What To Expect From Demon Slayer Season 3
With the weather shifting, birds singing, and flowers blooming, that can only mean one thing. The spring anime season is upon us. Winter presented many returning hit series, such as "Vinland Saga" and "Attack on Titan." Spring is no different in this regard. But many fans will likely have their hearts set on "Demon Slayer" as the hit anime is coming back this year with its hotly anticipated third season. It's scheduled to premiere on April 9, 2023, as Crunchyroll will simulcast each episode's airing in Japan.
Season 2's Entertainment District Arc presented Tanjiro and his comrades with their most brutal battles so far. They fought against a dangerous sibling duo who also happened to be a part of Muzan's elite Upper Moon Demons. Unfortunately, nothing will get any easier for our heroes as they will spend this season locating the mysterious Swordsmith Village and dealing with some new foes. The Entertainment District Arc continued to impress fans with the anime's penchant for beautifully animated swordfights, heartstring-pulling drama, and light comedic moments. The upcoming Swordsmith Village Arc will continue that trend, but what else can we expect going into "Demon Slayer" Season 3?
Season 3 begins with an hour-long episode
Before "Demon Slayer" Season 3, the series recently hit theaters with the movie "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To The Swordsmith Village." The name might imply that it covers the entire story arc of Season 3. Instead, that film could be seen as a bridge between Season 2 and Season 3, as it contains the last two episodes of the Entertainment Arc and the first episode of the Swordsmith Village Arc. However, that's good news for those that missed out on the film, as Crunchyroll revealed that the first episode of Season 3 would be the same extended cut of Episode 1 featured in the film.
That might annoy fans who saw the movie, but with the first episode being an hour long, that means less waiting time before the series properly dives into the rest of the arc. And there's no time to waste as the ending of "To The Swordsmith Village" presented a bunch of questions about what to expect from Tanjiro's latest journey. Notably, is our hero ever going to manage to get another blade? And what secret weapon is Swordsmith Village hiding within its walls? And just how powerful are the two Hashira Tanjiro encounters?
Familiar favorites are getting less of the spotlight
Speaking of the Hashira, just as Season 2 gave the spotlight to Tengen and his wives as they assisted Tanjiro and his friends, Season 3 is moving the attention to two other Hashira. The trailers released so far show off the pink-haired Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji and the mysterious Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito. In addition, we'll also learn more about Swordsmith Village and its curious ways through Tanjiro's missing swordsmith Hotaru and the village elder Kotetsu. Sadly, we may see very little of Tanjiro's buddies, Zenitsu and Inosuke. With Season 3 likely following the rest of the anime's rule of sticking close to the manga, it's better not to expect many scenes from the fan-favorite characters because the Swordsmith Arc focuses more on Tanjiro and Nezuko. However, we can expect the gruff Demon Slayer Corps member Genya Shinazugawa to join along and play a significant part in the season.
Our heroes will need his intriguing skills, as they'll also contend with two more of Muzan's Upper Moon Demons. The monstrous Gyokko and Hantengu are the ones terrorizing our protagonist this time. And keep in mind that while Daki and Gyutaro gave our heroes so much trouble last season that Tengen was forced to retire from being a Hashira, they are nothing compared to Gyokko and Hantengu. Once the fighting starts, we'll quickly see that the newest bad guys are definitely no pushovers.
The ending of Swordsmith Village will easily point toward another season
There currently isn't an official word on Season 4 for "Demon Slayer." But we have to imagine that once the ending of Season 3 airs, fans will be in a frenzy for another outing of the hit series. Those who have read the manga know "Swordsmith Village" for its emphasis on growth with Tanjiro and Nezuko and how the arc continues the careful worldbuilding of "Demon Slayer." There are a lot of important plot details explored in the Swordsmith Arc, including a bit of the Demon Slayer Corps' history, their relationship with the swordsmiths, and even Muzan's nefarious plans.
And without spoiling anything, the ending to the Swordsmith Arc properly moves the series ever closer to its final confrontation between the heroes and villains. In addition, each season so far has usually adapted three to four manga volumes. If Season 3 continues this pattern, that means there's still a healthy chunk of story to pull from. It's nowhere as near as other "Shonen Jump" titles like "Naruto" or "Bleach," as "Demon Slayer" clocks in at over 200 plus manga chapters. Still, by the time the dust settles and the sun rises with Season 3, there'll still be more story for the series to adapt.