Considering the record-breaking success of Demon Slayer’s Mugen Train Movie, Ufotable decided to adapt the Infinity Castle Arc in a trilogy film. Although there has been no official confirmation yet, it’s expected that the trilogy film will also cover the Sunrise Showdown Arc. The series will feature the final fight against the Upper Moons and Muzan Kibutsuji. The Hashira Training Arc in the anime ends on a major cliffhanger as the demon slayers are pulled into the Infinity Castle, where some of the strongest demons are waiting for them. However, while the story is currently in its final stretch, we have put together a list of the ten best anime episodes so far.
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Demon Slayer isn’t just known for its incredible action, emotional storyline, and intriguing characters, but also for its stellar animation. The anime is praised as one of the best adaptations in recent years, and rightfully so. From the days of Tanjiro walking on the snow with a barely alive Nezuko on his back to him fighting the Upper Rank demons, the story has come a long way. So, let’s revisit some of the best Demon Slayer episodes while we await the film’s release in May 2025 for Japanese fans and September 2025 in North America.
Season 4, Episode 2: “The Sorrows of the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka”
Giyu is the first demon slayer that Tanjiro and Nezuko came across, and it could be said that they were lucky to encounter him instead of someone else. Any demon slayer would prefer to kill Nezuko as soon as they realized that she’s a demon. However, perhaps out of pity, he couldn’t finish her off soon, and later realized that she was different from the others. That was the beginning of the story, and he’s been a fan favorite ever since. However, until this episode, anime fans didn’t know about his inner struggles.
Giyu not only thought of himself as inadequate, but he also had to carry the guilt of his sister and best friend dying because of him. We learn about his sorrowful past and the reason he looked so gloomy, as if he were carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders. He reached his breaking point he refused to participate in the training. The head of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, despite battling death, couldn’t help but worry about him. Since he was in no shape to meet anyone, he requested that Tanjiro help the Hashira, which turned out for the best.
Tanjiro’s enthusiastic and positive personality heavily contradicts with Giyu’s, but that’s probably what the latter needed the most. Although this episode doesn’t have flashy fights, it’s meaningful enough to be considered one of the best in the series. Giyu and Tanjiro have one of the most meaningful relationships in the story, which is why this episode was more than necessary before the final fight.
Season 1, Episode 5: “My Own Steel”
After the tragic murder of his family and his fateful encounter with Giyu, Tanjiro meets Urokodaki, who taught him the Water Breathing Style to help him fight demons. However, in order to become a full-fledged demon slayer, Tanjiro must join the Demon Slayer Corps and pass the deadly final selection exam. He trained for two years before participating, and even met the ghosts of Sabito and Makomo. Before Tanjiro, almost all of Urokodaki’s students died while fighting the hand demon, who targeted them because of his grudge with Urokodaki.
However, Tanjiro defeats the monster despite its unusual appearance and incredibly thick neck. Instead of feeling resentful for the deaths of so many, Tanjiro pities the demon who held out his hand in his final moments. Tanjiro prayed that he wouldn’t become a demon in his next life as he turned into dust. Despite losing his family at the hands of demons, Tanjiro still remained kind and compassionate.
He realized that although demons kill humans, they are also, in a way, tragic creatures who had the misfortune of turning into monsters. The rest of the episode focuses on him passing the exam and getting his own nichirin sword, one with black in color, which isn’t a good omen according to legends.
Season 2, Episode 18: “No Matter How Many Lives”
The fight against Gyutaro and Daki in the Entertainment District Arc is still one of the best fights in the series. Defeating an Upper Moon demon is a feat that the Demon Slayer Corps hadn’t accomplished in over a hundred years before Uzui, Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zenitsu, and Nezuko joined the fight. At first, it was clear that Daki is the Upper Moon Six, but it actually turns out to be her brother, Gyutaro. Defeating an Upper Moon without any casualties is a major win for the demon slayers, but a lot of the credit goes to Nezuko, whose flames are only harmful to demons.
