This sequence was so forgettable in the manga, but in the anime, the animators and the music artists made this entire sequence a fucking masterpiece; it's not even anime at this point; it's pure fucking art that deserves to be in museums. Akaza's final form and Tanjiro entering the Transparent World was by far the best thing in cinema since fucking Avengers: Endgame; hell, this is even better than Endgame. The music, the background, the visual effects- everything was perfect. Even just this sequence deserved to win the Oscars for film of the year. Yeah, I saw K-pop demon hunters, and it was garbage compared to this art piece.

damn the animators and music artists really cooked. I wonder how the Kokushibo fight scene will be, though I doubt it will top this. This is by far the best thing I have seen in cinema and anime, respectively. This is not something made by humans this is something made by higher lifeforms legit. Tanjiro entering the transparent world was better than cap lifting thors hammer by far, there said it

I feel like it’s Tengen for these reasons:

1. He values survival more than the other Hashira. This is clearly shown in Image 1, where he emphasizes the importance of surviving.
2. He has a lot more to lose, especially his three wives. Tengen cares deeply about them and has a life outside of demon slaying, unlike many of the other Hashira. He wants to live a flashy life with them and would likely want to continue living in their honor.
3. He explicitly planned to retire after killing an Upper Rank. Tengen said that he and his wives would retire from demon slaying once they defeated an Upper Rank. This shows that he never viewed death as the only possible outcome; he always intended to survive and eventually leave the Demon Slayer Corps.
4. His trauma was caused more by his own family than by demons. Unlike most of the Hashira, much of Tengen’s trauma came from his father and the brutal training he was subjected to, including being forced to kill his own siblings. Because of this, he arguably has less personal hatred toward demons than some of the other Hashira and may have the weakest conviction toward demon slaying.
5. Rengoku and Mitsuri have different motivations. Rengoku comes from a long line of Hashira, so becoming a demon would be especially unthinkable for him because it would go against everything his family represents. Mitsuri, on the other hand, came from a normal and supportive family. Before becoming a Demon Slayer, her biggest struggles were being rejected by men because of her appearance and feeling like she didn't fit in. Her parents were supportive, and becoming a Demon Slayer gave her a sense of purpose and made her feel appreciated.
6. Tengen became a Demon Slayer partly to redeem himself. His motivation was heavily connected to his regret and shame over his past. However, I don't think those feelings are stronger than the hatred and personal convictions that many of the other Hashira have toward demons.

So, if Tengen encountered Kokushibo and Kokushibo initially offered to turn him into a demon, I think Tengen would refuse. However, if Kokushibo then threatened to kill one of his wives unless Tengen accepted, I think Tengen would most likely become a demon to save her. His attachment to his wives and his strong desire to survive would make him more susceptible to that kind of ultimatum than most of the other Hashira.

Personally, I feel that all of the Upper Moons were nerfed in terms of scaling for the sake of the plot, especially Kokushibo. Personally, here is how I would scale them, starting from the lowest:

• Kaigaku: Marked Zenitsu
• Gyutaro and Daki: All of the slayers marked — Tanjiro, Tengen, Inosuke, and Zenitsu
• Gyokko: All of the slayers marked — Muichiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke
• Hantengu: Marked Mitsuri, demon Genya, Nezuko, and Marked Tanjiro with STW
• Akaza: Mark + STW for these slayers — Giyu and Shinjuro Rengoku — along with Selfless State Tanjiro
• Doma: Mark + STW for these slayers — Shinobu, Inosuke, and Kanao
• Kokushibo: Mark + STW + Red Blade for these slayers — Tengen, Obanai, Mitsuri, Sanemi, Muichiro, Gyomei, and Genya

I feel that for demons who have been Upper Moons for at least a century and have killed scores of Hashira, the slayers should have been pushed to their absolute limits and forced to unlock every possible amp just to defeat them. These demons have been hyped up as the ultimate death squad and villain group of KNY, so I think their fights should have reflected that level of threat.

