Demon Slayer is a "monster hunter" franchise set in 1900s Japan, a time of significant change in the nation. In this version of history, however, demons stalk the night and prey on hapless humans with their supernatural abilities. It's up to the Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps to wield nichirin blades and face these demons.
Over the course of two years, Tanjiro trains endlessly to join the Corps. He learns how to master Water Breathing, then learned Flame Breathing. At this point in the anime, Tanjiro is an impressive demon slayer. However, many characters from other anime overpower him in several ways.
Updated on May 21st, 2022 by Sarah Martin: Since this list was published in 2020, we've updated it with a few more characters who are objectively stronger than Tanjiro at this point in the anime. As Demon Slayer heads for season three, the audience has seen Tanjiro grow stronger and achieve numerous Hashira-level accolades. However, there are some characters from other anime series that beat Tanjiro at his own game. Swordsmen or not, these characters would give the young demon slayer a run for his money.
15 Madoka Kaname's Arrows Are More Versatile Than Tanjiro's Blade (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Even though she's from a magical girl series, Madoka Kaname is one of the most powerful anime characters of all time. Madoka can create arrows made of energy and attack her opponents with them. Madoka can even shoot several arrows at once to attack a large group. As she grows stronger, her attacks only become more potent.
Unlike Tanjiro's sword, Madoka's arrows give her plenty of versatility during combat. Even though Tanjiro's choreography while gearing up for an attack is impressive, Madoka's arrows would give her the upper hand in battle since she can fight from longer ranges and use them for several purposes.
14 Mob Has Infinite Telekinetic Powers (Mob Psycho 100)
Even though he doesn't look like much, Mob is one of the most overpowered anime characters. His attacks are most potent when he reaches 100% of his rage. Whoever upsets him better watch out.
Mob has infinite telekinetic powers. He can move buildings, bend spoons, fly, and even edit matter at its fundamental levels. Plus, he can absorb the energy of the surrounding environment to become stronger. When Mob is at 100%, he's strong. However, ???% is an entirely different state in which Mob becomes indestructible.
13 Gon Is One Of The Strongest Nen Users (Hunter X Hunter)
While he might not use a sword or any other physical weapon, Gon's strength lies in his raw power and his nen abilities. Even before mastering Nen and becoming an enhancer, Gon's physical strength was pretty terrifying — especially considering his age.
Gon is far stronger than Tanjiro, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Gon would defeat the demon slayer with ease. Tanjiro may be a master of water and flame breathing, but Gon's nen and raw physical powers truly pack a punch.
12 Giorno Giovanna's Stand Is Godlike (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind)
Giorno Giovanna's stand, Golden Experience, is already strong to begin with. It could create life from an inanimate object, heal dismembered wounds, and even temporarily revive someone. However, after it reaches its Requiem state, it becomes one of the most overpowered stand abilities in the entire series. Its strength goes beyond superhuman and can remove anyone from existence.
There are plenty of characters Giorno Giovanna could easily defeat, and Tanjiro is no exception. If these two were to go head-to-head, Tanjiro would quickly learn not to bring a nichirin blade to a stand battle.
11 Satoru Gojo Is The Strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer (Jujutsu Kaisen)
Satoru was the first person to inherit both the Six Eyes and Limitless techniques in hundreds of years. Some curse users have even claimed the universe's balance was altered after Satoru was born. It's no question why he's called the strongest jujutsu sorcerer on the planet.
Even special grade cursed spirits like Jogo or Hanami could barely stand their ground against Satoru. Plus, the King of Curses himself recognizes this sorcerer's strength. If Satoru wanted to, he could wipe out entire populations instantly. If Tanjiro and Satoru were to ever face off, it'd be an instant defeat for the demon slayer and an easy win for the sorcerer.
10 Giyu Tomioka Is The Water Hashira (Demon Slayer)
In his own franchise, Tanjiro is outclassed by most of the nine Hashira as of the end of season 1, including Giyu Tomioka. It's easy to compare Tanjiro's strength to Giyu's — since they are both demon slayers — and they even use the same element: water.
Giyu is the official water Hashira, and he easily defeated the "father" demon during the battle against Rui's spider clan.Giyu also worked with Shinobu to save Tanjiro and the gang from Rui. Even the brutish Inosuke was in total awe of Giyu's strength.
9 Ichigo Kurosaki Is On A Whole Different Level (Bleach)
Comparing Tanjiro to other swordsmen is a fair and easy way to determine who is the stronger warrior, and once again, Tanjiro falls short of his fellow swordsmen. Ichigo Kurosaki was born with incredible spiritual powers, and after he trained with Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihoin, and his father, Ichigo unlocked his true potential.
