With My Hero Academia currently airing and the last few movies for Demon Slayer announced to come out in theaters, fans of both anime are relishing the last animated moments of their favorite series of the new generation. My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer are both series that most recent anime fans started with, so they hold a special place in their hearts.
My Hero Academia is about a quirkless kid named Izuku Midoriya who wants to become a hero and take down the villains. Demon Slayer revolves around Tanjiro Kamado, who is determined to take down all the demons to turn his sister, Nezuko Kamado, back into a human. Both series have standout moments, but overall, Demon Slayer surpasses My Hero Academia. These are ten areas where Demon Slayer shines.
10 Tanjiro's Backstory And Goals Make Him A Better Protagonist Than Deku
Tanjiro Lost His Family To A Demon And Is Determined To Turn His Sister Back Into A Human
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Being a hero in My Hero Academia is not the easiest job, especially if a character is born without a quirk. The main protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, doesn't have a quirk and is ostracized because of it. His childhood dream was to someday become a hero as great as All Might, which is a tough goal without having the power needed to be a symbol of justice. Although Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, didn't have any powers, that didn't stop him from saving Katsuki Bakugo when no heroes were around. After seeing the resolve that Deku has, All Might proclaimed him as the next successor for the All For One ability, starting him on his journey to fulfill his dreams.
Even though Deku is a great protagonist for new gen anime, he doesn't hold a candle to Tanjiro Kamado from Demon Slayer. Tanjiro came from a decently large family until the demon king, Muzan Kibutsuji, took that all away from him. After going out to search for firewood, he comes back to see his entire family slaughtered and his little sister, Nezuko Kamado, turned into a demon. This is just the beginning of Tanjiro's character arc. After this horrific incident, Tanjiro vowed to take down Muzan and turn Nezuko back into a human. Not only does Tanjiro care about his friends and family, he also sympathizes with demons as well.
9 Not All The Demons In Demon Slayer Wanted That Fate
While The Antagonists In MHA Wanted To Be Villains, Daki And Gyutaro Were Forced To Become Demons
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The League of Villains includes All For One, Tomura Shigaraki, Dabi, Himiko Toga, Twice and several others. Their main goal is to overthrow society and make the heroes seem like villains. The most notable villain in the group is Dabi. His father, Endeavor, who is a Pro Hero, neglected Dabi because his body couldn't handle his flame quirk without it inflicting damage on him. Endeavor's goal was to keep having children until one was born with the power of half fire and half ice. His dream came true when Shoto Todoroki was born, which made Dabi even angrier. Dabi faked his own death and joined the League of Villains. Later on, Dabi reveals that he's alive and that he's related to them.
Demon Slayer delves deep into the psychological torture that causes their characters to convert to villainy. While Dabi exposed the dirty secrets of the Todoroki family, Daki and Gyutaro from Demon Slayer had actual reasons for becoming demons. Daki and Gyutaro were extremely poor, and their village ostracized them, even violently attacking them. Some nights they didn't have food, so Gyutaro would kill rats with his signature sickle and find insects for them to eat. When Daki was fatally injured and on the verge of death, Gyutaro begged the villagers for help, but everyone turned him away. On the brink of death, Doma turns the siblings into demons, changing their fate entirely against their will. While the villains in MHA have tragic backstories, Demon Slayer's darker tone conveys these origins in a more grim and detailed manner.
8 Demon Slayer Has More Characters With Heartbreaking Backstories
Todoroki from MHA and Muichiro Tokito from Demon Slayer Went Through A Lot In The Past
There are a lot of characters in My Hero Academia, but Shoto Todoroki has the saddest backstory. Todoroki was the child that Endeavor always wanted, but with that came harsh training. Endeavor pushed Todoroki past his limits often to the point where Todoroki would get sick. He was also forbidden from playing with his siblings. The only person who was there for Todoroki was his mother, Rei. However, Endeavor would often beat Rei in front of Todoroki, which pushed her to her breaking point. She poured scorching hot water on Todoroki, which is the mark he has on his left eye. Everything that Todoroki had to go through led to him having a cold personality and despising his father.
Although Shoto Todoroki went through a lot, he is one of the few characters who is fleshed out in My Hero Academia. In Demon Slayer, most of the main characters lost their friends or family to demons. Muichiro Tokito has one of the most tragic backstories. His mother died from bronchitis and while his father was out getting medicine for her, he fell off a cliff. Muichiro was only 10 years old when it was just him and his brother, Yuichiro, living on their own. One fateful night, a demon entered their home and Yuichiro protected Muichiro from the demon, but died in the process. Muichiro snapped and killed the demon, which led him to become the youngest Hashira at only 14 years old. This is just one of the many tragic backstories in Demon Slayer where a character lost a loved one to a demon and vows to get revenge no matter what.
