The Hashira make up a small group of the best demon slayers in the Demon Slayer Corps. They have killed dozens of demons in order to prove their strength, which vastly outstrips that of the other members. These members stand the best chance of surviving against the Upper Ranked demons, and have even killed those demons as well.
Although their abilities are superhuman, they are not perfect. At times, they have lost battles, or their attitude rubbed fans the wrong way. However, they have also won key battles, and some members even redeemed themselves.
10 PROVED THEMSELVES: Giyu Tomioka Protected Nezuko Kamado
Giyu was one of the first people to believe in Nezuko, quickly noticing she wasn't like other demons. He sent Tanjiro to get some training and vouched for her in front of the other Hashira. Many of the other Hashira would have never given Nezuko a chance to prove herself. Giyu not only protected her from Shinobu but also promised to take his own life if she ever ate anyone.
9 LET US DOWN: Shinobu Kocho Was Defeated By Giyu
Shinobu was physically the weakest Hashira. She did not have the strength to cut off a demon's head with her sword, so she relied on a variety of poison mixtures instead.
Although she was determined to kill Nezuko, she was quickly restrained by Giyu before she could pursue her. She couldn't move much in his grasp and seemed completely helpless without her sword.
8 PROVED THEMSELVES: Kyojurou Rengoku Protected All The Train Passengers
Rengoku protected 5 train cars by himself, and there wasn't a single casualty on the train, despite the fact that a demon had fused with it. Rengoku never got a mark like the other Hashira did, but he was still able to keep up with Akaza. Akaza was completely occupied with him until sunrise and barely managed to retreat. Rengoku may have died, but he managed to protect everyone else.
7 LET US DOWN: Mitsuri Kanroji Never Lands A Final Blow On An Upper Moon
Mitsuri never had the chance to shine like the other Hashira. She had an incredible amount of strength, enough to rip off Muzan's arm with her bare hands, but she didn't land a finishing blow on either Nakime nor Hantengu.
She focused on buying time for other people to defeat them instead. She didn't get an adequate amount of time to show off her own abilities.
6 PROVED THEMSELVES: Shinobu's Poisons Were A Game-Changer
From the start, Shinobu knew that she herself would never win against Doma. Not only did he kill her sister, who was also a Hashira, but his ice-based attacks made it impossible for humans to easily approach him. She allowed him to absorb her since her body was filled with Wisteria poison, which was instrumental in his ultimate defeat. She also engineered four poisons for Muzan, one of which aged him by over 9,000 years.
5 LET US DOWN: Shinjuro Rengoku Was A Terrible Father
Shinjuro became a violent alcoholic after his wife passed and completely gave up on being a Hashira. He had no words of encouragement for his sons and even ripped up an important Flame Hashira text in his rage. After his son died, he had nothing positive to say about him and even insulted his surviving son for mourning. He would eventually regret the things he's done, but this is the lowest point fans see a Hashira at.
4 PROVED THEMSELVES: Sanemi Shinazugawa Redeemed Himself
Sanemi made himself easy to dislike, as he not only stabbed Nezuko, but he even attempted to attack his own brother. Genya attempted to apologize and reconnect with his brother by becoming a demon slayer, but he was brushed off every time. It turned out that Sanemi was only trying to push him away from a dangerous life, and stated that he would have spent his life making sure no demon reached him. Sanemi entered the fight against Kokushibo with the intent of protecting his brother, proving he wasn't as callous as he seemed.
3 LET US DOWN: Tengen Uzui Put Others In Danger To Save His Three Wives
Tengen, worried that his wives were in danger, intended on dragging some female servants along with him to the Entertainment District. He is stopped by Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, and decides to take them along instead. They disguise themselves as girls to gather information, but Tengen quickly realized that he put them in danger. He even admitted that he was blinded by his desire to save his wives, and became so injured in the fight against an Upper Moon that he had to retire. The battle would have been easier if he took other Hashira with him instead.
2 PROVED THEMSELVES: Gyomei Himejima's Fight Against Upper Moon One Showed That He Is The Strongest Hashira
Gyomei was an impressive fighter with an incredibly difficult training regimen of sitting under waterfalls and pushing boulders. And despite being blind, he could keep up with some of the strongest demons. He even protected Sanemi from a fatal blow from Kokushibo while also protecting himself. When Kokushibo told him that having a mark meant he wouldn't live past 25, Gyomei didn't even flinch, stating that being a demon slayer meant there may never be a tomorrow.
1 LET US DOWN: Muichiro Tokito Hit Kotetsu To Get The Key To The Battle Doll
Muichiro started off as a cold individual, who was both selfish and logical. In order to train with the battle doll, he hit Kotetsu to get the key. Kotetsu was devastated since he did not have the knowledge to repair the doll. Muichiro even considered abandoning some people to be eaten by demons, but thankfully, Tanjiro's words of how one kind act can benefit a person later left a lasting impression on Muichiro.