Demon Slayer season 4: release date speculation, cast, trailer, and more
Demon Slayer season 4 has been confirmed, which means we’re definitely getting more of Tanjiro and Nezuko’s demon-hunting adventures. Better still, we know exactly which arc of the manga it’s adapting: yep, we’re about to inch towards the endgame with the Hashira Training arc.
Below, you’ll be able to sharpen your knowledge on Demon Slayer season 4 – including release date speculation, a look ahead to the Hashira Training arc story, and a quick overview of the fresh and familiar faces that will be popping up in the new season. No Breathing Techniques necessary, trust us. There’s also the very first teaser, should you want to feast your eyes on what’s to come.
Ready? It’s time to follow your nose and cut through the noise. Here’s everything you need to know about Demon Slayer season 4. Plus, if you need to catch up, here’s our guide on how to watch Demon Slayer in order.
Demon Slayer season 4 release date speculation
While we don’t know the Demon Slayer season 4 release date for certain, animation studio Ufotable’s recent output does clue us in on when we could expect the Hashira Training arc to pop up on our screens.
The first and third Demon Slayer seasons both premiered in April, while the Mugen Train movie and Demon Slayer season 2 both premiered in the month of October. Despite likely being a shorter season – more on that below – we don’t expect Demon Slayer season 4 to release this year. Instead, April 2024 or October 2024 seem to be the likely destinations for the anime’s return.
Demon Slayer season 4 story: which manga chapters is it adapting?
Demon Slayer season 4 will follow on from the end of the Swordsmith Village arc (chapters 98-127 of the manga) by adapting the Hashira Training arc (chapters 128-136). If you’re following on in the bundled editions, that’s the latter half of Volume 15 and the first three chapters in Volume 16.
No spoilers here, but the source material does give us a taste of what to expect.
The book synopsis reads: "Tanjiro goes to see the Stone Hashira, Himejima, who intends to prepare him for the battles to come. The training to become a Hashira – a high-ranking member of the Demon Slayer Corps – is intense and demanding, and earning Himejima’s approval seems impossible, but Tanjiro won’t give up!"
In straightforward terms, expect Tanjiro to harness more of his powers with the help of various Hashira. The Stone Hashira, Water Hashira, Insect Hashira, Wind Hashira, and Snake Hashira have already been confirmed for the Hashira Training arc.
The upcoming season should also revolve around the emergence of Nezuko’s new powers, namely that she can ‘conquer the sun’ and exist as a demon in the daylight. Series antagonist Muzan Kibutsuji, as shown in the Swordsmith Village finale, is aware of those developments and will be hot on her tail.
Looking further ahead, it also appears to be the last step before the very final anime arc, dubbed the Final Battle arc.
Demon Slayer season 4 cast
Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae), Zenitsu (Hiro Shimono), Inosuke (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka), and Nezuko (Akari Kitou) should all have a part to play in the Hashira Training arc.
The Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka (Takahiro Sakurai), Snake Hashira Obanai Iguro (Kenichi Suzumura), Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho (Saori Hayami), Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa (Tomokazu Seki), and Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima (Tomokazu Sugita) will each be a major presence as Tanjiro begins his training.
Demon Slayer season 4 trailer: the first Hashira Training teaser
The first teaser for the Hashira Training arc has been released. While it doesn’t feature any footage from the upcoming season, it does offer up new key art of all the remaining Hashira. Expect them each to guide Tanjiro through to potentially being a Hashira-in-waiting – as well as retaliating against the surviving Twelve Kizuki.
Demon Slayer season 4 episode count: how many episodes could the Hashira Training arc cover?
The first season of Demon Slayer consisted of 26 episodes – but episode counts have been dwindling since then. The Mugen Train and Entertainment District arcs were seven and 11 episodes respectively, while Swordsmith Village was also 11 episodes.
Hashira Training, however, only has a small amount of source material to draw from. Without some serious padding, it’s unlikely to stack up to even Mugen Train’s truncated seven-episode run. While it’s been confirmed as a full season, we wouldn’t be surprised for it to be a short pit stop on the way to bigger things – a six-episode season (tops) would be our guess. But even something as short as two or three episodes could be realistic.
Where to watch Demon Slayer
The first three seasons of Demon Slayer are available to watch on Crunchyroll and Funimation. The first two seasons are also available on Netflix and Hulu in some regions.
For more info on the latest anime, check out our guides to Jujutsu Kaisen season 2 and Attack on Titan The Final Chapters.
