbeatable, placing him slightly above even Gyomei.

Tanjiro And Yoiichiro Could Beat Gyomei At Their Full Potentials

Both Could Defeat Gyomei In a True Fight to the Death

In a battle of physical strength alone, with Breathing Styles not involved, Gyomei could likely bring down Tanjiro. Even Muzan himself commented incredulously on Gyomei's power and ability to take down an Upper Rank like Kokushibo, further proving the Stone Hashira's might and resilience. However, the Stone Hashira is no match for Tanjiro's mastered Sun Breathing Style. Furthermore, Yoriichi Tsugikuni could defeat both Tanjiro and Gyomei with ease, as he not only invented Breathing Styles, but is the strongest Demon Slayer to ever have lived. Yoriichi was a prodigy since his birth, already possessing a Demon Slayer Mark since his very first moments alive.

The relentless Demon Slayer nearly killed Muzan on his own and had the demon not escaped, he would have. Yoriichi was unfortunately conquered in a battle with Kokushibo, but nearly succeeded. Kokushibo delivered a quick death blow but would have lost if Yoriichi had stayed alive for even one more moment. Yoriichi earned an impressive reputation that caused every demon to respect him and cower in fear at the mention of his name, even Muzan himself. Considering these astounding accomplishments, it is very clear that Gyomei's accomplishments cannot even begin to compare to Yoriichi's legacy, skills, and reputation.

Related Demon Slayer: Every Hashira Ranked From Weakest To Most Powerful The Hashira are the most powerful swordmasters in the Demon Slayer Corps – but which one of the members is the best of the best?

Yoriichi Would Easily Surpass Gyomei, As Well As Any Other Hashira

The Hashira are strong, but not enough to beat Yoriichi, who created Breathing Styles

True hero, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, is Demon Slayer's strongest. He deserves this title due to his extraordinary demon fighting skills, the Demon Slayer Mark he possessed his entire life, and his mastery of Breathing Styles, as the inventor of the practice. Unfortunately, although Gyomei can vanquish almost any enemy, with a wide repertoire of skills including strength, advanced hearing, and Stone Breathing, the Hashira has met his match in Yoriichi. Although Kokushibo did bring Yoriichi down, it was a close call. The Demon Slayer nearly killed the demon, while in his eighties no less, proving he is Demon Slayer's most powerful.