Demon Slayer season 3 is back very, very soon, so it's time to get prepared for a trip to the Swordsmith Village with Tanjiro and company. Confused? The Entertainment District arc ended last year and, for the third season, the anime is set to adapt the so-called Swordsmith Village arc. It's set to introduce fresh foes and some much-needed allies in the fight to chop down every demon in sight.
For a primer on what's to come this April, check out our guide to Demon Slayer season 3. There's release date confirmation, talk of a movie, and new characters. If you need to catch up before then, check out our guide on how to watch Demon Slayer in order, plus a look at all the best anime you should be watching right now. There's even a Demon Slayer season 3 release schedule for a more in-depth look at when each episode drops.
Demon Slayer season 3 release date confirmed
Demon Slayer season 3 is out on April 9 on Crunchyroll. It's a one-hour special and is set to be available between 10:45-11:30 a.m. Pacific/1:45-2:30pm Eastern in the US and 6:45-7:30pm in the UK. We couldn't be surprised though if, like Attack on Titan's Final Chapters, there's a slight lag of an hour or two between Japan getting the episode and the West getting it.
Demon Slayer season 3 trailers
The first Demon Slayer season 3 trailer finally arrived in 2022. Unfortunately, it mostly serves as a recap of what's gone before.
There are, however, some glimpses of new footage: the Love and Mist Hashira are seen separately in the sizzle reel, while a new sword (later wielded by Tanjiro) is being crafted at the Swordsmith Village. You can watch it in full above.
The second trailer, which you can see embedded below, is a far more substantial teaser of the Swordsmith Village arc, complete with new footage and glimpses of new allies and enemies. The season's OP (opening) with music from Man With a Mission and Milet has also been released, which you can watch (opens in new tab) here.
#NEWS Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village- World Tour coming in 2023 with premiere event in Los Angeles on February 18th and theatrical release in the U.S. and Canada on March 3rd! #DemonSlayerWorldTour pic.twitter.com/HaEzD7YpshDecember 10, 2022
Demon Slayer season 3 story: What is the Swordsmith Village arc?
Demon Slayer season 3 is officially the Swordsmith Village Arc. Don't worry, we won't get into source material spoilers here, but we believe it will cover chapters 100-127 of the manga. Entertainment District Arc covered a similar range from 70-99, so this is again likely to be a 12-episode season, give or take a few episodes.
Unless there are any major deviations, it should involve Tanjiro heading to Swordsmith Village to get a new weapon. As luck would have it, the village is home to an ancient weapon. But it's not all quite that straightforward, with the story bringing in the Love and Mist Hashiras, and maybe an Upper Rank demon or two.
On a broader note, the Entertainment District ending also tipped us off on what road the show is going to likely take beyond Demon Slayer season 3. Tengen is off the board, but still alive and kicking. He told Iguro that his likely Hashira replacement should be Tanjiro. From there, the Demon Slayers can finally strike back at their ultimate target: Muzan Kibutsuji.
Demon Slayer season 3 cast: who are the new characters and demons?
Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae), Zenitsu (Hiro Shimono), Inosuke (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka), and Nezuko (Akari Kitou) will all return as part of the Swordsmith Village arc cast.
Joining them are two characters we've already glimpsed in the series: the Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito and the Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanoji. Also expect more of the Hashiras to appear in future seasons, as well as members of the Twelve Upper Moons/Twelve Kibuki. One Upper Moon, Doma, is expected to appear in Demon Slayer season 3 and an official sketch of the villain has recently been released.
official_sketch_by_ufotable_animators from r/KimetsuNoYaiba
Haruo Satozaki is set to direct, with Akira Matsushima on character design duties.
Where to watch Demon Slayer season 3
The first two seasons of Demon Slayer are now available to watch on Crunchyroll (opens in new tab). Demon Slayer season 3 will follow suit. Netflix users can find the first season ready to stream now in some territories, though new episodes are currently exclusive to Crunchyroll.
And that's it... for now, anyway. In the meantime, be sure to see what else is on the horizon with our guide to Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 and Attack on Titan The Final Chapters. Plus, there's a look at what we hope to get from Chainsaw Man season 2.
