Demon Slayer season 3: A guide to the Swordsmith Village arc before the extended finale (2024)

Demon Slayer season 3 is rounding things off with an extended episode this Sunday. So you're rushing to catch up or you want to take a look back at Tanjiro's journey so far, we've put together a quick guide to the Swordsmith Village arc.

Below, we've got all the info on release dates, cast, and the story so far. With the Hashira finally gaining the upper hand, it's worth seeing just how far we've come since those first tentative steps into the village.

If you're heading back to the start, we've got an explainer 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 dates: here's when new episodes air

Demon Slayer's season 3 finale will air Sunday, June 18 on Crunchyroll and Funimation at 10:45 AM Pacific/1:45 PM Eastern in the US. That's 6:45 PM in the UK.

It's an extended episode, meaning it could be around 45-60 minutes in length and will likely set up the next big arc, AKA Demon Slayer season 4.

The first three episodes of the English dub are now available, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays.

Demon Slayer season 3 story: Swordsmith Village arc recap

Demon Slayer season 3 is officially the Swordsmith Village Arc. Don't worry, we won't get into source material spoilers here, but if you're following on with the manga it covers chapters 98-127 of the manga. That also means we're likely getting around 11-12 episodes.

As for the story so far: the premiere revealed the aftermath of the Entertainment District-shattering battle, with Tanjiro slowly recovering back at Hashira HQ. On the villain side of things, Muzan Kibutsuji sends two of his Upper Rank demons, Gyokko and Hantengu, on a new quest.

Zenitsu and Inosuke are sent on separate missions while Tanjiro (with Nezuko in tow) heads to Swordsmith Village to get his sword repaired. While there, he meets both the Love and Mist Hashiras.

The Mist Hashira is seen training with a mechanical training doll and Tanjiro, with the help of swordsmith child Kotestu, levels up his abilities with a new scent detection power. He uses it to shatter the mechanical doll, which reveals a centuries-old sword inside.

Unfortunately for the pair, they don't get much time to dig into its origins as Upper Rank demons Hantengu and Gyokko invade the village. It's revealed that Hantengu, especially, is extremely hard to kill: every time he is beheaded, his body splits in two and forms 'new' personas. Tanjiro is picked up by a swooping Hantengu, while Kotestu and Mist Hashira Muichiro have to deal with Gyokko's assault.

Mid-battle with Hantengu (who has now split into four distinct demon personas), Tanjiro discovers they each represent an emotion: joy, anger, pleasure, and sorrow. He attempts to turn the tide, almost rescuing Nezuko and Genya, but the pleasure demon persona, Karaku, returns and attacks the trio. With all hope lost, the Love Hashira Mitsuri joins the fray.

Episode 5, 'Bright Red Sword' featured Muichiro hunting for his new blade, while also being confronted by Gyokko and his perverse 'art' featuring dead Swordsmiths. The Mist Hashira is seemingly defeated and trapped in a floating pool of water.

Tanjiro, meanwhile, is rescued by Nezuko and eventually powers up his blade thanks to his sister's demon blood. With the flaming red blade in tow, he's able to behead three of Hantengu's personas. The fourth is beheaded by Genya, though it seems that he has transformed into a demon.

All is not lost, however, in the sixth episode as Genya manages to regain much of his humanity in order to chase down a fifth (tiny) demon and help slay Hantengu. He is attacked from behind by the anger demon Sekido, which makes him reminisce about how a demon (later revealed to be his mother) attacked and killed five of his brothers. Tanjiro eventually saves Genya, though he is still badly wounded by a spear attack from Sekido. Thanks to Genya holding the anger demon off, Tanjiro then sees an opportunity to take down Hantengu once and for all.

It's a chance he doesn't quite take, however. In the seventh episode, it is revealed that Hantengu's anger demon has consumed the remaining emotions. Muichiro, meanwhile, eventually breaks free of his aquatic vase prison with the help of Kotetsu.

The eighth episode sees Muichiro reminisce about his family. Much like Genya, his past is punctuated by fateful encounters with demons, including the one that murdered his twin brother. After the flashback, Tanjiro-style marks appear on the Mist Hashira's face, which enhances his abilities.

Muichiro finally decapitates Gyokko - despite the demon shedding his skin and revealing his fish-like true form. Muichiro then sees visions of his dead family, though his fate is unclear.

Elsewhere in the battle, Tanjiro is nearly killed by Hantengu's demons but is saved at the last moment by Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji, who joins the fray. The penultimate episode is centered on Mitsuri, with not only her past (where she tried to conform to societal expectations) being covered, but also her supremely powerful fighting prowess. With Mitsuri by their side, Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya turn the tide and finally corner an escaping Hantengu.

Demon Slayer season 3 cast: who are the new characters and demons?

Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae), Zenitsu (Hiro Shimono), Inosuke (Yosh*tsugu Matsuoka), and Nezuko (Akari Kitou) are all part of the Swordsmith Village arc cast, though Zenitsu and Inosuke appear to be sitting more on the sidelines this season.

Joining them are two characters we've already glimpsed in the series: the Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito (Kengo Kawashini) and the Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanoji (Kana Hazawa). Kotetsu (Ayumu Murase) is a new face, and was seen training Tanjiro.

The featured Upper Moons in the cast include Kokushibo (Ryotaro Okiayu), Hantengu (Toshio Furukawa), and Gyokko (Kousuke Toriumi), with the latter two firmly set as the villains of the Swordsmith Village arc. Joining them - at least in the first episode of the season - is Akaza (Akira Ishida), Doma (Mamoru Miyano), Nakime (Marina Inuoe), and their leader Muzan Kibutsuji (Toshihiko Seki).

Who sings the Demon Slayer season 3 OP?

The Demon Slayer season 3 OP is Kizuna No Kiseki, performed by Japanese rock band Man With a Mission and singer Milet. They also perform the ending theme for the Swordsmith Village arc, titled Koikogare.

Where to watch Demon Slayer season 3

Demon Slayer season 3 is now available to watch on Crunchyroll and Funimation. Netflix users can find the first two seasons ready to stream now in some territories as Entertainment District has just been added. Be warned, though, that new episodes from the Swordsmith Village arc won't appear on the streamer for some time.

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 see from Chainsaw Man season 2.

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