With two seasons and multiple OVA and movies already out, fans eagerly want to know how to watch Demon Slayer in order, thus we have created this best Demon Slayer watch order for new fans.
Demon Slayer has enjoyed its fame and is currently one of the most popular anime series. Due to its outstanding animation, it has attracted not only anime fans but also many new watchers who have never watched anime
With very little information available online, here’s a complete guide on what order to watch Demon Slayer in.
The Demon Slayer anime series is based on a manga that goes by the same name, written and illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge. The manga has concluded with 23 volumes and has more than 150 million copies in circulation. Surely the Demon Slayer manga is a good read.
Before starting off with the demon slayer order to watch, here’s a little background on what the series is based on.
Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy, supports his family after his father passed away by doing many odd jobs. On a certain day, he was late to return home due to the climate.
When he comes back the next day, he gets shocked to see his whole family killed by demons leaving only his sister, Nezuko Kamado who has turned into a demon.
Thus starts his journey of training to become a demon slayer in Demon Slayer Corps to find a cure to turn his sister back into a human. On his way, he meets many people and friends who help him achieve his goal and ultimately put an end to the era of demons.
With its upcoming third season, isn’t it the best time to start binging the massively popular anime? We bring you the best chronological order to watch Demon Slayer anime with its arc and also a guide on which episodes can be skipped.
Demon Slayer Release Order
The most popular known releases of the Demon Slayer franchise are Season 1, followed by the Mugen Train movie and its Season 2.
But here’s the thing, Demon Slayer has released several compilation movies for Season 1 episodes and also an OVA.
Demon Slayer Seasons
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 1 (April 6, 2019 – September 28, 2019)
This season marks the beginning of this popular series. Starting from a cheerful boy helping around the neighbourhood and his family, we are introduced to the world of Demon Slayer which is not so pleasant. Combining different arcs to progress the story, it has 26 episodes with a duration of 23 mins per episode.
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 (October 10, 2021 – February 13, 2022)
Tanjiro has matured and so are the viewers, hence it takes a leap into the broader picture of the story. Covering the Mugen Train Arc in this first half and Entertainment District Arc in its second half, this season is totally packed with a feast for the viewers.
Demon Slayer Movies
- Kimetsu No Yaiba: Bond of Siblings (March 29, 2019)
The first recap movie of the Demon Slayer franchise with a duration of 1 hr 24 mins. It is a compilation of the first five episodes of Season 1 of Demon Slayer.
- Kimetsu No Yaiba: Infinity Train (October 16, 2020)
It was released after the end of Season 1 of Demon Slayer. Tanjiro and his group receiving enough training goes along with Rengoku Kyojuro on a mission. Covering the whole of the Mugen Train arc, it has a duration of 1 hr 56 mins.
- Kimetsu No Yaiba: The Hashira Meeting Arc (December 20, 2020)
The second recap movie of the Demon Slayer franchise. The movie has a duration of 1 hr 46 mins and compiles episodes 22-26 of Demon Slayer Season 1.
The movie added some new footage in the compilation and also special ending credits roll to give a new twist.
Demon Slayer OVA
- Kimetsu Gakuen: Valentine-Hen (February 14, 2021)
It is a five-part OVA that shows the characters of the Demon Slayer in a fictional high school, Kimetsu Academy.
Kimetsu Gakuen: Valentine-Hen covers the story of Zenitsu searching for a valentine, teaming up with Tanjiro for romantic advice, and also the Demon Slayer Corps taking part in this venture.
- Junior High and High School!! Kimetsu Academy Story (March 7, 2021)
It is a total of 3 special episodes based on a spin-off of the Demon Slayer characters in the modern world. It shows their days as students and teachers of a high school.
The Best Demon Slayer Watch Order
The Demon Slayer story is extremely simple and straightforward. Watching it in the right sequence will not only boost your understanding of the series but also connect the events of the story.
So here’s the best chronological order to watch Demon Slayer anime in brief!
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 1
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 Episode 1 (“Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku”)
- Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Mugen Train or (Season 2 Episode 2-7)
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 (episode 8-18)
How to watch Demon Slayer in order, explained!
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 1
Of course, it’s no surprise that the first season will come in the first place. The first season has several arcs happening planned out after the span of each episode. Presenting the complete breakdown of the arcs and their summary-
| Arcs in Season 1 | Episodes | Summary |
| Final Selection Arc | 1-5 | Tanjiro’s back story Tanjiro officially becomes a demon slayer and masters water breathing |
| First Mission Arc/ Kidnapper’s Bog Arc | 6-7 | Tanjiro and Nezuko vs the Swamp Demon |
| Asakusa Arc | 7-10 | Muzan Kibutsuji and Tamayo’s first appearance12 kizuki are introducedTanjiro fights Susamaru and Yahaba |
| Tsuzumi Mansion Arc | 11-14 | Tanjiro fights Drum DemonZenitsu’s hidden strength revealedInosuke’s meeting with Tanjiro and Zenitsu |
| Natagumo Mountain Arc | 15-21 | Fight against the Spider Family |
| Rehabilitation Training Arc | 22-26 | Tanjiro meets Hashiras and Kagaya UbuyashikiNezuko proves to be able to resist herself from eating humansTanjiro and his squad master Total ConcentraionMuzan kills all lower ranks except Enmu (promoted to Upper Moon 3) |
Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 1 ends with developments from both sides of the party who are looking forward to meeting each other soon.
