demon slayer The blockbuster '', scheduled for release in 2025, took the world by storm.Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 – The Return of Akaja.' The film kicked off the final trilogy of the series, and we are already eagerly awaiting the release of the second part, which is expected to be released sometime in 2027. Infinity Castle Part 2 will be a roller coaster ride, but the true climax is expected in the third and final film, when the clash with Muzan will finally occur.
Muzan is known as the Demon King, and while he currently stands as the most powerful villain in the entire story, the final film will introduce a new, even more powerful villain: Tanjiro, the Demon King. If Tanjiro's transformation into the Demon Lord had been successful, he would have overwhelmed Muzan and Yoriichi in terms of power.
Demon Slayer's final movie release officially reveals that Demon King Tanjiro is stronger than Muzan
Demon Slayer is a shonen tale by Koyoharu Gotouge that debuted in the 11th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump on February 15, 2016 and immediately introduced the story's final antagonist, the powerful demon Muzan Kibutsuji, who massacred Tanjiro's family. Muzan did not fully appear until Chapter 13 of Demon Slayer, released in WSJ Issue #24 on May 16, 2016. Immediately after that, he highlighted himself as a powerful enemy known as the Demon King and the progenitor of all demons, and an opponent who could not be easily defeated.
Despite Muzan's unrivaled power, the demon army was determined to defeat him, leading to the invasion of Infinity Castle at the end of Season 4, and his debut in 2025's Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. Due to the surprise explosion, Muzan is temporarily nerfed, but Muzan plans to return to his final form and almost full strength for the final battle, although his regeneration becomes worse due to the infected anti-Muzan drug. As the story continues, Muzan is eventually defeated at the end of the story. In Episode 200 of Demon Slayer, published in Issue 18 of Weekly Shonen Jump on March 30, 2020, he stops until the sun rises and finally dies.
“My body will soon fall under the sunlight, but… my memories are also eternal and indestructible. I too will pass on my memories to this boy. My breathing and heart are declining, but all my cells are not destroyed. There is still time. I will pour all my blood and strength into him, so that I will not be defeated even by death. Together with Tanjiro Kamado, I will conquer the sun and become the strongest demon king. Thanks to your blood, you are unique, just like Nezuko Kamado. You will not die. “I believe that with you, all my dreams can come true.” — Muzan to Tanjiro in Demon Slayer Episode 201
Muzan's death at the end of Demon Slayer brings great peace, but it doesn't last long. Immediately after that, in Episode 201 of Demon Slayer, the most shocking revelation is made that a more powerful enemy is about to be born. In this chapter, it is revealed that Tanjiro has inherited all of Muzan's blood, and his ultimate transformation has begun. Muzan planned to turn Tanjiro into the ultimate demon that would surpass him. To achieve this, Tanjiro's eyes became demonic and he gained regenerative abilities like Muzan.
As the next Demon King, Tanjiro's power surpasses everything we've seen in the story. Like Nezuko, he developed a resistance to the sun, which was Muzan's only weakness that the Legion had to exploit to kill him. Furthermore, Demon King Tanjiro has access to the breath of the sun, making him the ultimate being. As a villain, no enemy can come close to Demon Lord Tanjiro. This is because Tanjiro cannot be killed no matter what breathing technique he uses. Not only was Tanjiro much more powerful than Muzan, but he also likely surpassed Yoriichi, making him the most powerful character in the entire series.
How did Demon King Tanjiro's ultimate transformation fail in the ending of Demon King Slayer?
The transformation into Demon King Tanjiro was a disaster that everyone was trying to prevent before it was fully realized. At that time, most of the Hashira group had been destroyed and the demon slayer army had reached its limit, but they took up arms and tried to kill Tanjiro before everything was destroyed. Luckily, the conversion failed thanks to a few key characters.
In Episode 202 of Demon Slayer, Nezuko finally returns to the story after being absent for a significant portion of the final issue. She immediately hugs Tanjiro and tries to stop him. Although this does not completely suppress his demonic nature, Tsuyuri Kanao, who stands in Nezuko's way, uses the final form of Flower Breath: Equinox Vermilion Eyes to enhance her perception to its maximum and inject Tanjiro with a vial of anti-demon antidote that Shinobu and Lady Tamayo created before their deaths. Kanao was completely blind, but her efforts paid off.
“I guess this is why I still have one eye left. Right, Shinobu? That person just turned into a youkai. So now I can attack Tanjiro once with just one eye. Flower-breathing final form: pink eyes.” — Kanao from Demon Slayer Episode 202
Shortly thereafter, the antidote begins to take effect, and despite Muzan's efforts to convince Tanjiro to transform, he inevitably fails in Episode 203 of Demon Slayer on April 27, 2020. In this very chapter, Tanjiro is officially released and awakens as a human once again, and thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, the worst-case scenario is prevented from unfolding.
Demon King Tanjiro is scheduled to debut in Infinity Castle Part 3, scheduled for release in 2029.
Demon King Tanjiro would be a force to be reckoned with, and I'd love to see Ufotable Studio finally bring him to life in the anime. Unfortunately, Demon King Tanjiro won't be making an appearance anytime soon. As of now, the next film is Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 2, which will feature the battle between top 1 Kokushibo and top 2 Doma.
For Demon Lord Tanjiro to appear, the Battle of Muzan must first end, and this will only take place in the final film of the trilogy (tentative title 'Infinity Castle Part 3'). Demon Lord Tanjiro is scheduled to appear in a shocking twist at the end of this movie. As of now, there is no release date set for Infinity Castle Part 3 or Infinity Castle Part 2, but these movies are expected to be released in 2027 and 2029, respectively.
Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 1 will be available to stream on Crunchyroll starting July 28, 2026.
