When a friend asks for an anime recommendation, we used to suggest Death Note because it was the perfect entry point into appreciating the splendor of anime. However, since the premiere of Demon Slayer in 2019, it has garnered many new anime viewers while also being well-received by veteran fans.
Despite being released during the COVID phase, the sequel Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train became the highest-grossing film in Japan, surpassing Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning film Spirited Away. To everyone's amazement, Ufotable, the anime studio responsible for this gem, blew us away with a breathtaking second season by including spectacular battles that had viewers screaming with ecstasy. This leaves us wondering how the upcoming third season will top it.
The third season of Demon Slayer, titled Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc, is based on Koyoharu Gotouge's Japanese manga. Despite being the author's debut work, she broke multiple manga sales records in Japan and worldwide, even rivaling the legendary anime One Piece, which has dominated the industry for two decades. After over a year and a half since the second season, fans are excited to see more of this anime. Here's everything we know about Demon Slayer Season 3, one of the most anticipated anime series of 2023.
Demon Slayer Season 3: The Plot
The second season focused on the Entertainment District Arc, where The Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui and the leading trio Tanjiro & Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke went on a mission to investigate missing people in the district area and confronted upper moon six Gyutaro and his sister Daki. Since both demons were linked, the battle was extremely difficult, and the demon slayers had to kill them simultaneously. However, Tanjiro's capabilities have grown immensely, and they eventually defeated an Upper Moon Demon, which had not been possible for 100 years.
According to the official trailer, Tanjiro visits Swordsmith Village, which has been hidden so that Muzan, the main antagonist, does not find it. His blade was supposedly shattered to smithereens in the previous heated battle, and he was allowed to visit the village as Hotaru Haganezuka, the man who makes his swords, was tired of crafting him anymore. It appears that Zenitsu and Inosuke did not accompany him this time.
Unfortunately for Tanjiro, the upper moon five Gyokko and the upper moon four Hantengu infiltrate the village, hoping to slaughter everyone. On the bright side, The Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokitou and The Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji are two of the village's most powerful demon slayers. Can Tanjiro, Nezuko, and two Hashiras yet to reveal their powers defeat the sneaky Upper Moon Demons?
Demon Slayer Season 3: The Cast & Crew
For the third season, Natsuki Hanae is back as Tanjiro's voice actor, and Akari Kitou also reprises her role as Nezuko. The former actor is famous for his work in anime series such as Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, Romantic Killer, and Summer Time Rendering, whereas the latter is well-known for voice-overs of Suzune in Classroom of the Elite, Barbara in Genshin Impact, Sugita in Erased, and Natsuo in Domestic Girlfriend.
Meanwhile, the two pivotal characters, Muichirou Tokitou and Mitsuri Kanroji will be voiced by Kengo Kawanishi and Kana Hanazawa, respectively. Kengo has previously provided his voice for several well-known anime characters, including Gen Asagiri from Dr. Stone, Matayoshi from Deadman Wonderland, and Narugami from Interspecies Reviewers. Hanazawa, on the other hand, has been featured in over 300 anime shows, including To Love-Ru, Angel Beats!, Blue Exorcist, The Garden of Words, and Tokyo Ghoul.
Apart from Genya, who was introduced briefly in the first season, these four characters appear to be the main focus of the third season. Here's a look at the additional cast members: Mamoru Miyano (Douma), Kousuke Toriumi (Gyokko), Toshio Furukawa (Hantengu), Ryutarou Okiayu (Kokushibou), Toshihiko Seki (Muzan Kibutsuji), Nobuhiko Okamoto (Genya Shinazugawa), and Daisuke Namikawa (Hotaru Haganezuka).
Haruo Sotozaki returns to direct the series at Ufotable anime studio, with original manga creator Koyoharu Gotouge serving as head writer. The director has prior experience as the animation director and key animator for Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Tales of Zestria, Inazuma Eleven, and Mobile Suit Gundam. Akira Matsushima serves as the Chief Animation Director but also oversees character designs along with Youko Kajiyama and Miyuki Satou. Yuki Kajiura and Gou Shiina will return as composers, having previously delivered outstanding music for the series.
In the meantime, the theme song is being performed by Man With A Mission, the band that previously composed opening and ending songs for popular anime shows like Vinland Saga, Seven Deadly Sins, and Inuyashiki: The Last Hero, with Millet providing vocals.
Release Date
The third season of the anime will premiere on the official anime platform Crunchyroll in April 2023.
Although the third season will release in April, there is a chance to see it a month sooner. The final two episodes of Entertainment District Arc and the first episode of Swordsmith Village Arc have been made into a film, which will be released in the United States on March 3 and in other locations such as Seoul, Taipei, and Mexico City in mid-March.