The Demon Slayer anime finally returns in the Spring 2024 anime season, and it's treating anime fans to a double-length debut episode to get the story moving. At the end of the last season, Tanjiro Kamado and his allies defeated the Upper Moons 4 and 5 to protect the swordsmith village, and Nezuko Kamado obtained sunlight immunity, making her a priority target of Muzan's. Demon activity has largely stopped for now, but the war against Muzan's hordes is bound to resume soon.
When Episode 1 of the new season begins, all is peaceful, aside from Obanai's and Sanemi's nighttime mission, and there's even time for comedy and jokes as Tanjiro reunites with his friends. Then, Season 4 gets to work setting up new goals and new stakes. Kagaya Ubuyashiki is on death's door, but he might hang on just long enough to see his beloved Hashira finish the fight against Muzan and free humanity of the threat of demons — and that means training like never before.
Obanai Iguro and Sanemi Shinazugawa Stumble Upon the Entrance to Muzan's Infinity Castle
Some Demons Are Still Active and The Serpent & Wind Hashira Get Their Moment
Even though some Demon Slayer characters said that demon activity had completely halted after the battle for the swordsmith village, Season 4's premiere episode shows that at least a few demons are still active by moonlight, as the episode's first scene shows. The Serpent and Wind Hashira finally get more screen time as they undertake a daring mission together to rescue a hapless civilian from a demon's clutches, and once Obanai and Sanemi enter a crumbling castle, they run into a whole pack of demons.
This suggests that it's really just the Upper Moons and other notable demons who are no longer hunting humans, while ran-and-file demons are free to keep doing what they always do. After all, Muzan no longer needs his Upper Moons to seek out the blue spider lily, the key to his sunlight immunity, but ordinary demons weren't ever expected to undertake that mission at all. There's no problem with them remaining active if they choose.
Sanemi and Obanai, as true Hashira, easily slice and dice their way through the demon horde, but then a surprise pops up. Halfway through the battle in that ruined castle, the two Hashira suddenly appear in an all-new space, a vast indoor place of walls and doors. It's Muzan's Infinity Castle, his secret hideout where he meets with his Moons, but fortunately, none of the Moons spot the Hashira and attack them.
After just a few seconds, Obanai and Sanemi find themselves back in the castle's normal halls, where they conclude their fight. The main development here is that the demon slayer corpse has a preview of what Muzan's lair is like and how to get there, but figuring out a reliable way to reach Muzan's lair for an invasion is a puzzle to solve later. For now, this scene serves to preview the inevitable final battle with Muzan by showing off the venue.
The Seven Remaining Hashira Discuss the Demon Slayer Mark
The Demon Slayer Marks Have Not Appeared in a Long Time
The next major plot-oriented scene in "To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji" shows the seven active Hashira attending a meeting, with Kagaya's wife Amane overseeing things. The first topic of interest is the demon slayer mark, a rare power-up that demon slayers need to defeat the very strongest demons, such as the Upper Moons. Such marks have not appeared in a long time, but the last slayers who used them, as the dialogue states, had the power to almost defeat Muzan Kibutsuji for good.
That's a huge lead on how the increasingly desperate demon slayer corps can finish this centuries-long war. It's not enough for slayers like Mitsuri Kanroji and Muichiro Tokito to awaken those marks by instinct in the heat of battle. Now, the Hashira are expected to awaken and use those marks at will, even if the price for using those marks is implied to be rather high.
Amane asks Muichiro and Mitsuri to explain exactly how they awakened those marks while fighting Upper Moons Gyokko and Hantengu. For comedy's sake, and to reinforce her persona as a cheerful and carefree person, Mitsuri Kanroji makes a real show of describing her mark's awakening in the heat of battle against Hantengu. She bewilders Amane and the other Hashira with her sound effects and poses, which is hilarious to the audience but not helpful to the othe Hashira.
The narrative even points out that Mitsuri has a personality similar to Tanjiro's own, since both warriors are serious, heartfelt fighters who enjoy setting other people at ease with their good-natured ways. Right after that, Muichiro Tokito explains his own demon slayer mark awakening in proper detail, which is impressive, given how Muichiro has a reputation for being an airheaded himbo who doesn't always pay attention to what's happening.
He can even describe his heart rate and 102 degree fever while using his mark, making it clear that a demon slayer must be under serious distress while using such a mark. A slayer needs more than willpower and a fight to win if they intend to awaken such a mark — that demon slayer will need intense pressure in the heat of battle to awaken such a mark, and those circumstances aren't so easy to replicate in the safety of a training dojo. The demon slayers can always hope that more Hashira awaken their marks as they fight Muzan and the remaining Upper Moons, but they aren't in the mood to take risks. They want demon slayer marks to be a certainty, and that leads to the next major plot twist.
The Hashira Launch An Ambitious Training Regimen For All
Rank is not a Requirement & All Demon Slayers Are Open to Join
Since the Hashira and Amane are unwilling to take their chances with more demon slayer marks awakening during the inevitable final battle, they take matters into their own hands with a project that's both ordinary and totally unprecedented. The plan is a simple one: to launch an ambitious training regimen for all demon slayer members, regardless of their rank, and such training might even benefit the Hashira in return.
Even if the Hashira are the demon slayer corps' elite, they are still only human and are thus underdogs when facing the most powerful demons. Desperation, grit, and creativity are the hallmarks of the demon slayer corps in this eternal war, and the Hashira are not exempt. If the corps' best members can go Plus Ultra and surprise Muzan with new tricks, then the heroes just might stand a chance in the final battle against Muzan in that Infinity Castle realm.
