Spoiler warning: This article covers major manga events through the ending of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, including the Infinity Castle and final battle.
Six active Taishō-era Hashira die during the main story. If former Hashira Kanae Kocho and Jigoro Kuwajima are included, the confirmed total is eight. Yoriichi Tsugikuni is discussed separately because the manga does not clearly confirm that he officially held the Hashira rank.
The confirmed Hashira deaths, in order
The chronology below begins with former Hashira whose deaths occurred before the central story and ends with the deaths that follow Muzan Kibutsuji’s defeat. The distinction between active and former Hashira matters: it explains why some lists give six deaths while broader lists give eight.
1. Jigoro Kuwajima — former Thunder Hashira
When: Before or during the Hashira Training period; the manga does not establish an exact date.
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Cause of death: Seppuku.
Jigoro was the former Thunder Hashira and the teacher of both Zenitsu Agatsuma and Kaigaku. After Kaigaku became a demon and joined the Twelve Kizuki, Jigoro accepted responsibility for the disgrace brought upon his school. He killed himself through seppuku, dying without an appointed executioner. The result was a prolonged death rather than a conventional battlefield death.
His death is confirmed in manga chapter 144. Because Jigoro had already retired, lists limited to the active Hashira usually leave him out.
2. Kanae Kocho — former Flower Hashira
When: Several years before the beginning of the main story.
Cause of death: Fatal injuries inflicted by Doma, Upper Rank Two.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Kanae encountered Doma before the events of the main narrative. She survived the fight long enough to return, but her injuries were too severe, and she died before her younger sister Shinobu could defeat Doma. The battle itself takes place off-panel; Kanae’s death is recalled in chapter 142.
Kanae held the title of Flower Hashira. Shinobu later became a Hashira under the distinct title of Insect Hashira, so Kanae should not be described as the Insect Hashira’s predecessor in a literal title-by-title sense.
3. Kyojuro Rengoku — Flame Hashira
When: Immediately after the Mugen Train battle.
Cause of death: A fatal chest wound inflicted by Akaza, Upper Rank Three.
Rengoku protects Tanjiro, the other Demon Slayers and the train passengers during his fight with Akaza. He holds Akaza in place until sunrise is close, but the Upper Rank demon escapes after delivering a mortal blow through Rengoku’s torso.
Rengoku remains conscious long enough to give Tanjiro advice and encouragement. His death is confirmed in manga chapter 66, “The Setting Sun,” and is adapted in both Demon Slayer: Mugen Train and the television version of the Mugen Train arc.
He is the first active Hashira to die on-screen in the main storyline.
4. Shinobu Kocho — Insect Hashira
When: During the Infinity Castle battle.
Cause of death: Doma absorbs her after overpowering her.
Shinobu enters the fight with Doma knowing that her physical strength is not enough to defeat him directly. She has spent years preparing another method: her body is saturated with wisteria poison. When Doma absorbs her, he takes in the poison as well.
That sacrifice enables Kanao Tsuyuri and Inosuke Hashibira to weaken and ultimately defeat Doma. Shinobu’s death is directly confirmed in chapter 143, following the events of chapters 142 and 143.
A frequent mistake is to say that Shinobu dies from her own poison. The poison is part of her plan. Doma’s attack and absorption are the immediate cause of death; the poison is what makes her sacrifice effective.
5. Muichiro Tokito — Mist Hashira
When: During the battle against Kokushibo in the Infinity Castle.
Cause of death: Catastrophic injuries inflicted by Kokushibo, Upper Rank One.
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His death is confirmed in chapter 179. It occurs alongside the death of Genya Shinazugawa, who is a powerful Demon Slayer but not a Hashira and therefore should not be included in the Hashira count.
6. Gyomei Himejima — Stone Hashira
When: After Muzan is defeated, during the aftermath of the final battle.
Cause of death: Mortal injuries from the Kokushibo and Muzan battles, compounded by the consequences associated with the Demon Slayer Mark.
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Gyomei survives the Kokushibo fight and continues into the battle against Muzan. That timing is important: he does not die during the Kokushibo battle itself. After Muzan’s defeat, the surviving Corps members begin treating the wounded, but Gyomei refuses to have scarce medicine used on him.