7 The Character Design In Demon Slayer Is Unique To Each Character
Demon Slayer Has The Coolest Styles From Rengoku's Cloak Of Flames To The Numbers On The Demons' Eyes
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Quirks being merged with character design in My Hero Academia is an interesting concept. For example, Katsuki Bakugo's Grenadier Bracers and spiky hair fit his explosion quirk. Shoto Todoroki's split red and white hair represents how he has both the fire and ice quirk. Although many of the character designs are reminiscent of Marvel and DC Comics, some of the character designs don't fit the best with the show. One of the characters named Minoru Mineta is wearing what looks like a toilet bowl. If the viewer is not a fan of heroes, then they may not find the character design appealing, since All Might's design resembles Superman.
For viewers who aren't the biggest fans of superheroes, the character designs in Demon Slayer may be a better choice. Each character's design is unique to their Breathing Style. Zenitsu Agatsuma's Thunder Breathing is accompanied by his blond and orange hair with an orange and yellow cloak. Inosuke Hashibira has Beast Breathing, and he wears a boar mask on his head and fur around his neck and knees. His abrasive personality fits his boarish appearance. Kyojuro Rengoku's blond hair with red tips along with his cloak with flames on it matches his Flame Breathing. Not only does the Demon Slayer Corps have cool character designs, so do the demons. Depending on their strength, each demon has a symbol unique to them on their eyes.
6 Breathing Style Makes Sense As A Power In Demon Slayer
Each Character's Breathing Style Is Suited To Match Their Personality
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Although Deku was born without a quirk, his fate soon changed. He meets his idol, All Might, who is the reason why Deku wants to be the number one hero. All Might sees his potential and grants him the power of One For All. With this quirk, Deku can access the power of past users, which means he has several weapons in his arsenal. This quirk cannot be stolen, it has to be passed down to another person for them to use it. Other quirks exist as well, but they can be quite random and vary on how helpful they can be in battle.
My Hero Academia does have a wide variety of quirks, but the powers in Demon Slayer are united under one system, so it's easy to tell the difference between each one of them. For instance, each person uses a specific Breathing Style. Tanjiro Kamado uses Sun Breathing, Zenitsu Agatsuma uses Thunder Breathing and Inosuke Hashibira uses Beast Breathing. The Demon Slayer Corps are provided with personalized blades to behead demons, as that's the main way to take them down. The blades go as far as varying based off of someone's personality and combat needs. This creates a special connection between a Demon Slayer and their blade. In MHA, most people are born with a quirk and don't have to work for it except for rare occasions like Deku. In Demon Slayer, the characters have to pass a rigiorous test and intense training to become a part of the Demon Slayer Corps.
5 Demon Slayer Has A Simple Plot That's Easy To Follow
Deku Doesn't Have A Specific Goal, Tanjiro Has Always Been Set On Saving His Sister And Taking Down The Demons
It's hard to pinpoint exactly what Izuku Midoriya's end goal is in My Hero Academia. He's always wanted to be a hero like All Might, but he has already saved people's lives in the anime and has proven that he's a hero. All Might has already defeated the villain at the root of everything two times. There are arcs when the anime has nothing to do with Midoriya's goal.
Meanwhile, Demon Slayer's plot is a lot easier to follow. Tanjiro Kamado has a direct goal of defeating Muzan Kibutsuji and turning Nezuko Kamado back into a human. During each arc, Tanjiro and his comrades defeat demons and each time, the demons get stronger and stronger. Tanjiro fights his way up the demon ranks to where he's going to have to take down Muzan, since he is after Nezuko's blood. The plot is simple, and the goal is clear, which is one of Demon Slayer's greatest strengths.
4 Ufotable Never Fails To Impress With Demon Slayer's Animation
Ufotable Is Known For Its Animation So It's No Surprise That Demon Slayer Shines
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Since My Hero Academia is a new gen show, the animation is solid. Some of the best scenes are when Shoto Todoroki uses his fire and ice quirk and when Katsuki Bakugo uses his bombs. A really great animated fight was Deku against Overhaul. Deku goes One For All 100% and a green glow surrounds him while he fights Overhall in the air. Although My Hero Academia had nice animation, nothing can top Demon Slayer.
Every single year, Demon Slayer wins Best Animation at the Crunchyroll awards. For the 2024 awards, Demon Slayer won Best Animation and Best Art Direction for the Swordsmith Village Arc along with Best Fantasy. Ufotable truly brought the manga to life. The studio is known for its impressive animation. The vibrant colors combined with the effects make it feel like the anime is popping out of the screen. In the most recent arc, the Infinity Castle was introduced. The twists and turns the art directors used to map out the Castle was mind-blowing. Demon Slayer is considered one of the best animated series of all time. Now that the movies are coming out, the animation is going to be better than ever seen before.
