Demon Slayer is undoubtedly one of the best anime series we could ever have asked for. The credit for this certainly goes to Ufotable Studio, which left no stone unturned to make each frame of the TV series a masterpiece. Now that Demon Slayer is back with a fourth season, many might wonder how to watch all the seasons and movies of the anime in order. Well, here’s the answer.
Demon Slayer Watch Order Explained
The Demon Slayer franchise has blessed the community with gorgeous seasons and movies. Even though the watch order of the series is straightforward, the movie releases make it a bit confusing for the new viewers. Well, if you are among them, this post will help you to figure out what order you should follow.
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Season 1)
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train Arc (Season 2 Part 1)
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc (Season 2 Part 2)
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc (Season 3)
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc (Season 4)
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 1
Demon Slayer Season 1 was released on Japan’s local networks in 2019 and later simulcasted on anime streaming platforms, including Crunchyroll. Also known as Tanjiro Kamado, Unwavering Resolve Arc, the season adapts the first 54 chapters of the manga into 26 episodes.
Demon Slayer Season 1 introduces us to Tanjiro Kamado, our main protagonist, who is shattered seeing his entire family slaughtered by a demon and his sister Nezuko almost turning into a demon. We also get to know the powers and abilities of the demons whom Tanjiro fights to turn his sister back into a human. This is the arc that also introduces us to the main villain of the series, Muzan Kibutsuji.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
Mugen Train is the first film of the franchise and the first-ever anime movie that created history by becoming the highest-grossing film of 2020. Despite arriving during the global pandemic era, the film was a massive success and collected over $507 million worldwide.
Following the events of Season 1, the film sees Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu boarding the Mugen Train alongside the mighty Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. This mission is about hunting down the demon that has mysteriously grabbed 40 passengers from the train.
Even though the team defeats Enmu, the demon who can send anyone to deep sleep, they have a hard time fighting the Uper Moon Three, Akaza. The powerful demon asks Rengoku to join their clan and become immortal, but after the Flame Hashira’s denial, we get the chance to witness the most beautifully visualized fight sequence.
Demon Slayer Mugen Train Arc (Season 2 Part 1)
Demon Slayer Season 2 covered 54–97 chapters of the source material, which was split into two consecutive cours consisting of seven and eleven episodes, respectively. The first cour featured the Mugen Train Arc, which was already showcased in the Mugen Train movie. The second cour adapted the Entertainment District Arc.
You can skip the first part of this season if you watch the movie. It recounts the same events with some filler content in between.
Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc (Season 2 Part 2)
Season 2 Part 2 kept the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, in the spotlight. The story starts when the Hashiras’ three wives go missing. This was the first time in Demon Slayer that we learned the true potential of our hero.
Tanjiro was heartbroken when he couldn’t save Flame Hashira from Akaza, so the boy gave it his all to protect and fight alongside Tengen. This season also showcased Tanjiro getting the red mark (the Demon Slayer mark) on his forehead for the first time.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village
This is the second film in the franchise that arrived in theatres in 2023. This movie featured the penultimate and the finale episodes of the Entertainment District Arc and the debut episode of the third season.
Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village Arc (Season 3)
Demon Slayer Season 3 covered the Swordsmith Village Arc, adapted in 11 episodes. Although the fandom was happy to see the main cast of the anime return, everyone certainly missed Zenitsu and Inosuke. In this season, Tanjiro and Nezuko were joined by Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, and the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji.
In this season, Tanjiro travels to the Swordsmith village to get his sword repaired. It was a hidden village that never bore the threat of demon attacks, but after the arrival of Tanjiro, the upper-rank demons started appearing.
Swordsmith Village Arc features Tanjiro like we’ve never seen before. To be precise, in the earlier seasons, we saw him as a sidekick to the powerful Hashiras in Demon Slayer, but this time, the boy got the opportunity to take the lead and surprise us with his true powers.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training
Demon Slayer: To The Hashira Training is the franchise’s third film, and it was released in theatres in early 2024. The film had a runtime of 103 minutes and featured the concluding events of the third season and the initial events of Season 4.
As it got a theatrical release this year, we can expect it to arrive on the streaming platforms in late 2024. However, if you haven’t watched it yet, don’t fret, as the events that were showcased in the movie will also be showcased in the initial episodes of Season 4.
Demon Slayer Hashira Training Arc (Season 4)
Demon Slayer Season 4 adapts the Hashira Training Arc, and it is said to be the shortest season in the franchise. In this season, we will see Tanjiro and his friends, Zenitsu and Inosuke, getting vigorous training from the Hashira so they can singlehandedly fight the demons, including Muzan Kibutsuji.
Where to Watch All the Seasons of Demon Slayer?
All the seasons of Demon Slayer can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix. These platforms don’t have the “To The Hashira Training” and “To The Swordsmith Village” movies, and we cannot expect these movies to be released digitally as the events covered in these movies are/will be featured in the TV series.
Furthermore, Demon Slayer Season 4 debuted recently with weekly episodes from May 12, 2024, onwards on these streaming platforms.
Demon Slayer has three movies so far that you can skip without thinking twice. That’s because the events in the films are featured in the episodes of the following seasons of the franchise.
Ajith Kumar
