10 Best Demon Slayer Quotes of All Time, Ranked
Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer is one of the most popular anime and manga series, known for its stellar animation, emotional storytelling, and captivating characters. The story is set in early 1900s Japan, a time when the country is plagued by demons who attack humans in the dead of the night. To combat the threat, a special organization called the Demon Slayer Corps works from the shadows. The story begins with the tragic massacre of the Kamado family, leaving Tanjiro Kamado alone with his sister, Nezuko, who has just been turned into a demon. After a chance encounter with a Demon Slayer named Giyu Tomioka, Tanjiro takes his sister with him and sets out on a path to find a cure for her and defeat the demon responsible for killing his family.
Videos by ComicBook.com
As the story continues, we learn more about the broken world and the people living in it. The story is about resilience, perseverance, compassion, and most of all, the will to move despite how much someone has lost in their lives. Each quote, regardless of how simple or deep it sounds, reflects the struggles of those characters, whether they are humans or demons.
Warning: This Article Contains Spoilers From the Demon Slayer Manga and Anime!
10) Rengoku Was Always Ahead of Me (Season 2 Episode 8)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
Despite being a Hashira, Tengen Uzui never thought of himself as anyone special. As a former Shinobi, he has seen the brutality of humans, which wasn’t that different from demons. He grew up under constant pressure to rise to the top, even if it meant killing your siblings. After forsaking his life as a Shinobi, he joined the Demon Slayer Corps in hopes of saving as many people as he could.
“Do you have any idea just how many lives have slipped through my fingers? That’s right. Rengoku was always ahead of me in that regard.”
– Tengen Uzui
However, life doesn’t always turn out the way you want it to. Tengen has been on the frontlines of the battle for a long time, and he knows that no matter how hard you try, you can’t save everyone. This is why he snapped when someone like Gyutaro, the Upper Moon Six, who has never seen the outside world, thought he was special. Tengen knew that one who was truly special was Kyojuro Rengoku, who was capable enough to save everyone, even until his dying breath.
9) A Hatred That I Can’t Fight (Season 1 Episode 24)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
Shinobu always hid a world of pain beneath her beautiful smile. Demons took her parents, her sister, and all her Tsukugo except Kanao. It’s not just Shinobu, but the other Hashira also lost so much in their lives because of demons. That pain she felt eventually turned into anger, even though she wanted to fight against it. Shinobu knew deep down that demons are also tragic creatures, which is why her sister, Kanae, always pitied them.
“In the innermost depths of my soul, there’s a hatred that I can’t fight. I’m sure the other Hashira feel something similar.”
– Shinobu Kocho
She wanted to honor her sister’s memory, to carry on living with a smile she loved dearly. Even when she lost her life due to a demon, her a dream of wanting to live a peaceful life with demons. Shinobu knew that her hatred for demons would never allow her to accomplish that dream. So, after meeting Nezuko and seeing how Tanjiro is just as kind as her sister, she wanted to entrust that dream to him.
8) Rengoku Is the True Victor (Mugen Train Movie)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
In a battle between humans and demons, survival isn’t what matters most. Humans fight demons not to protect themselves, but they risk their lives for the sake of others. Kyojuro embodied the true ideals of a Demon Slayer, and he stood by them even until his dying breath. He loved life and always lived with his head held high. Kyojuro knew Akaza was stronger than him or any Demon Slayer in the area.
“You didn’t win against him. He kept everyone safe. He fought to the very end so no one would die. You’re the one who lost. Rengoku is the true victor.”
– Tanjiro Kamado
He forbade Tanjiro and the others from engaging the Upper Rank Three and succeeded in saving everyone. Akaza thought he had won before Tanjiro gave him a reality check. Not a single life was lost during the mission, except Kyojuro, which spelled his true victory. For Kyojuro, if Tanjiro and the others had died would’ve truly spelled his defeat, even if the Hashira had survived.
7) I Know It Hurts (Season 1 Episode 1)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
Giyu’s appearance in the first episode of the series sort of serves as a catalyst since he leads Tanjiro to the path of the Demon Slayer. Even so, his first meeting with him was less than pleasant. He said some harsh words to Tanjiro, who was drowning in despair. However, deep down, Giyu knew that what Tanjiro needed the most at the moment wasn’t words of consolation, but a drive strong enough to push him forward.
“Don’t cry. Don’t succumb to sorrow. This isn’t the time to despair. I know you’re devastated right now. Your family massacred. Your sister a demon. I know it hurts. I know you want to scream. I understand.”
– Giyu Tomioka
He thinks to himself about the boy’s plight, who lost everything overnight. We learn much later in the story that when Giyu said, “I understand,” he meant the sister and friends, who died because of demons. He knew Tanjiro’s pain better than anyone, and that may be what compelled him to go against the rules of the Corps and help the siblings.
6) You Can Only Pretend (Chapter 157)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
Kanao initially appeared calm and collected, before she eventually learned how to express her emotions thanks to Tanjiro. As a child, she was rescued by Kanae Kocho from slave traders. Although she found two loving sisters and a warm home, the trauma from her childhood continued to haunt her, so much so that she seemed like an empty shell.
