In the world of Demon Slayer, the Hashira are the most powerful and skilled demon slayers in the corps. Their incredible speed and reflexes allow them to take on even the strongest demons. But which of the Hashira is truly the fastest? Let’s take a look at their abilities and find out!
Tengen Uzui
First up is the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui. As a former shinobi, Tengen is incredibly agile and swift on his feet. His speed is said to be unmatched among the Hashira. Using his shinobi training, Tengen can swiftly dash across surfaces and react in an instant to danger. Some key speed feats for Tengen include:
- Quickly reacting to and evading Daki’s sashes
- Swiftly moving between rubble while fighting Gyutaro
- Speed-reading lips and hand signs to anticipate moves
Tengen’s ninja skills give him a strong advantage in speed and agility. He’s able to dynamically dart around obstacles and opponents with ease. His quick reflexes also let him rapidly respond to attacks. Overall, Tengen’s background makes him one of the fastest Hashira in terms of pure movement speed.
Giyu Tomioka
Next is Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira. Giyu possesses incredibly refined sword skills and coordination honed through dedicated training. This allows Giyu to strike and react at blinding speeds. Some examples of Giyu’s swiftness include:
- Instantly disarming Tanjiro of his sword
- Deflecting numerous arrows from Muzan
- Quickly defending against Akaza’s punches
In addition to his refined skills, Giyu can use his 11th Form technique, Lull, to essentially halt his perception of time and selectively slow down his opponents. This gives him a massive edge in reaction time and speed. Overall, Giyu is one of the fastest in combat reaction time thanks to his sword skills and techniques.
Obanai Iguro
Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira, is another incredibly swift Hashira. His agile and flexible fighting style allows him to quickly dart around the battlefield. Some examples of Obanai’s speed include:
- Swiftly evading strikes from Muzan
- Rapidly striking at Nakime’s weak points
- Quickly reacting and defending against Muzan’s attacks
Obanai’s extreme flexibility gives him an edge in evasion and unpredictability. His swift and darting motions make it hard for opponents to track and strike him. He’s also able to twist and contort his body to rapidly strike from unexpected angles. So in terms of agility and evasion, Obanai is one of the fastest Hashira.
Sanemi Shinazugawa
The hot-headed Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, shouldn’t be underestimated for speed. His aggressive and bold fighting style allows Sanemi to relentlessly attack with a flurry of swift strikes. Some examples include:
- Barraging Kokushibo with a series of quick slashes
- Swiftly reacting and cutting off his infected arm
- Rapidly striking at Koku despite his injuries
Sanemi’s fierce and daring style keeps the pressure on his opponents. His tendency to relentlessly attack prevents opponents from countering or recovering. While he may lack some agility, Sanemi’s swift and overwhelming offense makes him incredibly fast in an all-out battle.
Muichiro Tokito
Despite being the youngest Hashira, Muichiro Tokito shouldn’t be underestimated. As the Mist Hashira, Muichiro possesses incredibly refined and natural talent. His prodigious skills allow him to flow seamlessly between moves at blinding speeds. Some examples include:
- Instantly transitioning between Mist Breathing forms
- Swiftly striking at Gyokko from his blind spots
- Quickly overwhelming Gyutaro with a flurry of strikes
Muichiro’s instincts and refined techniques give him an edge in connective speed. He can fluidly chain together a series of blows faster than the eye can track. His natural talent makes him one of the fastest Hashira in quickly overwhelming foes with a barrage of attacks.
Shinobu Kocho
Despite her small size, Shinobu Kocho compensates with incredible speed and reflexes. As the Insect Hashira, Shinobu uses her swift footwork and dexterous sword skills to swiftly overwhelm opponents. Some examples of her swiftness include:
- Speedily dodging and evading Doma’s ice attacks
- Rapidly inflicting multiple strikes with her sword
- Quickly moving between debris mid-air while fighting Doma
Shinobu lacks raw power, but makes up for it with her blinding speed and agility. Her light and swift movements make it difficult for opponents to keep up with her or react. Shinobu can quickly dart around attacks and retaliate from unexpected angles. This speed and evasion mark Shinobu as one of the fastest Hashira.
Gyomei Himejima
As the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima possesses incredible strength and endurance. However, his size belies his surprisingly swift reflexes and reaction speed. Some examples include:
- Swiftly reacting and blocking Nakime’s kick
- Rapidly defending against Muzan’s barrage of attacks
- Quickly evading despite his large build
Gyomei’s acute senses and battle intuition give him an edge in responding to danger. He can perceive attacks and move remarkably fast for his large stature. While not as agile as other Hashira, Gyomei’s reaction time and defensive speed are among the best.
Kyojuro Rengoku
As the boisterous Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku displays incredible speed and reflexes when battling Akaza. His swift skills include:
- Rapidly reacting and defending against Akaza’s Disorder barrage
- Swiftly evading and counterattacking Akaza
- Quickly analyzing and adapting to Akaza’s fighting patterns
Kyojuro’s masterful use of Flame Breathing creates blazing-fast techniques to overwhelm opponents. He can swiftly strike, defend, and counterattack. While he ultimately falls against Akaza’s strength, Kyojuro’s speed and reaction time show he is among the fastest Hashira when strictly looking at swiftness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, several Hashira have a claim to being the fastest in their own ways:
- Tengen has the edge in pure movement and travel speed.
- Giyu’s refined skill gives him incredible reaction time.
- Shinobu and Obanai boast great agility and evasion.
- Sanemi, Muichiro, and Kyojuro overwhelm foes with swift, connective attacks.
- Gyomei transcends his size with swift reflexes and defense.
While it’s difficult to definitively crown one Hashira as the fastest overall, these examples showcase their different skills and attributes regarding speed. In many cases, the Hashira’s individual talents and techniques provide an advantage in swiftness over their peers in certain combat scenarios. Their mastery of different Breathing Styles allows each Hashira to utilize speed in unique and deadly ways to defeat demons.