Demon Slayer watch order: the series and the Infinity Castle films in order (2026)

You have heard Infinity Castle is enormous, you want in, and now you are staring at a pile of seasons, a movie from 2020 and a couple of recap films, wondering what actually comes first. Here is the short answer: watch Season 1, then Mugen Train (the movie or the seven TV episodes, your pick), then the Entertainment District arc, the Swordsmith Village arc, the Hashira Training arc, and finally Infinity Castle Part 1. We are an Australian-owned anime store with a Demon Slayer collection and plenty of fans on the team, and this route is built from Wikipedia and the official Kimetsu no Yaiba site, checked on 7 October 2026. It is spoiler-free: titles, counts and dates only.

What is the Demon Slayer watch order?

The order is release order, and release order is also story order, so you never need to jump around.

Demon Slayer adapts Koyoharu Gotouge's manga, which ran for 23 volumes between 2016 and 2020. The anime follows it in one straight line, so there are no prequels to hunt down and no side stories you must see first. The only real choice in the whole route is the Mugen Train step, and we cover that below. Why does that matter? Because most "watch order" confusion comes from the recap films and the movie-versus-TV question, not from the story itself.

Season 1: the starting line

Season 1 is 26 episodes, and it aired in Japan from 6 April to 28 September 2019.

This is where Tanjiro's story begins, and nothing earlier is needed. If you only watch one thing before deciding whether Demon Slayer is for you, watch this season. Everything after it leans on what it sets up.

Mugen Train: the movie or the TV episodes?

Pick one. The Mugen Train story exists as a film (released in Japan on 16 October 2020) and as 7 TV episodes that open Season 2 (from 10 October 2021).

Watch-order guides disagree on which is better, so here is our straight take. If you want the story with the full run of the TV series around it, watch the 7 episodes, because they flow directly into the next arc. If you would rather have one sitting and a cinema-style experience, watch the film. Either way, do not watch both back to back: it is the same story, and you will feel it.

Entertainment District, Swordsmith Village and Hashira Training

After Mugen Train, you simply keep going: three TV arcs, one after another, with no detours.

• Entertainment District: 11 episodes, which aired in Japan from 5 December 2021 to 13 February 2022. Together with the 7 Mugen Train episodes it makes up Season 2, 18 episodes in total.
• Swordsmith Village: 11 episodes, from 9 April to 18 June 2023.
• Hashira Training: 8 episodes, from 12 May to 30 June 2024. It is the shortest of the four TV seasons, and Infinity Castle is a direct sequel to it.

Add them to Season 1 and you get 26 + 18 + 11 + 8 = 63 TV episodes. If you want to meet the Hashira before the films, our Demon Slayer Hashira ranking is a good companion, though it contains spoilers.

What about the recap films?

You can skip them. Two compilation films exist: To the Swordsmith Village (released in Japan on 3 February 2023) and To the Hashira Training (2 February 2024).

The official site lists both as world tour screenings tied to the TV arcs. We leave them off the main route because the TV episodes already cover the story in full. If you have already watched the arcs, they are a nice rewatch. If you are short on time, treat them as optional, not required. Check what each one includes before you use it as a shortcut.

Where does Infinity Castle fit?

Infinity Castle comes after Hashira Training, and Part 1 (Akaza Returns) is the only film out so far.

It opened in Japan on 18 July 2025 and in Australia on 11 September 2025. It runs 155 minutes and is the first film of a trilogy announced in June 2024. The official site gives no dates for Parts 2 and 3, and none had been announced when we checked on 7 October 2026. Streaming availability in Australia changes by service, so check your streaming service before you plan a night around it.

The full route on one screen

Here is the screenshot-friendly version. Follow it from top to bottom.

1. Season 1: 26 episodes.
2. Mugen Train: the film or the 7 TV episodes.
3. Entertainment District: 11 episodes.
4. Swordsmith Village: 11 episodes.
5. Hashira Training: 8 episodes.
6. Infinity Castle Part 1: the film, 155 minutes.

Common questions

Do I have to watch the Mugen Train movie before Entertainment District?

No. The TV episodes tell the same story, and Entertainment District follows either one.

Do I need the recap films?

No. They are compilation films listed as screenings alongside the TV arcs, and the TV episodes already cover the story.

Are Infinity Castle Parts 2 and 3 out yet?

Not as of 7 October 2026. The official site gives no dates, and Part 1 is the only film released so far.

How many Demon Slayer episodes are there?

There are 63 TV episodes across four seasons, plus the Mugen Train film and Infinity Castle Part 1.

Where to start

If you remember one thing, make it this: start at Season 1 and follow release order, because it is already the story order.

Pick your Mugen Train format when you get there, skip the recap films, and treat Infinity Castle Part 1 as the finale of the route so far. Once you are watching, our Demon Slayer collection has tees, figures, cosplay and cards for every arc, with 30-day returns. For a different kind of starting guide, try our Dragon Ball watch order.

Featured image: © Koyoharu Gotouge / Shueisha, Aniplex, ufotable, via kimetsu.com.