[Demon Slayer] Impossible to Watch Without Tears! Osamu's Top 7 "Soul-Shaking" Best Bout Ranking

Hello! This is Osamu, the manga blogger.

Demon Slayer has countless "great battles (best bouts)."

But what truly draws me to this story is the "drama" behind those battles.

It's not just an exchange of techniques, but a clash where "convictions," "attachments," and "curses" collide and send sparks flying.

Today, I'm revealing Osamu's list of "soul-shaking" best bouts that you can't talk about without tearing up!

[Demon Slayer] Can't Watch This Without Crying! Osamu's Top 7 "Soul-Shaking" Best Bouts

Rank 7: Tanjiro Kamado vs. Rui

[Theme]: Fake Bonds and the Manifestation of an Inherited "Sacred Ritual"

The battle against Lower Rank Five, Rui, on Natagumo Mountain.

This is a pivotal battle that defined the "quality" of Demon Slayer's fights.

Rui's curse of a "fake family" was built on "fear" and "control."

In contrast, in a moment of desperation, Tanjiro remembered and unleashed the "Hinokami Kagura: Waltz."

This isn't just the debut of a new move.

As I've touched on before, the "Hinokami Kagura" passed down in the Kamado family is a "divine ritual" (shinji) dedicated to the gods.

The moment Tanjiro's "love for his family" became the trigger, allowing the "divine ritual (Hinokami Kagura)" to overcome the "curse (Rui's Blood Demon Art)."

And then, Nezuko's "Blood Demon Art: Exploding Blood" overlaps with it.

It was a battle of souls, where the "true bond" of siblings shattered the "fake bond."

Rank 6: Zenitsu Agatsuma vs. Kaigaku

[Theme]: The "Pride" of One Who Kept Polishing a Single Skill

Fellow disciples of the "Thunder Breathing."

While they learned from the same master, Kaigaku, desperate for "strength," fell into being a demon. Zenitsu, while lamenting he could only use one form, continued to uphold their master's teachings.

This battle is truly a confrontation of "light and shadow."

The scene where Zenitsu cuts down Kaigaku with his self-created "Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami."

"I can't face Gramps if I don't."

Zenitsu cried, he ran away, but he never stopped mastering that "single thing." His "pride" severed the "curse" of the betrayer.

This fight is the culmination of Zenitsu's "spiritual growth," and I can't watch it without tears.

Rank 5: Kanao Tsuyuri & Inosuke Hashibira vs. Doma

[Theme]: Accumulated "Grudges" and a Resolve Forged into a "Cursed Tool"

Upper Rank Two, Doma. He has no emotions and dismisses everything as "nothingness," a truly "Kishin" (demon god)-like existence.

The horror of this battle first lies in the resolve of the "Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho."

She transformed her own body into a "mass of poison," like a "cursed tool."

This is her life's work of "Contagious Magic."

And the ones who connected that "curse" were Kanao and Inosuke.

Their sister's enemy, their mother's enemy. The moment those accumulated "grudges" dragged that "void" of a demon down to hell, my soul trembled.

Rank 4: Tengen Uzui & Tanjiro's group vs. Gyutaro & Daki

[Theme]: The Tragic "Karma" of Siblings Born from Society's "Curse"

The climax of the Entertainment District Arc.

The "soul" of this battle lies not with the Demon Slayer Corps, but rather with the "demons."

Born at the very bottom of society, oppressed, and constantly "collecting" on their debts, Gyutaro and Daki.

Their strength was their "sibling bond"—warped, yet pure in their belief that they were "one of a kind" for each other.

Before they were "demons," they were victims of the "curse" of this world's "injustice."

"Together, we're the strongest."

True to those words, their figures, not separating even in their final moments as they headed to hell.

Even though they were enemies, their "karma" was so deep it made me cry. A truly great best bout.

Rank 3: Tanjiro Kamado & Giyu Tomioka vs. Akaza

[Theme]: The End of a 100-Year "Curse" and the "Soul's" Liberation

The decisive battle against Akaza, the nemesis who killed Rengoku.

However, the essence of this fight is not "victory." It is "salvation."

In his human days as "Hakuji," he lost his father, his master, and his fiancée, Koyuki, all of whom he had sworn to protect, to senseless injustice.

His "abnormal obsession with strength" was the "curse" of his "past failure to protect" itself.

Tanjiro's words, Giyu's sword, and the final vision of Koyuki.

These things released the "curse" that had bound him for over a hundred years, killing the "demon Akaza" and allowing him to pass on as the "human Hakuji."

"That's enough." "Welcome home, my dear."

...I can't. Just writing this, I can't stop crying.

Rank 2: Gyomei Himejima, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Muichiro Tokito, & Genya Shinazugawa vs. Kokushibo

[Theme]: The Chain of Human "Resolve" in the Face of the Strongest "Demon"

Upper Rank One, Kokushibo.

The demon born from the "curse" (=jealousy) of being the "brother" of a "Sun Breathing" user.

His strength is despair-inducing.

But what makes this battle "soul-shaking" is the chain of "resolve" shown by the Demon Slayer Corps.

Muichiro Tokito, even after being cut in half, refusing to let go of his sword, his obsession manifesting a Crimson Blade.

Genya Shinazugawa, his body disintegrating, unleashing his Blood Demon Art to protect his brother (Sanemi).

And the strongest "Hashira," Gyomei Himejima, showing both deep compassion and the ferocity of a "demon god" to destroy evil.

In the face of the "strongest," they literally "passed the torch of life" to snatch victory (a mutual kill). An all-too-spectacular battle.

Rank 1S: Kyojuro Rengoku vs. Akaza

[Theme]: The Clash of "Conviction" and "Duty," the Inheritance of a Soul

The number one "soul-shaking" best bout I choose is, after all, this one.

Why?

Because this battle contains the "answer" to everything: "What is a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps?" and "In what way can humans defeat 'demons'?"

Akaza, who invites him to "become a demon," is a symbol of the "curse" of "eternal strength."

In response, Rengoku does not back down one step, declaring, "Growing old and dying are the very beauty of the fleeting creature called human."

This is not a mere battle.

It is a clash between the sorcery of "eternity" and the "pride (Kotodama - spirit of words)" of a human who "burns his finite life."

In the end, Rengoku loses his life.

But he "fulfilled his duty." He didn't let anyone die.

His "soul" was inherited by Tanjiro and the others.

In that sunrise, he had not "lost." He was "stronger" than anyone, and he burned his "soul" to completion.

Is there any other battle that could shake our souls more than this?

In Conclusion

That was Osamu's personal ranking of the TOP 7 "soul-shaking" best bouts.

It makes me realize once again that the battles in Demon Slayer aren't just about strength, but about "how they burned their souls" and "how they severed their curses."

What was the "soul-shaking" best bout for all of you?

Please let me know!

This was Osamu.