How To Watch Demon Slayer In Order

"Demon Slayer" is one of the most popular anime currently running. It's a cultural phenomenon that's crossed into the mainstream; a franchise that made the leap from the small to the big screen and broke box office records with "Demon Slayer — Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: Mugen Train", surpassing even a Christopher Nolan movie to become the highest grossing film worldwide in 2020.

Now, at the height of its popularity, the story of Tanjiro Kamado — who fights a horde of demons in an attempt to cure her sister (who was turned into one of them) with the help of the elite Demon Slayer Corps – and "Demon Slayer" at large is coming to an end. While writing about the correct order to watch a TV show may seem redundant, or unnecessary, or even silly, the fact is that, in recent years, it's become harder to keep track of anime stories thanks to the trend of movies that are actually canon to the series' narrative and, thus, required viewing.

That means that if you want to get into one of the biggest animated shows on the planet before it ends, you should know where to start and where to go from there. This is what you need to know about how to watch "Demon Slayer."

"Demon Slayer" is part of a new trend in seasonal anime releases where the shows are organized less by their seasons and more by their story arcs. It makes sense; after all, each season is adapting a specific story arc from a manga (or a part of a story arc). Still, it means there's no simple numerical order to things. "Jujutsu Kaisen" is also guilty of this, whereas shows like "My Hero Academia" and "Attack on Titan" stuck to just having a season 1, season 2, and so on.

When it comes to "Demon Slayer," the only correct watch order is the release order:

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — season 1 (2019)

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — The Movie: Mugen Train (2020)

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — season 2 (2021)

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — To the Swordsmith Village (2023)

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — season 3 (2023)

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — To the Hashira Training (2024)

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — season 4 (2024)

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba — Infinity Castle Movie Trilogy (release dates TBA)

Alternatively, you can actually skip the "Mugen Train" movie. However, if you do, you'll have to watch season 2 in its entirety, as the first half adapts the "Mugen Train" storyline with some added scenes, including an entirely new episode.

That said, this is the only correct way to watch "Demon Slayer" as the story is linear and serialized — showing protagonist Tanjiro Kamado's progress in learning to become a Demon Slayer, his encounters with demons, and his power-ups as the threat of the leader of the demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, increases.

There are three "Demon Slayer" compilation films so far: 2020's "Mugen Train," 2023's "To the Swordsmith Village," and 2024's "To the Hashira Training." It can be confusing to understand how these films are different from the overlapping arcs explored in the anime, but the impetus to watch them boils down to personal preference and whether the idea of watching "Demon Slayer" on the big screen appeals to you. Outside of their theatrical release windows, these companion films offer little value, as they are mostly recaps of already-resolved series arcs that feature sneak peeks of arcs to come. Hence, this early-access view has limited appeal once those future arcs air as a part of the anime series.

For instance, the "Mugen Train" film was released before the Mugen Train arc in season 2, so it posited something fresh for fans at the time of release. However, if you're getting into the series now, the movie can be skipped, as the series is much longer (the arc is divided into seven episodes, as opposed to the film being two hours long), and explores character details at a more minute pace. Yes, the plot essentially is the same, and the animation is on par with the film, but we are also offered glimpses into quieter character moments in the series, making the film purely ornamental — a compilation of highlights in the strictest sense of the term.

The same issue plagues the other compilation films, including the recent "To the Hashira Training," which picks up right at the season 3 finale (which fans have most likely already seen) and transitions into the introduction of the Hashiras, ending on a cliffhanger. Think of it as a preview for season 4, stitched with a recap of the season 3 climax and presented as a continuous narrative that does not really add much to a series which will delve into these stories in greater detail anyway.

Minor spoilers for "Demon Slayer" to follow.

As "Demon Slayer" does not warrant any convoluted back and forths due to its linear nature, season 1, which spans episodes 1 to 26, covers the Unwavering Resolve arc, which sets the foundation for this fictional realm's fantastical and high-stakes worldbuilding. Rumors about man-eating demons reach a young Tanjiro, but the realization that these myths contain truth comes a little too late and at a heavy personal price. Struggling to save his sister Nezuko, whose demonic transformation has inexplicably helped her retain some human traits, Tanjiro must train to earn the mantle of Demon Slayer, which leads him to cross paths with a string of legacy characters who weave in and out of the story.

These episodes help create some foundational friendships and establish antagonists with a hold over the lives of these heroes, leading to the seminal Mugen Trai arc, which makes up a chunk of season 2 and spans episodes 27-33. The titular Mugen Train is transformed into a kinetic battlefield, where Tanjiro, alongside fellow Demon Slayers Zenitsu and Inosuke, must face entities more powerful than their expectations, with the enigmatic Muzan Kibutsuji emerging as an inevitable final boss down the line. As Tanjiro has been training hard and has recently mastered new techniques, he must prove his worth and push forward — which culminates in episodes 34-44, comprising season 2's Entertainment District Arc. This arc brings the serious players out in the open, such as the Hashira, Tengen Uzui, who takes a rather humorous approach to lure out the demons in the titular district.

Season 3, which covers episodes 45-55, underlines the Swordsmith Village arc, where things get real serious in terms of cause and effect, with several upper-rank demons thrown into the mix. The cumulative power of the Demon Slayer Corps is at full display here, leading to a fresh chapter in season 4 (episodes 56-63), which maps the Hashira Training Arc. A baffling truth about Nezuko is revealed, which completely recontextualizes the game plan against Muzan, paving the path for the formidable Hashiras, the most elite Demon Slayers within the organization (with whom Tanjiro must train hard).

The final Infinity Castle Arc, which will span three films, is set to wrap up the entire series and is yet to be released.

The decision to not adapt the events of the "Demon Slayer" manga into a fifth and final season, and to opt for a trilogy of films instead, is most likely driven by logistical reasons. Although much isn't known about the "Infinity Castle" trilogy at the moment, the first film is set to pick up right after the events of the season 4 finale, with Tanjiro and his Hashira friends being trapped in the titular location.

The Infinity Castle is an extra-dimensional space that currently serves as Muzan's lair, consisting of seemingly endless rooms and corridors that defy gravity and traditional routes of navigation. The trilogy's end goal, along with Tanjiro's, is to put an end to Muzan's reign of terror and the demon problem once and for all, which demands an epic showdown between high-ranking demons and the most elite demon slayers.

It is difficult to gauge how much of the manga will be faithfully adapted, as the source material's corresponding arc spans chapters 137 to 183 and is followed by a concluding Sunrise Countdown arc, which ends with chapter 205. Cast details, along with a release date, have not been announced yet, but we will likely hear more about these films in the months to come.