Because if Gyutaro and Daki alone have killed 22 Hashira, imagine how many Hashira the other Upper Moons might have killed over the centuries. The higher-ranked Upper Moons, especially Akaza, Doma, and Kokushibo, should have had an absolutely insane kill count and therefore should have required the strongest versions of the slayers to defeat them.

I feel narratively these might apply as well for some of them

Let me explain

Kaigaku: Zenitsu’s fight with Kaigaku would be about avenging Jigoro while showing that Kaigaku was strong enough to push Zenitsu to his absolute limits. A marked Seventh Form would be necessary to defeat him, making Zenitsu’s victory feel much more significant.

Gyutaro and Daki: Their fight would establish the significance of the Demon Slayer Mark and represent the first major step toward defeating the Upper Moons. The Mark would show that even talented Demon Slayers have to surpass their normal limits to compete with these demons, setting the standard for the battles that follow.

Gyokko: I feel Gyokko’s fight could have done much more for Muichiro’s character development, especially by having him fight alongside Zenitsu and Inosuke. Relying on and protecting others would gradually force him to let go of his apathy and develop a more caring and selfless side. Rather than changing immediately after regaining his memories, this could be the beginning of his gradual emotional growth.

For Zenitsu, this could be the point where he starts overcoming his fear of demons and learns to truly lock in when necessary. Fighting alongside others would also show that he can remain dependable despite his fear.

For Inosuke, the fight could teach him that being a Demon Slayer is about more than fighting and becoming stronger. Working with Muichiro and Zenitsu and protecting them could help him become more selfless and gradually develop the compassion he shows later. He could be shown saving some

Also, I feel it would be more appropriate of zenitsu and inosuke finally breaking out muichiro from that water prison after Kotetsu tries to.

Hantengu: emphasise the importance of stw

akaza: I think for Shinjuro, his son’s death would be the final push he needs to quit drinking and get back into training. He could become a mentor for Tanjiro, teach him more about Flame Breathing, and slowly start getting back into the mindset of being a Demon Slayer. He realizes that he can’t just sit around drinking and hoping things somehow get better, so he finally gets back up and locks the fuck in. Eventually, he awakens the Demon Slayer Mark and decides to fight Akaza himself. I think that would be a much better way of handling Shinjuro because it gives him an actual redemption arc. Instead of just being a broken man who lost his son, he actually does something about it and tries to honor Rengoku by fighting again.

I’ve also always wanted to see Akaza fight a Flame Hashira and a Water Hashira and just think, “Damn, I’m going two for two.” He already killed a Flame and Water Hashira in the past, so from his perspective, he’s about to add another one of each to his kill list. It would be even better if Shinjuro and Giyu initially give him flashbacks to the Hashira he killed before, only for them to push him much harder than he expected. Even after they unlock the Mark and STW, they still aren’t enough to beat him, which would really establish how ridiculous the gap is between Akaza and the Hashira.

Then Tanjiro unlocking Selfless State becomes the turning point that finally allows them to beat Akaza. I think that would make the victory feel much more earned because they had to go through multiple stages just to reach that point. Shinjuro gets his second chance, plus him and Giyu are pushed to their absolute limit, and Tanjiro has to unlock one of his most important abilities just to finally put Akaza down. That feels much more fitting for a fight against Upper Moon Three.

douma: same narratively; nothing changes, everyone gets their revenge.

kokushibo: I think Kokushibo should have been shown to be way stronger, especially considering that he uses Breathing, has the Demon Slayer Mark and STW, and possesses the highest concentration of Muzan’s blood among the Upper Moons. He also believes that Sun Breathing and even Moon Breathing are fundamentally superior to other forms of swordsmanship, so Upper Moon One should feel like an overwhelming master swordsman.

I’d have him fight Tengen, Obanai, Mitsuri, Sanemi, Muichiro, Gyomei, and Genya, with the slayers eventually unlocking Mark + STW + Red Blade just to keep up. What makes the matchup interesting is how varied their fighting styles are: Sound, Love, Snake, and Mist Breathing are derivatives of derivatives. Kokushibo adapting to all of these completely different styles would really emphasize just how ridiculously skilled and experienced he is, showing that even perfect coordination between all these different styles is barely enough to push him.