Six of the seven currently active Hashira agree to play a role in this ambitious new training regimen, with the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, excusing himself from the plan, much to everyone's surprise. It's possible that Giyu simply does not feel worthy of training the demon slayer members, while Sanemi accuses Giyu of having the opposite attitude and looking down on everyone. For now, Giyu is simply not a factor in the story, being his usual reclusive and gloomy self.
He seems preoccupied as he spends that time alone in the new episode, suggesting that he has an unresolved issue with his character arc, one that might return in full force later in this season. As for the other Hashira, they agree on how to divide this new project amongst themselves. The demon slayer trainees will work with the Hashira in a pre-determined order, with each Hashira specializing in a different kind of training, from endurance to speed and much more.
That's a reminder of how holistic demon slayer training can be, getting demon slayers physically and mentally ready for absolutely anything that can happen on the battlefield. It's a shonen-style training arc with not just one, but seven mentors, with the retired Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui returning to take part in all this. For most of Demon Slayer's story, Tanjiro didn't have a dedicated shonen-style mentor, having learned in the heart of battle against foes like Rui and Daki. But now Tanjiro has no choice but to train under several mentors before he faces the Upper Moons and Muzan.
Tengen Uzui's return is a welcome one, and not just because he is an entertaining character to watch as an extroverted, flashy ninja. Tengen's return gives Demon Slayer fans hope that even injured and retired fighters still have something to give, and Tengen won't wallow in self-pity or despair off-screen as a retired warrior. Tengen has more strength of spirit than that, and he clearly enjoys coaching people and bringing out their potential.
Thus, Tengen serves as the first of seven coaches in the rigorous new training arc, demanding that his trainees kep jogging in formation all over the place without stopping. Even Tengen's three kunoichi wives are around to help out, including preparing much-needed refreshments for the trainees. For the time being, it's Zenitsu Agatsuma who's immersed in this tough new training arc, since Zenitsu didn't suffer any notable injuries during his off-screen mission in the Swordsmith Village story arc.
It's almost ironic, since Zenitsu fears battle and tough training, while Tanjiro and Inosuke gladly face such challenges, yet it's Zenitsu who's getting the first taste of Hashira training. Tanjiro is still recovering from his brutal clash against Hantengu as of Episode 1 in this season, and since the story is largely told from Tanjiro's ppint of view, Demon Slayer fans only get a hint of what that training is like as Zenitsu talks about it in Tanjiro's hospital room.
This helps build up anticipation for what the Hashira training regimen will be like when Tanjiro dives into this training firsthand in coming episodes, giving fans something to look forward to. That helps reinforce the fact that this episode is largely setup, albeit highly entertaining setup.
Tanjiro and His Friends Are All in Good Spirits
Everyone Discovers The Newest Developments Regarding Nezuko
While Episode 1 of the new Demon Slayer season does have some grim and serious moments, such as Sanemi's and Obanai's unxpected journey into Muzan's Infinity Castle, the episode is mostly an optimistic and light-hearted affair. After all, for all its violence and drama, Demon Slayer is still a shonen action anime, and it's meant to make viewers feel good about the characters and story. Right on cue, Episode 1 delivers some delightful and comedic scenes with Tanjiro's trio of heroes and his little sister Nezuko.
That helps continue the good feelings that Season 3's final episode had, with everyone celebrating Nezuko's survival and the victory over two Upper Moons. No matter the danger that lays ahead, Demon Slayer's heroes are in high spirits and are enjoying themselves, which helps the new season launch on a pleasant note. Perhaps this is to compensate for the brutality that lays ahead as the final battle begins. Tanjiro also marvels at his black-bladed weapon as it's handed to him, including the kanji for "destroy" etched in red near the blade's base.
Tanjiro also marvels at Kyojuro Rengoku's sword's tsuba, a flame-shaped piece that serves as a sentimental memento of the fallen Flame Hashira. Through that tsuba, it's almost like all nine Hashira are coming together to help guide and protect Tanjiro as the final battle looms. Meanwhile, Zenitsu is glad to be back, even if he must undergo helluish training, and he is absolutely delighted to see the apple of his eye, Nezuko, wandering around in daylight and even speaking.
Granted, Nezuko has been taught to address everyone as "Inosuke," much to Zenitsu's shock, but it's still a rewarding moment for Zenitsu. Inosuke, meanwhile, bursts back onto the scene by crashing through a window, ready for whatever challenges lay ahead. At last, Demon Slayer's main trio is back together, right when it matters most. It's also a feel-good moment for anime fans, who may have missed this trio's adventures together in the last season.
Lady Tamayo Gets an Invitation
A Demon Helping Demon Slayer Corps to Fully Restore Nezuko's Humanity
"To Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji" ends on an intriguing note as the anime cuts to a certain house at nighttime. Lady Tamayo, who hasn't appeared in some time, is seen working at her desk when a Kasugai crow pays her a visit on the windowsill, having come directly from the Ubuyashiki family. To Tamayo's surprise, the crow's message is an invitation for Tamayo to visit demon slayer headquarters and lend her assistance. It's highly unusual for any demon, friendly or not, to visit such a place, but the demon slayer corps has no time for strict protocol in these high-stakes times.
In particular, the Ubuyashikis need Tamayo to lend her medical assistance to two projects, aiding Shinobu Kocho the poison master and examining Nezuko Kamado. This promises to be good news for all, since Tamayo is the key to fully restoring Nezuko's humanity, and that is what Tanjiro and all Demon Slayer fans have been looking forward to. Also, it may be fascinating to see both Tamayo and Shinobu working to develop ever-stronger poisons to fight the remaining Upper Moons, giving the demon slayer corps an excellent bonus weapon. It's all hands on deck for this final battle, from retired Hashira to friendly demons, and thus Season 4 promises to be an adventure like nothing before it.
