Summary
- Episodic versions have more content & longer runtime, while movies are concise & better for rewatching.
- Choose based on time & investment in the series; movies cater to quicker viewings.
- Movies & episodes correspond to arcs; follow the guide to watch everything each story arc covers.
New fans of Demon Slayer looking for a good watch order might notice that some story arcs come in two versions: movies and episodic series. Both versions essentially tell the same story, so what’s the difference, and which version should you watch?
The reason why Demon Slayer releases its arcs in two forms is so it can reach a wider variety of audiences. Some people prefer going to movies to watching a show at home, which makes them less familiar with TV media. Of course, a more obvious reason is that it lines the producers’ pockets with more money. Demon Slayer is a huge IP in the anime space, so making a theatrical release to attract not only a new audience, but the long-time fans of the franchise is a surefire way to make some extra dough. However, this article is for people who’ve already decided to watch Demon Slayer and are wondering which path to take.
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It Depends on How Much Time You Have and How Invested You Are in the Series
Watch the Episodic Versions If You Have a Lot of Time for Binge Watching
Basically, the version that’s split into episodes contains more content than the movies. They’ll have scenes the movie won’t have, which could provide additional context to the story or add some cool new sequences to the fight scenes. The downside to this is, of course, that the serialized version has a way longer runtime than the movies. Another downside is that the films always come first, with the serialized version sometimes taking months, to even a year after the fact, before coming out. Fortunately for you, as of the writing of this article, the only arc left to adapt is Infinity Castle, so you’d only have to endure a long wait once if you plan on only watching it through episodes.
You should watch the episodic version if you have a lot of time on your hands or are a manga fan who’s really invested in the characters and plot of Demon Slayer. You also get to hear the season opening and ending themes every episode, which are always fire for Demon Slayer, so that’s another plus.
The Movies Are Good Enough for Quicker Viewings/Rewatches
The movie versions of the Demon Slayer arcs are best for people who don’t have as much time on their hands but still want to keep up with the franchise. The movies are still very much a complete experience, and while you may not get every single scene that’s in the episodic versions, those scenes don’t take away anything essential to the plot and action. The movies are nice, concise, and more digestible since they’re meant to be watched in one sitting, so no momentum is lost once the action starts.
The movies are also good for people rewatching the series to prepare for the upcoming Infinity Castle Arc. You don’t really need to watch every single scene when rewatching, so you can treat the movies like a recap summary of the season to save some time.
Though, you should note that you can’t watch all of Demon Slayer through the films. Some story arcs simply haven’t received a movie version, so you will have to watch them through episodes.
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Which Episodes Correspond to Which Movie?
For the Arcs That Have Both Versions
Here are all the Demon Slayer story arcs and what movies and episodes cover them. If you’ve already decided which version you want to watch, you can use this as a guide to ensure you watch everything each story arc covers.
Final Selection Arc
- Movie: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Sibling’s Bond (March 29, 2019)
- Series: Demon Slayer Season 1, Episodes 1-5 (April-May 2019)
Mugen Train Arc
Swordsmith Village Arc
- Movie: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village (February 3, 2023)
- Series: Demon Slayer Season 3, Episodes 1-11 (April-June 2023)
Hashira Training Arc
- Movie: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training (February 2, 2024)
- Series: Demon Slayer Season 4, Episodes 1-8 (May-June 2024)
Infinity Castle Arc
Demon Slayer Arcs That Don’t Have a Movie Counterpart
As mentioned above, some story arcs simply don’t have a theatrical release. Here are the arcs that you can only watch through episodes.
- Kidnapper’s Bog Arc – Demon Slayer Season 1, Episodes 6-7
- Asakusa Arc – Demon Slayer Season 1, Episodes 8-10
- Tsuzumi Mansion Arc – Demon Slayer Season 1, Episodes 11-14
- Mount Natagumo Arc – Demon Slayer Season 1, Episodes 15-21
- Rehabilitation Training Arc – Demon Slayer Season 1, Episodes 22-26
- Entertainment District Arc – Demon Slayer Season 2, Episodes 8-18
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Demon Slayer is now available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix. The release date for the next season of Demon Slayer, the Infinity Castle Arc, has not been announced yet.