And the best part would be the irony of Kokushibo being defeated by the very styles he considered inferior. After centuries of believing that Sun and Moon Breathing stood above everything else, he is ultimately brought down by Sound, Love, Snake, and Mist Breathing—styles that aren’t even direct derivatives of Sun Breathing, but derivatives of other Breathing styles that originated from Sun. Genya, who doesn’t even use Breathing, getting the crucial shot that ultimately turns the battle in their favor makes the irony even better. Kokushibo loses not to another Sun Breathing user, but to a group using completely different styles and fighting methods that he would have considered inferior.

When Muichiro first faced Kokushibo, Kokushibo's aura was so intimidating that Muichiro was genuinely on the verge of crying out of fear before he managed to calm himself down. Then, when Muichiro tried to attack him, Kokushibo completely blitzed him, moving so quickly that it was almost as if Muichiro were standing still.

What makes this especially ironic is that Kokushibo earlier found himself in an almost identical situation to Muichiro—except this time, he was the one who was terrified. When Kokushibo faced Yoriichi, Yoriichi's aura was so terrifying that it scared Kokushibo so much that he was unable to react or even properly move before Yoriichi was already on top of him. In the same way that Kokushibo made Muichiro feel completely helpless, Yoriichi made Kokushibo experience that same feeling on an entirely different level.

I also feel that, when Yoriichi faced Kokushibo, he may have temporarily suppressed or turned off his usual Selfless State and allowed his fighting spirit to surface. His presence and aura became so overwhelming that Kokushibo immediately realized just how badly outmatched he was. You can almost see the moment where Kokushibo thinks, “Shit, I’m fucked,” and mentally breaks down from sheer fear.

That really puts into perspective just how terrifying Yoriichi was, especially to demons. This wasn’t just some ordinary fear of a strong opponent. Yoriichi’s presence was so overwhelming that he could make Upper Moon One himself tremble and panic.

It also creates a really interesting parallel between the two encounters: Muichiro experiences the fear of facing an opponent so far beyond him that he feels completely powerless, and centuries earlier, Kokushibo experienced that exact same feeling when facing Yoriichi. The difference is that Yoriichi was so overwhelmingly powerful that even Kokushibo—the strongest Upper Moon—could not help but feel shit-scared in that moment.

Doma and Rui are opposites in some ways. Yet the way Muzan views them is kind of conflicting with Muzan's core ideals and personality.

Edit: When I say "love," it means like the most compared to other demons.

Edit: in the title i meant to say paradoxical(autocorrect put it paradoxically).

Douma is Muzan's second-strongest demon, yet Muzan despises him to the core so much that he is kind of pissed and surprised Douma became strong. Rui is his second-weakest demon in the Twelve Kizuki, yet Muzan coddles him and adores him compared to the rest of the Twelve Kizuki. He even killed all the Lower Moons once Rui died and never once insulted him personally.

Not only is Douma his second-strongest demon, he embodies the very nature of what it means to be a demon. He is emotionless and is only focused on getting stronger and eating more people. Now, this should make him one of Muzan's favorites, as that's what he expects from his demons, but no. Apparently, in the databooks, he likes Douma the least. In fact, Douma is also quite ruthless as a demon and never even offered any Hashira a chance to become a demon, and is quite a logical thinker when it comes to fighting. All the more reasons why he should love Douma. Yet he hates Douma.

Rui, out of all his demons, has the most humanity, as he longs for a family and basically forces him and his entire pretend family to LARP as if they were a real family. Muzan should usually hate someone like this who longs to be human in ways such as this, but no; in fact, he favors Rui and allows demons in his family to fight as a group and, in fact, even enables his behavior. Rui is also the most emotional, as he was going to spare Tanjiro if he did give his sister up and is always crying and obsessing about not having real bonds and even scolds his family members if they do not pretend well to be his actual family. Yet Muzan likes him the most.

