The manga series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba features an extensive cast of characters created by Koyoharu Gotouge.
Main characters Tanjiro Kamado
is the eldest son of a charcoal selling family. After a demon attack kills his mother and younger siblings, and turns his sister Nezuko into a demon, he becomes a Demon Slayer to cure her. He trains in the style and later uses his family's , a derivative of the original , to create a unique and sustainable combat style. He possesses a heightened sense of smell, which aids in tracking demons and sensing emotions, and is known for his physical resilience. He initially wields a black Nichirin sword forged for him; he later wields a Sengoku period sword he finds in the Swordsmith Village.
Nezuko Kamado
is the younger sister of Tanjiro, transformed into a demon during an attack that killed the rest of their family. She retains enough memory to see humans as her kin, protecting them from other demons. Instead of consuming humans, she sustains herself by sleeping. Nezuko possesses standard demon abilities like regeneration and superhuman strength, alongside a unique called , creating flames harmful to demons. Her most singular trait is her eventual immunity to sunlight, which makes her the primary target for Muzan Kibutsuji. Before this, she is carried by Tanjiro in a specially designed wooden box.
Zenitsu Agatsuma
is a Demon Slayer who joined the Corps alongside Tanjiro. Trained in the style, he can only use the first form but has mastered it to an exceptional degree. Despite his fearful and anxious demeanor, he fights effectively when unconscious, relying on his perfected skill. He possesses extremely acute hearing, allowing him to discern people's true intentions and track demons. He wields a yellow Nichirin sword. Following the disbandment of the Demon Slayer Corps, he eventually marries Nezuko.
Inosuke Hashibira
is a Demon Slayer raised by boars, resulting in a feral and aggressive personality. He fights using a self-taught style called , and wields two serrated, indigo-gray Nichirin swords. He possesses a heightened sense of touch, detecting opponents through vibrations in the air. He typically wears the head of his deceased boar mother as a mask. Despite his brutish exterior, he is a highly capable combatant. He eventually becomes a close ally to Tanjiro and his companions. Following the disbandment of the Demon Slayer Corps, he marries Aoi Kanzaki.
Demon Slayer Corps The are an organization that has existed since ancient times and is dedicated to protect humanity from demons. There are hundreds of Demon Slayers within the organization, but they act in secrecy, even from the Japanese government. The most powerful swordsmen among the Demon Slayers are the , who serve as its elite warriors.
Ubuyashiki family
The 97th leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, whose family established the organization. He is a distant relative of Muzan, resulting in his bloodline being cursed with a disease that slowly kills them before reaching their thirties due to their connection with Muzan's blood. He is gentle but firm and has dedicated himself to leading the Corps, garnering the respect of the Demon Slayers he commands. He sacrifices himself to weaken Muzan with a suicide bombing, exploiting Muzan's sadistic pleasure in listening to his last words before supposedly killing him.
Kagaya's wife and caretaker, who later takes his place during meetings with the Hashira when he cannot attend. She was chosen by a priest to marry Kagaya and agreed to care for him on her own accord. She also assists in leading the Corps and was responsible for rescuing and recruiting the Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito. She dies in the explosion of the Ubuyashiki estate due to staying with her husband.
The first of the Ubuyashiki children with her twin sister Nichika and the eldest daughter of Kagaya and Amane, who serves as his aide during meetings with the Hashira. She dies in the explosion of the Ubuyashiki estate due to staying with her father.
One of the Ubuyashiki children and second eldest daughter of Kagaya and Amane, who, like Hinaki, acts as Kagaya's aide. She dies in the explosion of the Ubuyashiki estate due to staying with her father.
Kagaya's only son and the third of the Ubuyashiki children, who appears during Tanjiro's Final Selection in feminine clothing. Following Kagaya's death, Kiriya becomes his successor, commanding the Demon Slayer Corps in the final battle against Muzan and his forces. After Muzan's death, Kiriya officially disbands the Demon Slayer Corps, as their mission to vanquish him and all demons has been accomplished. It is later shown that he became the longest-living person in Japan, as he is still alive in the present day, outliving his Slayers and associates outside of Yushiro.
The fourth of the Ubuyashiki children, and the older twin sister of Kanata. After the death of her family, she assists Kiriya in leading the Corps during the final battle.
The youngest of the Ubuyashiki children and the youngest daughter of Kagaya's children alongside her twin sister Kuina, who often accompanies Kiriya. After the death of her family, she assists Kiriya during the final battle alongside Kuina.
Hashira
The Stone Hashira, regarded as the strongest combatant in the Demon Slayer Corps. A former monk, he was falsely imprisoned after children under his care were killed by a demon, leading him to be cynical and wary. He initially distrusts Tanjiro due to his sister's demonic nature, but later acknowledges his integrity. He wields a massive instead of a standard Nichirin sword. Gyomei plays a critical role in the battles against the Upper Rank Kokushibo and Muzan Kibutsuji, during which he loses a leg. He succumbs to his injuries after Muzan's defeat. In the present day, he is a kindergarten teacher.
