10 Best Episodes of ‘Demon Slayer’

Fans of ‘Demon Slayer’ have followed Tanjiro, Nezuko, and the Corps across haunting forests, rumbling trains, neon city nights, and hidden villages. Across these arcs the series delivers tightly structured battles, clear power mechanics, and character reveals that build steadily from episode to episode. Selecting standout entries means looking at pivotal confrontations, first appearances, and turning points that move the larger story forward.

This list highlights episodes that introduce major techniques, resolve key clashes, or unlock information that changes what the characters can do next. You will find where new Breathing forms appear, when Hashira step in, and how victories reshape goals for both the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan’s Upper Ranks. Use it to jump to the chapters that matter most in the story of ‘Demon Slayer’.

Hinokami

Tanjiro confronts Rui on Mount Natagumo after standard Water Breathing forms fail to cut the threads. He transitions to the Hinokami Kagura for the first time and links it with Nezuko’s Exploding Blood to attack in tandem. The sequence establishes how his father’s dance connects to Sun Breathing and how Nezuko’s Blood Demon Art can combine with a sword technique.

The battle also clarifies Rui’s Blood Demon Art and the limits of his web durability. The episode ends with the apparent decapitation of Rui and sets up intervention from the Demon Slayer Corps, which leads directly into the arrival of high ranking swordsmen on the mountain.

Pretend Family

Giyu Tomioka arrives on Mount Natagumo and demonstrates the Eleventh Form Dead Calm to neutralize Rui’s webs. Shinobu Kocho appears on the field and outlines poison methods effective against demons, showing how Insect Breathing operates differently from standard forms.

The Corps response protocol is shown as Giyu protects Tanjiro and Nezuko while Shinobu pursues a separate target. This entry transitions the story from lower rank spider demons to contact with the Hashira and prepares the formal summons that brings Tanjiro and Nezuko before the highest ranks of the Corps.

Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku

The Mugen Train TV arc opens with Rengoku investigating disappearances around a bento stand and tracking a demon that targets civilians. The episode maps his patrol habits, sword speed, and decision making before he ever boards the train.

It also introduces the family who later appears aboard the train and explains why the line is a target. By the end Rengoku confirms the assignment, setting the conditions for the mission where multiple Demon Slayers coordinate inside a moving environment against sleep based attacks.

Set Your Heart Ablaze

The clash between Rengoku and Akaza escalates in open terrain near the stopped train. The episode details Akaza’s Destructive Death Compass Needle and shows how Rengoku counters with Flame Breathing forms at close range.

Poison and injuries from the prior fight limit the other slayers, so the narrative focuses on the time window Rengoku must hold. The outcome alters objectives for every main character going forward and leaves Tanjiro with information about Upper Rank power that shapes his training plans.

Layered Memories

Tanjiro fights Daki in the Entertainment District and experiences flash memories that connect his movements to Sun Breathing. The episode charts how his body fails under repeated Hinokami uses and how he modulates breathing to prolong the technique.

Nezuko awakens a more advanced demon state with a vine pattern and horn and uses enhanced regeneration and Exploding Blood to overwhelm Daki. Tanjiro then restrains Nezuko using a lullaby, while Tengen Uzui appears to confirm that decapitating Daki alone is insufficient to finish the threat.

Defeating an Upper Rank Demon

Tengen engages Gyutaro while Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke pressure Daki in parallel. The episode tracks time between the two necks as the group coordinates simultaneous decapitation, explaining why Upper Rank siblings must be beheaded together.

Bombs and wires from Tengen’s allies disrupt Gyutaro’s Blood Demon Art while Tanjiro times openings with precise footwork. The strategy sets up the next phase where poison, stamina, and coordination determine which side can sustain pressure long enough to land the final cuts.

Never Give Up

After taking heavy damage, Tanjiro regains initiative by exploiting Gyutaro’s focus and creating a brief opening. Tengen resumes motion by syncing his fighting score and marks a pattern in Gyutaro’s attacks that Tanjiro can use.

Zenitsu pushes through fallen debris to support the cut on Daki, and Inosuke returns to assist despite earlier injuries. The episode maps the exact sequence of blades, movements, and seconds required to execute the final plan against the Upper Rank pair.

No Matter How Many Lives

The aftermath covers Gyutaro and Daki’s history and shows the consequences of the simultaneous beheading. Nezuko uses her Blood Demon Art to burn away poison, allowing the slayers to recover without medical aid.

The district’s destruction is surveyed, and Tengen’s condition leads to a change in his status within the Corps. The end of the arc resets the team’s equipment and points them toward the next location needed to continue blade preparation and training.

Someone’s Dream

At the start of the Swordsmith Village arc, Tanjiro wakes from his injuries and receives orders to travel to the village to repair and improve his blade. The episode introduces the Yoriichi Type Zero training doll and explains how an older mechanism can drill forms and endurance.

Mitsuri Kanroji and Muichiro Tokito appear with details about their roles and abilities. The episode closes by revealing a hidden sword linked to a historical era, which becomes a plot thread for both Tanjiro’s growth and the demons’ interest in the village.

A Connected Bond Daybreak and First Light

Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya pursue Hantengu’s true body while clones attempt to delay them. The sequence times pursuit against sunrise and shows how locating the small main body is the only way to end the fight.

Nezuko is exposed to direct sunlight yet remains unharmed, which is new information within the rules of the setting. This development changes Muzan’s objectives and sets a new priority for both sides, affecting every mission that follows in ‘Demon Slayer’.

Share the episodes you would add or swap in the comments so other fans of ‘Demon Slayer’ can compare notes.