The Upper Moons of Demon Slayer: names and powers
In Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, the Upper Moons represent the absolute elite of demons under the command of Muzan Kibutsuji. Far superior to the Lower Moons, they possess power, regeneration, and Blood Demon Arts capable of challenging even the best Demon Slayers.
Kokushibo, Doma, Akaza, Hantengu, Gyokko, Gyutaro, and Daki have each left their mark on history through their powers and their pasts. Behind their monstrous appearance also lie often tragic human stories, which help explain why the clashes against the Upper Moons occupy such an important place in Demon Slayer.
What are the Upper Moons in Demon Slayer?
The Upper Moons belong to the Twelve Kizuki, also known as the Twelve Demon Moons. This organization brings together the most powerful demons directly under the authority of Muzan Kibutsuji, the first demon and main antagonist of Demon Slayer.
The Twelve Kizuki are divided into two groups: the six Upper Moons and the six Lower Moons. Their rank appears directly in their eyes, accompanied by the number corresponding to their position in the hierarchy.
The lower the number, the higher the rank. Upper Moon One is therefore theoretically the most powerful, while Upper Moon Six occupies the last position among the six upper-ranking demons.
However, this hierarchy should not be seen as a simple list. The members of the upper ranks are monsters who have survived for decades, sometimes centuries, while perfecting their techniques. For a very long time, no Demon Slayer managed to lastingly disrupt their organization.
Ranking of the Demon Slayer Upper Moons
At the start of the main conflicts against the Upper Ranks, the hierarchy is dominated by six positions. The sixth place is special, as Gyutaro and Daki share the same rank.
The Upper Ranks
They constitute the elite of the Twelve Kizuki. Their power, experience, and regeneration allow them to stand up to the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
The Lower Moons
They are less powerful and replaced much more easily. Muzan himself considers them insufficient after several failures against the Demon Slayers.
Why are the Upper Moons so powerful?
The strength of the Upper Moons relies first and foremost on the amount of Muzan’s blood they have been able to assimilate. The more a demon receives and tolerates this blood, the more its potential can increase. But raw power is not enough: the Upper Moons have above all had an enormous amount of time to perfect their abilities.
While a Demon Slayer remains limited by a human lifespan, a demon can continue to fight, learn, and evolve for dozens or hundreds of years. This longevity explains the immense gap between an ordinary demon and a member of the Upper Ranks.
Their bodies can heal wounds that would be instantly fatal to a human being.
Each Moon possesses unique supernatural abilities, often difficult to understand during a first encounter.
Some have fought for centuries and possess exceptional knowledge of combat.
All Upper Moons: powers and history
Each Upper Moon has a very different personality, Blood Demon Art, and human history. Their ranking, however, helps measure the immense gap in power that separates the most formidable members from the rest of the demons.
Kokushibo
Moon Breathing and demonic blade
Kokushibo is Upper Moon One and the most powerful demon directly under Muzan’s command. With his six eyes, his appearance alone is enough to show that he resembles no adversary encountered before.
Unlike the majority of demons, Kokushibo was once a Demon Slayer. His experience with the sword, combined with the supernatural abilities gained after his transformation, makes him an exceptional fighter.
His powers
Kokushibo uses Moon Breathing, a technique derived from Sun Breathing. His sword attacks are accompanied by numerous crescent-shaped blades, the trajectory of which makes his movements extremely difficult to dodge.
His weapon itself is no longer a simple katana. It is made of his own flesh and can regenerate, change shape, and grow eyes along its blade.
His six eyes also offer him extraordinary perception. He can analyze his opponents’ movements with terrifying precision and immediately adapt his fighting style.
His history
Before becoming Kokushibo, his name was Michikatsu Tsugikuni. He was the twin brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, considered the greatest swordsman in the history of the Demon Slayers.
Despite his own talents, Michikatsu lived in the shadow of his brother’s natural genius. This jealousy gradually became an obsession. Unable to accept that his human life was limited while he wished to continue perfecting his art, he eventually accepted becoming a demon.
Kokushibo thus represents one of the most important themes in Demon Slayer: the fear of death and the desire to exceed human limits, even at the cost of what once made him a man.
Doma
Ice and cryokinetic techniques
Behind his permanent smile and light attitude, Doma is one of the most dangerous demons in the entire organization. He occupies the rank of Upper Moon Two, just behind Kokushibo.
