Demon Slayer season 4 is back in just a few weeks. With the release date fast approaching, it's time to take in all that we know so far about the upcoming Hashira Training arc. That includes trailers, posters, and which manga chapters it'll be adapting.
That's just the start. Our complete Demon Slayer season 4 guide has the full cast list, plus a look at what to make of the 'To the Hashira Training' movie. There's even chatter surrounding an extra-long premiere episode, while we also speculate about the episode count for the new season.
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, AKA the Hashira Training arc. If you're still playing catch up before May, here’s our guide on how to watch Demon Slayer in order.
For more from some of the biggest names in anime, be sure to read our guides to Jujutsu Kaisen season 3, One-Punch Man season 3, and the Chainsaw Man movie – as well as the latest on all the new anime coming your way in 2024.
Demon Slayer season 4 release date confirmed
The Demon Slayer season 4 release date is May 12, 2024. It will be streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll.
We can expect new Demon Slayer episodes to premiere weekly on Sundays moving forward.
A movie, titled 'To the Hashira Training', dropped in February 2024 in the US and UK for a limited time only. It gave fans a chance to see the first episode a few months early, bringing together Demon Slayer season 4's opening episode as well as the season 3 (Swordsmith Village) finale in one big-screen package.
To the Hashira Training: is Demon Slayer season 4 a movie?
Demon Slayer season 4 is not a movie. Instead, this 'To the Hashira Training' release follows the same path as the Swordsmith Village arc: the first episode of season 4 was bundled in with the finale of the previous season as a preview movie-of-sorts.
Titled To the Hashira Training, the new Demon Slayer 'movie' (we hesitate to call it a full feature-length adventure) specifically combines Swordsmith Village arc episode 11 with Demon Slayer season 4, episode 1.
That got a limited release in February and is now out of cinemas. Demon Slayer season 4, including an hour-long first episode, will release this May.
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, with the 'To the Hashira Training' outlining the group's plans to train the Demon Slayer Corps with a series of well-honed regimens that cater to each Hashira's style.
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 storyline, dubbed the Final Battle/Infinity Castle arc.
Demon Slayer season 4 cast
Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae), Zenitsu (Hiro Shimono), Inosuke (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka), and Nezuko (Akari Kitou) will all return to the Demon Slayer season 4 cast in the Hashira Training arc.
The Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka (Takahiro Sakurai), Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro (Kenichi Suzumura), Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho (Saori Hayami), Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa (Tomokazu Seki), Mist Hashira (Kengo Kawanshi), Love Hashira (Kana Hanazawa) and Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima (Tomokazu Sugita) will each be a major presence as Tanjiro begins his training. The former Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui (Katsuyuki Konishi) will also return.
Demon Slayer season 4 trailer: new Hashira Training teaser
The most recent trailer for the Hashira Training season was released in March. While it only features footage from the first episode of the upcoming season, it does tease the upcoming arc. The Hashira will guide Tanjiro through to potentially being a Hashira-in-waiting, and they will train the next generation of Demon Slayer Corps against the surviving Twelve Kizuki/Upper Moons.
The first Demon Slayer season 4 trailer featured a quick recap of the arcs covered so far, plus the confirmed clutch of characters in the new arc. You can also see the new poster below, which highlights the Hashira involved in the titular training.
Demon Slayer season 4 episode count: how many episodes are in the Hashira Training arc?
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, especially given the one-hour premiere.
Where to watch Demon Slayer
The first three seasons of Demon Slayer are available to watch on Crunchyroll. The first three seasons are now also available on Netflix and Hulu in some regions.
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