Swordsmith Village Arc’ Gets A Release Date At Last

Demon Slayer fans now know when season 3, the Swordsmith Village Arc, will arrive on TV. Though in Demon Slayer fashion, they’re also doing a theatrical event tied to the new season, because they made a whole bunch of money last time.

The official premiere of season 3 of Demon Slayer will be in April 2023. That’s according to the latest special broadcast which says that’s when the Swordsmith Village Arc will arrive. It will be a one-hour special, rather than just an initial 22 minute episode.

Also announced was the upcoming screenings of “World Tour Jōei: Kimetsu no Yaiba Jōgen Shūketsu, Soshite Katanakaji no Sato e” or Demon Slayer: The Upper Ranks Gather and Onward to the Swordsmith Village. This is a special theatrical showing across the world that will air episodes 10 and 11 of season 2’s Entertainment District Arc, and then the first episode of Swordsmith Village Arc early in theaters. We have dates for that event across the world now as well (via ANN):

• Japan: February 3 in 418 theaters, including 41 IMAX screens
• Tokyo: Special screenings with guest appearances on February 4 and 5
• Los Angeles: February 18 with Natsuki Hanae, Aimer, Yūma Takahashi
• United States: March in over 1,700 theaters in both English-subtitled and -dubbed versions
• Paris: February 25 with Yūma Takahashi
• Berlin: February 26 with Yūma Takahashi
• Mexico City: March 4 with Natsuki Hanae
• Seoul: March 11 with Akari Kitō, Yūma Takahashi
• Taipei: March 19 with Natsuki Hanae, Kengo Kawanishi, Kana Hanazawa, Yūma Takahashi

It’s a way to watch the premiere earlier than April when it will arrive on TV. I’m not shocked to hear Demon Slayer is doing something like this, given that the Mugen Train movie made $450 million in theaters around the world back in 2020, which was quite a sight to see. These special screenings aren’t quite going to be the same style of release, given that it’s partially old episodes and one new one, but I’d expect them to do quite well all the same.

Here’s what to expect from the Swordsmith Village Arc when it arrives in April:

“Tanjiro journeys to a village of swordsmiths and has to explain how his sword was so badly damaged to Hotaru Haganezuka, the smith who made it. While Tanjiro waits for his sword to be repaired, enemies close in… The Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito, engages the demons, but he’ll need some help from Tanjiro and Genya, another Demon Slayer. It’s bad enough that they have to fight two upper-rank demons, but can they handle a foe who can split itself into four separate bodies and regenerate almost instantly?”

As ever, Demon Slayer is one of the most popular anime series in the world at present, and season 3 is hugely anticipated as a result. Hopefully we pin down an exact day soon, but for now, April 2023 is good enough.

Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my free weekly content round-up newsletter, God Rolls.

Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.