The Mist Hashira, and a descendant of Demon Slayers of the past. Aloof yet secretly caring, he was orphaned with only his older twin brother Yuichiro as family. After Yuichiro was killed protecting him from a demon, the trauma of his death led him to become amnesiac and lose his childhood memories. Initially distrustful of Tanjiro, he becomes closer to him after regaining his memories and coming to terms with his survival. During the attack on the Swordsmith Village, he defeats the Upper Rank Gyokko. Muichiro is killed in action against Kokushibo, revealed to be his distant ancestor. In the present day, he and his brother are reincarnated as infant twins.
The Love Hashira and a former disciple of Kyojuro Rengoku. Passionate and somewhat air-headed, she is unlike her fellow Demon Slayers, in that she did not join the Corps due to tragedies caused by demons, rather doing so in a way to be herself instead of conforming to society. She possesses enhanced flexibility and physical strength because of her dense musculature, and wields a whip-like Nichirin sword. She is pivotal in the defeat of the Upper Rank Hantengu at the Swordsmith Village, and later battles his successor Nakime with Obanai. During the final battle against Muzan, she is mortally wounded and declares her love for Obanai, dying alongside him. In the present day, they are reincarnated as a married couple who work as restaurateurs.
The Flame Hashira and successor to his father Shinjuro. Though he comes off as boisterous and eccentric, he is pure-hearted and honorable, as his mother instilled in him a moral code of protecting the weak. He is assigned to investigate the Mugen Train, with Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Nezuko aiding him in dispatching the Lower Rank Enmu. After the battle, the Upper Rank Akaza confronts him and proposes that he turn into a demon, having recognized his skill and strength. Kyojuro rejects this and battles him, but is ultimately killed. In his last moments, he directs Tanjiro to Shinjuro on his quest to discover more about his Hinokami Kagura. Tanjiro later has Kyojuro's tsuba installed on his new sword to honor him. In the present day, he is reincarnated as a high school student named Tojuro, who is also his descendant through his younger brother.
The Water Hashira and the first Demon Slayer that Tanjiro meets. He initially tries to kill Nezuko but reconsiders after she protects Tanjiro from him, and directs them to his mentor Sakonji Urokodaki in hopes that Tanjiro could succeed him and possibly cure Nezuko. Beneath his aloof and unemotional exterior, he suffers from an inferiority complex stemming from survivor's guilt during Final Selection, where his best friend Sabito dies after killing all but one demon, leading him to be unconfident in his skills as a Hashira. He developed an additional self-taught form of Water Breathing. Giyu and Tanjiro battle Akaza in the Infinity Castle, and later are the first to face Muzan. He loses his left arm during the battle, but survives. Giyu has a descendant in the present day named Giichi, who is close friends with Sabito's and Makomo's reincarnations.
The Insect Hashira and sister of Kanae. Her surname, , means "butterfly", hence her motif. Outwardly cool-headed and optimistic, her cheery façade hides an angry, vengeful figure driven by her hatred of demons for killing her family, to the point of deriving sadistic pleasure from killing them. However, she is caring towards her subordinates, her adoptive sister Kanao, and the Kamado siblings. Due to her small frame preventing her from beheading demons, she wields a thin, sting-like Nichirin sword to inject them with a wisteria-based poison she made. This expertise allows her to assist Tamayo in developing the cure for Nezuko and a mixture of drugs to weaken Muzan. Shinobu sacrifices herself to defeat the Upper Rank Doma, having previously taken massive doses of wisteria to ensure he would be poisoned when he devoured her, allowing Kanao and Inosuke to kill him. In the present day, she and Kanae are reincarnated as high school students.
The Sound Hashira and a former shinobi. He is exuberant and prideful, always striving to do things in a flamboyant manner. Beneath his arrogant, condescending demeanor, he harbors deep regrets over his former life as a shinobi, including being forced to kill his siblings on his father's orders; he joined the Demon Slayers to atone for his sins and regrets. He has three wives who served as kunoichi and assist him in his mission. He retires as the Sound Hashira after losing his left hand and eye while fighting the Upper Rank Gyutaro. He later assists in the final battle against Muzan, protecting the Ubuyashikis with Kyojuro's father Shinjuro. In the present day, Tengen has a descendant named Tenma, who is an Olympic gymnast and acts in a similarly arrogant manner towards others.
The Wind Hashira, who is confrontational and aggressive; even after failing in his attempt to prove Nezuko's demonic nature to the Hashira and Kagaya, he does not accept the Kamado siblings. As a teen, he witnessed the deaths of his siblings and was forced to kill his mother, who had been transformed into a demon. He is the older brother of Genya, his only surviving sibling, and continually shuns him to unsuccessfully have his brother quit the Demon Slayer Corps so he can live a normal life. He played a key role in the battle against Kokushibo, and is one of two Hashira to survive the final battle against Muzan, alongside Giyu. In the present day, he has a descendant who is a police officer along with Genya's reincarnation.