Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba had a spectacular year, becoming the most successful anime debut of 2025 thanks to the blockbuster Infinity Castle Part 1. The story’s main character, Tanjiro Kamado, is at the heart of the film, and fans witnessed him fight in many intense battles. Given the power Tanjiro displayed, many wonder why he never became a Hashira, since he seemed fully qualified.
The truth is, although Tanjiro’s strength definitely reached Hashira level by the end of the story, he never met the official criteria for promotion. The story also ended quickly, and with Muzan’s death, the Demon Slayer Corps, including the Hashira, lost their purpose.
Tanjiro Never Became a Hashira in Demon Slayer
The Hashira are the strongest members of the Demon Slayer Corps, holding the highest ranks. Their power is on a completely different level, and they are essentially the elite force sent to combat demons.
The original Hashira introduced in Demon Slayer include Gyomei, Shinobu, Mitsuri, Sanemi, Giyuu, Muichiro, Tengen, Obanai, and Rengoku. As the story progressed, Rengoku died and Tengen retired before the final battle. Although fans expected replacements, none appeared. This seems odd and unreasonable, especially since Tanjiro, who possessed power on par with the Hashira, was never promoted.
In reality, although Tanjiro was as strong as some Hashira, if not stronger, he never met the necessary criteria to become one.
Three Ways to Become a Hashira
There are three main ways to achieve Hashira rank in Demon Slayer, and Tanjiro did not fulfill any of them.
The first and easiest way is to become the successor of a current Hashira. For example, Shinobu had her Tsuguko, Kanao, who could have become a Hashira if the war had continued. Tanjiro was never an official Tsuguko to any Hashira, even though Giyuu mentored him.
The second way is to kill 50 demons as a Kinoe-ranked Demon Slayer. Tanjiro reached a high rank, but his highest official rank remained Kinoe, and it’s unclear if he killed the required 50 demons to qualify.
The final and hardest way is to personally defeat a member of the Twelve Kizuki. This method is universally recognized as the most definitive. Although Tanjiro played a major role in battles against the Kizuki, he never single-handedly defeated one.
It’s also important to note that the Demon Slayer storyline is quite short. Even though Tanjiro eventually gained enough power to be promoted, the battle against Muzan ended, and the Demon Slayer Corps no longer had a reason to exist, including the Hashira ranks. This permanently closed the door on Tanjiro’s official promotion, despite his extraordinary strength.