While Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga Demon Slayer already had some popularity of its own, the series’ anime adaptation took it to even greater heights. Produced by Ufotable, an anime studio known for its dynamic and energetic fight scenes, the Demon Slayer anime became a cultural phenomenon during its first season.
Despite 2 seasons and a successful movie under their belt, those working on Demon Slayer’s anime still have a lot of material to adapt. Demon Slayer is a rather short series, but there are still a number of important scenes that the anime needs to help elevate in the upcoming seasons.
This article contains spoilers from the Demon Slayer manga.
8 Kanroji vs Hantengu
This entry is fittingly the first one the anime is likely to reach, as it takes place during the ‘swordsmith village’ arc. Just like Rengoku and Uzui before her, Kanroji joins Tanjiro to face off against one of the upper moons.
The special thing about Kanroji though, is her whip-like nichirin blade. The graceful way she uses it in the manga is intriguing, but somewhat hard to picture. Making the blade move convincingly will likely be a challenge for Ufotable, but for Kanroji to receive the love that she deserves, it’s imperative that they pull it off.
7 The Muzan Ambush
More so than a lot of villains, Muzan Kibutsuji has it coming. The influence of him and his demon minions is so pervasive, that when he finally gets the tables turned on him, it’s a triumphant moment that kicks off the final battle in style.
Not only is this scene necessary for getting the audience hyped for the upcoming battles, but it’s also the biggest moment for both Tamayo and Ubayashiki. It’s by no means the biggest moment in the final arc, but nailing it is necessary for getting the series’ conclusion moving on a good path.
6 Nezuko Conquering the Sun
Right at the end of the swordsmith village arc, things get as tense as they’ve ever gotten. The higher 4 demon Hantengu gives the demon slayers hell, and they only barely defeat him. Even after that though, there’s the problem that Nezuko is out in the open, and the sun is rising.
While she ends up achieving Muzan’s dream and conquering the sun, the moments leading up to that revelation are some of the most heart wrenching in Demon Slayer, as everyone assumes she’s died. Nezuko is arguably the mascot of the series, and all the strengths of anime should go towards her biggest moment.
5 Kokushibo’s Assault
Speaking of dangerous upper moons, the upper 1 himself Kokushibo is fittingly a terrifying enemy. In the end, it takes the efforts of 3 hashira and a lower ranked demon slayer to take him down, and it’s one of the most grueling fights in the entire series.
Kokushibo’s moon breathing is one of the breathing styles that the manga has a hard time properly representing, especially when his sword grows two extra blades. Just like Kanroji, hopefully the anime can make his techniques clearer, and live up to just how terrifying a foe Kokushibo is.
4 Tanjiro’s Rematch with Akaza
Akaza’s murder of Rengoku was easily the most impactful part of Demon Slayer’s ‘mugen train’ arc. Fans have been itching to see Tanjiro develop to the point where he can finally fight Akaza on the same level and avenge Rengoku. So much so, that it has a lot of expectations to live up to.
It might be unreasonable to ask that this fight receive the same production value that Akaza vs Rengoku did, but it at least has to be comparable. Especially since this battle includes Giyu as well, meaning it will likely be compared to great 2v1s like Tanjiro and Uzui vs Gyutaro.
3 Yoriichi Tsugikuni vs Muzan
Yoriichi is a character that has been teased in Demon Slayer for a long time. As the progenitor of the sun breathing style and thus all breathing styles, he’s easily the strongest demon slayer in history. As the fight between Daki and Tanjiro has already shown the audience, Yoriichi also has history with Muzan.
Yoriichi’s entire backstory needs some love put into it, but his face off against Muzan is even more important. This is the moment that put fear into Muzan for the first time, and is imperative to understanding the sheer power that Yoriichi possessed.
2 Muzan vs The Demon Slayer Corps
Demon Slayer’s final fight can be accurately described as a marathon. With multiple fights going on simultaneously in an ever-evolving battleground, eventually leading to the demon slayers confronting Muzan himself.
The fight against Muzan feels agonizingly long and grueling in the manga, with various characters dipping in and out, and even non-combat forces helping with the final push. Pacing is imperative here, as some readers already found it too slow. This will be the culmination of years of anticipation, and it needs to be just right.
1 The Epilogue
The simplicity of Demon Slayer’s story makes many feel like they know how the story has to end. However, nobody predicted the final chapter of the manga would be a massive time skip to the descendants of the main cast.
This ending has received a very mixed reception, as it takes the focus entirely away from the characters the audience have grown attached to. It shouldn’t be omitted, but this epilogue needs to be presented in an intuitive enough way that anime watchers don’t end their Demon Slayer journey with a sour taste in their mouths.