“You can only pretend to be happy or have fun or be sad, so you won’t reveal your empty heart. You’re actually an empty shell. A ridiculous joke. Why were you even born?”
– Kanao Tsuyuri
That must be why when she met Doma, the Upper Rank Two, she knew immediately that the demon was an empty shell like her past self. He doesn’t feel anything, so all he could do was lie and make it seem like he has a heart. However, unlike Kanae, Kanao felt no sympathy for the demon who killed the two people she loved the most in her life.
5) I’m Home (Chapter 157)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
Perhaps the most tragic part about being a demon is that their memories as humans fade over time, leaving no shred of humanity left in them. Akaza had been a demon for almost two centuries, so he didn’t remember his past life. However, the fight against Tanjiro and Giyu triggered his memories, and he lost the will to fight. Before becoming a demon, he was a boy named Hakuji, who simply wanted to buy medicines for his ill father, even if it meant stealing.
“I’m home, father. I’m back. Master. Koyuki. I’m home.”
– Akaza
After his father hanged himself to stop being a burden on his son, Akaza found his master, Keizo, and his daughter Koyuki, with whom he was eventually engaged. However, their tragic deaths led him to the path of destruction, and he accepted Muzan’s offer to become a demon. In his final moments, he reunites with his beloved family, saying he’s home. It took him a lot of time, but he finally met them in the afterlife.
4) My Feelings For You (Chapter 188)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
The anime already hinted at the relationship between Mitsuri Kanroji and Obanai Iguro. The two seemed closer to one another as compared to the other Hashira, but the Infinity Castle Arc reveals that they both had feelings for each other all along. However, Obanai never confessed his love to her because he hated his bloodline more than he hated demons.
“I want to die defeating Muzan. And I pray that his death will purify my filthy blood. Then, if I am reborn as a human being in a peaceful world without demons, I will tell you of my feelings for you.”
– Obanai Iguro
He belonged to a clan that worshipped and sacrificed people to a half-snake demon. Obanai was confined his entire life and was rescued by Kyojuro’s father, Shinjuro, the former Flame Hashira. Even after becoming a Hashira and fighting against demons, he couldn’t accept his lineage, believing his filthy blood made him unworthy of her love.
3) The Law of Nature (Chapter 148)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
The fight between Akaza and Tanjiro wasn’t just about humans and demons killing each other, but it was a clash of ideals. Akaza relished fighting strong opponents, and he despised the weak, believing they had no right to live. He claimed it was the law of nature for the strong to crush the weak, but Tanjiro vehemently shut him down.
“You don’t remember it, but when you were a baby… someone protected and helped you, too. The strong protect the weak. Then the weak get stronger and help those weaker than themselves. That is the law of nature!”
– Tanjiro Kamado
Unlike Akaza, Tanjiro fought to protect the lives of others. He was too weak to save Rengoku, and he lived with that guilt all his life. However, Kyojuro protected Tanjiro against Akaza, and in exchange, Tanjiro struggled desperately to become stronger so he could protect everyone just like the Flame Hashira.
2) Eternity Is a Human Feeling (Season 4 Episode 8)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
Unlike a typical Shonen antagonist, Muzan didn’t seek world destruction or domination. What he wanted was eternity, to become a perfect, unchanging creature. However, even after searching for over a thousand years, Muzan never reached his goal. Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the master of the Demon Slayer Corps, was prepared to meet his end when Muzan showed up at his door.
“I know what eternity is. Eternity is a human feeling. Only human feelings last forever, and are undying.”
– Kagaya Ubuyashiki
In his final moments, he declared that Muzan’s idea of eternity is wrong. Eternity is simply a human feeling that lasts forever and is undying. Even though he has seen the deaths of countless Corps, they will carry on. What Muzan seeks is personal, which is nothing compared to the deep bonds and connections shared by humans that can never fade out.
1) Set Your Heart Ablaze (Mugen Train Movie)
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
Kyojuro died with a smile on his face, entrusting the future of the Demon Slayer Corps to the young fighters who looked up to him. He was barely holding on after controlling his breathing, but he only had a few minutes to live. He wanted to share his final words with Tanjiro, Zenitsu Agatsuma, and Inosuke Hashibira. After seeing their potential, Kyojuro wanted to encourage them to live with pride and not be overwhelmed by sorrow.
“So hold your head high. If you are feeling disheartened, that you are somehow not enough, set your heart ablaze. Dry your eyes and look ahead.”
– Kyojuro Rengoku
“Setting your heart ablaze” simply means having a strong desire to work towards one’s goal even in the face of adversity. His dying words sparked a new flame in the three up-and-rising Demon Slayers, who swore to continue moving forward, even if they’re sad or filled with regret.
Demon Slayer is one of the greatest, most genre-defining anime ever made, so its quotable moments carry plenty of weight. Did you have any favorite quotes that didn’t make the cut? Let us know in the comments below!