Demons and any power related to them will be burned, while having no effect on a human. In the season finale, Uzui is battling with death after receiving several injuries, and worst of all, Gyutaro’s poison. Nezuko easily burns away the poison and saves his life. This again proves her powers are just too special to ignore. Additionally, we witness the heartbreaking backstory of Gyutaro and his sister Daki.
They were born and died in the pleasure district, never once leaving its shadows, even as demons. Although they were bickering after getting defeated, Tanjiro stepped in to stop Gyutaro from saying something he’d regret. In the end, the Demon Slayer Corps arrives to deal with the aftermath of the major fight.
Season 3 Episode 8: “The Mu in Muichiro”
Muichiro Tokito didn’t give quite an impression when he was introduced, but the Swordsmith Village Arc easily made him a fan favorite. After the traumatic demon attack that severely injured him and also took his twin brother, Yuichiro’s life, Muichiro suffered from amnesia for several years. He also would’ve died if the Demon Slayer Corps hadn’t found him. Considering he’s a direct descendant of the Sun Breathing Style, he and his brother were offered to join the Corps before, but Yuichiro refused them.
Upper Moons Four and Five join forces to annihilate the Swordsmith Village Arc and cause quite a lot of casualties there. Luckily, two Hashira were already there along with Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya, who joined the front lines. Muichiro was stuck fighting an Upper Moon Five all by himself, which is supposed to be an impossible feat, even for a Hashira. Just when Muichiro thought it was all over, he suddenly gained back his memories and manifested a demon slayer mark, something that had been lost in history after Yoruichi’s death.
This was a major turning point in the story as it confirms that as long as a demon slayer can meet the required conditions and manifest a unique mark, they can gain the power to even defeat the Upper Moons. The light in his eyes returning is also an indication that his cloudy mind has been cleared, and he has finally understood who he is.
Season 3, Episode 5: “Bright Red Sword”
The peaceful Swordsmith Village has been aiding the Demon Slayer Corps for centuries by forging special nichirin swords for them. Because of this, they can easily become the target of the demons, forcing the villagers to live in hiding. However, when Gyokko found a village, Muzan sent him and Hantengu on a mission to annihilate every villager. Chaos soon erupts in the village as the demon slayers take action against the enemies. Although there were only supposed to be two Upper Moon demons, Hantengu’s ability to make his clones proved to be quite challenging.
Each clone is extremely powerful, but Tanjiro put up a good fight against them, thanks to his Sun Breathing Style. It’s the original Breathing Style developed by Yoriichi, but it takes quite a lot of skill to master it. Tanjiro never mastered it like the legendary demon slayer, but he progressively improves his ability to use it, culminating in his final battle against the demons. In the Swordsmith Village Arc, he was still learning how to control it, but even then, he managed to defeat a few of Hantengu’s clones in one strike.
Of course, it’s also thanks to Nezuko for setting his sword ablaze and turning it red, giving him the power he needed. All Upper Moons have Muzan’s blood, so they share the same thoughts and memories as the Demon progenitor. As soon as they see Tanjiro with his Hanafuda earrings, wielding a bright red sword, the clones are reminded of the terror Muzan faced while coming across Yoriichi about five centuries ago.
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Season 2, Episode 14: “Transformation”
Even after turning into a demon, it’s almost rare for Nezuko to lose her cool in any situation. However, the battle in the Entertainment District pushed her to her limits. After saving Tanjiro from Daki, Nezuko suffered several consecutive wounds. Although she healed all of them, she also transformed into an adult version of herself with vine-like tattoos circling her body and a single horn protruding from her forehead.
She easily overpowers Daki in a matter of seconds, showing excellent regenerative powers, even better than hers. Nezuko has had several incredible moments before this, but nothing compares to this epic and gorgeous fight. However, the downside of this transformation was that she lost all reason, so much so that Tanjiro had to calm her down by singing a lullaby.
Not only that, but we also learn in this episode that the real Upper Moon Six isn’t Daki, but her older brother Gyutaro. Up until that moment, the series pretty much confirmed Daki was the real Upper Moon, so that was quite a shocking plot twist. As expected, the situation spiraled out of control when Gyutaro joined the fight.
