Summary
Quick Links
New fans ofDemon Slayerlooking 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 whyDemon Slayerreleases 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 Slayeris a huge IP in the anime space, so making a theatrical release toattract 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 watchDemon Slayerand are wondering which path to take.
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 somecool 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 orare a manga fanwho’s really invested in the characters and plot ofDemon Slayer. You also get to hear the season opening and ending themes every episode, which are always fire forDemon Slayer, so that’s another plus.
The Movies Are Good Enough for Quicker Viewings/Rewatches
The movie versions of theDemon Slayerarcs are best for people who don’t have as much time on their hands but still want tokeep 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 theupcoming 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’re able to’t watchallofDemon Slayerthrough the films. Some story arcs simply haven’t received a movie version, so youwillhave to watch them through episodes.
Which Episodes Correspond to Which Movie?
For the Arcs That Have Both Versions
Here are all theDemon Slayerstory arcsand 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.
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’re able to only watch through episodes.
Demon Slayer is now available to stream onCrunchyrollandNetflix. The release date for the next season of Demon Slayer, the Infinity Castle Arc, has not been announced yet.