His personality is particularly disturbing: Doma mimics human emotions without actually feeling them. This lack of empathy allows him to commit atrocious acts while maintaining an almost friendly attitude.
His powers
Doma manipulates ice thanks to his Blood Demon Art. He can produce frozen clouds, lotuses, blades, and numerous icy structures.
His attacks are all the more dangerous because the cold he generates can directly affect his opponents’ breathing. For a Demon Slayer, whose techniques rely precisely on breath control, this advantage is considerable.
Doma can also create miniature reproductions of himself capable of using several of his techniques. Combined with his regeneration and speed, these abilities make prolonged fights against him extremely difficult.
His history
From his human childhood, Doma was considered an exceptional being because of his appearance. His parents founded a religious cult around him, and many followers came to entrust him with their suffering.
But Doma felt almost no emotion toward these people. After his transformation into a demon, he continued to lead his cult, using his status to attract new victims.
His history is directly linked to several major characters, notably Shinobu Kocho, Kanao Tsuyuri, and Inosuke Hashibira. This gives his final confrontation a particularly personal dimension.
Akaza
Martial arts and Destructive Death
Akaza is Upper Moon Three and one of the first members of the Upper Ranks to truly demonstrate the power gap that exists between these demons and their adversaries.
He harbors an almost obsessive admiration for strength and despises those he considers weak. When he encounters a fighter he respects, he may even offer them the chance to become a demon in order to continue progressing eternally.
His powers
Unlike Kokushibo, Akaza does not fight with a weapon. His entire body is his arsenal. His abilities rely on an extremely advanced fighting style combined with his Blood Demon Art, Destructive Death.
His signature attack, Compass Needle, allows him to perceive his opponents’ fighting spirit. He can thus anticipate their movements, detect their presence, and adapt his attacks with great precision.
His speed, physical power, and ability to regenerate make him a true nightmare in close quarters combat. The more powerful an opponent is, the more Akaza seems to enjoy fighting them.
His history
Before becoming a demon, Akaza was called Hakuji. His childhood was marked by poverty and the efforts he made to try to heal his sick father.
Later, he finally found a new family and discovered a form of happiness he had never known. But another tragedy brutally destroyed that life. Completely broken, Hakuji ended up meeting Muzan, who turned him into a demon.
His obsession with strength then took on another meaning: behind the warrior who refuses weakness hides a man incapable of forgetting the people he failed to protect.
Hantengu
Emotional clones and multiple bodies
At first glance, Hantengu seems fragile, fearful, and incapable of posing a real threat. This deceptive appearance, however, hides one of the most complex Blood Demon Arts in Demon Slayer.
His powers
When decapitated, Hantengu can create several demons representing different emotions. Among them are notably Sekido, Karaku, Aizetsu, and Urogi.
Each one possesses its own abilities. Sekido can use lightning, Karaku manipulates powerful gusts of wind, Aizetsu fights with a spear, and Urogi possesses wings as well as a formidable sonic attack.
Several of these emotions can then give rise to Zohakuten, the incarnation of hatred. This form can use wood dragons and combine the abilities of the other manifestations.
Meanwhile, Hantengu’s true body, which is much smaller, tries to hide. Figuring out which body must actually be decapitated is thus an essential part of the fight.
His history
Even before his transformation, Hantengu systematically refused to take responsibility for his actions. He constantly presented himself as a victim, even when he was directly responsible for crimes committed.
His power reflects this personality: his emotions seem to almost detach from him to fight in his place, while his true body continuously seeks to flee.
Hantengu plays a major role during the Swordsmith Village arc, where Tanjiro, Nezuko, Genya, and several Hashira must face his various forms simultaneously.
Gyokko
Demonic vases and aquatic creatures
Gyokko, Upper Moon Five, likely possesses one of the strangest appearances of all the demons in the series. His misshapen body is generally linked to a vase, which is central to his powers.
His powers
Gyokko can move instantly between different vases that he summons. This ability allows him to change position quickly, attack from multiple directions, and surprise his opponents.
He can also summon various demonic aquatic creatures, use water-based attacks, and trap his targets in structures that are difficult to break.
