You may hate me for this, but Demon Slayer's Rengoku vs Akaza fight proved who the strongest Hashira was

Many anime fans recognize the Demon Slayer series as one of the shows featuring some of the best anime fights to date, and an earlier fight in the series may have been a key factor in identifying the strongest Hashira.

The fight in question occurs in the Mugen Train arc between the Upper Rank Three demon Akaza and the Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku, following the battle between Tanjiro and Enmu. Several moments from this fight might sufficiently prove that Rengoku was the strongest Hashira, had it not been for the influence of the narrative.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions and contains potential spoilers from the Demon Slayer anime and manga series.

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Rengoku's fight with Akaza in Demon Slayer might be proof enough of him being the strongest Hashira

As mentioned, the event in question occurred during the Mugen Train arc film of the Demon Slayer series. More specifically, it took place after Tanjiro defeated the Lower Moon demon Enmu, and Akaza appeared to kill a devastated and exhausted Tanjiro.

Just as he was about to kill Tanjiro, Rengoku intervened, marking the beginning of the fight between them. Despite Akaza being an Upper Moon demon from the Twelve Kizuki, Rengoku went toe to toe with him, evading and attacking whenever an opening presented itself.

Throughout the fight, even Akaza acknowledged how strong Rengoku was in terms of speed and power, traits that Akaza craves in his opponents. Despite Rengoku putting up a fight, the odds of him winning were extremely slim; Akaza managed to punch through his stomach, landing a fatal blow.

However, Rengoku still landed a slash on Akaza's neck in his condition, leaving Akaza visibly panicked. As the sun began to rise, Akaza panicked and managed to flee, leaving Rengoku to eventually die.

Now, among all this, why can Rengoku be considered the strongest Hashira in the series? To understand that, one must delve deeper into the Demon Slayer manga, particularly to the point where Akaza meets his end. In the manga, during the Infinity Castle arc, Akaza was finally slain through the combined efforts of Tanjiro and the Water Hashira, Giyu.

However, even after his beheading, Akaza's body continued to fight, demonstrating his incredible strength. Although it required the combined efforts of two slayers to behead and defeat Akaza, Rengoku was able to come closer to that feat on his own by the end of their fight in the Mugen Train arc.

Moreover, Akaza, who typically acts cocky and prideful, was seen panicking against Rengoku. While many consider Gyomei and Sanemi to be stronger than Rengoku as Hashira, it is also worth noting that Rengoku accomplished the aforementioned feat without even activating his Demon Slayer mark.

If the battle had continued and the sun had risen a bit later, there was a strong chance Rengoku could have activated his mark and defeated Akaza.

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Final thoughts

Although he is the first Hashira of Tanjiro's generation to die, the Flame Hashira Rengoku plays a significant role in the narrative of the Demon Slayer series, particularly regarding Tanjiro. Moreover, if he had been written differently, Rengoku could have been the strongest Hashira had he lived longer.

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