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With a new season on the way, it’s really time to catch up with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. In just three seasons, the show has taken the anime world by storm. It's pretty impressive, considering other anime hits like One Piece and Naruto have years of content under their respective belts. But ask any fans of the show, and they'll tell you - Demon Slayer ranks among the best.

Say you're not one of those fans yet, but would very much like to be one. Well, your journey into the fandom might be tricky. Despite being organized into several distinct arcs, knowing how to watch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba in either chronological or release order can be tricky given that some sections are repeated in both the television series and the film. That's why we've come up with Popverse's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba watch order, in which we'll tell you everything you need to know about this hit anime, and what to expect from it next.

How to watch Demon Slayer in chronological order

The episodes of Demon Slayer play out largely in chronological order, despite the many flashbacks that the series features. These flashbacks usually only take up a portion of the episode and are used to flesh out the backstory of the demon that Tanjiro and his friends are currently facing; as such, they don’t really affect the watch order of the show, though they can have a big impact on its pacing.

The confusion comes from the inclusion of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, which covers the Mugen Train Arc of the manga. Portions of these two movies were then reused during the anime series with added scenes, meaning that there is some repeated material. Because of this repetition, we recommend watching either the movies or the the corresponding arcs of the anime.

Here is the chronological watch order for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba:

• The Final Selection Arc – Episodes 1-5
• Kidnapper’s Bog Arc – Episodes 6-7
• Asakusa Arc – Episodes 8-10
• Tsuzumi Mansion Arc – Episodes 11-14
• Mount Natagumo Arc – Episodes 15-21
• Rehabilitation Training Arc – Episodes 22-26
• Mugen Train Arc – Episode 27
• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
• Mugen Train Arc, continued – Episodes 28-33 (Note that content from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train was used in these episodes, effectively making it a repeat of the movie with limited additional scenes.)
• Entertainment District Arc – Episodes 34-44
• Demon Slayer: Kimestu no Yaiba – To The Swordsmith Village
• The Swordsmith Village Arc – Episodes 45 - 55 (Note that the first two episodes of this arc were included in the To The Swordsmith Village movie.
• Demon Slayer: Kimtesu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training

As with other movies, the new To the Hashira Training movie is a combination of the final episodes of the third season of the show, and the first season of the fourth, which is scheduled to start in May 2024.

How to watch Demon Slayer in release order

It is much easier to watch Demon Slayer in release order since you don’t have to skip between the anime and the film. This is the approach we recommend you take. Again, we would suggest watching either the Mugen Train arc in the anime or in the film, as watching both creates unnecessary repetition.

Here is the release order for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime:

Season 1

• The Final Selection Arc – Episodes 1-5
• Kidnapper’s Bog Arc – Episodes 6-7
• Asakusa Arc – Episodes 8-10
• Tsuzumi Mansion Arc – Episodes 11-14
• Mount Natagumo Arc – Episodes 15-21
• Rehabilitation Training Arc – Episodes 22-26

Season 2

• Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train
• Mugen Train Arc – Episodes 27-33
• Entertainment District Arc – Episodes 34-44

Season 3

• The Swordsmith Village arc - Episodes 45-55

Season 4

• The Hashira Training Arc

Where can I watch Demon Slayer?

There are episodes for Demon Slayer on several different streaming platforms, depending on where you live. Netflix has the entire series, including the Mugen Train movie, available to stream.

However, new episodes of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba air on Crunchyroll alongside their Japanese debut, with an English dub expected to air a few weeks later for international fans. This makes Crunchyroll the best option if you want to stay caught up when new episodes are released.

Is Demon Slayer finished?

Good news, Demon Slayer fans - the answer to the question above is a resounding "no!" As soon as the third season of the anime had completed, Japanese fans were given the good news with an announcement of an upcoming fourth season was aired immediately after the episode, with the new season scheduled to begin May 12, 2024 as part of the Sping 2024 anime season, though fans who caught the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To The Hashira Training movie got a sneak peak at what was coming up.

The new season will adapt the Hashira Training arc, the official synopsis of which runs as follows: "Tanjiro goes to see the Stone Hashira, Himejima, who intends to prepare him for the battles to come. The training to become a Hashira—a high-ranking member of the Demon Slayer Corps—is intense and demanding. Earning Himejima's approval seems impossible, but Tanjiro won't give up! Meanwhile, the demon lord Muzan continues to search for the location of Nezuko and Ubuyashiki."

What are the Demon Slayer ranks?

Just like most military organizations, the Demon Slayer Corps has a fairly strict ranking system to help decide which members get sent on certain missions. These ranks don't make as much of an impact in the story as those in Naruto, but they do add flavor to the setting. There are ten rankings in the Demon Slayer Corps, which are, from lowest to highest:

• Mizunoto
• Kanoto
• Kanoe
• Tsuchinoto
• Tsuchinoe
• Hinoto
• Hinoe
• Kinoto
• Kinoe

Are the Demon Slayer movies canon?

Unlike shonen anime like One Piece or Dragon Ball, the Demon Slayer movies directly adapt the events of the manga, making them firmly in the canon of the show. If you haven’t seen them, though, you don’t need to worry too much. The events of the Mugen Train movie were included in season two of the anime while the To the Swordsmith Village film consisted entirely of footage from the anime series. That means that you can just watch the Demon Slayer anime without worrying about missing any of the action.

When is Season 4 of Demon Slayer out?

Previously, there had been at least 2 years between season of Demon Slayer, but season four seems to be breaking that trend. In December 2023, Aniplex announced that Demon Slayer season four would premiere in the Spring 2024 anime season, just one year after the previous season. The new season is due to begin on May 12, 2024.

As a prelude to this new season, Aniplex and Crunchyroll announced that the first episode of the Hashira Training arc would debut in cinemas around the world as part of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training world tour.

Where can I read the Demon Slayer manga?

While the Demon Slayer anime is continuing for at least one more season, the manga actually wrapped up several years ago. That means that if you don’t want to wait to see Tanjiro’s adventures conclude, you can check out the surprisingly good Shonen Jump app and read every chapter, plus all the spin-off manga that have been released.

Slay on, Demon Slayer. As we prep for new installments of the Demon Slayer anime, here's a survival kit to help you. First, a guide to all the major Demon Slayer characters. Second, recommendations for how (and where) to watch all of Demon Slayer. Third, context of why Demon Slayer is so popular. Fourth, when we think Demon Slayer season 4 is coming out. And also, how Demon Slayer ends (at least in the manga).

And as a bonus, you can watch the full NYCC Demon Slayer panel with the voice cast.