When he reveals his true form, his body becomes covered in particularly resistant scales. His speed and power then increase significantly.
Gyokko is also capable of altering what he touches, further reinforcing the unpredictable nature of his combat style.
His history
Gyokko has a completely distorted view of art. He transforms suffering, bodies, and death into creations he considers beautiful.
This artistic obsession explains his behavior during the attack on the Swordsmith Village. He sometimes seems more interested in his own works than in the efficiency of his mission.
His confrontation with Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira, notably highlights the gap between Gyokko's arrogance and the young Slayer's exceptional talent.
Gyutaro & Daki
Poisoned sickles and demonic obis
The sixth position in the hierarchy has a peculiarity: it is occupied simultaneously by Gyutaro and Daki. The two demons are brother and sister, and their existence is deeply linked.
In the Entertainment District, Daki conceals herself among humans while Gyutaro stays hidden inside her body. When his sister is truly threatened, he can emerge to fight by her side.
Their powers
Daki manipulates long demonic obi sashes. They can slice through her opponents, move over long distances, and be used simultaneously to attack or defend.
Gyutaro, meanwhile, fights with two sickles. His attacks are accompanied by blood blades and, above all, an extremely dangerous poison. A single wound can quickly place a Slayer in mortal danger.
Their main advantage, however, lies in their shared condition: to defeat them permanently, both of their heads must be severed within an extremely short time interval.
Their history
Before becoming demons, Gyutaro and Daki grow up in extreme poverty in the Entertainment District. Gyutaro is rejected because of his appearance, while his sister's beauty quickly becomes their primary means of survival.
Despite their living conditions, Gyutaro develops an absolute attachment to his sister. When a series of tragic events leaves them both gravely injured, they meet Doma.
He offers them the chance to become demons. Their sibling bond remains at the center of their existence, right up to their final moments.
Their battle against Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and Tengen Uzui constitutes one of the first confrontations where the true power of the Upper Moons is fully revealed.
Nakime and Kaigaku: the new Upper Moons
The hierarchy of the Upper Moons is not entirely fixed. After the disappearance of several members, Muzan assigns certain vacant ranks to new demons. Two characters then become particularly important: Nakime and Kaigaku.
Nakime
New Upper Moon Four
Her power
Nakime plays the biwa and controls the gigantic Infinity Castle. By plucking the strings of her instrument, she can move rooms, change their orientation, and teleport people from one place to another.
Her power is not based on physical strength, but on total control of the environment. In a place like the Infinity Castle, this makes her an extremely difficult opponent to reach.
Her role
After Hantengu's death, Nakime takes the place of Upper Moon Four and becomes an essential piece in Muzan's strategy.
Kaigaku
New Upper Moon Six
His power
Kaigaku is particularly dangerous because he was once a Demon Slayer. Like Zenitsu, he was trained in the Thunder Breathing style.
After his transformation, his sword techniques are enhanced by his new demonic abilities. His attacks, in particular, produce effects similar to dark lightning.
His history
Kaigaku was trained by Jigoro Kuwajima, the same master as Zenitsu. However, the two characters follow completely opposite paths.
After becoming a demon, Kaigaku eventually obtains the rank of Upper Moon Six, making his confrontation with Zenitsu one of the most personal duels at the end of the story.
What is the relationship between Muzan and the Upper Moons?
Powerful servants, but never Muzan's equals
The Upper Moons owe their existence and a large part of their power to Muzan Kibutsuji. He can share his blood with other humans and increase the power of the demons capable of enduring it.
But Muzan does not consider the members of the Twelve Kizuki as family or as true allies. They remain primarily tools used to accomplish his goals: eliminate the Slayers, find the Blue Spider Lily, and discover a way to withstand the sun.
Even the Upper Moons, therefore, live under permanent pressure. Their rank grants them prestige, but failure can provoke their master's immediate wrath.
This relationship also explains why the meetings of the Upper Moons are so tense: despite their gargantuan power, they know perfectly well that Muzan remains on a completely different level.
Upper Moons vs Hashira: who is more powerful?
The clashes between the Upper Moons and the Hashira make up a large portion of the major battles in Demon Slayer. However, it is difficult to establish a simple equivalence between the two groups.
The Upper Moons
They possess regeneration, very diverse Blood Demon Arts, and sometimes several centuries of experience. Decapitating a demon of this level may require several fighters working together.
