Demon Slayer is one of the biggest titles in shonen anime right now -- a well-animated monster hunter anime that depicts sword-carrying demon slayers who dispatch demons, the horrors of the night. Protagonist Tanjiro Kamado learned for himself how tough this lifestyle can be, but at least he's got a fancy black Nichirin sword to help him win the day.
Another monster hunter anime is the seinen anime series Tokyo Ghoul, where CCG investigators use ghoul-slaying weapons called quinques to take down their flesh-eating foes in mortal combat. Both anime series are a great example of the "monster hunter" concept, but between Nichirin swords and quinques, anime fans want to know which weapon type is better for defending humanity from supernatural threats.
The Sun-Soaked Blades of Demon Slayers
Similar to the Soul Reapers of Bleach, who carry zanpakuto into battle, the demon slayers of the Demon Slayer anime carry katana-like swords to battle their flesh-eating foes, the demons. In size and shape, these Nichirin swords may seem like ordinary weapons -- they cannot channel magical energies, for example, nor can they change their shape like a Bleach-style shikai. Instead, the main advantage of Nichrin swords is their construction method. As explained to Tanjiro early on, Nichirin swords are only made from sun-soaked ores found in Japan's mountains. All that concentrated solar energy in the raw ore allows demon slayers to fight demons with the condensed power of the sun on their side. Only sunlight can truly destroy a demon, so when demons come out at night, demon slayers must bring the sun's power with them.
Physically, Nichrin swords are usually similar to regular katanas, and against any human foe, that's effectively what they are. But that's not a bad thing. Katanas are famous worldwide for being some of the best-balanced and best-designed swords in existence, including their fearsome cutting power, so these are ideal weapons to dispatch demons by slicing their heads off or even stabbing them. Such a design also makes a Nichirin sword a familiar, intuitive weapon for a trainee demon slayer to use, and a demon slayer might even learn swordsmanship from an ordinary sword master who has no affiliation with the demon slayer corps itself. The universal nature of Nichrin swords makes them far more effective from a training and logistical standpoint.
The Stolen Power of Quinques in Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghoul's version of Nichrin swords are the quinques, the weapon of choice for CCG investigators who must battle ghouls to the death. Instead of being forged from natural ores, quinques are actually made from the flesh of slain ghouls, meaning they are like living weapons. Ghouls can use their Rc cells to form fleshy appendages known as kagune, which may take forms such as tentacles, wings or even spears, among other shapes. Kagune are also sorted into four categories based on their combat style, meaning that quinques made from kagune follow the same rules. CCG investigators carefully study all four combat styles so they can use and/or counter any or all of them.
All this means that quinques vary greatly in their size, shape and function as monster-slaying weapons, far more than Demon Slayer's Nichirin swords. In fact, some CCG investigators such as Kureo Mado and Juzo Suzuya hunt and slay certain ghouls for the specific purpose of harvesting their kagune to form new quinques, and an investigator may have several quinques in their collection. Notably, a quinque is locked into shape, unlike a ghoul's living kagune, so CCG investigators must choose and commit themselves to a particular shape for their quinque when that weapon is being made. An example is Juzo's powerful scythe-shaped quinque, forged from the kagune of the fallen Yamori/Jason.
Rare, powerful quinque might even have ranged attacks, such as the rifle-like quinque that elite investigator Kisho Arima uses, and other quinque are more like a suit of armor that the investigator can wear. Those quinque are made from kakuja kagune, which come from ghouls who cannibalized their own kind to gain immense power. Kotaro Amon once used such a quinque when battling Ken Kaneki the one-eyed ghoul, for example.
Which Weapon Type is Better for Hunting Monsters?
Nichrin swords and quinques are both highly effective monster-slaying weapons whose designs take everything into account, from sun-soaked ores to the four kagune-based combat styles. However, in the end, quinques are more powerful monster-slaying weapons for a variety of reasons, including the fact that quinques are trickier to train with than Nichirin swords.
To begin with, it's feasible for one CCG investigator to have multiple quinques to handle a variety of ghoul foes, while demon slayers only ever carry one sword. Much more significantly, quinques boast a far greater variety of shapes, features and attack types than Nichirin swords, ranging from quinque throwing knives and centipede-like quinque whips to giant scythes and even ranged weapons like Kisho Arima's quinques. Kisho Arima easily defeated Ken Kaneki not just with his elite skills but also with his advanced quinques, capable of obliterating a ghoul from a distance with devastating energy shots.
All this means that quinques outclass Nichrin swords as offensive weapons, and as for defense, CCG investigators can use armor-like kakuja quinques, while demon slayers have no equivalent to that at all. They can block demonic attacks with their swords, but that's it.