How Does the Ranking System in Demon Slayer Work?

In the anime series Demon Slayer, Slayers are ranked based on their experience and power. Once they pass the Final Selection exam and officially become Demon Slayers, they start at the rank of Mizunoto, and then progress upward as they battle increasingly difficult demons. We’re breaking down all of the basic ranks, plus the elite Hashira tier, support staff, and main characters’ ranks, with exclusive insights from an anime & manga expert. Let’s get started!

What are the Demon Slayer ranks?

Anime and manga expert Simon Zeng says that Hashira are at the very top of the Demon Slayer ranks, and the lowest ranks are Slayers who just passed their Final Selection exam. Here are the ranks from most to least powerful:

Elite: Hashira—(柱)
Kinoe (甲)
Kinoto (乙)
Hinoe (丙)
Hinoto (丁)
Tsuchinoe (戊)
Tsuchinoto (己)
Kanoe (庚)
Kanoto (辛)
Mizunoe (壬)
Mizunoto (癸)

Section 1 of 7:

Basic Ranks in Demon Slayer

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There are 10 ranks for members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Zeng says that once someone successfully passes their Final Selection exam, they become a Demon Slayer, but they start out as the lowest rank.^{[1]
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Simon Zeng
Anime and Manga Expert

Expert Interview} This rank is known as “Mizunoto.” As the Slayer becomes more experienced, they move up the ranks. (We’ll explain more about how slayers rank up and what these tiers are based on in later sections.) Here are the 10 Demon Slayer ranks, from lowest to highest:^{[2]
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- 10—Mizunoto (癸)
- 9—Mizunoe (壬)
- 8—Kanoto (辛)
- 7—Kanoe (庚)
- 6—Tsuchinoto (己)
- 5—Tsuchinoe (戊)
- 4—Hinoto (丁)
- 3—Hinoe (丙)
- 2—Kinoto (乙)
- 1—Kinoe (甲)
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Simon Zeng is an anime expert and content creator. He’s been a fan of anime since he was 15, and is especially drawn to slice of life and romance animes.

Section 2 of 7:

Hashira: Elite Rank of Demon Slayers

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Hashira: Top-tier Demon Slayers Zeng says that the Hashira are at the very top of the Demon Slayer ranking system.^{[3]
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Simon Zeng
Anime and Manga Expert

Expert Interview} Each Hashira—or “Pillar” (柱)—has mastered a specific technique, known as their Breathing Style. There are 9 active Hashira in Demon Slayer. They are:^{[4]
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- Kyojuro Rengoku (Flame Hashira)
- Sanemi Shinazugawa (Wind Hashira)
- Giyu Tomioka (Water Hashira)
- Mitsuri Kanroji (Love Hashira)
- Obanai Iguro (Serpent Hashira)
- Gyomei Himejima (Stone Hashira)
- Muichiro Tokito (Mist Hashira)
- Shinobu Kocho (Insect Hashira)
- Tengen Uzui (Sound Hashira)

Section 3 of 7:

