All Demon Slayer Arcs in Order: Complete Manga & Anime Guide (2026)

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba runs 12 arcs across 205 manga chapters. Some arcs are six-episode TV runs; one became the highest-grossing anime film ever; the final arc is so massive it's being released as a movie trilogy. Here's the complete list — every arc in order, with manga chapters, anime episodes, and a quick read on what each one delivers.

If you're figuring out where to start, check out our Demon Slayer Watch Order guide first. This article is the deeper arc reference.

All 12 Demon Slayer Arcs at a Glance

Season 1 — Six Arcs, One Continuous Story

Season 1 is technically six separate arcs in the manga, but they flow as one continuous story in the anime. The pacing tightens as the season progresses — what starts as a character-building intro becomes one of the most visually iconic episodes in modern anime by the finale.

Arc 1: Final Selection Arc (Ch. 1–9 | S1 Eps. 1–5)

Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family slaughtered by demons and his sister Nezuko transformed into one. After two years of training under the scarred ex-Hashira Sakonji Urokodaki, Tanjiro enters the Final Selection — a survival exam on a demon-infested mountain where only the strongest candidates earn a place in the Demon Slayer Corps.

This arc establishes every emotional beat the rest of the series depends on: the bond between Tanjiro and Nezuko, the weight of loss, and the particular cruelty of Muzan's demons.

Arc 2: Kidnapper's Bog Arc (Ch. 10–13 | S1 Eps. 6–7)

Tanjiro's first mission as an official Demon Slayer. Missing women in a village lead him to a Swamp Demon — three demons sharing one body — that drags victims into a pocket dimension. A short arc, but it shows Tanjiro's tactical instincts and proves Nezuko can fight even in her demon form.

Arc 3: Asakusa Arc (Ch. 14–19 | S1 Eps. 8–10)

The pivot that makes the whole series click into focus. Tanjiro spots Muzan Kibutsuji — the progenitor of all demons, the creature who murdered his family — walking casually through the crowds of Asakusa, Tokyo. He can't touch him. In the chaos, Tanjiro meets Tamayo and Yushiro, demons who've broken from Muzan's control and may hold the key to curing Nezuko.

Arc 4: Tsuzumi Mansion Arc (Ch. 20–27 | S1 Eps. 11–14)

Enter Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira — two of the most memorable characters in modern shonen, introduced here in all their chaotic glory. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke are forced into an impromptu team inside a demon-controlled mansion where the rooms rotate at the occupant demon's will. Zenitsu's Thunder Breathing first-form gets its debut.

Arc 5: Mount Natagumo Arc (Ch. 28–44 | S1 Eps. 15–21)

The first major encounter with the Twelve Kizuki (Upper and Lower Rank demons). The Spider Family — a group of demons posing as a family under the control of the child-faced but monstrous Rui — has claimed an entire mountain. Tanjiro unlocks Hinokami Kagura (Sun Breathing) for the first time in episode 19, producing one of the most-discussed animated sequences of the past decade.

Arc 6: Rehabilitation Training Arc (Ch. 45–53 | S1 Eps. 22–26)

Recovery, training, and the Hashira meeting. After the Spider Mountain battle, the trio convalesces at Butterfly Mansion under Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira. Tanjiro stands before the full nine-Hashira assembly — and several of them want him executed for traveling with a demon (Nezuko). Kagaya Ubuyashiki's intervention sets the terms for the rest of the series.

Mugen Train Arc (Ch. 54–66 | Movie or S2 Eps. 1–7)

The Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku joins Tanjiro's squad on a supernatural mission aboard the Mugen Train — a passenger train where forty souls have disappeared and a Lower Moon demon named Enmu is putting everyone to sleep, literally. The arc ends with one of the most devastating fights in the series when Akaza, Upper Moon Three, arrives.

Watch the movie. The Mugen Train arc was adapted as a feature film in 2020 (at the time, the highest-grossing anime film ever made) and then re-adapted as the first seven episodes of Season 2. Both cover the same story; the movie has better pacing. If you're on Crunchyroll, find the film, then jump straight to Season 2 Episode 8 for the Entertainment District.