The Hashira
The Hashira represent the elite of the Slayers. Their mastery of Breath styles, their experience, and certain evolutions obtained throughout the story allow them to gradually close the gap with their enemies.
The series shows, however, that a classic duel between a single Hashira and an Upper Moon remains extremely dangerous. The victories obtained against these demons often rely on cooperation, sacrifice, and the ability of the Slayers to exceed their own limits.
The rank itself also remains essential. Facing Gyutaro and Daki is not comparable to facing Akaza, Doma, or Kokushibo. The closer one gets to the top rank, the more spectacular the power gap becomes.
Which is the most powerful Upper Moon?
The answer is directly provided by the hierarchy: Kokushibo is the most powerful Upper Moon. His rank of number one is not symbolic. His experience as a Slayer, his Moon Breathing, his demonic sword, and his physical abilities place him at the top of the group.
Behind him is Doma, Upper Moon Two, whose mastery of ice is particularly dangerous for users of breathing techniques.
Akaza completes the top three. His mastery of close-quarters combat, his speed, and his ability to detect his opponents' fighting spirit make him an exceptional fighter.
This does not mean, however, that the lower ranks are weak. Hantengu, Gyokko, Gyutaro, and Daki all possess abilities specific enough to kill Slayers who do not quickly discover how their techniques work.
FAQ about the Upper Moons of Demon Slayer
Who are the six Upper Moons of Demon Slayer?
The main hierarchy is composed of Kokushibo at rank 1, Doma at rank 2, Akaza at rank 3, Hantengu at rank 4, Gyokko at rank 5, and Gyutaro with Daki at rank 6. Nakime and Kaigaku later obtain ranks 4 and 6.
Which is the most powerful Upper Moon?
Kokushibo is the most powerful Upper Moon. He holds the rank of Upper Moon One and combines the abilities of a demon with the experience of a former Slayer.
Who is Upper Moon Two?
Doma is Upper Moon Two. His Blood Demon Art mainly allows him to create and manipulate ice.
Why is Akaza Upper Moon Three?
Akaza holds the third rank thanks to his exceptional physical abilities, his regeneration, and his immense mastery of hand-to-hand combat.
Why do Gyutaro and Daki share the same rank?
Gyutaro and Daki are brother and sister and share the position of Upper Moon Six together. Their condition is also linked: both of their heads must be severed almost simultaneously to defeat them permanently.
Who replaces Hantengu as Upper Moon Four?
Nakime becomes the new Upper Moon Four. She controls the Infinity Castle thanks to her biwa.
Who replaces Gyutaro and Daki as Upper Moon Six?
Kaigaku becomes the new Upper Moon Six. A former Slayer trained in Thunder Breathing, he has a history directly linked to Zenitsu.
What is the difference between the Upper and Lower Moons?
The Upper Moons are much more powerful, more experienced, and generally harder to replace. They have regeneration and Blood Demon Arts capable of rivaling the best Slayers.
Are the Upper Moons stronger than the Hashira?
An Upper Moon generally represents an immense threat even to a Hashira. Several battles show that cooperation between several Slayers is often necessary to defeat a demon of this level.
Can the Upper Moons change rank?
Yes. The hierarchy is not completely immutable. Demons can progress, and vacant ranks can be assigned to new members, like Nakime and Kaigaku.
The Upper Moons, the most formidable demons in Demon Slayer
The Upper Moons are not simply enemies more powerful than the demons encountered at the beginning of Demon Slayer. They each represent an obstacle capable of challenging the very limits of the Slayers.
Kokushibo embodies jealousy and the fear of seeing his talent disappear over time. Doma represents an almost total absence of emotions. Akaza transforms a life marked by loss into an obsession for strength. Hantengu constantly flees from responsibility, while Gyokko pushes his concept of art to the point of horror.
With Gyutaro and Daki, Demon Slayer finally offers one of its most tragic sibling stories: two children rejected by society who choose to stay together even after becoming demons.
Nakime and Kaigaku, for their part, show that the hierarchy can continue to evolve, even when the balance maintained for years begins to collapse.
It is this combination of unique powers, spectacular battles, human pasts, and symbolism that makes the Upper Moons some of the most memorable antagonists in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.