His death is confirmed in chapter 200. The manga also emphasizes the physical cost of his Mark and the injuries he has accumulated across the final battles.
7. Mitsuri Kanroji — Love Hashira
When: Shortly after Muzan’s defeat.
Cause of death: Mortal injuries sustained during the final battle with Muzan.
Mitsuri is fatally wounded while fighting Muzan. In the immediate aftermath, she is held by Obanai Iguro. The two finally speak openly about their feelings, regret that they could not live a normal life together and promise to find each other again in another life.
Mitsuri’s death is confirmed in chapter 200. Her death and Obanai’s occur in the same post-battle sequence, so the manga does not establish a precise time interval between them.
8. Obanai Iguro — Serpent Hashira
When: Shortly after Muzan’s defeat, in the same aftermath as Mitsuri’s death.
Cause of death: Mortal injuries sustained while fighting Muzan.
Obanai survives long enough to confess his love to Mitsuri and share her final moments. He dies beside her after the battle, with the manga presenting their deaths as part of one continuous aftermath rather than identifying an exact order down to the minute.
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His death is confirmed in chapter 200. Obanai and Mitsuri are therefore best treated as the final pair of Hashira deaths in chronological order, with no firm evidence that one significantly outlives the other.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What about Yoriichi Tsugikuni?
Yoriichi dies of old age while standing during his final confrontation with his demonized brother, Kokushibo. He is one of the most important figures in the history of Demon Slayer, but his official status as a Hashira is not clearly established in the manga.
For that reason, Yoriichi should be treated as a scope note rather than added to the confirmed Hashira total. Including him would produce a broader count of nine named characters associated with the Corps’ highest-ranking swordsmen, but not nine confirmed Hashira deaths.
Why different lists say six, eight or nine
| Count | Who is included | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Rengoku, Shinobu, Muichiro, Gyomei, Mitsuri and Obanai | The active Hashira who die during the main story. |
| 8 | The six active Hashira, plus Jigoro and Kanae | The broad count of named current or former Hashira with confirmed manga deaths. |
| 9 | The eight above, plus Yoriichi | Only if Yoriichi is counted despite the manga not clearly confirming that he held the Hashira rank. |
Hashira who survive
Several characters are incorrectly included in death lists because they leave the active roster or are badly wounded:
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- Tengen Uzui: retires as a Hashira but survives.
- Giyu Tomioka: survives the final battle.
- Sanemi Shinazugawa: survives the final battle.
- Shinjuro Rengoku: former Flame Hashira who is alive after Rengoku’s death.
- Sakonji Urokodaki: former Water Hashira who survives.
FAQ
How many Hashira die in Demon Slayer?
Six active Hashira die during the main story: Kyojuro Rengoku, Shinobu Kocho, Muichiro Tokito, Gyomei Himejima, Mitsuri Kanroji and Obanai Iguro. Including former Hashira Jigoro Kuwajima and Kanae Kocho brings the confirmed total to eight.
Who is the first Hashira to die in Demon Slayer?
Among the active Hashira in the main story, Kyojuro Rengoku is the first to die, after his battle with Akaza on the Mugen Train. If former Hashira are included, Jigoro Kuwajima and Kanae Kocho died years earlier.
Does Tengen Uzui die in Demon Slayer?
No. Tengen is badly injured during the Entertainment District battle and retires as a Hashira, but he survives the series.
Is Yoriichi counted as a Hashira who dies?
Usually he is listed separately. Yoriichi dies of old age, but the manga does not clearly confirm that he officially held the Hashira rank, so he is not part of the most precise total of eight confirmed Hashira deaths.
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The cleanest answer is eight confirmed deaths when former Hashira are included: Jigoro Kuwajima, Kanae Kocho, Kyojuro Rengoku, Shinobu Kocho, Muichiro Tokito, Gyomei Himejima, Mitsuri Kanroji and Obanai Iguro. The commonly quoted total of six counts only the active Hashira who die during the main story. Yoriichi’s death is best kept separate because his Hashira status is not explicitly confirmed.
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