Beyond their swordsmanship, breathing techniques, and raw power, a different kind of strength defines a Hashira in Demon Slayer that is perhaps the most basic of them all: their instinct to survive. Being the best isn’t about who is the strongest or who has the highest demon kill count. Instead, there is a primal, often-overlooked quality that separates the living from the dead in the dangerous world of demon slayers—their innate and honed survival instincts. Looking at their choices, their subconscious reactions, and the psychological fuel that keeps them going, regardless of their skills during a fight, is what is important.
From the selfless to the self-aware, each Hashira’s approach to survival is a complex reflection of their past traumas and personal philosophies.
WARNING! This list contains massive spoilers from the manga and the new Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle movie.
9. Giyuu Tomioka
Giyuu Tomioka’s survival instincts are arguably the worst among the Hashira because they’re consistently undermined by his crippling survivor’s guilt. He’s a stoic warrior who, deep down, believes he doesn’t deserve to be alive. He carries the weight of his friend Sabito’s sacrifice during the Final Selection, convinced that he’s only a Hashira because Sabito died protecting him. This belief affects his will to live, making his survival less of a priority and more of a burden he’s forced to carry.
He often acts as if daring death to take him. This isn’t always bravery driven by a desire to live, but rather an apathy about his own existence. His physical skills and mastery of Water Breathing keep him alive, but his mind is always teetering on the edge of giving up, which is an obvious contrast to the fierce will to survive that typically defines a Hashira.
8. Mitsuri Kanroji
Despite her impressive physical strength that rivals even the Stone Hashira and her flexibility, Mitsuri’s survival instincts are compromised by her emotions. Her constant, almost desperate need to find love and be accepted by her fellow Hashira easily leaves her distracted and vulnerable. This search for connection, while relatable to any human on a basic level, can cloud her judgment in life-or-death situations, making her less focused on her own safety.
Her bubbly and optimistic personality can sometimes be a liability in the brutal world of Demon Slayer. While she is an exceptional fighter, her romanticized worldview and eventual deep love for Iguro override the cold, calculating instincts needed for pure survival. This makes her less practical than her fellow Hashira when facing threats as fierce as the Upper Moons.
7. Shinobu Kocho
Shinobu’s survival instincts were effectively shattered the moment her older sister, Kanae, was murdered by Upper Moon Two, Doma. This tragedy took everything from Shinobu and replaced her natural will to live with a singular consuming desire for revenge. She knew, with unwavering certainty, that she was living on borrowed time. Her every action, her every breath, was geared toward a final confrontation with the demon who took her sister’s life.
She consciously abandoned any notion of self-preservation, crafting a plan that drew on her expertise with poisons and required her to be consumed by Doma so that the poison within her body would kill him. This calculated sacrifice proves that her mind was not focused on survival, but on achieving a specific, deadly goal at all costs. Her survival was merely a means to an end, not an instinct she actively sought to preserve.
6. Muichiro Tokito
Before regaining his memories, Muichiro’s survival skills operated on a sort of subconscious autopilot. His actions were purely reactive, driven by his exceptional skills as a Hashira prodigy learned after he lost his memories rather than a conscious will to survive. The horror he experienced as a child, when a demon brutally killed his twin brother and nearly took his own life, was locked away—not only due to the severe injuries, but as his brain’s way of protecting him from such pain. If he had those memories from the moment Amane Ubuyashiki—wife of the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps—rescued him from the grizzly scene of the attack, his instincts would have been sharper, honed by that traumatic experience.
Once his past resurfaced thanks to Tanjiro’s influence, a new drive ignited within him. The memory of his twin brother and the pain of their separation sparked a renewed determination to protect others and himself. However, without his experience and full memories shaping him from the beginning of his Hashira journey, his early survival instincts were less refined than those of the other Hashira, based more on raw talent than hard-earned experience.
5. Gyomei Himejima
Gyomei, the Stone Hashira, is an exceptionally powerful warrior and perhaps the strongest among the nine—both in skill and physical strength. But his calm, monk-like nature can work against his survival instincts. His deep sense of guilt over a past incident, where he was falsely accused of murders that were actually a demon attack, led him to willingly accept imprisonment rather than fight for his freedom. This passivity in the face of injustice shows a weakness in his otherwise indomitable will.
His gentle, compassionate nature is a powerful trait and greatly needed among the Hashria, as they are constantly surrounded by death and dying. But in this world defined by brutality, such a trait can be a liability. While he is capable of great violence in battle and willing to do whatever is required of him to ensure Muzan is defeated, his default state is one of peace, and quiet reflection. This can cause a moment of hesitation in situations where pure, brutal instinct is needed to survive, making him slightly less sharp than his more aggressive counterparts.
4. Kyojuro Rengoku
Kyojuro Rengoku demonstrated incredible survival instincts, even when faced with overwhelming odds and all but assured death. A prime example is when he was put to sleep by Lower Moon One’s blood technique on the Mugen Train. While his consciousness was trapped in a dream, his body acted on its own, responding to external threats and protecting himself and the other passengers with nothing but pure instinct.
This ability to fight for his life, even when his mind was compromised, shows his instinctual and powerful will to survive. His body had been so thoroughly trained that his unknowing reactions were as sharp as his conscious ones. Even in his final moments, his actions were about protecting others and fighting to the very last breath, a testament to his unbreakable survival instinct.
3.
Iguro Obanai has some of the most powerful and deeply ingrained survival instincts of any Hashira. His childhood was a constant struggle for survival against horrific abuse at the hands of his family and a monstrous demon who terrified the young boy. No other character could have endured such a harrowing existence of being mutilated and kept in a cage for twelve years. But his sheer will to live allowed him to find a way out, even if it meant secretly carving away at his wooden cell in the dead of night to do so.
This brutal, primal experience forged an incredibly sharp and suspicious mind. He trusts no one easily and is constantly on guard, which is a direct result of his traumatic past. The perpetual state of being on high alert means his survival instincts are always active—always on—making him an incredibly fierce and resilient fighter who will do anything to protect himself and those he cares for.
2. Sanemi Shinazugawa
Sanemi’s survival is fueled by a raw, unyielding rage that he carries from his childhood. As a young boy, he instinctively fought off the demon that murdered his young siblings, even when he realized that the demon was their own mother. His will to live and protect his only surviving younger brother, Genya, was so strong that it overrode the mental pain that a child should never have to endure. This instinctual fight against a parent-turned-monster proves the depth of his will to survive.
This same anger and refusal to give up define him in adulthood, for better or worse. He doesn’t care about anything but killing demons—a singular focus that makes him an unstoppable force. He is completely ruthless in battle, with no room for sentimentality. This single-minded focus and rage-fueled determination are the keys to his impressive survival instincts, making him a Hashira that no demon would want to meet.
1. Right to Uzui
Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira, holds the top spot for having the most acute and refined survival instincts. He fought a brutal battle against two Upper Moons, Daki and Gyutaro, a fight in which he lost an eye and a hand and almost died multiple times (not to mention that the fight destroyed the entire Entertainment District). The moment the battle was over, he made a firm and resolute decision: he chose to retire.
This is the ultimate form of survival instinct. Tengen, a former shinobi trained in practicality and focus, was acutely aware of his limits. He knew he was not strong enough to continue fighting against the Upper Moons, as he couldn’t even defeat Upper Six without the help of his wives, Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu, and wisely chose to remove himself from harm’s way to live a full life with his wives rather than dying a glorious, but pointless, death. His ability to prioritize his own life and the lives of his wives over a shinobi’s pride is the ultimate testament to survival instincts among all nine Hashira.
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