Season 4, Episode 8: “The Hashira Unite”
Until the finale, the Hashira Training Arc was rather peaceful considering the rest of the story. However, things changed drastically when Muzan arrived at the Ubuyashiki manor and finally met the head of the Demon Slayer Corps. The two are sworn enemies, despite never having met each other. The location was supposed to be hidden from demons, so it took Muzan several centuries to find it, and that was only because Kagaya deliberately allowed the demon to find him in order to carry out the plan. Kagaya blows up his house, including two of his children and his wife.
Muzan was caught off guard by the sudden attack and found the demon slayers, especially all the Hashira, jumping to attack him. They’re not only heartbroken by the sudden tragedy but also facing their biggest opponent, the strongest demon of all. Even after being burned, Muzan had the upper hand before Tamayo injected a poison into him, sacrificing herself in the process. The demon slayers surrounding him are sucked into the Infinity Castle, ending the final episode of the season on a cliffhanger.
Season 1, Episode 19: “Hinokami”
The first season of Demon Slayer was the longest one ever and had several ups and downs. During the Mount Natagumo Arc, Tanjiro and his team encountered one of the 12 Kizuki, Lower Moon Five. As someone who consumes Muzan’s blood, Rui was not only strong but also had several powerful demons doing his bidding. Tanjiro and Nezuko are cornered by Rui, unable to come up with a counterattack.
In the heat of the moment, Tanjiro also taps into his Sun Breathing Technique, the one his father taught him as a dance form. The animation scene is gorgeous and is considered one of the most beautifully animated sequences in modern anime. Additionally, just before Tanjiro is about to launch the attack, Nezuko awakens her Blood Demon Art and assists him.
What’s even more commendable is that Tanjiro does all that with a broken sword, further highlighting his growth as a demon slayer. Paired with a soothing OST, the moment when Tanjiro uses his true power to attack one of the most powerful demons in existence just hits differently. The ending is also special for that particular episode, as we see several beautiful illustrations of Tanjiro and his family accompanied by a soft melody.
Season 3, Episode 11: “A Connected Bond: Daybreak and First Light“
The one-hour finale of the Swordsmith Village Arc is a major turning point in Nezuko’s life as it proves there is a chance that Tanjiro’s promise can come true. The chaotic fight against Upper Moon Four finally ends as the dawn breaks, but that was only possible thanks to Nezuko. After all, whenever things get tough, Nezuko always has Tanjiro’s back, even if it costs her life.
When Hantengu was chasing the villagers, Tanjiro chose to protect Nezuko from the sunlight instead of going against the demon. Nezuko kicked him away so he could do his duty, but that almost cost her life. As Tanjiro defeats the demon, he starts mourning his sister, thinking she’s burned to ash. However, he never would’ve expected she would be standing in front of him, without the muzzle and freely under the sun.
Nezuko is the first demon to conquer the sun in a thousand years, and Muzan couldn’t be happier about it. The scene is also a foreboding of what’s about to come since the demon progenitor wants to capture Nezuko more than ever now. Additionally, it’s the most heartwarming ending to a major fight against a powerful demon. Whether it’s the Infinity Train or the Entertainment District, the Demon Slayer Corps suffered massive losses because of the Upper Moons. Defeating two of them in a single night without a slayer dying is nothing short of miraculous.
Season 2, Episode 17: “Never Give Up“
Not many modern fight scenes can be compared to the incredibly animated Tengen vs. Gyutaro battle. Despite being at a serious disadvantage, the demon slayers refused to be taken out by Gyutaro and Daki. With Inosuke, Zenitsu, and Uzui being knocked out of the battle, Tanjiro was fighting the Upper Six all by himself and almost lost his life. However, it takes a lot more than losing a hand to keep the demon slayers down. Zenitsu and Inosuke take Daki away from the scene while Uzui gets back on his feet despite his serious injuries.
Since he’s a dual sword wielder, he uses his mouth to attack with one of his blades. With their combined effort, the team manages to sever both siblings’ heads simultaneously, a necessary step to kill them. However, the episode also ends on a major cliffhanger because Gyutaro’s body explodes, putting everyone in the Enterntainment District in serious danger.
