Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 2 – What to Expect from Entertainment District Arc

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba has broken through as a seriously popular title and it’s quickly become one of the most celebrated anime of its genre. Demon Slayer builds upon the traditional staples of the shonen genre and features a relatable cast of underdogs who work hard to take down evil forces and bring stability back to not just the world, but also some of their fractured families. 

The anime mixes a simple, yet addictive, storyline with unique and powerful personalities that culminates into some ambitious and gorgeous battle sequences with surreal monsters. The first season of Demon Slayer tells a fairly contained story that helps launch Tanjiro, Nezuko, and his fellow demon-slaying friends onto an important adventure. A second season for Demon Slayer was an inevitability upon the conclusion of the first batch of episodes, but some more concrete details have come together on what material it will tackle and when it might be coming.

When Is It Coming And How Many Episodes Will It Be?

A recent trailer for season two of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba confirms that the episodes will drop in 2021, but details are otherwise slim. The trailer does show off some appealing new footage, but it’s also sparse enough to indicate that production still has a ways to go. Season two coming in the second half, or even the final quarter, of 2021 is the most realistic expectation here.

It also makes sense to assume that Demon Slayer’s second season will be 26 episodes, just like its predecessor, but there are a few details that might discourage this. Season one of Demon Slayer adapted just over 50 manga chapters in these 26 episodes. Demon Slayer’s Entertainment District Arc is only 30 chapters in the manga. This could mean that a much longer time will be spent adapting each chapter, or it’s possible that the Entertainment District Arc composes the majority of season two, but not the entire thing. The last, and most unappealing scenario, is that season two will operate with the same pacing as season one, but still only focus on the Entertainment District Arc, which would mean that it could be a shorter season of around 16 episodes.

What’s The New Story?

Demon Slayer season 2 features the subtitle of “Entertainment District Arc,” which gives a pretty clear indication of what material from the Demon Slayer manga is going to be adapted. The Entertainment District Arc takes Tanjiro and company to Yoshiwara, an unscrupulous red light district, where crime and demon activity run rampant. Demon activity is suspected after a number of wives go missing from the area. A new ally for Tanjiro has a personal connection to this mystery and it leaves Tanjiro more motivated than ever to get to the bottom of all of this. Tanjiro is always willing to selflessly sacrifice himself to help solve the demon problems of others, but Yoshiwara feels more dangerous and intimidating than what he’s previously tackled during the start of his journey.

Which Characters Will Return?

Season two of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is set to feature all of the beloved characters from season one, like Tanjito, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and Inosuke. These characters recently bond and learn a lot from the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, but season two sets them up with another powerful Hashira, Tengen Uzui. The promotional materials for season two have prominently teased Uzui, who is the Sound Hashira. Uzui helps Tanjiro against the new breed of Twelve Demon Moon that are committed to their destruction. 

What Is Muzan Kibutsuji Planning With The Twelve Demon Moons?

The ending of Demon Slayer’s first season details a frustrated Muzan Kibutsuji drastically cleaning house and taking out nearly all of his trusted Twelve Demon Moons. The few that remain are given new power and fresh incentives so that Tanjiro’s death has never held more weight. Kibutsuji gives one of his demons, Enmu, a big opportunity, but season two digs even deeper into Kibutsuji’s efforts for supremacy. Daki and Gyutaro are two new antagonists that Tanjiro and Uzui need to contend with as they go further into the Yoshiwara district. 

How Is The Mugen Train Movie Connected?

Demon Slayer’s Entertainment District Arc is set to be the anime’s second season, but it won’t be something that can just be watched immediately after season one’s finale without a level of confusion. Demon Slayer’s first movie, Mugen Train, actually bridges the gap between the first and second seasons and covers a pivotal story arc before the characters arrive at the red light district. Some anime movies operate outside of canon and aren’t mandatory viewing, but in this case Mugen Train is basically Demon Slayer season 1.5 and it’s a proper companion piece to these new episodes.

Will It Have A Dub And Where Will It Be Available To Stream?

It should be made clear that Demon Slayer’s season two release date of 2021 is for the original Japanese airings as opposed to Funimation’s English dub. Demon Slayer’s overwhelming popularity and success means that a dub for season two is a guarantee even if it hasn’t been officially given a date. It’s possible that dubbed Demon Slayer season two could still hit towards the end of 2021, especially since the anime gained popularity during its broadcast premiere on Adult Swim’s Toonami anime block. 

The dub for season two will almost certainly debut on Adult Swim first, but the anime is one of the more widely available titles to stream. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba can currently be streamed on Netflix, Crunchyroll, Funimation, HBO Max, and Hulu. It will take some time in the case of some of these services (like Netflix), but the season two dub will still show up in most of these places since the same licensing contracts are in place. 

Will It Conclude The Story Or Will There Be A Season 3?

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba recently ended its prolific manga run with just over 200 chapters, but that doesn’t mean that the anime is also set to conclude. The Entertainment District Arc that season two will adapt concludes around the 100th chapter of the manga, which means that it’s only at the story’s halfway mark and that a third and at least a fourth season will be necessary to complete the narrative (with possibly another movie or two featured along the way). Season two of Demon Slayer definitely won’t conclude the story, but that doesn’t mean that future seasons are guaranteed. It’s likely that the anime will continue to experience the same level of success, but at this point nothing beyond a second season is officially confirmed.

The first season of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is available to stream on Netflix, HBO Max, Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Hulu.