Now, given Muzan's personality and how he wants his demons to abandon their humanity and only focus on the Blue Spider Lily and getting stronger, he should love Douma and hate Rui, based on their rankings, their main goals, and overall emotional states. Yet it's the opposite. He loves Rui and hates Douma.

I think Muzan hates Douma because, in some twisted way, Douma reminds Muzan of the doctor he killed just before he became a demon. The doctor he killed might have been like Douma in terms of personality: emotionless, always wearing a smile without meaning it, and didn't take anything seriously. Muzan probably saw that doctor reincarnated in Douma and hates him for it because he can't just kill Douma because he is too valuable, just like the doctor.

Muzan loves Rui compared to the rest because Rui reminds Muzan of himself: weak and sick, about to die with everyone losing hope in him, and in some form or the other, Muzan must have seen a son or a younger version of himself in Rui and saved him in hopes of healing his own broken trauma. That's why he lets him play family and pretend to be a normal human kid with "love and warmth" because maybe a deep part of Muzan wanted that normal life as well, being a human with a normal family.

No, I know Michikatsu and his squad got wrecked by a fodder demon, but apparently he was quite talented as a swordsman before he learned breathing styles. A post about the lore implications of Michikatsu mentions that, under samurai rules, they had to keep their hair short or style it in a certain way.

michikatsu able to keep long hair suggests that the shogun saw him as one of the top samurai in the country, so he clearly wasn't an average swordsman like the swordsmen Akaza killed.

Also, back to the demons. Whilst it was a fodder demon. I think it was stronger than most demons in the Taisho era( non kizuki demons) for these reasons

Before Yoriichi and up until michikatsu joined, I think demons were stronger on average by a lot since breathing styles weren't invented, so they would have had more opportunities to kill, and without any breathing styles, a slayer would have a much harder time tracking them, keeping up with them, let alone killing them.

This would have let them grow much stronger in a much shorter time, since they would have spent that time killing and eating people on average rather than running and hiding from the slayers. Plus, the slayers before yorichii, even the pillars, would have had a much lower chance of killing them. This would allow them to escape, buying them more time to become even stronger.

Now back to michikatsu encountering this demon. He was the only one left standing out of all his subordinates, and he didn't sustain any major injuries. And given his attitude, I feel he was the first one who engaged this demon, as he is a samurai and isn't a coward like someone he turned. he was prepared to fight and die until yorichii saved him.

In short, demons before Yoriichi weren't killed early on, had more time to grow on average, plus didn't spend most of their time escaping and hiding from slayers since very few even had the strength to contend with them.

Now back to Hakuji, Samurai Killer vs Samurai Michikatsu.

I feel this fight would be close. now whilst Hakuji possesses extraordinary strength, he isn't so fast that he blitzes another human. Those samurai he killed were probably shit-scared after he killed the first few; they just froze in place and attacked him without proper coordination. he also seemed pretty exhasted after that feat.

Now, the fodder demon Michikatsu faced might have been a lot stronger than the average Taisho-era demon, given that it may have had ample time to grow and become stronger. Before Breathing Styles were developed, very few people were able to contend with demons, let alone kill them. Despite that, Samurai Michikatsu was able to survive against the demon long enough for Yoriichi to come and save him.

So, going back to the fight, I believe it would be a tough fight and could go either way. Michikatsu, as a samurai, seems skilled enough with a sword that he could give Hakuji a good fight and potentially even kill him before Hakuji manages to break his sword. He was a warrior who had killed before, whereas the samurai that Akaza killed in the dojo were probably not experienced in actual battles or fair fights.

On the other hand, Hakuji could potentially break Michikatsu’s sword with the Bell Splitter technique before Michikatsu gets a clean hit on him.

What do you guys think? Do you agree or disagree?

I wish we saw people like this who aren't capable of becoming demons. Maybe Yoriichi was one of them.