Demon Slayer Supporting Ranks

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Kakushi: Support team The Kakushi are attendants of the Demon Slayers. They keep their faces covered to hide their identities and operate mostly in the background. They’re often retired Demon Slayers or aspirants who haven’t passed their Final Selection exam. They’re outranked by every Slayer level, but they have a number of important duties, including:^{[5]
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- Providing medical assistance to wounded Slayers in battle
- Taking wounded Slayers to the Butterfly Estate to recover
- Taking Slayers to and from Swordsmith Village for weapons
- Mending Slayers’ uniforms
- Clearing the area after a battle
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Katanakaji: Swordsmiths The swordsmiths in Demon Slayer are the only people capable of crafting the Nichirin Swords needed to kill demons. They’re vital to the success of the Demon Slayer Corps, so they wear hyottoko masks to protect their identities.^{[6]
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- The swordsmiths are not permitted to know each other’s identities. That way, if one is captured, they can’t be forced to reveal how to find the others.
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Tsuguko: Future Hashira Demon Slayers who prove exceptionally talented can become Tsuguko, which means they’re next in line to replace the current Hashira if they retire, get injured, or die. They typically train under the Hashira they will replace, mastering their unique Breathing Style (or developing a similar one of their own).^{[7]
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- Tsuguko often fight alongside their Hashira mentors in battle.
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Cultivators: Instructors and mentors Cultivators help train aspiring Demon Slayers to get ready for the Final Selection exam. They help teach the potential Slayers different Breathing Styles so they can defeat demons during the exam.^{[8]
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- Sakonji Urokodaki is the cultivator who trains Tanjiro.
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Oyakata-sama: Head of the Demon Slayer Corps The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps outranks all other Demon Slayers, including the Hakira. They’re typically a member of the Ubyashiki family.^{[9]
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- The most recent Corps leader is Kagaya Ubuyashiki.

Section 4 of 7:

What are the ranks of the main characters?

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Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke eventually reach the Hinoe rank. Demon Slayer doesn’t closely track the rank of the main characters. We know that Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke achieve the rank of Mizunoto when they finish their Final Selection exam. But we don’t hear any more about their ranks until the Entertainment District arc, when it’s revealed that all 3 have reached the 4th rank, Kanoe.^{[10]
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- In the Infinity Castle Arc, we learn that Tanjiro has reached the 8th rank, Hinoe.
- According to the Demon Slayers’ fanbook, both Zenitsu and Inosuke also reach the Hinoe rank.^{[11]
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Section 5 of 7:

How do the Slayers rank up?

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Slayers must pass the Final Selection exam to earn a rank. Potential Demon Slayers must spend 7 days and nights battling demons at the top of Mount Fujikasane. Anyone who survives achieves the title of Demon Slayer and the rank of Mizunoto.^{[12]
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- After passing the exam, the new Demon Slayers are given an official uniform and assigned a Kasugai Crow that they can use to communicate with the Demon Slayer Corps. They also choose the ore that will be used to craft their Nichirin Sword, and they have their rank inscribed on their hand.
- Not much is known about how Demon Slayers move up through the ranks from Mizunoto to Kinoe. This is a common fan complaint about the series.
- To become a Hashira, a Kinoe-rank Demon Slayer must kill either 50 demons or one of the 12 Kizuki (the most powerful demons).^{[13]
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Section 6 of 7:

How do the Slayers check their rank?

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Once a Slayer passes the Final Selection exam, they undergo a process called Wisteria Flower Engraving, where their rank is inscribed on their hand. From this point forward, they can check their rank by saying a password while clenching their fist. Their rank will appear on the back of their hand—the symbol changes as the Slayer ranks up.^{[14]
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Section 7 of 7:

What are the ranking tiers based on?

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The tiers come from the Heavenly Stems, an ancient Chinese counting system. During the Shang Dynasty, weeks lasted 10 days, and the Heavenly Stems were the counting system used to keep track of the days. (Eventually, the Heavenly Stems were combined with the Earthly Branches and used to count years.) The prefix of each Heavenly Stem represents one of the Five Phases, and the suffix represents either yin or yang.^{[15]
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- Mizunoto: Mizu (water) noto (yin)
- Mizunoe: Mizu (water) noe (yang)
- Kanoto: Ka (metal) noto (yin)
- Kanoe: Ka (metal) noe (yang)
- Tsuchinoto: Tsuchi (earth) noto (yin)
- Tsuchinoe: Tsuchi (earth) noe (yang)
- Hinoto: Hi (Fire) noto (yin)
- Hinoe: Hi (Fire) noe (yang)
- Kinoto: Ki (Wood) noto (yin)
- Kinoe: Ki (Wood) noe (yang)
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Demon Slayers are paid a salary based on their rank. It’s estimated that Mizunoto receive an annual salary of about 20,000 yen, while Hashira receive as much as they want.

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