Demon Slayer vs. Tokyo Ghoul: Which Show Is Better?

 Demon Slayer and Tokyo Ghoul are awesome shows with loyal fanbases, but which outdoes the other?

Demon Slayer and Tokyo Ghoul are two incredibly different anime that exist in similar genres. They’re both supernatural anime that take place in a real-life world, showing how people in that world react to the differences presented by the supernatural elements. But that’s pretty much the place the two end, comparatively. Demon Slayer takes place in Taisho-era Japan, if that era involved demons and people who trained as Demon Slayers. 

Tokyo Ghoul  on  the other hand, takes place in modern Japan, and deals with exactly the subject it says on the tin: with the main character living in Tokyo and dealing with being a ghoul, and interacting with other ghouls. Each series is well-loved by its fans and for good reason. But there are areas in which Demon Slayer is better than Tokyo Ghoul and others in which Tokyo Ghoul definitely outranks Demon Slayer.

10Demon Slayer: Breakneck Pacing

9Tokyo Ghoul: High Stakes

Like any good horror story, there has to be a real chance that the heroes can die in order for Tokyo Ghoul to be as scary as possible. And the series doesn’t shy away from making sure the stakes are high for Kankei and his friends. No one is safe in the series, and there are definitely beloved characters who don’t make it out the other side. These changes in status quo keep the story fresh.

8Demon Slayer: Battles

Like it says on the tin, Demon Slayer is about people who slay demons. This means that there are often a lot of really epic battles in the series, as the Demon Slayer Corps faces off with their enemies. The battles are well-choreographed, enhancing the thrill of watching these teenagers fight with swords against creatures that are often more powerful than them. The careful plotting of these battles is a good way to keep the audience on the edge of their seat.

7Tokyo Ghoul: The Music

The music in Tokyo  Ghoul does a lot to set the tone of the series. Because it’s a dark horror series, the music makes sure to reflect that. The theme music as well lets the audience know exactly what they’re in for right off the bat. “Unravel,” for example, is one of the series’ opening themes, and its slow build from a slow-paced, quiet song to something more chaotic and passionate, the way a horror story can often go from peace to terror very quickly.

6Demon Slayer: Animation

There’s aTtural and easy flow of the movements in the characters, making them seem almost as if they’re not animated at all but instead acted out by real people.

5Tokyo Ghoul: Violence

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Demon Slayer: Great Characters

3Tokyo Ghoul: Villains

Tokyo Ghoul has some really great antagonists. Like many of the greatest bad guys out there, a lot of the series’ villains are people who have backgrounds that feel well-rounded, giving the audience a sense that their actions, while not justifiable, might at least be something that they can understand.

On top of that, a lot of them are legitimately scary, which is necessary for a villain to be really effective.

2Demon Slayer: Setting

Historical anime are a dime a dozen. There are tons of samurai and ninja stories with feudal or Edo-era settings. Samurai Champloo and Vagabond come to mind, while there are dozens of others. Some of them have an additional twist. For example, Demon Slayer’s Taisho-era setting, with its characters wearing dramatic, era-specific outfits and carrying swords which they use not to fight each other but to fight demons really helps the series stand out in an oversaturated genre.
1Tokyo Ghoul: Kaneki As protagonist

Ken Kaneki is the main character of Tokyo Ghoul. He has a lot going on, particularly because he gets drawn into the world of ghouls when he becomes one. This distances him from his friends and family, and he has a hard time holding onto his humanity and sense of self because of this deceit. This setup makes for a tortured main character in the best of ways and makes it very easy to root for him, even when he’s doing horrible things.