Physical copy: Mugen Train on Blu-ray at Amazon.

Entertainment District Arc (Ch. 67–97 | S2 Eps. 8–18)

Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke go undercover in Yoshiwara's red-light district alongside the Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui — dressed as women, hunting demons they can't identify. The targets turn out to be Daki and Gyutaro, two Upper Moon Six demons sharing a single body, with a combined power level that nearly kills every hero in the arc.

The final two episodes are a masterclass in animated action. Studio ufotable demonstrated here that they weren't just good — they were in a different category from everyone else. By any reasonable standard, Entertainment District is the high point of the TV series.

The Entertainment District arc begins at Season 2, Episode 8. If you watched the Mugen Train movie, skip Episodes 1–7 of Season 2 entirely.

Swordsmith Village Arc (Ch. 98–127 | S3 Eps. 1–11)

Tanjiro needs a new Nichirin blade and travels to the hidden Swordsmith Village to get one repaired. Two Upper Moon demons — the multiplying Hantengu (Upper Four) and the vessel-obsessed Gyokko (Upper Five) — arrive looking for the village's sword-making secrets. Two Hashira are already stationed there: the Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji and the Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito.

Muichiro's backstory is this arc's emotional center, and Mitsuri's Love Breathing final sequence in the season finale is exceptional. Crucially: Nezuko achieves something no demon has in the history of the series — a development that reshapes what the final battle can look like.

Hashira Training Arc (Ch. 128–136 | S4 Eps. 1–8)

The shortest arc in the series — eight episodes, functioning almost entirely as setup. With only four Upper Moons remaining, Corps leader Kagaya Ubuyashiki orders all Demon Slayers to train under each surviving Hashira in sequence. Tanjiro's sessions reveal new layers in characters who'd previously been background figures, and his own growth here is what makes the Infinity Castle arc possible.

Don't skip it. Season 4 ends mid-battle and feeds directly into the Infinity Castle movie with no narrative break. The emotional stakes in the film only work if you've sat through the quiet preparation here.

Infinity Castle Arc (Ch. 137–183 | Movie Part 1 — Streaming Now)

Muzan makes his move. The Infinity Castle — a twisting, impossible fortress — is the stage for every Hashira fighting simultaneously against the remaining Upper Moons while Muzan himself is hunted. Movie Part 1 completed its theatrical run April 9, 2026 and is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

This arc contains some of the most technically complex animation sequences ufotable has ever produced. The scale is unlike anything in the TV series. Watch it at the best resolution your setup allows.

Sunrise Countdown Arc (Ch. 184–205 | Movie Parts 2 & 3 — TBA)

The final confrontation with Muzan before sunrise — the one condition that can kill him permanently. The Sunrise Countdown arc is the emotional and narrative conclusion to every thread Demon Slayer has been running since chapter one, including Tanjiro's Sun Breathing lineage and Nezuko's unique survival.

Parts 2 and 3 of the Infinity Castle film trilogy do not have release dates yet. The current best estimate puts Part 2 in 2027. Chapters 184–205 in the manga are available now for anyone who can't wait.

Start reading: Demon Slayer Vol. 1 at Amazon — or jump ahead to Volume 21 if you've seen Part 1 and want to know how it ends.

How Many Arcs Does Demon Slayer Have?

12 arcs total, across 205 manga chapters. The first six arcs are all contained within Season 1 of the anime (26 episodes). Arcs 7–10 span Seasons 2–4. Arcs 11 and 12 form the Final Battle across the Infinity Castle film trilogy.

There is no filler in Demon Slayer — every arc adapts source material directly from Koyoharu Gotouge's manga. The only "duplicate" content is the Mugen Train arc, which was adapted first as a film and then as seven TV episodes at the start of Season 2.

Ready to Watch?

The full watch order with streaming links is in our Demon Slayer Watch Order: Complete 2026 Guide — start there if you haven't begun yet, then use this page as your arc-by-arc reference while you watch.

Come discuss arcs in the Geeky Inc Discord — the Demon Slayer channel has people actively reacting to Infinity Castle right now. Spoiler tags are enforced.