Spoiler alert warning for Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle
On April 6, 2019, the first episode of the highly anticipated anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba was released across Japanese television stations and took the world by storm. Following the story of teenage Tanjiro Kamado, the show starts with the violent murder of his family one night in his absence. But among the slaughter, something stands out: his younger sister, Nezuko Kamado, hasn’t been killed. Rather, she was turned into the very same thing that killed their family: a demon. From there, the two siblings venture out into the world. Tanjiro trains to join the Demon Slayer Corps, find a cure for Nezuko, and defeat the root cause of the world’s suffering against demons, the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji.
Adapted from a three-year-running manga, the series shot to the top of the viewing charts, surpassing classic franchises like Anpanman and Pokémon, and even Mickey Mouse and Peanuts. As the series progressed, fans have applauded it for its captivating storylines, art style and animation, setting, and characters. In a 2020 poll, many Japanese fans noted how the series helped them connect with their families and friends or piqued their interest in the Taishō era (1912–1926), the period of history in which the show is set.
My own family experienced this same connection and interest in the show. During the COVID-19 pandemic, my sisters, mother, and I binged different anime to fill our time between work and boring online school sessions. I heard about Demon Slayer from a friend of mine, and after putting it off for so long, I finally turned to it. After putting it on our TV, my family was hooked. Even after our initial binge of the first season, my sisters would rewatch their favorite episodes or play them as background noise while we cooked dinner or cleaned the house.
The series marked its first theatrical release in 2021 with Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train, as the COVID safety restrictions were slowly being eased. My family and I rushed to watch the film in theaters, donning masks and Demon Slayer merchandise. We’ve continued this tradition with every theatrical release, including the two recap movies released in 2023 and 2024. As you can see, this franchise has become a bonding tool for my family. We’ve attended conventions to meet our favorite English voice actors, and my sisters have even cosplayed their favorite characters.
Now, six years, 63 episodes, and three films later, the series’s largest and most highly anticipated arc has been released as a two-and-a-half-hour-long feature film. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle is the first installment in the concluding trilogy of films, depicting the final battle that will ultimately end the franchise’s story. Fans from the world over have anxiously waited for a year for the film, following the cliffhanger ending of the Hashira Training Arc in 2024. After initially releasing in Japan in July 2025, social media was flooded with spoilers and discussions of the film’s rich animation, story, and intense fight scenes.
However, the most impressive feat of the film was its absolute box office slam dunk. On its opening day in Japan, it made ¥1.64 billion — or $11.11 million — with 1.15 million admissions, marking the highest opening day gross in Japanese box office history. In its first three days, the film reached ¥5.52 billion ($37.42 million) from 3.84 million tickets, making it the biggest opening weekend of all time in Japanese cinema.
Here in America, the numbers were just as hot. Originally expected to open with $35 million to $50 million, Infinity Castle soared past its expectations. In its first three days of release (Sept. 12-14), the movie grossed $70 million, including $33 million on Friday alone. This marks it as the biggest domestic debut ever for an anime film. These numbers catapult the film past its fellow box office competitors, like The Conjuring: Last Rites and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Overseas, the film earned another $49 million across 49 additional countries, totaling a global gross of over $400 million.
The movie is expected to continue grossing an estimated $21 million to $25 million in its second weekend in theaters. With that in mind, I expect many of those sales to be fans rewatching the movie for a second or even third time. But what about this movie specifically is having people come back, besides its long-awaited arrival?
The movie picks up, as previously mentioned, after the cliffhanger of the Hashira Training Arc, where Tanjiro, the Hashira (the most powerful and highly ranked slayers), and the entire Demon Slayer Corps are dropped into the titular Infinity Castle by Muzan and one of his Upper Rank demons, Nakime. The main characters are split up: Tanjiro and Water Hashira Giyuu Tomioka find each other and battle against Upper Rank 3 demon Akaza; Zenitsu Agatsuma comes face-to-face with his former fellow student and newly appointed Upper Rank 6 Kaigaku; and Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho and her student, Kanao Tsuyuri, face Upper Rank 2 Doma.
Other important Hashiras like Gyomei Himejima, Muichiro Tokito, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Mitsuri Kanroji, and Obanai Iguro are shown fighting lower-rank demons while searching for Muzan Kibutsuji. Their battles will be shown throughout the following films.
For some fans, the hype and anticipation surrounding the movie followed the battle between Zenitsu and Kaigaku. Zenitsu has been considered the “scaredy-cat” of the series, only showing his true strength while asleep. But in the Hashira Training Arc, fans saw him “lock in” and become more serious and fearless. In the movie, we learn it’s due to Kaigaku’s betrayal, which caused their Lightning Breathing teacher to commit seppuku. Following a widely popular fan animation of the fight released five years ago, it’s no wonder fans were desperate to see the fight play out.
For others, the anticipation stirred for the battle between Hashira Shinobu and the charismatic but morbid Doma. However, the part of the film I looked forward to was the masterpiece battle between Tanjiro, Giyuu, and Akaza. Akaza has been my favorite demon since his introduction in Mugen Train, despite him killing my favorite Hashira at the time, Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku (no hard feelings). The fight ensues, and its fast pace, bright lights of swords swinging, and powerful music make for an intense and beautiful scene. We watch as Tanjiro experiences revelations about his ability as a Demon Slayer, unlocking new senses and power to use against Akaza. Meanwhile, Akaza continues to question himself: why does he despise Tanjiro so much? Why does he fight?
Well, after Tanjiro finally lands the decapitating blow to defeat Akaza, the demon experiences his own revelations. He begins to remember his past from hundreds of years before; his life as a poor, violent child named Hakuji with a sickly father, and the Soryu fighting master who gives him salvation from his life of crime. Not only that, but Akaza recalls the master’s daughter, Koyuki, whom he eventually fell in love with and was intended to marry. But alas, his life and hopeful future were thrown off kilter when his master and fiancée were killed via sabotage from a neighboring dojo. From there, Hakuji, with only his bare hands, put an end to his family’s murderers and eventually turned into a demon by Muzan himself.
As Akaza’s body battles itself to regenerate and keep fighting, his past calls to him. It isn’t until the spirit of Koyuki calls to him, coaxing him to let go of his anger and violence and join her in the afterlife, that Akaza finally stops.
Fans watched as he brutally bashes his own decapitated body into ashes, ending his suffering and freeing him from his demon form. Clearly, seeing this poetic end to one of the show’s strongest characters was something fans all over the world simply couldn’t wait to experience on the big screen.
Now, fans are already thrilled and anxious to watch the next film in the concluding trilogy. Although a specific date hasn’t been announced yet, fans are speculating that the films will release every other year, so the next one should open in 2027, and the grand finale in 2029. While it may not seem like a long time, fans are dying from waiting; after all, this very series of events was already serialized back when the originating manga ended in 2020. To wait nine years to see the satisfying end to our favorite characters’ stories seems like an eternity.
But for now, while we wait, fans, including myself, are excited to reread the manga, rewatch the series and films, and continue talking about the epic battles and cliffhangers we were left with in Infinity Castle.