3 Demon Slayer's World Building Is Straightforward And Clear
MHA Is Set In A Stereotypical Setting While Demon Slayer Is Set In The Taisho Era
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No one knows how quirks came to be in My Hero Academia. It was explained how one baby was born with a quirk and soon after, more and more babies began to have quirks. On the other hand, viewers fully understand how demons started being made in Demon Slayer. Muzan Kibutsuji is the one that creates demons after he was turned into one himself. He was ill and the doctor that was treating him gave him medicine. He soon noticed that his body was much stronger, but he couldn't go out into the sunlight. In terms of setting, My Hero Academia is not that creative. The show takes place in a fictional city called Musutafu in Japan in the present day. The characters are in the stereotypical school setting that's often seen throughout anime.
Demon Slayer takes place during the Taisho era in Japan. The Demon Slayer Corps stays in Ubuyashiki Mansion, where they train and the demons reside in the Infinity Castle. New members of the Demon Slayer Corps are often sent to Fujikasane Mountain to train. Each arc of Demon Slayer takes place in a new location. While MHA is set in present day Japan, Demon Slayer is able to twist a historical time period into a world where demons rule the night. It also keeps up with its historical setting even though it's fantasy. They still wield older weapons and they only use lanterns during this time period which adds to the dark tone of the show. However, the setting in MHA doesn't create a sense of dread and fear even when it is during an intense fight.
2 The Fights In Demon Slayer Have More Depth Than MHA's
Tanjiro Has A Lot Of Different Battles In New Locations In Demon Slayer
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One of the best fights in My Hero Academia is Izuku Midoriya versus Shoto Todoroki in the U.A. Sport Festival's Fighting Tournament. As Todoroki sends waves and waves of ice at Midoriya, he uses his fingers to break the ice. As he does, Midoriya breaks all of his fingers. Midoriya tries to talk sense into Todoroki just like Naruto does to Sasuke. To everyone's surprise, Midoriya convinces Todoroki to use his fire quirk by proclaiming that it's his even though he inherited it from his father. Midoriya inspires Todoroki to want to be a hero, which is something he rejected his entire life because of the way his father, Endevaor, treated him.
Even though there are some good fights in My Hero Academia, they are even better in Demon Slayer. There is meaning behind each of the fights and they are more dynamic as well. Early on in the series, the main trio of Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira are sent to Mount Natagumo on a mission to fight demons that have been spotted. They encounter the spider family, which consists of a group of demons that use webs as their weapons. There are several fights that take place during this arc as each one of them fights a different spider demon. The most memorable moment is when Nezuko gets strung up in the spider web and Rui tortures her by tightening the strings around her body which cut into her skin. Tanjiro defeats Rui by cutting off his head and saves Nezuko. The stunning animation by Ufotable really brings the fight to life.
1 Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke Are The Best New Gen Trio
When It Comes To Trios, Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke From Demon Slayer Are Unrivaled
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One of the best new gen trios to come out of anime is Deku, Todoroki and Bakugo. This trio meshes extremely well due to their personalities and abilities that each of them hold in My Hero Academia. While Deku is the upbeat and happy one, it is juxtaposed by Katsuki Bakugo's angry and loud personality. Shoto Todoroki is the cool, calm and collected one who mellows out the group. Their personalities match their powers, as Todoroki uses fire and ice which cancel each other out, Bakugo uses aggressive explosions and Deku uses the All For One ability in hopes of saving the world. Izuku Midoriya got his nickname, Deku, from Bakugo.
Deku, Bakugo and Todoroki are a solid trio, but Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke are iconic. Tanjiro Kamado is known for his kindness, Zenitsu Agatsuma is a scaredy-cat and Inosuke is the brute. These three are shown in battle, but all three of them work best as a team during the Mount Natagumo arc. Their personalities align perfectly with their character designs. Since Tanjiro is bright and happy like the sun, he practices Sun Breathing. Zenitsu is flashy, and he activates Thunder Breathing in his sleep. Inosuke Hashibara is hard-headed, which is obvious with his boar head and Beast Breathing. Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu from Demon Slayer are easily the top trio when it comes to new gen anime.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
TV-MA
Animation
Action
Adventure
Release Date April 6, 2019
Cast Natsuki Hanae , Zach Aguilar , Abby Trott , Akari Kitō , Yoshitsugu Matsuoka
Main Genre Animation
Seasons 5