The Demon Slayer Season 4: Infinity Castle anime TV series is inevitable considering the worldwide popularity of the TV show. But when will Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 4 come out?
There has been some confusion in the anime fandom regarding the number of seasons based on the way the Demon Slayer TV show labels its titles by story arcs rather than numbered seasons. Thus, some fans considered the Mugen Train Arc to be the second season, and the Entertainment District Arc the third season, even though both story arcs were part of the 2nd season released in Fall 2021.
Since the Demon Slayer Season 3 anime was named after the Swordsmith Village Arc, it’s very likely that the fourth season will be called Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc.
The production of the third season was initially announced in February 2022. On December 10, 2022, a new Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc trailer PV confirmed that the Demon Slayer Season 3 release date is in April 2023, the Spring 2023 anime season.
A world tour screening event will reveal the 1-hour long first episode in IMAX theaters on February 3, 2023. The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village- World Tour movie theater release date in the USA and Canada is on March 3, 2023.
Warning: The following two paragraphs contain a brief Demon Slayer Season 4 story summary with spoilers.
After the traumatic events at the Swordsmith Village, Tanjiro Kamado and his sister Nezuko rejoin their friends Inosuke Hashibira and Zenitsu Agatsuma at the Butterfly Mansion. They are amazed by the changes that have taken place to Nezuko. All three demon slayers are then called to attend a super hard training session conducted by the Hashira for improving everyone’s abilities.
The majority of demon slayers, with the exception of Tanjiro and Inosuke, view the Hashira Training as an everlasting trip in hell due to the grinding difficulty. But the real hell awaits them all when the demon slayer corps’ master Kagaya receives a surprise visitor to the Ubuyashiki estate… and everyone ends up being teleported to the demon Infinity Castle!
The total number of episodes for the Demon Slayer: Swordsmith Village Arc anime hasn’t been announced yet. Assuming that the Demon Slayer Season 4: Infinity Castle Arc anime adapts the short, nine-chapter Hashira Training Arc as the first three episodes, it’s predicted that the fourth season will be two cours since it would be adapting more manga chapters than the first season.
What’s a “cour,” you might ask? For those unfamiliar with the lingo, a “cour” is a three-month block of TV broadcasting based on the physical seasons, usually composed of 10 to 13 episodes.
In order to ensure that the production schedule doesn’t get too hectic, it’s also possible that a Demon Slayer Season 4 Part 2 could be a split-cour anime season. A “split-cour” is where a single anime season takes a multi-month break before resuming TV broadcasting.
Aniplex is the anime/music distributor, Shueisha publishes the manga by creator Koyoharu Gotoge, and ufotable is the animation studio. ufotable is directly part of the anime production committee so it’s a given that the animation studio will return for making Demon Slayer Season 4. However, it’s currently unknown which members of the main staff will return.
Director Haruo Sotozaki (Tales of Symphonia: The Animation) helmed the first three anime TV seasons. Thus, it’s very likely that he’ll be coming back again for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -Infinity Castle-.
Chief animation director Akira Matsushima and lead character designer Akira Matsushima also returned for the third season.
For the first three seasons, the music was composed by Yuki Kajiura (Sword Art Online, Fate/Zero, and Madoka Magica) and Go Shiina (Juni Taisen: Zodiac War, and God Eater). Hikaru Kondo is the producer.
The Demon Slayer Season 4 OP (opening) and ED (ending) theme song music hasn’t been announced yet. In the past, the OST theme songs have been performed by groups like Aimer and singers like LiSA.
The anime’s first season premiered with two cours composed of 26 episodes on April 6, 2019. The Demon Slayer: Mugen Train movie’s USA release date was on April 21, 2021.
The Demon Slayer Season 2 anime had 18 episodes in total and premiered on October 10, 2021. The first 7 episodes introduced an original story and re-adapted the Mugen Train arc. Beginning with a one-hour special on December 5, 2021, the latter 11 episodes of the second season adapted the Entertainment District Arc for the first time. The second season’s finale, Demon Slayer Season 2 Episode 18 (Entertainment District Arc Episode 11), was released on February 13, 2022.
