What Demon Slayer Is About: A Tragic Tale Of Siblings, Demons And Blades

Created by Koyoharu Gotoge, Demon Slayer serialized from February 2016 to May 2020. The manga spans 205 chapters collected into 23 volumes, and has sold over 150 million copies worldwide. The anime adaptation by ufotable premiered in April 2019, delivering four seasons and blockbuster films.

This includes the Demon Slayer Mugen Train movie, which became Japan’s highest-grossing film of all time. Keep reading to find out more about the series plotline here.

Set during Japan's Taisho period, the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba series follows Tanjiro Kamado, a compassionate young boy whose life is upended when his family gets slaughtered by an unknown demon. Fortunately, his sister Nezuko survives, but is transformed into a demon herself.

Remarkably, Nezuko retains her human emotions and refrains from harming humans. Now determined to restore his sister’s humanity and avenge his family, Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps, a secret organization that has waged war against the demons for centuries.

The series slowly reveals more about the demons as well. Once human, these beings now possess supernatural abilities and feed on human flesh. There are only three ways to kill these fearsome beings – exposing them to sunlight, decapitating them with Nichirin swords, or using a wisteria-based poison on them.

Members of the Demon Slayer Corps, though human, must make use of specialized ‘Breathing Styles’ to enhance their combat abilities and take down humanity’s mortal enemy. To join them, Tanjiro trains under Sakonji Urokodaki and masters the Water Breathing style.

He then passes the Corps’ rigorous exam, and begins his mission to hunt demons. Along the way, he allies with fellow Demon Slayers Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira. Together, they battle a number of powerful demons – including members of the Twelve Kizuki, the elite under the demon progenitor, Muzan Kibutsuji.

Central to the Demon Slayer Corps are the Hashira, the nine most powerful swordsmen, each mastering a unique Breathing Style: Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka, Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho, Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku, Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui, Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanroji, Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito, Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima, Serpent Hashira Obanai Iguro, and Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa.

With his sister a demon that refuses Muzan’s control, Tanjiro's journey is marked by emotional battles and personal growth. Those interested in following the demon slaying epic can tune in to platforms like Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video to stream the anime, or read the manga on Viz Media and Shueisha’s MANGAPlus.

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