What to watch before Demon Slayer Infinity Castle – all essential and skippable episodes

Thanks to the stop-start nature of anime, you may be caught between watching all of Demon Slayer again before Infinity Slayer or going in cold turkey. But, wait, there's another way: below, we're here to give you our picks for the essential episodes to watch before Infinity Castle, meaning you'll be able to catch up on the movie's main story beats in just a few hours – perfect for those who are desperately short of time before stepping into cinemas.

Don't worry, too, this is a spoiler-free guide on what to watch before Demon Slayer Infinity Castle, as well as an answer to the age-old question on whether you should skip any episodes if you have decided to go for a full rewatch.

Then, when you're done playing catch-up, be sure to check out our Demon Slayer Infinity Castle review and complete guide to new anime.

What to watch before Demon Slayer Infinity Castle

If you're short on time, there are a handful of episodes we'd classify as essential to understanding Demon Slayer Infinity Castle. Of course, we're keeping this spoiler-free, but you should watch the following:

• Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (or Demon Slayer: Mugen Train TV arc episodes 6-7)
• Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village arc episode 1
• Demon Slayer Hashira Training arc episode 8

With how prominent Upper Rank demon Akaza is set to be in the Infinity Castle movie, it's well worth getting a refresher on just who the character is and his dramatic impact on Tanjiro by either watching the full Mugen Train movie or the final two episodes of the adapted-for-television arc.

A more overlooked episode in the grand scheme of Demon Slayer is the premiere of the Swordsmith Village arc. There, viewers are introduced to the remaining Upper Rank demons. While we have our own guide to the Twelve Kizuki, you might want to head back to that season opener to get acquainted with the all-powerful demons before they bare their fangs in Infinity Castle.

Finally, Hashira Training's season finale leads directly into Infinity Castle, with Tanjiro and his Hashira allies being drawn into the titular base for the demons after what is – frankly – a season that was almost wall-to-wall filler.

Of course, you are more than welcome to rewatch Demon Slayer in full. As our own how to watch Demon Slayer in order guide mentions, the shonen isn't like One Piece or Naruto as far as filler goes. Hashira Training arc aside, each episode is crucial to the overarching plot – while even the Hashira Training arc gives some much-needed backstory for characters who are set to receive more prominence – and a share of the spotlight – in the Infinity Castle trilogy.

For more on Demon Slayer, check out our interview with Tanjiro's dub voice actor Zach Aguilar.