- Updated December 10, 2022: Demon Slayer Season 3 release date in April 2023.
This article provides everything that is known about Demon Slayer Season 4 (Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 4 / Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc) and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news, rumors, and analysis. Meanwhile, let’s delve down into what is known for certain.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 4 release date predictions: Is 2024 likely?
As of the last update, Shueisha, Aniplex, Ufotable, or any company related to the production of the anime has not officially confirmed the Demon Slayer Season 4 release date, nor has the fourth season been confirmed to be in production.
Once the news is officially confirmed this article will be updated with the relevant information.
In the meantime, it’s possible to speculate about when the Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle release date will occur in the future.
Ufotable is on the anime production committee so they definitely have a huge financial incentive to finish adapting the entire Demon Slayer manga series. The biggest factor affecting the release schedule is the availability of Ufotable. As a small animation company, they do have concurrent projects (video games and movies like Witch on the Holy Night) but they usually only have one big project per year.
Ufotable usually announces their projects a year in advance. The first Demon Slayer movie was released in October 2020, which was roughly a year after the first season finished. And the second season premiered a year later in Fall 2021. It’s confirmed that the Demon Slayer Season 3: Swordsmith Village TV anime will come out in April 2023.
Considering that the animation studio has kept to a fairly regular release schedule these past few years it logically follows that the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 4 release date will be in Summer 2024 at the earliest. However, to allow for a reasonable production schedule it’s possible that a split-cour Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 2 will likely release in 2025.
Keep in mind this information is just an informed prediction/estimate and not an anime news leak.
The Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga’s ending could affect the anime’s ending format
The story for the anime is based on the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga series by writer and illustrator Koyoharu Gotoge.
VIZ Media has licensed the official English translation of the Demon Slayer manga series. The first three chapters, as well as the three most recent chapters, can be read on the official website for free. The English online release is completely caught up with the Japanese magazine release.
Talking about the anime TV show’s ending may seem like putting the cart before the horse, considering that the Demon Slayer Season 2 anime only finished half of the entire story.
But it is a timely discussion considering that the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba manga’s ending was released in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine already back in May 2020.
Yep, that’s right. If you somehow missed the news, Demon Slayer Chapter 205 was the ending of the entire series.
Creator Gotouge capped off the story in a bittersweet way that doesn’t leave much wiggle room for a direct Demon Slayer sequel but provided hints about what happened to the characters in the future (yes, some ships did set sail while others sank).
It’ll probably be debated for years whether Demon Slayer’s ending was rushed or not. After all, it seems like the series just began to peak in popularity.
The manga sold over 60 million copies in total in about four years. Then suddenly, it’s all over except for a side-story prequel about Rengoku. There are also three novels that released in Fall 2022: The Flower of Happiness, One-Winged Butterfly, and Signs from the Wind
But anime-only fans probably want to know how the Demon Slayer ending could impact the anime’s ending without being spoiled.
First, I’ll explain without spoilers how the manga’s ending is likely to be adapted into both an anime TV series and a final movie. But near the bottom of this article, I’ll explain, with spoilers, why a Demon Slayer manga sequel seems unlikely — unless it takes place in modern times!
Why a Demon Slayer: Sunrise Countdown Arc movie could adapt the Kimetsu no Yaiba ending
The first season of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba anime series was 26 episodes long, and it ended by adapting through Volume 6: Chapter 51. The Kimetsuo no Yaiba movie was a direct sequel about the Mugen Train story arc.
The Demon Slayer movie adapted manga Chapters 52 through 66, which wasn’t the entirety of the story arc. So the second season’s first cour re-adapted the Mugen Train story arc that was covered by the movie!
The 7 episodes added more details, especially the aftermath of the story arc that leads up to the Entertainment District arc. For example, the re-adaptation covered missing details from the Mugen Train arc like Tanjiro visiting Rengoku’s family mansion in manga Chapters 67 through 69.
In addition, the second season offered an expanded version of Mugen Train for the first several episodes that showed Rengoku taking on a mission before boarding the train.
