Demon Slayer season 3: release dates and a guide to the Swordsmith Village arc

Demon Slayer season 3 is cooking. Tanjiro has headed over to the Swordsmith Village in need of a new weapon. What he has encountered so far - including mechnical dolls and terrifying Upper Rank demons - has showcased Ufotable's incredible animation and pitch-perfect shonen storytelling.

With the show still ongoing, we've put together a guide on Demon Slayer season 3 so everyone can be on the same page moving forward. That includes upcoming release dates, cast and character info, and the story so far, so join us as we dive into the new Demon Slayer season. Plus, we've got a guide on how to watch Demon Slayer in order and a look at all the best anime you should be watching right now. There's even a Demon Slayer season 3 release schedule for a more in-depth look at when each episode drops.

Demon Slayer season 3 release dates: here's when new Swordsmith Village episodes air

Demon Slayer will air Sundays on Crunchyroll and Funimation at 10:45 AM Pacific/1:45 PM Eastern in the US. That's 6:45 PM in the UK. Be warned, however, that some of the timings can be shaky. Get ready to hang around (and mash the F5 key) for up to 30 minutes after the 'official' release.

Demon Slayer season 3 story: What has happened in the Swordsmith Village arc so far?

Demon Slayer season 3 is officially the Swordsmith Village Arc. Don't worry, we won't get into source material spoilers here, but if you're following on with the manga it covers chapters 98-127 of the manga. That also means we're likely getting around 11-12 episodes.

As for the story so far: the premiere revealed the aftermath of the Entertainment District-shattering battle, with Tanjiro slowly recovering back at Hashira HQ. On the villain side of things, Muzan Kibutsuji sends two of his Upper Rank demons, Gyokko and Hantengu, on a new quest.

Zenitsu and Inosuke are sent on separate missions while Tanjiro (with Nezuko in tow) heads to Swordsmith Village to get his sword repaired. While there, he meets both the Love and Mist Hashiras.

The Mist Hashira is seen training with a mechanical training doll and Tanjiro, with the help of swordsmith child Kotestu, levels up his abilities with a new scent detection power. He uses it to shatter the mechanical doll, which reveals a centuries-old sword inside.

Unfortunately for the pair, they don't get much time to dig into its origins as Upper Rank demons Hantengu and Gyokko invade the village. It's revealed that Hantengu, especially, is extremely hard to kill: every time he is beheaded, his body splits in two and forms 'new' personas. Tanjiro is picked up by a swooping Hantengu, while Kotestu and Mist Hashira Tokito have to deal with Gyokko's assault.

Demon Slayer season 3 cast: who are the new characters and demons?

Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae), Zenitsu (Hiro Shimono), Inosuke (Yoshitsugu Matsuoka), and Nezuko (Akari Kitou) are all part of the Swordsmith Village arc cast, though Zenitsu and Inosuke appear to be sitting more on the sidelines this season.

Joining them are two characters we've already glimpsed in the series: the Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito (Kengo Kawashini) and the Love Hashira Mitsuri Kanoji (Kana Hazawa). Kotetsu (Ayumu Murase) is a new face, and is currently training Tanjiro.

The featured Upper Moons in the cast include Kokushibo (Ryotaro Okiayu), Hantengu (Toshio Furukawa), and Gyokko (Kousuke Toriumi), with the latter two set to be the villains of the Swordsmith Village arc, as revealed in episode 3. Joining them - at least in the first episode of the season - is Akaza (Akira Ishida), Doma (Mamoru Miyano), Nakime (Marina Inuoe), and their leader Muzan Kibutsuji (Toshihiko Seki).