As fans of Demon Slayer set reminders for the next episode release, they might find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Why? Because despite their best efforts, they won’t find a release date for Season 4, episode 9. The reason is as simple as it is surprising — there isn’t one.
Season 4 of Demon Slayer, which premiered on May 12, 2024, brought us deep into the heart of the Hashira Training Arc. Here, we saw our protagonist, Tanjiro, knocking on the doors of various Hashira to learn their unique training regimes. With Nezuko, his sister, now immune to sunlight, and Muzan Kibutsuji—the demon boss himself—aware of this development, a showdown is inevitable. Muzan’s greatest fear, the sun, is now within reach of being conquered, and Tanjiro has to prepare for an all-out war.
But just as viewers adjusted settled in for a long season, it wrapped up abruptly on June 30, 2024, with only eight episodes under its belt. “Wait, what?” is a perfectly acceptable reaction here. Traditionally, anime seasons stretch out to at least 12 episodes, sometimes even hitting the 13-episode mark. So, the absence of episodes 9 through 12 could definitely throw the fandom for a loop.
Here is what we missed
Episode 8 wasn’t just an ordinary episode; it was a whopping 40 minutes long. For those doing the math, that’s almost like getting episodes 8 and 9 rolled into one. So, in a way, we did get a ninth episode; it was just sneakily embedded within the eighth. Although the TV screens might go dark, the story is far from over.
Season 4 only covered Volumes 15 and 16 of the manga, and there are still volumes 17 through 23 left unexplored. And guess what? That adaptation is coming, but not in the form you might expect. Instead of a Season 5, Demon Slayer is set to conclude its epic saga through a three-part movie focusing on the Infinity Castle and Sunrise Countdown arcs. Yep, we’re going cinematic!
So, there you have it. While the weekly anticipation for new episodes might be over, the adventure is far from done.