Due to the stunning financial success of Mugen Train, a Toho producer is already calling for a Demon Slayer movie 2. While Toho helped Aniplex distribute the film in Japan, they’re not on the anime production committee, which is comprised of Aniplex, Shueisha, and Studio ufotable.
The Toho producer wanted the Yoshiwara Yukaku (Entertainment District) story arc to be adapted by a movie but that was unlikely from the start since the story arc is so long that it would have required at least two movies to adapt faithfully. So, some anime industry insiders believe it’s more likely that the third and fourth seasons will then be followed by a second movie.
Since Demon Slayer Season 2 re-adapted Mugen Train and then the next Entertainment District story arc, that meant the anime adapted manga Chapters 53 through 99 with two anime cours since these story arcs have 47 chapters combined.
The Swordsmith Village Arc is 28 chapters long and the Hashira Training Arc is only 9 chapters. These story arcs combined were too long for a movie, and Hashira Training Arc by itself is too short for a film. Plus, the story events of the Hashira Training Arc leads directly into the Infinity Castle Arc so it makes more sense to adapt the short arc as part of Demon Slayer Season 4.
Thus, it’s predicted that the third season’s finale (Demon Slayer Season 3 Episode 10?) will find a stopping point corresponding to manga Chapter 127. Since Demon Slayer Chapter 205 is the ending, that leaves 78 chapters to adapt for Demon Slayer Season 4.
There are multiple ways anime studio ufotable could finish the anime series. The only question is whether ufotable should adapt the entire Demon Slayer: Final Battle Arc/Saga in Demon Slayer Season 4 or leave the ending for a final movie.
The 69 chapters of the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Final Battle Arc has two major parts. The Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Arc is 47 chapters long and the end boss battle in the Demon Slayer Sunrise Countdown Arc is 22 chapters long.
Therefore, assuming the fourth season’s pacing is similar to the anime’s first season, Demon Slayer Season 4 could be two cours long, adapt 56 chapters, and finish with Chapter 183.
Unfortunately, that’d leave anime fans waiting on a movie based on a cliffhanger ending, which is hardly ideal. So, Demon Slayer Season 4 could have faster pacing in order to finish the ending within two cours, or it could be a split-cour season that spans three cours.
On the other hand, the final battle with Muzan and the epilogue would be the perfect fit for a long Demon Slayer: Sunrise Countdown movie and the conclusion would be given full animated justice on the big screen. The Mugen Train movie only adapted 14 chapters with a runtime of 1 hour 57 minutes, so a film that adapts the final 22 chapters would have a significantly longer 3-hour runtime, but it wouldn’t be overly long.
It’s also possible that Demon Slayer movie 2 could be split into two parts. Splitting the final Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Sunrise Countdown movie is hardly an ideal option since it’d make anime fans wait longer. Arguably, even a split movie is a better option than finishing with a rushed Demon Slayer Season 4.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Arc anime spoilers (plot summary/synopsis
Now that it’s obvious the Swordsmith Village is in danger of further demon attack, plans are set in motion to move the village’s location.
After the traumatic events at the Swordsmith Village, Tanjiro Kamado spend 7 days straight resting at the Butterfly Mansion. Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko have rejoined their friends Inosuke Hashibira and Zenitsu Agatsuma, who are amazed by how Nezuko has conquered the Sun and can now walk about freely.
All three demon slayers are then called to attend a super hard training session conducted by the Hashira for improving everyone’s abilities. The majority of demon slayers, with the exception of Tanjiro and Inosuke, view the Hashira Training as an everlasting trip in hell due to the grinding difficulty.
Each of the Hashira focus on different aspects of training, including sword skills and muscle training. Tanjiro will even have to take on his senior the Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa. And at one point he earns the nickname “Mommy” for his actions.
But the real challenge awaits them all when the demon slayer corps’ master Kagaya receives a surprise visitor to the Ubuyashiki estate: Muzan Kibutsuji! The demon leader wants Nezuko since he greatly desires to know the secret of how she conquered the Sun.