While Tanjiro is highly skilled and has a strong sense of smell, Ichigo is on a whole different level. His bankai grants him astonishing speed, and his Hollow mask boosts his formidable speed, power, and stamina even more. Additionally, Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho technique can blow away just about anyone who stands against him.
8 Endeavor Isn't A Swordsman, But His Hellflame Quirk Is Powerful (My Hero Academia)
Although Endeavor the pro hero doesn't use a sword, it's easy to see that he's much stronger than Tanjiro Kamado. He is Tanjiro's elemental opposite, having the Hellflame Quirk and a fondness for melee attacks rather than sword techniques.
Endeavor is devastatingly powerful either up close or at a distance. He can either use flaming punches or blasts of fire to reduce his foes to ash. Endeavor is the #1 ranked pro hero, proving his worth when he vanquished a nightmarish new Nomu in single combat.
7 Avatar Aang Outclasses Tanjiro In Sheer Power (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Aang would get along great with Tanjiro if they ever met since they prefer peace over the battle and want to protect the innocent. They both think people should get a second chance. However, Aang certainly outclasses Tanjiro in sheer power.
Aang is a natural Airbender, and an agile, crafty fighter who can turn his opponent's strengths against them. He can bend water, air, and earth as the avatar. Once Aang enters the avatar state, he's certain to crush anyone who made the mistake of crossing Aang.
6 It's Hard To Compete With Escanor's Sheer Strength (The Seven Deadly Sins)
The mighty Escanor is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, the finest of Holy Knights in the entire kingdom of Liones. He is the lion sin of pride, and he's quick to look down on other people as his inferiors since they cannot match his sheer strength.
More than once, Escanor has proven why he's so arrogant. When the sun rises, his strength climbs with it, and by high noon, he becomes the world's strongest man — borderline invincible. He will swing his great ax Rhitta, and even the mightiest demons will be slaughtered with impunity. Tanjiro wishes he could do that.
5 Erza Scarlet Can Easily Adjust To Her Opponent's Battle Strategy (Fairy Tail)
Like many other shonen heroes, Erza Scarlet is a noble swordfighter, and she can back it up with magic, too. Her ability is based on spatial magic, meaning Erza can reach into a parallel dimension to retrieve any of her many suits of armor. Each suit has different properties.
This means Erza can easily adjust to her opponent's battle strategy or magic, and she can match her incredible endurance with her superhuman strength and her sheer grit. If need be, Erza can focus all her power on offense alone, slicing any opponent in half — including Tanjiro.
4 Eren Yeager's True Strength Comes Out As The Attack Titan (Attack On Titan)
At first glance, Eren Yeager doesn't look like an almighty warrior; after all, he was only average as a soldier, especially when compared to Mikasa Ackerman. But his real strength lies in his power as the Attack Titan, which is a game-changer.
When Eren becomes this great Titan, his attack power is through the roof. He is both strong and nimble, able to outmaneuver Reiner Braun (the Armored Titan). This is far more power than Tanjiro could ever hope to have.
3 Sasuke Uchiha Has Both The Sharingan & The Rinnegan (Naruto)
Sasuke Uchiha was a rogue ninja for a long time. He went rogue because the Hidden Leaf Village couldn't offer him enough power to satisfy his need for vengeance. Sasuke was born with the Sharingan, and he later unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan and the Rinnegan.
On top of that, Sasuke boasts some astonishing speed, agility, and techniques. Not only that, but Sasuke can also pull off the electric Chidori technique. He has a powerful Cursed mark to go along with his genjustsu, and even has an electrified blade. Sasuke easily overpowers and outclasses Tanjiro in just about every category.
2 Colonel Roy Mustang's Alchemy Is Devastating (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
Colonel Roy Mustang is the legendary flame alchemist, being able to control air and set off sparks with his alchemy and his unique cloth gloves. Once he rearranges the oxygen in the air, he can set it all ablaze, and with devastating results. Few, enemies can withstand his searing assaults.
Doing this doesn't even tire Roy; he just needs enough oxygen molecules around to use this power. He has another technique, too; he can snap his left hand's fingers to boil water in an opponent's eyes or tongue, crippling them with pain and destroying their body parts one at a time.
1 Tatsumaki Is The Tornado Of Terror (One-Punch Man)
Saitama himself is notorious for being unbeatable in battle, but the side characters in One-Punch Man shouldn't be underestimated. Tatsumaki, also known as Tornado of Terror, is an incredibly powerful telekinetic hero who can toss around her enemies with impunity.
Tatsumaki once caught all the cannon shots from an alien warship and threw them back at the enemy vessel, blasting it apart with its own firepower. Tatsumaki can fly quickly through the air with her power, and she can lift, crush, and throw around a foe of any size with ease. Practically no enemy is a real challenge for Tatsumaki.