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 Episode 1
The Mugen Train arc comes next. The movie was released to cover up this arc but there’s a small twist. If you want to watch the series not missing any slight detail or confusing its order, the first episode of Season 2 “Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku” should be given a watch first.
Why?
This episode serves as a basis for the introduction of the Mugen Train arc. Watching this episode first would make the viewers feel that the arc is a part of the journey of the Demon Slayer journey. It also adds a backstory relevant to a prominent character in the Mugen train arc which makes it more appealing.
- Kimetsu No Yaiba: Infinity Train/Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 (episode 2-7)
This Demon Slayer movie covers the whole Mugen Train arc. It features a unique fight on the train which and is very interesting to watch. Akaza, Enmu and Rengoku carry this arc with their wonderful skills and fights. Ufotable Studio did a splendid job with their animation skills which is totally a feast for the eyes. This movie also features some anime-only scenes so keeping an eye on this is a must.
The movie was also re-adapted into a television format. You can alternatively watch the movie or catch on episodes 2-7 of Kimetsu No Yaiba: Demon Slayer Season 2 as no additional scenes were added in the series.
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 (episode 8-18)
Coming up next is the Entertainment District Arc which features Tengen Uzui and the Tanjiro squad. This arc starts off with a slow start but gradually things get interesting as events start to uncover.
This arc covers the fight between the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, and Upper Moon Six, Gyutaro along with his sister, Daki.
Again Ufotable Studios working on the animation produced some mind-blowing scenes and probably it must be said, the anime feels better than the manga in this arc.
Can any episode be skipped?
In anime series, the episodes that can be skipped are basically called “filler” episodes. In Demon Slayer currently, there is no sign of any filler episodes, hence none can be skipped.
Though there may be slow developments to the story or events may be slow-paced, it all adds up to the plot of the story, which means skipping it will lead to missing details in the story and that will not guarantee a good watch.
In our opinion, if you watch the movie, episodes 2-7 of Demon Slayer Season 2 can be skipped or vice versa. You can choose any format you want – feature film or tv adaptation, based on your taste.
For more details, we recommend thoroughly reading the Demon Slayer watch order.
Demon Slayer: Are special episodes/OVA important?
The answer to that is no. The spin-off episodes are entirely non-canon and not based on any event happening in the main plot of the story. It is just based on the main characters related to the story.
Is it worth a watch? The answer is, why not? The episodes are really short lasting 1-2 mins each and bring off a good laugh. You can also see your favorite characters in a modern-world setting. Surely it can cheer you up.
Also, it is entirely your opinion whether to give it a watch because it is not related to any particular event so it will do just fine if they are skipped.
How much time will it take to watch Demon Slayer?
According to our watch guide and demon slayer order to watch, it will take a total of 19 hours and 46 mins to catch up with the series. Remember that this excludes the OVA, specials, and compilation episodes.
Here is a runtime of each installment of Demon Slayer:
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 1: 9hrs 97mins (26 eps of 23 mins each)
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 Episode 1: 24 mins
- Kimetsu No Yaiba: Infinity Train: 1hr 56mins
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 Episode 8-18: 4hrs 77mins (11 eps of 26 mins each)
Where to watch Demon Slayer anime?
Demon Slayer being a highly popular series is available on every other platform to stream. It can also be rented or bought on services like Google TV.
Here’s where you can stream each part of the series. This list has been made on the basis of the Kimetsu no Yaiba Demon Slayer watch order.
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 1 – Available on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix, Hulu
- Kimetsu No Yaiba: Infinity Train – Available on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix, Hulu
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 – Available on Crunchyroll, Funimation, Netflix, Hulu
- Demon Slayer: OVA and Specials – Available on Netflix, official Aniplex Youtube channel
Demon Slayer: Best Rated Season?
Checking the ratings of MyAnimeList, we bring to you the comparison between each part of Demon Slayer animated till now:
| Season/Movie | Score | Rank | Popularity |
| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 1 | 8.54 of 1,763,606 users | 96 | 9 |
| Kimetsu No Yaiba: Infinity Train | 8.65 of 797,059 users | 63 | 88 |
| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 (Mugen Train Arc) | 8.38 of 278,382 users | 178 | 389 |
| Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 2 (Entertainment District Arc) | 8.85 of 593,699 users | 23 | 128 |
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 3
Currently, there are 44 episodes with more coming around in the next season. There was an announcement for the release of Season 3 with no confirmed news for its release date till now.
Demon Slayer Season 3 definitely has a good fanbase now to follow on with the later arc of the story.
This season will feature the Swordsmith Village Arc along with Muichiro Tokito, Mitsuri Kanroji, and the Tanjiro squad. Production from the Ufotable Studios yet again ensures the high-quality animation this season will bring along with it.
This arc is definitely striking in all of the arcs due to its major incidents-
- Muichiro and Mitsuri unlocking Demon Slayer marks
- Nezuko becoming immune to the sun
Surely, it will be interesting to see Tanjiro and others embark on a new venture and explore new surroundings.
With news of the release date of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Season 3 dropping soon, this guide will definitely help to pace up your watch schedule and get updated with the series.
More information on Demon Slayer Season 3 will be posted as updates are available.
So this was our detailed complete article on the best chronological Demon Slayer watch order and where to start. So stay tuned with Orianime for more articles like this.