The Hashira rush to the scene and are shocked when the mansion disappears in a huge explosion. Even Muzan was caught by surprise since Kagaya looked serene before blowing up himself and his family.
Muzan’s skin is burned off and he’s caught in spike traps, but although the Hashira and the other demon slayers attack Muzan from all sides – even cutting off his head! – they fail to win since Muzan not only survives, he transports the demon slayers to the Infinity Castle. With the mocking voice of Muzan ringing in their ears, Tanjiro, the Hashira, and all the other teleported demon slayers realize they will be facing a true hell that night.
Why a Demon Slayer manga sequel is unlikely unless it’s set in modern times [Major Spoilers]
Fans of the Demon Slayer manga might want a direct sequel, but the creator has not left any room. The main characters accomplished their primary goals, and the majority of the characters have died.
The villain has been defeated in a way that the Demon Slayer Corps’ mission is essentially over.
Warning: The following contains major spoilers for the Demon Slayer manga’s ending! Do not read unless you want major details to be revealed before watching the Demon Slayer anime’s ending!
All of these accomplishments happened within 10 chapters. In Chapter 196, Tanjiro’s sister Nezuko was finally healed, her humanity restored, and her memories fully returned!
Chapters 199 and 200 contained a second major moment that’s hard for the series to walk back from. Demon villain Muzan Kibutsuji is killed, and his body begins disintegrating at the touch of the sun’s rays.
Since Muzan is the very source of the demons, it’d be difficult for a Demon Slayer sequel to be made. The only option would be to have a new demon master arise in the future. (Maybe a vial of Muzan’s blood survives?)
Chapter 201 contained a major plot twist that could have been developed into a Demon Slayer manga sequel. But the potential lasted for a mere handful of chapters before the conflict was resolved.
In killing Muzan, Tanjiro lost an arm, and he was slowly dying from the blood loss. Muzan attempted a last-ditch effort at revenge by injecting Tanjiro with his blood, transforming Tanjiro into a demon with spine-like whips that emerged from his back.
Worse, Tanjiro was immune to the rays of the risen sun.
The surviving members of the Slayer Corps couldn’t bring themselves to kill their friend, so Tanjiro could have escaped and created new demons for the newly awakened Nezuko to hunt down.
But creator Gotouge decided not to extend the plot with such a twist.
Instead, Tanjiro resisted the mind-manipulations of Muzan. Conveniently, there was one last dose of demon cure left, so Nezuko helped her brother regain his humanity by Chapter 203.
The next chapter is three months forward. The final surviving Hashira decides to disband the Demon Slayer Corps completely. Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke live together in the Kamado household.
The finale, Demon Slayer Chapter 205, ends by jumping far ahead in time to a modern city. The manga finishes, showing the descendants of the main characters. The heroes’ story lives on in an autobiography, The Legend of Zenitsu.
Many of the modern-day descendants resemble their counterparts from the main story. Some characters seem to have reincarnated since some of the modern people resemble characters that couldn’t have possibly had children, especially the fallen Hashira.
Yushiro and Chachamaru are also still alive in the future, so demons still exist, as well. Yushiro became famous in modern times for his lifelike paintings of Tamayo.
This ending does leave a small opening for a Demon Slayer sequel set in modern times. A botanist named Aoba Hashibira announces the discovery of the Blue Spider Lily, which only lives for a short time. Regardless, the existence of the rare flower means it could still end up being used to create new demons.
The only negative to this ending is that Gotouge has mostly written himself into a corner since any Demon Slayer sequel would need to be set in modern times by necessity.
Coincidentally, the Kimetsu no Yaiba manga spin-offs are being written by Ryoji Hirano, whose own original manga series, the 2018 Bozebeats, was about modern monks using a combination of guns and magic to combat demons.
But would fans even be interested in such a premise for a Demon Slayer manga sequel? It would depend on the protagonist and villain’s motives and actions, which could reflect a modern twist on the formula.
In the meantime, let’s hope the anime series fully adapts the Kimetsu no Yaiba manga’s ending into Demon Slayer Season 4 combined with a movie. Stay tuned!