Now all four seasons are on Netflix, there's never been a better time to dive in watch Demon Slayer in order from start to finish. With the series-ending Infinity Castle movie trilogy on the way, too, there's a clear end goal in sight for those who want to dip their toes in and try one of the best anime around.
But whether you're new to the series or just need a refresher, there's plenty to consider before heading straight in. After all, there are movies, confusingly-titled seasons, and recaps to factor in. When it comes to watching Demon Slayer in order, an easy-to-watch anime has since devolved into a slightly frustrating experience.
But we're here to help. Below, you'll find the essential guide on how to watch Demon Slayer in order. We'll also answer any burning questions you may have. That includes which version of Mugen Train you should watch, the current episode count, skippable episodes, and all the latest on the Infinity Trilogy release. It's all here in our guide on how to watch Demon Slayer in order.
For more, check out our list of the new anime you should be watching right now, as well as guides on Jujutsu Kaisen season 3, the Chainsaw Man movie, and how to watch Pokemon in order.
How to watch Demon Slayer in order
- Demon Slayer season 1, AKA Unwavering Resolve arc (episodes 1-26) [26 episodes]
- Demon Slayer season 2, part 1, AKA Mugen Train arc (episodes 27-33) [7 episodes] or Mugen Train movie
- Demon Slayer season 2, part 2, AKA Entertainment District arc (episodes 34-44) [11 episodes]
- Demon Slayer season 3, AKA Swordsmith Village Arc (episodes 45-55) [11 episodes]
- Demon Slayer season 4, AKA Hashira Training arc (episodes 56-63) [8 episodes]
- Demon Slayer Infinity Castle movie trilogy (release dates TBA)
Demon Slayer currently consists of four seasons and an upcoming Infinity Castle trilogy on the way. Confusingly, they are listed as five seasons on Netflix, but follow the arc names if you're following along on there.
On top of that, there are skippable movies to consider. But that's not as intimidating as it sounds: Here's how you should watch Demon Slayer in order.
The first season, titled Unwavering Resolve arc and released in 2019, is 26 episodes long – and you should watch that from start to finish. That batch of episodes charts Tanjiro's introduction to the world of demon slayers and his emerging powers.
Here’s where it gets a little trickier to follow. A sequel to the first season was released as a film: Demon Slayer: Mugen Train. The plot revolves around a demon attack on a train, with Tanjiro and his allies being aided by the Flame Hashira. The wildly successful Demon Slayer movie was also adapted into a television arc as part of Demon Slayer season 2.
That 'Mugen Train' arc is seven episodes long and is then followed by 11 original episodes in the 'Entertainment District' arc as Tanjiro deals with more Upper Rank demons. In total, Demon Slayer season 2 is 18 episodes long.
To keep things simple, we recommend watching Demon Slayer season 1 and then picking either the Mugen Train feature film or the Mugen Train recap arc (episodes 27-33) to watch before diving into Entertainment District.
From there, you can watch the third season's Swordsmith Village arc (episodes 45-55), a short season that follows Tanjiro as he heads to the titular village to gain a new weapon, but soon encounters ultra-powerful demons.
A fourth season, titled Hashira Training, has now finished, wrapping up in June 2024. It consists of eight episodes, bringing us up to 63 episodes total.
An Infinity Castle movie trilogy has also been announced, which we expect to bring the entire series to a close as its final arc. Unlike the majority of Demon Slayer's other big-screen adventures, this one is unskippable.
That’s all you really need to focus on. In our educated opinion, we would recommend watching the adapted-for-TV Mugen Train arc instead of the movie. Not only do you get extra scenes, but you also get bonus content (the 27th episode), which provides a little more backstory to one of Mugen Train’s most prominent characters.
Should I watch the Mugen Train, Swordsmith Village, and To the Hashira Training movies?
For Mugen Train, it's completely your choice. It is a full sequel to the first season and, unlike other anime tie-in movies, it’s canon. It also introduces various characters and story beats that are followed up on in Demon Slayer’s Entertainment District Arc.
It does feel a little pointless watching both the movie and the Mugen Train arc series, however. So make sure you pick one or the other. We'd recommend the latter for the extra material.
To the Swordsmith Village and To The Hashira movies are completely skippable; move on to the full Swordsmith Village (season 3) and Hashira Training (season 4) arcs instead as they only collect together the opening episode of each of those seasons and not the full thing.
The next batch of movies, the Infinity Castle trilogy, will not be skippable, however.
Can I skip any Demon Slayer episodes?
Anime can sometimes be packed with so-called 'filler' episodes, entries designed to kill time until the manga source material pumps out new issues for the TV show to adapt. That’s not really the case in Demon Slayer.
Some episodes can be a little slow, particularly in the middle third of the first season and the third season, but everything is worth watching. We’d only recommend skipping the Demon Slayer: Mugen Train arc if you’ve already seen the Mugen Train movie recently, as well as skipping To The Swordsmith Village movie and To The Hashira Training movies entirely as those events are covered in Demon Slayer seasons 3 and 4 respectively.
Having said that, some of the Hashira Training arc episodes feel skippable. Honestly? It's pretty slow going and much of the episodes have padded out the manga's pages and added anime-only scenes that don't further too much of the overall saga. Still, we'd suggest watching it for the full picture and for crucial background to some of the key players in the upcoming final arc.
How many episodes of Demon Slayer are there and where can I stream it?
There are currently 63 episodes of Demon Slayer.
A fourth season, the Hashira Training arc debuted in May 2024 and lasted for eight episodes. All episodes are available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix, depending on your region.
For more from the world of anime, here are our guides to My Hero Academia season 8 and One-Punch Man season 3.
