Looking Back at the Official Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Popularity Polls! Which Characters Ranked High in the First and Second Rounds? [2025 Latest Edition]

"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" is a Japanese-style fantasy battle manga written by Koyoharu Gotouge, which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. The first TV anime adaptation was the "Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc," consisting of 26 episodes. It was broadcast from April to September 2019 and became a massive hit.

The sequel, the theatrical film "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train," was released in October 2020 and became the highest-grossing film of all time in Japan. Following this, the TV anime version of the "Mugen Train Arc," which included entirely new episodes, aired starting in October 2021, and the subsequent TV anime "Entertainment District Arc" began airing on December 5, 2021. This was followed by the "Swordsmith Village Arc" in April 2023, and the "Hashira Training Arc" in May 2024. The latest work, the theatrical film "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - Infinity Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza's Return," was released on July 18, 2025.

In this article, we will be looking back at the results of the official popularity polls for the characters of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba," which were conducted twice in Weekly Shonen Jump. We will present the results for the top 30 characters and the number of votes they received for both the first and second polls, while also introducing the rankings of important characters who, unfortunately, ranked lower down the list.

What is the Popular Anime "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba"?

The story takes place in the Taisho Era. The protagonist, Tanjiro Kamado, who was born as the eldest son of a charcoal-selling family in Okutama County, Tokyo Prefecture, has his family slaughtered by a demon. To turn his younger sister, Nezuko, the sole survivor who was transformed into a demon, back into a human, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps, an organization that fights demons to protect people, and throws himself into fierce, deadly battles.

The story of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba," which begins with this premise, depicts the battle between the man-eating demons and the swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps. While it features a classic, mainstream shonen manga storyline centered on friendship, effort, and victory, it is not a simple tale of clear-cut good versus evil where demons are merely villains. It is a highly acclaimed work that has also earned high praise for its dramatic depth, which delves into the tragic pasts of the demons who were once human.

Summary of the 1st Popularity Poll Results

The results of the 1st Popularity Poll were announced in issue No. 47 of Weekly Shonen Jump in 2017. The total number of submitted votes was 26,105. The detailed results for characters ranking 30th and below are included in Volume 10 of the manga, so those who are curious should check it out.

1.  Tanjiro Kamado    6,742
2. Zenitsu Agatsuma    4,299
3. Nezuko Kamado    3,319
4. Giyu Tomioka    2,190
5. Inosuke Hashibira    1,977
6. Shinobu Kocho    1,813
7. Kyojuro Rengoku    1,021
8. Kanao Tsuyuri    712
9. Gotouge-sensei    331
10. Makomo    294
     
11. Muzan Kibutsuji    285
12. Mitsuri Kanroji    280
13. Sabito    238
14. Sakonji Urokodaki    213
15. Sanemi Shinazugawa    207
16. Rui    191
17. Yushiro    145
18. Tamayo    138
19. Chuntaro    135
20. Kyogai    130
     
21. Kanae Kocho    117
22. Enmu    109
23. Haganezuka    105
24. Aoi-chan  103
25. Murata-san     101
26. Obanai Iguro    90
27. The Young Man with Tuberculosis    88
28.  Lower Rank Four (Kagen no Shi)    77
29. Muichiro Tokito    55
30. Susamaru    53

Perhaps because the polling period was during the serialization of the "Mugen Train Arc," it seems that information had not yet fully been released, as evidenced by the lack of Haganezuka's first name and Aoi Kanzaki's family name not yet being revealed. Another notable characteristic is that characters who become active later in the story, after the middle arc, received very few votes.

Furthermore, important characters who ranked 30th and below included Kagaya Ubuyashiki at 31st place with 50 votes, Tengen Uzui at 37th place with 14 votes, Akaza at 54th place with 6 votes, and Gyomei Himejima at 62nd place with 3 votes.

Summary of the 2nd Popularity Poll Results

The results of the 2nd Popularity Poll were announced in issue No. 47 of Weekly Shonen Jump in 2020. The total number of submitted votes was 130,316, which is roughly five times the scale of the first poll, clearly demonstrating the immense popularity of "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba." Note that the results of this second popularity poll have not been included in the manga volumes or official fan books.

1. Zenitsu Agatsuma    17,451
2. Giyu Tomioka    13,281
3. Muichiro Tokito    11,948
4. Tanjiro Kamado    9,045
5. Shinobu Kocho    8,787
6. Inosuke Hashibira    8,750
7. Kyojuro Rengoku    8,000
8. Obanai Iguro    6,204
9. Sanemi Shinazugawa    5,716
10. Kanao Tsuyuri    5,305
11. Nezuko Kamado    5,046
12. Mitsuri Kanroji    3,714
13. Tengen Uzui    3,436
14. Kokushibo    2,938
15. Genya    2,589
16. Enmu    2,435
17. Akaza    1,982
18. Doma    1,589
19. Sabito    1,359
20. Yoriichi Tsugikuni    953
21. Kaigaku    865
22. Gyomei Himejima    843
23. Muzan Kibutsuji    735
24. Tamayo    353
25. Kanae Kocho    342
26. Murata-san   342
27. Yushiro    331
28. Senjuro Rengoku    320
29. Chuntaro (Kasugai Sparrow) / Ukogi    282
30. Hotaru Haganezuka    277

Since the poll was conducted towards the final stages of the serialization, it is notable that characters who play active roles in the latter half of the story but had not yet appeared in the anime—such as Kokushibo and Yoriichi Tsugikuni—were ranked. Even Nezuko, one of the main protagonists, failed to make the top 10, which indicates just how intense the competition was.

Furthermore, important characters who regrettably ranked below 30th place included Aoi Kanzaki at 31st with 265 votes, Koyoharu Gotouge-sensei (The Author) at 32nd with 263 votes, Sakonji Urokodaki at 37th with 201 votes, and Kagaya Ubuyashiki at 50th with 84 votes.

Summary of the Official "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" Popularity Poll Results

That concludes our look back at the 1st and 2nd official popularity polls for "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba." If you would like to know the detailed results for characters ranking 30th and below in the 2nd popularity poll, you can check them by purchasing issue No. 47 of 2020 on the smartphone app "Jump BOOK Store!"

(C)Koyoharu Gotoge / SHUEISHA, Aniplex, ufotable

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